A/N: This is my first attempt at a BSC FF. I haven't read the entire series, so I don't know how much stuff is in character or not. I really enjoyed writing this, and will be updating soon, hopefully (work permitting). It's a reunion take on the BSC, when the gang are aged around 32. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to the Babysitters Club, nor any of the characters or the original storylines. I only wish I did.


Kristy

I sat myself in front of the television with a cup of tea and my laptop. I'd spent the day working hard, trying to pull together all of the ideas that I had had for my new charity event, and I was exhausted, but I wanted to check my emails and see if there was any further information on my college reunion. I was excited to go; I couldn't believe that it was a whole ten years since we had graduated. Opening up my email folder, I noticed that I had seven new emails.

"Spam, spam, rubbish, spam," I said aloud to myself as I read down the list. "Amazon, spam, and, oh!" I was shocked when I noticed the name attached to the last of the emails. Mary Anne Clarke. My hand hovered over the mouse as I considered what this email might say. Mary Anne and I had been best friends since we were babies, we lived next door to each other until my Mom got remarried and we moved into a mansion on the other side of Stoneybrook, the town in which we grew up. We remained good friends through middle school, but during high school, things changed. Part of the reason that we were good friends for so long was that we were similar, both of us developed more slowly than many other girls our age; although Mary Anne had a boyfriend throughout middle school, neither of us were very experienced when it came to boys, and I guess I always thought that we were both a bit more naïve than the other girls. But then in high school, Mary Anne changed. She was no longer with Logan, her long-time boyfriend, and she started dating lots of different boys, some much older than her. We ended up having a huge falling out, and then in the summer before junior year, she moved with her family, all the way to California. Her stepsister Dawn had lived in California for most of her childhood, moving to Stoneybrook when she was 12, but had returned to California before we even finished middle school. Mary Anne's dad, Richard had been offered a fantastic job opportunity in California, and seeing as Dawn and her brother Jeff were there, Dawn's mom (Mary Anne's stepmom), had jumped at the chance of moving out there to be closer to her kids. Mary Anne also jumped at the chance, she was so much more grown up by then that California seemed like a dream to her, much better than sleepy old Stoneybrook.

Our club, the Babysitters Club, was long since defunct by this point. I had wanted to continue with it, but we lost Dawn when she moved back to California, and then Mary Anne said that it didn't really fit in with her schedule. Abby fell out with Claudia, and although Claudia and Stacey and I wanted to keep it going, it proved impossible; with the huge client base that we had built up, three sitters just weren't enough. So we dissolved the club, and just sat for people when we were asked to. Stacey, Claudia and I all remained fairly close throughout high school, even though our interests were different. Stacey and Claudia were always so much cooler than me, but the fact was that it had always been that way, and they never resented me for liking sports or just wanting to dress in ratty old jeans and a sweatshirt. Mary Anne had always liked me for who I was, but as she began to change, she started to see me differently. I have not set eyes on either Mary Anne or Dawn in almost fifteen years. They very rarely visit Stoneybrook anymore, as there is no family left for them to visit (Dawn's maternal grandparents died many years ago). The last time I saw Mary Anne was the day before she left for California, when my mom drove to her house to say goodbye to her parents, and we had an awkward goodbye moment. She sent me a birthday card on my 21st birthday, and I returned the sentiment. Since then the contact has been fleeting, a Christmas or birthday card here and there, and always back and forth between our parents' addresses; I have no idea where she is living now, and I don't suppose she knows where I am either.

So needless to say, the sight of her name on an email sitting in my inbox was a shock, to say the least. Of course, she was Mary Anne Clarke now. I knew this, I knew that she had got married, as she mentioned it in a brief note in a Christmas card two years ago. "I'm Mrs Clarke now, Taye and I married in Barbados in September. Hope you are well."

"Well here goes," I thought, and clicked open.

Dear Kristy, (she wrote)

I hope you don't mind me emailing you. I got your address from Abby, who looked me up a few years ago. She said that you and she sometimes email each other, so she gave me your address and implored me to use it. That was actually a while ago, and I have had it on a piece of paper in my bureau since then, wondering whether or not to bite the bullet and actually use it.

How are you? I know that we send each other Christmas cards every year, but for someone that was my best friend for the first fourteen years of my life, a polite Christmas card doesn't really cut it. I miss you Kristy! I have missed you since we drifted apart, but I have always been too proud to admit it. I jumped at the chance of moving to California back then partly because I thought that you no longer wanted anything to do with me. And of course, you would have been totally justified if that was the case. I know that I turned into a grade-A bitch Kristy, just the sort of girl that we used to hate before we got to high school. What can I say? All I can do is apologise, and hope that maybe, somehow, we can make a brand new start.

You may be wondering what has suddenly prompted this change of heart, or at least this attempt at a renewal of our friendship. The truth is, I have been ill recently. I was diagnosed with breast cancer sixteen months ago, and although I am now in complete remission, the whole thing led me to re-evaluate my life, and think about what was important to me. Life is far too short for any kind of grudge, especially one from high school when you can barely remember what you are arguing about.

I'd love to hear back from you Kristy, and hear all of your news. I know that apart from the depressing revelation about my illness, I haven't imparted any news, but if you reply to this email and tell me that we can make a start at being friends, then I will tell you all about my life and what's going on with me.

Your old friend

Mary Anne.

I have to say that I am not one for crying. I never have been. Funnily enough, Mary Anne was always the one who cried at the drop of a hat. But I definitely had tears in my eyes as I read this message from her. Part of me was crying because I was sad that Mary Anne had been ill. I had seen cancer at its worst when it claimed my grandmother. And I hated the idea of sweet little Mary Anne experiencing anything like that. The other part of me that was upset was experiencing an attack of nostalgia, as I thought about how close Mary Anne and I had been through all those years of growing up next door to each other. I was so glad that she had sent this email, and my mouse clicked reply and my fingers were dancing over my keys before I knew what was happening.

Dear Mary Anne,

I am so glad that you decided to email me. Firstly, let me say that I am so glad that your cancer is in remission. I have seen the illness firsthand, when my grandmother (Nannie, remember her?) died a few years ago of bowel cancer. I now work for a cancer charity, organising events and fundraisers. Anything I can do to try and get rid of this awful disease is a tribute to my Nannie.

I also want you to know that I don't hold any sort of a grudge for what happened all those years ago. I wish that I knew then what I know now; that it's not worth falling out over the silly little things. But hindsight is a wonderful thing, right? I'm just glad that we're back in touch now, and, in true Kristy style, I have the beginnings of a wonderful plan! But more on that later. Let me give you a brief update of my life right now!

I am living in New York City now! Jealous much? (Remember how much you wanted to live in the city?) As I said, I work for a cancer charity, and have done for the last three years. I went to school at the University of Connecticut, and majored in Business Management. I could probably have opened my own business when I graduated, I had all the know-how from the degree, and Watson offered to back me financially, but I just couldn't get enthusiastic about anything. I even thought about some sort of sitting business, but I just couldn't make anything work, and ended up taking a few different jobs here and there, before I found my true calling – charity work. I bet you never thought that I would be doing something like this, right? Well I love it? I get to work with really great people, and I feel like I am making a real difference.

My mom and Watson are still living in Stoneybrook (they pass your Christmas cards onto me every year!). Sam and Charlie are both married now and both working hard to provide for their ever growing families. In true Thomas style, they aren't content with just a couple of kids each! Sam has twin girls and a baby boy that he and his wife adopted from China (Mom and Watson provided a good example when they adopted Emily!). Charlie's wife is currently pregnant with their fourth baby, they have three boys already so Diana (Charlie's wife) is really hoping for a girl this time! Karen (remember little Karen?) is working as a model (!). You know how precocious she always was? Well she has found an outlet for that, she has people around her all the time telling her how wonderful she is! To be honest, she has never really hit the big time that she hoped for, catwalk work has always remained a bit of an elusive dream for her, but she's fairly good natured about it, and is now talking about packing it all in and trying her luck in Hollywood. We'll see! David Michael is a doctor, he's currently in Guatemala working with Doctors Without Borders. He's an inspiration really, I admire him so much. That just leaves Emily Michelle (she prefers Em these days!) and Andrew (or Andy). Em is just about to graduate from Yale, she's a bit of a braniac is my little sister! She isn't sure what she wants to do next, but she's going to have a lot of fun working it out, I'm sure. Andy graduated from MIT a couple of years ago and is currently in California, working in some super important computer job. I really don't understand it all that well, so I just nod and agree when he starts talking to me! The last time we were all together was at Christmas, but it's Watson's 70th birthday soon, so we are all going to back in Stoneybrook for a big party!

Which brings me to my fantastic idea. How about if you and Dawn (and your dad and Sharon) come to Stoneybrook for the party? It's going to be huge anyway, Watson has so many friends and family that we are removing the fences to the house next door and using their garden as well as ours to house guests. It will be a fantastic reunion for us; Stacey and Claudia are already invited as we have stayed in touch. I will even try and get Abby, Jessi and Mallory to come, if I can get in contact with them. What do you say, the BSC, back together again? The date of the party is the 22nd July, and I am pretty much not going to take no for an answer, unless you tell me that you have a vacation booked that week!

Your old friend

Kristy

I read back over my email, and hit send. I had that buzz of excitement that I only got when my mind was whirring over a plan. I really hoped that Mary Anne and Dawn could make it to the party!