Xander and the Black Dagger 9 Author: Tohonomike Disclaimer: All characters belong to their rightful owners...it will start off with the Joss/ME characters but also the Lawrence Watt-Evans characters from his Ethshar books aren't mine either and any real-life folks are clearly not mine. NO money is involved. None are mine.

Joyce's first ride on a flying carpet did have its intended effect, and the fact that for the moment at least her daughter wasn't under attack by evil vampires calmed the older woman down. And the fact that even after six years for him, Xander Harris still showed the good-heartedness she remembered.

"Joyce, that was as much fun for me, as it seemed for you," he smiled with his lop-sided grin, then quieter as he helped her up. "Buffy's, um, boyfriend is dust, and won't be coming back. I know you're not happy, but please go a little easy on her. The guy IS dead, now."

Joyce, who'd insisted he call her by her first name on their third figure-eight around the room, sighed a small sigh and nodded. Since the boyfriend-turned-murderer was gone, she'd try to leave off the yelling and shouting for a little while. She walked towards her daughter, and opened her arms. Buffy got up and ran over, burying herself in her mother's arms, sobbing again before nodding goodnight and leading the distraught girl to her car.

"Well guys, anybody willing to exchange cash for gold, jewels, trips to a world where magic can be everyday?"

"How much do you need, Xander?" Giles asked.

"I was going to buy everybody dinner at a diner if there's one still around, then 'go wild' at the S-Mart and a grocery if the vamps haven't closed it down."

"I'll cover it, and figure out repayment afterwards; if you consider starting up a trade company, I'll just invest money on this side, and take a percentage in each direction."

Xander held out his hand, "Ten percent stake, minimal pull-out except in-kind for the next year? And the rest of you five percent with the expectation of work participation."

Willow's eyes lit up, "We'll get to go the world you've been in? The Hegemony?"

"Yeah, and I don't know anything about werewolf stuff, but maybe we can offer something to a god to cure or remove the problem."

Xander looked over at the Jamaican Slayer, and smiled, "Excuse me, Slayer, is Mr. Giles also your Watcher?"

"No, sir, I was sent to assist in this crisis."

"Hmm, okay. May I ask your name?"

"Kendra, sir."

"Kendra, I'm pleased to meet you. Giles, what would happen if Kendra accompanied us through the tapestry, then eventually came back? Would this dimension consider her as passing, and activate another Slayer while letting her live?"

"Good Lord Xander, that's, that's an intriguing idea. If we were able to repeat that several times, it might thin out the hide-bounds in control of the Council and allow us to make a serious dent in the vampire population.

Xander, Teneria and Sarai suddenly turned as they felt an opening and closing of magic behind them, a man stepping out.

"Wait! I'm here to prevent that idea from happening too much."

Alexander of Terra, hand glowing with a blue flame, and a black dagger in the other, stared back at the individual, then gestured to a seat at the end of the table.

"I'm Whistler, from the Powers That Be."

"The powers that be what?" Lady Sarai asked.

"Think of them like a council of demigods and minor gods in your own world, Lady Sarai," the 'man' nodded, "But as they are currently matched by an equal group of Infernals, they have a compact by which they in this and other worlds operate to influence non-Champions enough to carry the day."

"The Slayer is a Champion, but so outnumbered by vampires as to be pointless," Alexander rebuked the balance demon. "Besides, what if instead of asking permission, I did it just to make sure my trade operations here in Sunnydale are maintained? Free will on my part."

"Doesn't work that way as far as the Light and Dark are concerned. You might get away with it once, just for the novelty value, but after that the evil side will expect an advantage to counter the number of Slayers you could come up with. Besides, if you can maintain your portals, you've already given your side a big potential advantage."

"Hmm, once, but also for each time we lose a, um, non-current Slayer, so we keep the number at three."

The representative looked as if he was listening to instructions, "Fair enough. It's agreed. Good luck guys."

The dinner was enjoyed by the group, the water closet considered amazing (especially bathroom paper), but the Ethsharites were in awe of the S-Mart in its vastness, both grocery and non-grocery sections. They'd been amused to find that the architecture of the building was that of a big cross, the lights outside were cross-shaped, the sidewalks and floor tiles were covered with crosses. And the sprinkler heads also had little crosses on them.

"I guess we know why this place can stay open late," Xander smiled at Giles, "Somebody had an idea…"

"Quite."

Willow and Giles with clipboards and paper, jotted down what the Ethsharites thought they could get for various items and amounts. Clothes, food, sporting goods, furniture and more. Feminine products of Things Men Do To Want To Know about, followed by baby-related stuff and medicines, had very strong personal and sale market appeal. Then they found the garden section was closed, but the idea still interested them

They loaded up a cart with a mixture of items they wanted themselves, mainly basic household items, and it only cost Giles three hundred dollars for the trial expedition.

"So what, now, Alexander?" Jenny asked as they approached Giles' place, "Back home then meet at the library in a few hours?"

"Yeah, that's best, and it'll let the rest of the family know how things are, here. I don't know how we'd make our money selling our stuff in this world, but going the other way is easy."

Willow thought for a minute, "So about what time is it in your world?"

"Um, late afternoon…why wanna visit and spend the night?"

Oz nodded at her hopeful look. She squealed happily.

"Okay Giles, we'll be making two trips it looks like. Jenny?"

"I'll stay here, Alexander. Rupert and I have much to…discuss."

"Alright then, everybody, let's get to it."