Xander and Cordelia materialized almost directly in front of a sign that said Portland Oregon population 641,162.
"Either we've got some sort of subconscious control over where we're ending up or someone's helping out behind the scenes." Xander said after reading the sign. "Because it seems a little too coincidental that we'd end up right outside the city we need to be in."
"Not to mention, given how many Protectors there are worldwide, for us to land in the territory of the ones that are alternate versions of us." Cordelia agreed.
"Maybe landing in Protectors world was to help us in some way." Xander suggested, as they walked into the city.
"Well, we got to talk to Jesse and Jenny and tell them we love them. That helped us both I think." Cordelia said.
"Yeah, we got to say goodbye to them and tell them what they meant to us, something I always regretted not being able to do."
"And we got to see what a world without Buffy looks like, in a good way. From what you told me about what Anya said about the world my wish created, that was an example of how bad things could be without her. The Protectors is an example of how good things could be without her."
"Willow not doing Magic and hurting people for instance.". Xander agreed. "Gives us a contrast, helps us see that just because we think something might be better or worse, it might not be."
"Our parents think the plan they've come up with is the best plan, but are willing to let us find an alternative. Maybe landing in the wrong reality is supposed to help us see alternatives. More information in order to make a better decision."
"Or it could be a coincidence, but that doesn't mean we can't learn from it."
"Not to mention we got to see what kids of ours might look like." Cordelia smiled softly, remembering the beautiful little girl and adorable little baby.
"Abigail looks like a mix of you and Faith. She's got Faith's eyes and your smile. Other me is probably just grateful she didn't get his ears. John though, looks more like him and consequently me. His eyes especially, the shape and they're starting to turn a dark brown."
"Chocolate brown. Your eyes are chocolaty brown. I love chocolate."
Xander chuckled at her roundabout way of saying she loved him. "Look, there's a gas station. There should be a payphone and hopefully a phone book. We can look up Nick Burkhardt, not to mention, call a cab."
"Oh yes and I need to redesign these boots. I made them a little too fashionable and not enough practical. I may be getting a blister."
"Yeah, we definitely need to get a cab. Who knows how much walking we'll have to do before this quest is over."
Once inside the gas station, they found a payphone and phone book attached to it.
"There are twenty Nicks, two Nickolas' and eight N Burkhardts." Xander reported. "This is going to take awhile."
"Check out how many police stations there are. Maybe we could call the stations and ask for Nick Burkhardt and compare the addresses of all the Burkhardt's and see which ones live in the area of that precinct."
"See, that's why you're the brains of this outfit. I'm methodical, I'd just call them one after another until I found the one I was looking for. Your way save time. And Quarters." Xander agreed. "Well, it looks like my way is better this time, because there seem to be about twenty police stations per district and Portland has three districts it looks like. They're a city with what, fifteen times as many people as Sunnydale and Sunnydale only has one station for 40,000 people. While Portland has about sixty. That's a big difference in numbers. But Sunnydale is home of the weird." And Xander began calling each Nick Burkhardt listed. He asked them each one question. "Are you a Grimm?" The ones that had no idea what he was talking about just thought he was a weirdo and dismissed him, but one Nick Burkhardt said "Who wants to know?"
"I need something that Nick Burkhardt, a Grimm, has."
"Do you know what a Grimm is?"
"A protector." An answer that provoked silence and then the Nick on the other end of the phone said. "I'm a police detective, you meet me at my station and we can talk. I don't like what you have to say and the conversation is over." And gave Xander the address, which he wrote down before hanging up.
"I think I found him, Cordy. I'm going to call a cab."
The cab dropped them off in front of the police station and the two went inside where they asked an Asian man in a police uniform who's badge said, Sargeant Wu, for Detective Nick Burkhardt.
"He's in there." The Sargeant said, pointing into the room off the wide hall they were in. "He's over there at the desk opposite the black detective, Hank Griffen."
Xander was about to thank the Sargeant when he glanced in the direction he'd indicated. Sitting next to the two desks with the men the Sargeant was pointing out was another man. Or maybe man wasn't the right word. Because the guy looked kind of like a Neanderthaled version of a werewolf. Xander got ahold of himself and thanked the officer.
"Careful, Cordy." He murmured softly, after Wu had moved off. "The guy sitting next to the desks isn't what he looks like."
"Demon?" She asked, just as softly.
"Maybe or one of these Wesen we were told about. This is going to be interesting."