Neal had heard the explanation from the hologram - and the fact that he was even talking to one was weird enough - but the first logical conclusion was that he was dreaming. This was some really weird lucid dream, something right out of a good (or really bad) sci fi novel or movie and he was going to wake up any minute now. But even after he’d pinched himself - hard enough to leave an angry red mark on his arm - the hologram was repeating its spiel about where he was and how he’d gotten there and why he was there.
Right, the coin. Neal remembered picking up the damn coin. He’d been carrying packages out to his car, getting ready to drive over to his parents’ place for Christmas, Dixon and Honey in the car already, when he’d spotted the unusual looking coin and had somehow managed to balance the things he was carrying while he bent to get a closer look. The last thing he really remembered was touching it, intent on picking it up.
What the hell? His mind was spinning with how none of this could possibly be real, but the more time that passed, the more he had to admit that it had to be.
After questioning the hologram a little more and doing some exploring both of the house and on his tablet which was mysteriously connected to the Atlantis network, he’d learned that his parents were both here, albeit freakishly young and so were Dixon and Honey. The familiarly was a relief, even if this whole scenario was still pretty damn weird. He almost didn’t want to leave his pets alone in this strange new environment, but those two seemed remarkably mellow, so after making sure they had plenty of food and water (the former of which he’d found conveniently stocked in the kitchen), he set out to start exploring his new reality.
There was something off lately and Tommy didn’t know exactly what it is but he wasn’t worried either, the ring on his finger made him smile, which was weird but he decided not to think about it too much.
As he rounded the corner he caught sight of someone new.
Huh. Heading the other direction was some blond he didn’t know but they looked like they could have a spark, with a strange smile, rubbed the ring and paused long enough to talk to the bloke.
“You, go talk to her,” he said forcefully pushing him towards the blond.
Wendy had just decided after getting off work to go grab some food instead of cooking. She didn’t feel like cooking today. Maybe she would get some extra food for Charlie in case he hadn’t got anything for himself. She tried to be a good roommate.
She was lost in her own thoughts, wondering what she should buy, that she didn’t notice the young man being pushed toward her until she almost bumped into him. She stopped startled in her tracks and apologized to the young man.
Neal had been focused on the scenery and he nearly jumped when a man he didn’t recognize ordered him to go talk to someone, actually giving him a shove toward the poor girl. His own apologies mingled with hers. It wasn’t really anyone’s fault, except for maybe the guy who’d literally pushed him at her.
“I’m really sorry, are you okay?” he asked her, offering her an apologetic smile. He felt oddly nervous and there was this weird sense of actually really wanting to make a good impression on whoever it was he’d just bumped into.
“It’s alright,” she replied with a soft smile on her lips, her eyes looking at the handsome young man in front of her. “I’m in one piece,” she chuckled softly. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She could feel her heart beating faster than normal, and she wasn’t sure why it was doing that. “I’m Wendy.”
“I’m Neal.” He hesitated for a second before realizing he should probably reach out his hand and offer to shake hers. For some reason, his pulse was racing and he could feel the butterflies in his stomach. Not that Wendy wasn’t pretty - she was beautiful, actually - but he didn’t usually feel this kind of reaction to just meeting someone. Maybe that man who’d pushed him toward her had actually done him a favor.
She bit her bottom lip and smiled as she reached and shook his hand. She could’ve sworn she felt electricity running through her body when their hands touched. It had never happened before, not even with Peter. “It’s very nice to meet you, Neal,” she said with a soft smile. “Where were you heading?”
“Uh, I’m not really sure,” Neal admitted. He hadn’t really been looking at the map on his tablet and had just been wandering around a little, trying to explore his new surroundings. He laughed a little self-consciously. “I guess I’m just kind of wandering around, so I wasn’t really heading anywhere special.”
“Would you like some company wandering around?” she asked, her cheeks flushing lightly as she asked the question. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, and get to know him.
It wasn’t something he could explain, but Neal felt the same way about Wendy, despite having just met her. He nodded and offered her a semi-awkward smile. “Yes, I would like that,” he admitted. He wasn’t great with women at all, but he did want her company.
She smiled at him, her cheeks turning a light pink as he agreed to her suggestion. “Lovely,” she said softly. “Shall we, then?” she took a step closer to him so she was standing next to him, and nudged him lightly with her shoulder.
“Yes, I think so,” he agreed. He didn’t mind the closeness at all as the pair of them started to walk toward, well, he had no idea where they were going, but he was suddenly very happy to be right where he was.