DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone except for Jen/Callie, and all of the "Yale" characters.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is for everyone who reviewed. I love you guys! Please keep reviewing or I won't have any reason to finish the story!
Jen was very satisfied with herself when she stepped off the bus and into the Los Angeles sunshine. She had managed to subvert the system… no one suspected a seven year old of coming up with a complex plan for running away from home. A couple of mothers with children gave her an odd look, but she just stared straight ahead.
"Where's your mommy, honey?" the ticket lady asked her, a boom box playing in the background. Jen was about to tell the woman that her mother was around the corner and she was a big girl who got to buy the tickets, but the woman was distracted when her manager came and turned off the boom box.
"Now, why can't I play my music?" the woman asked, irate. The manager was suspiciously silent, but the music stayed off.
Jen crept onto the bus, and before she knew it, she was standing at the bus stop a few blocks from the Hyperion Hotel. After asking for directions, she carefully made her way to the hotel and cautiously opened the door.
"Callie?" Angel said, looking around for Buffy. "Where's your sister?"
"Uh," Jen replied, "she's not here. I took the bus."
"What?!" Angel freaked out. A seven year old, traveling all that way by herself. Jen didn't like the worried/perturbed expression that was quickly taking over his face. She didn't think she could take it if someone else tried to put her in time out.
"Listen Angel," Callie/Jen started, cursing the small wispy voice that lisped and made her sound like she was seven, "I'm not Callie, and I need your help. I'm a freshman at Yale University, and this is all a television show, and I have to get back to my own world. Buffy wouldn't believe me, so I came to you for help."
Angel frowned at the small girl. "You ran away from Buffy? That was bad, Callie, bad." Apparently, Angel was confusing small girls with dogs. Bad Callie.
"My name is Jen Wood," she tried to explain. "I can do calculus, I speak Spanish fluently, and I could talk to you for fifteen minutes at least on German Expressionist film. I really am a Yale student. If you don't believe me, get Fred. I'll do some physics for her." Angel frowned at the child. She had never met Fred. Something wasn't quite right.
"First thing is first," he said. "You sit here and drink some milk while I call Buffy." He poured her a glass of milk. Kids were supposed to drink lots of milk, weren't they?
"You can't call Buffy. She doesn't believe me and she'll just be pissed."
Angel gave the child a hard look, knowing that that word was not supposed to be coming out of her mouth, but what could he do? "Language," he reminded her sharply, feeling like a complete fool.
Jen threw her little body at Angel, wishing that she was in a grown up body, because he was actually very hot, and… nevermind. "You can't call." She held onto his leg as he walked over to the phone. He didn't so much as pause.
"Buffy?" Jen hated only being able to hear one side of the conversation.
"Buff, Callie's here. She took the bus. Yeah, she's fine." Pause. Pause. Callie heard screaming on the other end of the phone. "Right now? Well, she's holding onto my leg and trying to convince me that she's really a Yale student. I thought it was kind of cute." More yelling, and then Angel started back tracking. "You're right, definitely not cute. Sure." He held the phone out to Callie. "She wants to talk to you."
Jen shook her head vehemently. Angel held the phone up to her ear anyway. "She's there, Buffy," he shouted, feeling ridiculous. Again. Jen was knocked back by the anger and worry in the slayer's voice.
"Callie. Answer me. Now."
"I'm here," she replied in a teeny tiny voice. "But my name is Jen Wood. Why won't you believe that?"
"Listen to me, little girl, if you so much as mention one more thing to anyone about this Yale nonsense or do ANYTHING but sit quietly and do what Angel asks until I get there, you won't be able to sit straight for a week." Jen hoped she wasn't saying what she thought she was saying. And yet… she was. Being a little kid was sucking more and more with each passing moment.
"Do you understand me?" Jen didn't reply.
"Callie, I better hear something from you by the time I count to three. One." Pause. "Two." Pause Pause.
"I understand," Jen said, not wanting to make her angrier than she already was. "I don't like it, but I understand."
"Put Angel back on the phone." Angel took the phone back, and Jen was re-sentenced to listening to just one side of the conversation.
"Yeah, I'll let you know if she does. You're going to what? Don't you think that's a little… whatever you say. You want me to what? Buffy, I don't think that that will be necessary. Sure. Yeah." Jen groaned. Angel was so clearly still Buffy-whipped. He finally hung up the phone.
"She's mad," Jen said, feeling justified at stating the obvious since she was only supposed to be seven. Angel nodded.
"Really mad," he replied. "I think you'll survive with your hide intact if you don't mention anything else about this Yale thing. I'll have to tell her if you do." Jen sighed. She had a little over an hour to either run away from the hotel or convince Angel that she was telling the truth. She knew only that she definitely did not want to be there when Buffy got there.
Jen shrugged, wishing Angel would leave so she could try to find someone else who might help her, even if she had to go looking for Wesley. Angel recognized the look on her face. "Callie-girl, if you try to run off again, I'll spank you myself." He gave her a mean look. She shivered. Being a little kid sucked a lot.
"Is Fred here?" she asked in a pathetic voice. Angel nodded. "Can I talk to her?" Angel shrugged.
"Sure, as long as you don't say anything about 'Yale.' I'm sure Fred would love talking to you." Jen swallowed hard. She hoped that Fred would believe her once she saw the calculus and physics. Otherwise, her future was looking very bleak. Not only was she stuck in a television show, she was stuck in one where the other characters kept threatening to repeatedly smack her bottom. Could things get any worse?