Title: What If? Author: Doc angelz_blondie@hotmail.com Disclaimer: The Scoobies belong to Joss Whedon and his crew. I own Mere, Chris, Lori, and Chriss mom. Oh yea, and my idea (plot). Distribution: If you want it, take it, just email me and tell me where its going. Summary: Three girls get an unexpected surprise in the ways of the world. Authors Note: Tara and Anya have not been introduced yet. They will not be involved in this story. Willow and Oz are still together. This takes place probably like mid season 3. Um, I think its mentioned in the story, but just incase it isnt, the girls are from Texas. I think thats it. Any other questions I guess email me. Rating: Same as the show.   Have you ever wondered what would happen if something that you thought was fake turned out to be real? What if one day you saw Frankenstein walking down the street? Would you freak? Or would you just tell yourself that you are seeing things? Well, this happened to three girls, only it was slightly different. Meredith, Lori, and Christine had been friends ever since the 3rd grade. They shared everything from clothes to makeup. And every Tuesday night they got together to watch their favorite show, Vampire Diaries. Everyone at school thought that the show was totally immature and would always roll their eyes or walk off if when they heard the three girls discussing it. One Tuesday, while walking down the streets of their hometown, something very odd changed their lives forever..................... "So, do you think Jacques is ever going to come back? I really hope he does. It won't be the same without him." Meredith was totally in love with Jacques. "Oh you know how they do it. They kill off one of the characters in some weird supernatural way, and then somehow they end up coming back. Mark my words, he'll be back." Christine had been watching the show longer than any of them. She had been watching the show since the very first episode and had gotten her two friends hooked on it. "We better hurry. It's 6:45. It's gonna start soon." All three girls took off running towards Chris's house. "Mom, we're home. Hey can you get us some sodas and our usual snack? Make sure there's cheese dip!" The girls made an event out of Tuesday night every week. Even though it was a school night, they were still all home by their curfews. It wasn't like the show was incredibly long or anything. It was over at 8 and Meredith and Lori were usually home by 8:15. "Shhh...Its starting." Chris's mom could here the theme song blaring as she brought in the girl's snacks. She sat in the recliner next to the couch. Her daughter had been watching the show for so long that she had finally gotten hooked on it. She liked to see how excited the girls got when they watched it. "I wonder if Sarah is ever going to tell them what happened to Jacques. I think she would feel better if she did." "I know. I could never keep anything like that to myself. I would die." The three girls watched, jumping up every now and then to go use the bathroom or get more food. An occasional, 'Kick his butt' was also heard as Sarah fought off the demon of the week. Finally the show was over and Meredith and Lori gathered their stuff to go home. "Hey mom, can I walk Mere and Lori home? I just want to talk for a while." "Sure honey, but when you get to Mere's house, call me, ok?" "Will do. Bye!" All three girls rushed out the door. They walked along the sidewalk toward Meredith's house. "Can you believe that John was putting the moves on Sarah? He knows that she has a guy. Uhh! He's so rude. I hate him. I wish they would kill him off." "Me too." "Me three." They were almost to Meredith's house. There was a stoplight and they had to wait at the crossing. The girls huddled together because the corner was kind of dark and it was getting kind of late. Suddenly, something reached out and grabbed Lori. She screamed. Meredith and Christine started hitting and kicking it, but it wouldn't let go of Lori. It looked like a man, but its face was all messed up. Then they realized...it was a vampire. "Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size? Like me." Lori realized that she was free and ran to her friends. They watched as two figures started to fight the vampire. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. They had been watching a show about vampires for all these years thinking that they were myth, but here one was attacking them. Suddenly they heard a growl and the sounds of fighting stopped. A blond girl and a tall dark haired man stepped out of the shadows. "Are you guys all right? I didn't think we were going to make it in time." The blond girl put her hand on Lori's shoulder. "He didn't bite you did he?" "No. I'm ok." Christine got really excited. She looked down and saw that the blond had a stake in her hand. "Hey that was a vampire, wasn't it? You two sure do fight good. Who are you?" "Well, let's just say we protect people from well, vampires. How did you know what it was?" "I just took a guess." Well, we should be going. We gotta find a place to stay. "Wait, you know since you saved my best friends life and everything, you guys wanna stay with me? Um, we dont want to impose. Well, most places around here close after 8 anyway. Well, ok. If youre sure. Hand on just a minute. Hey Mere, Lori, come're for a sec." The two girls walked over to Chris. "Did you see her fight? She is better than Sarah. I wonder who they are. Hey do you guys think your parents would let you spend the night at my house." "Well, they've done it before. Maybe they'll do it again. We will just promise to go to bed early." "Lori?" "I bet they will. "Ok, then its settled." The three girls walked back over to the couple. Ok, we have to make one stop and then we can head back to my place. Is that ok?" "Fine by me. Angel?" "Sure. Fine." So the man's name was Angel. That was kind of strange. The group walked the rest of the block towards Meredith's house and the three girls went inside. The girl and Angel decided that they better stay outside and wait. The girls asked Meredith's parents and Lori called hers and both said that the girls could stay over at Chris's. Chris called her mom, and it took a little begging and promising to mow the lawn, but she agreed. The girls went upstairs and packed a bag with an extra outfit for Lori, because they didn't want to have to walk all the way back to her house. Meredith kissed her parents and they walked out the door. "So, where to now?" "Back to my house. About 2 blocks from here." "Ok. Sounds good. We aren't going to be intruding are we?" "Well, the thing is, my mom doesn't know. But, you guys can sneak into my room. My bedroom window is open. You guys can climb trees right?" The two people looked at each other and just smiled. "Definitely." When they reached Chris's house, the three girls went into the house, and the girl and Angel climbed up the tree and into Chris's room. The girls ran upstairs and into Chris's room and threw down their stuff. "Ok. So. First off, who are you guys?" Christine was very curious. She had seen Sarah and Jacques fight demons and vampires all the time on TV for the past 5 years, but never had she thought that vampires were real. "Well, I am Buffy, and as you already know this is Angel. We are from Sunnydale. We heard some funky stuff was going on down here and we figured that we'd come and see what was up. When we got here, we found out that there's a major evil gig going down right here in town. Do you have a phone?" "Yeah. Sure. Its right over there on my desk." Buffy got up and walked over to the phone and dialed a number. "So, why do you guys fight vampires?" Meredith was totally beginning to crush on Angel. All tall and broody! "Well, first of all, Buffy is what you would call a Vampire Slayer. Its her destiny to fight vampires and demons, and every once in a while stop the world from ending. I.... and don't freak when I tell you this...am a vampire." All three girls went wide eyed. "Ok, and that would be how?" "Well, a very long time ago, I was given my soul back by some gypsies. I haven't ever bitten a human since then. Now I help Buffy slay vampires and stuff like that." "So you are a good vampire. Ok, that's cool. I guess." Chris couldn't help but stare at him. "Hey, I just got off the phone with Giles. Him and the gang are gonna come and help us. Hey, thanks for letting us sleep here. You guys are the best." "Hey, after all, you did save my best friend's life. Who knows what would have happened if you and Angel hadn't come along. So, Angel tells us you are a...umm.... Vampire Slayer?" "Gosh Angel do you have to tell my deep dark secrets to everyone?" She smiled at him. "Well, if you don't wanna talk about it, that's cool. You guys have probably had a long trip any way. Why dont' I just go get some blankets and you guys can go to sleep." "No, its cool. I am still hyped up from that fight. Any way. As I was saying, yes I am what you would call a Vampire Slayer. It's my job to go out and find the things that bump in the night and kill them. It's a dirty job but somebody's gotta do it." Chris was amazed. She couldn't believe that there was actually someone that did what she saw Sarah do on her favorite show every week. She started thinking about what it would be like to go out every night and have the fate of the world in your hands. "So, are you guys hungry? I could run downstairs and get some snacks." "None for me thanks. I am gonna go out for a little while. Go back to the bus station and get the car. I will be back in a couple hours." "Just make sure you make it back before sunset. I don't wanna have to carry around a pile of dust and say "Hi! Meet my boyfriend." Angel and Buffy kissed and he left. "So you two are together. Wow, that's gotta be kinda weird." "At first it was, but now not so much. We fight together, and it just means that I have someone who loves me watching my back. He also gives me something to do when patrol gets boring." The girls giggled. "So who are the gang that you were talking about, and that Giles person?" "Oh, those are my friends. We all fight vamps and demons and stuff. They help me research the stuff that goes on so that I don't get myself killed. Giles is my Watcher. He trains me and tells me everything I need to know. I will let you guys meet them when they get here tomorrow. We will go and stay in a hotel then. All three girls couldn't wait to meet Buffy's friends and Watcher. "So didn't you mention that you had food? Because if you do I would LOVE some. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning." "Oh, yeah, be back in a few." Chris walked out of the room. "So, how old are you guys?" "Sixteen. Sophomores in High School. What about you?" "Well, I am 18. I'm a Sophomore in college." "How long have you been slaying?" "Since I was 15. It seems like it was just yesterday." "Wow, that's a long time. Ok, so you said something evil is going down here right? So what can we do to help?" "Well, ok, wait, what are your names? We haven't even really been introduced." "Oh, I am Meredith, but you can call me Mere. This is Lori, and this is Christine's house. But call her Chris because she doesn't like to be called Christine." "Oh, Ok. So, does Chris have a computer? I could really use it to research whatever this is. I have my bud Willow on it, but they are going to be having to leave Sunnydale soon." "Yeah, its right over there in that cabinet looking thing. Do you want me to help?" Mere had always been a whiz on the computer. "Sure. I hardly ever run these things. Will gets me the info and I go out and fight whatever it is we are fighting at the moment. Be my Guest." "Ok, so what are we looking for?" "Look up a vamp named Lucas. He's running the sitch. He has some kind of amulet that is going to open up the gates of Hell. So, in summary, I am going to have to save the world, yet again." Meredith went to every supernatural search engine she could find. Several minutes later she spoke. Found it!! "What did ya find? Well, it seems that this Lucas fellow is going to use this Amulet, called the Gem of Array to open the gates of Hell. Someone tried it once like 2,000 years ago, but some girl stopped it. The Amulet has been lost for like ever. But it was recently discovered in Texas and brought to a museum in a small town. Oh my Gosh. Lori, Chris, remember the other day when everyone was so excited about the new delivery being made to the museum. I bet it was the Amulet." "So all we have to do is get to the Amulet first." "Yeah, if only it were that easy. Last night there was a robbery at the museum and the new artifact went missing. I am guessing that Lucas already has it. But the ritual has to be performed on the night of the Solstice. Hey Chris, look at your calendar and see what it says." "Solstice is tomorrow night. Good thing your buds are coming in tomorrow." "Ok, so how do we stop it?" "Well, really all you have to do it get the Amulet and break it and kill the performer of the ritual. But, if you don't do both, then the gates will still open.  So really you just stake and break!" "Good one Mere." Chris was getting excited thinking about being involved in a fight with vampires and supernatural forces. The Next Day Angel got home ok and the whole crew had gone to bed. "Hey, you guys, wake up. We have to get to school. It's almost 6:45. We are so gonna be late." "Mere, Buffy's friends are coming in today. Can't we just skip? Just this once. We always talk about doing it. Come on. Buffy and Angel need our help." Chris looked over at their newfound friends snoozing in her bed. She had offered them her bed, them being the guests, and after some major persuasion, they had agreed to take it. The three girls had slept on the floor. "I guess, but we still have to make it look like we are going to school. You guys get your stuff. We can drive around for a while until we know my mom is gone. Today is the day school lets out. We won't be doing anything anyway." "Ok, meet you downstairs." Chris thought that skipping school wasn't such a good idea, but against her better judgment, she went along with it. She really wanted to meet Buffy's friends today, plus, they were gonna need some extra help. Chris figured she had seen Sarah stake vamps so many times on television, she could probably do it in her sleep. Plus, her and her three friends all knew karate. They had all taken forever just for self defense. They were now brown belts. But they had quit about 6 months ago. But they still knew how to defend themselves. "Let's go. Bye mom. See you later. We might be going out tonight. I will call you if we do." "Bye hunny. Have a good day. Call me when you get out of school." The three girls walked out the front door and got into the car. They drove around for what seemed like forever, until they finally got tire of driving around and decided to go back and see if Chris's mom had left. They drove by the house and her car was gone. Chris did a U-turn and pulled into the driveway. The three girls ran up the walk and into the house. "We better go check on Buffy and Angel." "Why are we whispering?" "I don't know. We just are." The girls walked up the stairs and into Chris's room. To their surprise, Buffy was sitting on the bed already dressed and ready to go. "Where have you guys been? Your mom has been gone for like and hour. We thought you guys had decided to go to school." "Nope. We all agreed to stay and help you guys out. So, what do you need?" "Well, Angel is almost ready, but he can't go out in the sun. So I was wondering, Chris, if you could possibly take me to the bus station to pick up the gang. It won't take very long. Their bus comes in at 9:30 and it's about 9:15." "Sure, I would love to take you. Just let me know when you are ready to go." "Now would be good. Just let me tell Angel." She ran to the bathroom and yelled through the door. "Angel, Chris is gonna take me to get Giles and them. Be back later."  "OK," came from the bathroom. Chris and Buffy left. At the Bus Station "Buffster. Looking Good. And who may I ask is this cutie?" He smiled at Chris. She extended her hand. "Chris. And you are?" "Xander. Nice to meet ya. Heard you gave Buff and Dead Boy a place to stay. That's cool." "Where's Giles? I need to talk to him." "Buffy. What's up?" "Willow. Hey. Oz. How are you guys?" "Well, not loving the bus ride, but hey, gotta make some sacrifices for the world. Know what I'm sayin?" "So did you guys find anything else about the evil happenings?" "Yeah. Looks like you aren't the only one in the world with computer skills. Chris has two friends. Meredith helped me research on the net. We are gonna have to go straight into battle mode. It's happening tonight. Lucas got the Amulet too. Mere said that if I stake him and break the Amulet, everything will be hunky-dory." "Sounds like a plan. So are these gals going in with us?" "N--" "Yes!" Buffy gave her a look. "Buffy, we can help. I have watched vamps being staked so much I bet I could do it with my eyes shut. Plus, we all took karate for like ever. I know we could help." "I don't know. I don't like putting people's lives at risk.  Vamps are mean. Especially Lucas. I don't want any of you getting hurt." "Come on Buffy. Please. How bout this. We will only get into it if it looks like you guys need a hand. Otherwise we will stay out of sight and watch. Ok?" "I guess that's not such a bad idea. Have a little hidden back up. Ok, I guess you guys can come." "Could someone please help me?" A British voice came from the doorway of the bus. "I am guessing that is Giles." "The one and only. Hey Giles. Whats the haps?" "I hate riding these things. There isn't any room. Ahhh. Now who is this? Is this the girl I heard about on the phone?" "Giles, this is Chris. She put me and Angel up for the night." "Well, its very nice to meet you young lady. Thank you for helping Buffy and Angel. I appreciate it very much." "It's no big deal. They saved my friend for being dinner to a vamp. We owed em big time." "Well, we better get going. I wanna get some training in before we have to go tonight. Chris what time does your mom get home." ? Usually around 7:00, but she's staying late to do inventory, so she won't be home until like 10 or 11." "That's great. Come on you guys. We will go check into a hotel later. Right now we need to get ready for tonight."     Back at Chris's House (Training)   Chris cleared a space in the living room, and put out her karate mats that she used to practice on. Buffy and Angel started sparing, while Xander and Oz were giving the girls the basics in vamp staking. They were actually doing pretty well considering they were amateurs. They took a break to eat after about 3 hours of training, and then the gang went and checked into a hotel. They agreed to meet back up at Chris's place at dusk Later That Night "Hey. So did everything go ok at the hotel?" "Yeah. It was nice to get a shower. Giles and them are right behind us. Ok, here's the deal. You guys are coming with, but you three are to stay out of sight, unless you see that we need help. I don't want you guys getting hurt. Understand." "Crystal Clear." "Got it." "Copische" "Hello ladies. Ready to do a little dusting?" "Xander, don't encourage them!" "Sorry Buff. No, dusting vamps bad! BAD!!!" "Xander, shut up." "Hey, don't talk to me like that Dead Boy!" Angel scowled at him. "Guys!! This is not what I need right now. Can't we all just get along?" The gang was all there and the sun was all the way down. "Mere, where did you say this was going down?" "It should be at Memorial Cemetery. It said the ritual had to take place in a cemetery, and its the only cemetery in town." "Ok, me and the girls and Angel are going together. You guys go with Giles. We'll meet up there." Everyone shook their heads and left.  When they all met up again, they were ready for a fight. Chris, you Mere, and Lori hide behind one of the Mortuaries. Remember what I said. Not unless we are in trouble." "Ok, we got it." They went into the cemetery. Right away 6 vamps attacked them. The girls made sure to stay out of the way as the gang fought off the vamps and dusted them one by one. None of them could actually believe that they were actually living this. After all the vamps were dusted, they walked toward one of the Mortuaries. They stood there for a minute. After a while of standing there, Buffy spotted Lucas and his gang of minions. "Hey Lucas. Were you hoping to have some fun tonight?" "Slayer!" "Oh. I'm sorry. Am I raining on your parade?" "You won't live to see tomorrow!" "Oh really. Well, I have plans with my buds tomorrow, and I never miss time with my friends, so, I think you're lying! I think its YOU who won't live to see tomorrow." Buffy ran after him and gave him a roundhouse kick to his face. He fell on the ground, but knocked her off her feet with a sweeper kick. "Ow!" Buffy catapulted back to her feet and punched Lucas a few more times. She looked around and saw that her friends were taking on a load of vamps. She knew that soon she would probably see the three girls jumping in. After all, it did look like they needed help. Buffy felt a sharp pain in her back and fell to the ground. Someone sat on top of her and pinned her arms behind her back. "Now, Slayer, you Die." Buffy felt him lean down towards her throat. She knew that he wouldn't get far. She had secret back up. She was hoping that they would see that she needed their help. She smelled his rotten breath and suddenly, all the weight was off of her, and she was covered in a coat of dust. "Thanks A--" "Chris? Wow. Great Job. Now, we gotta find the Amulet. I think he already started the ritual. If we don't find it soon, its gonna be bad ne--..." "Found it." Lori was holding the Amulet up. "What should I do with it?" Buffy walked over and took the Amulet. She looked at it and then broke it over her knee. "Ok, we should be home free now. What do ya say we give these guys a hand with these pesky vamps?" "Sounds like fun to me." All four girls jumped into the fight and before they knew it, there weren't any vamps left. The gang walked back to Chris's house. "Well, thanks for helping us out so much. You guys are really good. You know you guys have potential. If we ever need some major back up, we'll be sure to call you guys. I hope we didn't freak you out too much." j "It was great. It was so exciting. I cant believe we were actually staking vamps alongside a Slayer." Chris whispered to Buffy, "By the way, Angel is a total hottie. Make sure you keep him." Both girls laughed.  "I hope we see you guys again some day. Thanks for helping us. The girls and the Scoobies exchanged hugs and said goodbye. Then, the Slayer and her friends walked out of the girls lives forever. Or did they  3 Years Later   "Hello? Yes, this is Rupert Giles. Yes, I'll tell her. Thank you." "What's up?" "Buffy, I think you might better sit down." "Giles, what's going on? Is it Angel, Xander, Oh God, not Wil--..." "Buffy, its not any of them. It's Faith. She got out of jail about a month ago. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. But something happened to her. She was killed in a fight with a very powerful demon last night." "Oh my Gosh." Buffy was stunned. She had never liked Faith after everything that had happened, but she had learned to forgive and forget. She felt a loss at losing her sister Slayer. "Are you ok?" "Yeah. I'll be fine. So I guess we'll be expecting a new Slayer soon huh?" "Yeah. I am thinking that her Watcher will contact me in a few days." "Well, I guess I should let the gang know. I will be back later. And Giles..." "Hmm?" "She died doing what she loved to do." "Yes, I know." Chris sat outside her house with her two friends. Ever since their run in with the Slayer, they had been hanging together and exploring the weirdness going on in town. Occasionally they found some vamps, and occasionally they got up the courage to dust them. "So, what do you wanna do tonight?" "Movie?" "Sounds good. Which one?" "The Vampire Diaries Final Show is coming out." "Sounds like a good idea." A man, dressed in a suit came walking up the walk. "Christine Howard?" "Yeah?" "I need you to come with me. Your destiny awaits you."