She followed the directions that Buffy had given her to her house. When she pulled up, Chris was surprised to see three different cars in the Summer's driveway. She woke Clay up with a kiss on his nose and shook the two girls sleeping soundly in the back seat.
"We're here sleepy heads. It looks like we are going to be getting a warm welcome too. Looks like the whole gang is over at Buffy's."
"Oh yippie. Hey, let me see your makeup Chris, I wanna freshen up before we go in." Clay sat back and shut his eyes again because he knew it would be at least 10 minutes before they actually got out of the car, but when he opened his eyes again, he was rewarded by the site of three lovely women.
"Shall we go in?"
"We shall," they all said at once. The gang got out of the car and went up to the door. They didn't even bother to get their bags, because they weren't sure where they would be staying.
*ding dong*
"I got it."
Angel ran to the front door and looked through the door to see a blond girl that looked quite familiar. He opened the door.
"Hey. Chris? Is that you?"
"Yep. New and Improved."
She gave Angel a hug as she walked in.
"Hello Meredith, Lori. How are you guys? We haven't talked since the last time I saw you."
"Great."
"Fine."
Angel turned to the guy who had his arm around Chris's waist.
"I'm Angel." Angle stuck out his hand.
"Clay. Nice to meet you."
"Hey, Angel, what's all the...Chris Mere, Lori, and some really hot guy."
"Hands off Buff, he's mine." Chris kissed Clay on the cheek.
"Got it. Besides, I got my own guy."
"Mere, Lori, how are you guys? We weren't expecting you guys until tomorrow. What gives?"
"Oh, just a little surprise. We couldn't wait to see you guys."
"Well, it's a nice one. Oh, I'm Buffy."
"Clay." He shook Buffy's hand.
"So, Buffy, what's new? Anything weird going on? Because you know that's what we specialize in."
"Nope. Nothing. Nada. Except for the occasional vamp activity. Nothing big though. Come on in the living room, the gang's here."
They all followed Buffy and Angel into the living room.
"Look what got dropped on our doorstep."
"Hey, look, it's the newbie to the Slayer world. How're things treatin ya kid?"
"Great! Once you get use to the lifestyle its not so bad. How are you Xander?"
"I'm pretty good. Just trying to get done with school. Mere, Lori, how are you guys?"
"Fine. A little tired, but good."
"Great. It's good to see you again."

"Good. Good. So, who is this guy?"
Xander nodded towards Clay.
"Clay. And you are...umm..Xander, right?"
"The one and only."
"Oh, you guys this is Cordelia. She didn't come with us on the last trip."
"Hello. It's nice to meet you. So, Chris, doing the Buffy thing. That's cool. Have you died yet?"
"Umm. That would be a big negative, hence the fact that I am standing right here."
"Well, Buffy died, and she's still here."
Chris looked over at Buffy and quirked an eyebrow at her.
"It's a long story. We'll talk about it later."
"You know you wankers could introduce me to the Slayer and her little kiddie friends."
Spike was sitting on the couch watching the group exchange greetings. He was sick of being ignored.
"Spike, this is Chris, Meredith, Lori, and Clay. You guys, this is Spike."
"Hello Slayer. Let's get one thing straight, I am a vampire, but you don't kill me. Got it?"
"Ok. Sure. Whatever. I don't really care. "
"So, I guess you guys must be hungry. Why don't you come and have lunch with us? We have plenty."
"Oh, sure. Just as long as we aren't intruding."
"Nah."
The group walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table and began to chow down. "So, what have you guys been up to?"
"Oh, you know, the usual. School, slay, school, eat, school, hang out. The normal teenage life. So, when is ya'lls graduation? You guys are seniors now, right?"
"Yeah, and you guys are too. Our graduation is on May 23. Hopefully it won't be as eventful as our High School graduation. You know with the whole ascension thing."
Buffy gave a smile.
"So, anyway. What do you guys wanna do while you are here? Have any ideas?"
" Well, we mostly just wanted to hang out with you guys. You know, do a little shopping, hang out, have fun."
"Sounds like fun. So, sleeping arrangements. I guess since I am living with Angel now, you guys can stay with us. After all, we do have the room."
"Sounds good. And that means we don't have to spend the money on a hotel. Thanks. So, enough of eating, what do you guys wanna do today?"
Chris looked at everyone around the table. She looked in Mere's direction and saw that her and Xander were having a private whispering conversation.
"Hey, you guys wanna share with the secrets? What are we still in kindergarten?"
"What? We're just talking."
"Sure!!"

Buffy gave Xander a warning look. She would have to remind herself to tell Xander NOT to flirt with the company. She giggled to herself.
"Well, about what we are going to do today. There isn't much of today left. It's 7 o'clock. You guys wanna Bronze it?"
The gang all agreed and Chris and her buds were eager to go to the club. They all changed clothes, freshened up, and got their coats and headed out the door.

The Bronze Experience

The gang walked through the doors of the Bronze and stopped a few steps inside.
They grabbed a couple tables, and then Buffy, Angel, Xander, Mere, Clay, and Chris all went to dance. Willow and Oz opted to stay at the table with Cordy, Spike, and Lori. Chris and Clay danced to We are the Lucky Ones. Chris thought she was so lucky to have Clay, and all her friends here with her and to have them watching her back every day of her life. She saw Spike ask Lori to dance and they stepped onto the dance floor. Oh great! Lori is fallin for a vamp. She laughed and Clay gave her a funny look.
"What's up with you?"
"Oh nothing. Just thinking about something funny. So, how do you like the gang?"
"Well, they are all really nice. They seem to like you guys, so in my book, they are great."
"I knew you would love them. So, what do you wanna do while we are here? We have to go shopping of course, but I can do that with the girls."
"I don't know. We'll think about it later. For right now, let's just dance."
The song came to an end and the couples walked off the floor and back to their tables.
"I'm thirsty. Hey, Angel, will you get me a drink?"
"Sure. Anybody else want anything?"
"Diet Coke for me." Chris was suddenly very thirsty. Angel and Clay got everyone's drink orders and walked over to the bar.
"So, how did you meet Chris? How long have you two known each other?"
Clay suddenly felt like he was being given the third degree by Chris's big brother.
"We have known each other since like the 2nd grade. I moved away 3 years ago and then after a year, my dad go transferred back, so I got to be with all my friends again. Me and Chris have only been together for like 4 months. She is so amazing. All the stuff that she has to deal with. It's all weird! But, I've gotten use to it. Mere, Lori, and me, we all help out a lot. We enjoy it."
"I know how it goes. But, seeing as how I've spent centuries as a vampire, it doesn't seem to weird to me."
" That must have been an unusual experience."
"Yeah. Well, we better get these drinks back over to the table before our girls come and put their moves on us."
The guys walked back over to the table and found the gang was all laughing about something, well, everyone but Spike.
"Oh, you must think it's all so funny. Well, its not bloody funny!"
"Does anyone want to tell us what's going on?"
Angel and Clay were standing next to the table with questioning looks on their faces.
"Oh, Will just scored on Spike. It was REALLY funny. Although he doesn't think so."
"Beg off Slayer."
He got up, put on his duster, and walked out. Chris looked over towards a corner and stopped laughing suddenly. Clay looked at her funny.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Vamp, over there in the corner. He has a girl with him."
Buffy grabbed a stake out of the waste band of her pants and Chris pulled one out of her jacket pocket.
"Shall we?"
"Be back in a few minutes."
The girls walked out of the Bronze, following the 'couple.'
The vamp was just about to go in for the kill when Chris spoke up.
"Ahem!"
The vamp turned around and saw two girls standing behind him.
"If you know what's best for you, you'll leave."
His voice was raspy and hollow.
"Well, seeing as I don't know what's best for me, I won't leave, and neither will my friend here."

The vamp lunged at them. Chris grabbed it when it tried to head butt her and knocked it off its feet. She turned towards the girl who was still cowering in the dark corner of the alley.

"Run. Get out of here."

He recovered quickly and landed a punch to her face. Buffy grabbed it from behind, and punched it hard in the jaw and then in the stomach. He went down hard on the ground and Chris staked him.
"Good work. We rock together. We will have to do this more often."
Chris just nodded her head.
"Oww!"
She moved her jaw around.
"I think that idiot popped my jaw out of place."
There was a big *pop* and Chris looked happy again.
"All better."
The girls headed back into the Bronze.
"One less fangy creep to terrorize this town. So, what has been going on with you guys since the last time we saw you?"
"Nothing really. Just trying to finish up college and get on with our careers. You know, everything that college students usually do, except for the whole saving the world on occasion."
They all laughed. Strong was being played and everyone got up to dance, switching partners; Buffy danced with Clay and Angel and Chris danced together.
"So, how've you been doing? I know that finding all that stuff out at once can be a major load to carry."
"Oh, I dealt. I'm not permanently damaged...Promise. I am just happy to be getting a break. Me and my Watcher, Dorian, we don't get along too well. We don't exactly see eye to eye on how things should be done."
"You mean you wanna do things your own way, and he wants you to follow the 'Watcher's Guide to Being the Perfect Slayer'?"
She laughed.
"How did you know?"
"Because Buffy was the same way. It took Giles about a year to adjust to her running things. She's always been very, 'my way or the highway.' "
" I'm beginning to think that all Slayers were like that...ever since I read up on the past Slayers out of the Watcher's Guides, anyway. What was Faith like?"
Angel gave her a surprised look.
"Why?"
"Well, her story just changed so quickly. One minute she was kickin ass with Buffy, and the next she's trying to kill you. I just don't get it. What was so different about her?"
"Chris, you have to understand some things about Faith. She had to watch her watcher die. Her watcher was like her best friend, a mother even. I think, eventually, she just snapped. But, I tried to help her. Wesley just wouldn't have it. But I think even if he hadn't taken her I still never would have gotten through to her. She eventually came around, but it was too late. You know I saw her when she got out of jail. I went to go and pick her up. She actually requested me...I will always remember that day. But, it's over now. She's gone, but you're here. And I know you won't make the same mistakes. "
"Angel, don't feel guilty. I know you tried to help her. It wasn't your fault."
Chris was glad she had gotten a little information about her predecessor. The song ended and they all went back to sit down.
"Hey, where's Lori?"
Chris looked around the club and noticed Lori standing over in a corner with Spike at her neck. Chris panicked. She ran and jumped onto a couch, flipped into the air, and onto a pool table, ran across the room and pulled a stake from her waistband. She pulled Spike's head back by his hair.
"Chris, what are you doing?"
Chris gave a very confused looked to Lori.
"What are you talking about? I am about to stake this peroxide freak because he tried to bite you."
"Uh, hello, I can't bite. Slayer, would you kindly let go of my head?"
"Chris, there's this little thing called making out. I think you know what it is."
Chris turned beet red. She put her stake back into her waistband.
"Sorry about that guys."
"What the hell is going on? Spike, what are you doing?"
"None of your business Fluffy."
"Seems that him and Lori were just having a little make out session. You know, no 'Grrr' involved."
Buffy punched Spike hard in the face.
"That's for being rude. Now, stay away from my friends."
"It's not like I was doing anything wrong. Me and Blondie here were just having a little fun, right pet?"
Lori just grinned.
"Whatever...I don't even wanna think about it. It's to.... ICKY!!"
Chris turned around and walked off.
"Spike, try anything funny, and you'll be sitting in an ashtray somewhere."
Buffy turned on her heal and headed back over to the table. Spike flipped her off as her back turned.
"You guys wanna get outta here? I am thinking one last patrol before bed. Besides, its almost 1."
"Well, how bout I see that these guys get home ok, and you and Chris can go patrol."
"Sounds good to me...you up for it?"
"Ready and able."
"Sounds like a plan. You guys be careful. I love you."
"Love you too."
Chris walked over to Clay.
"Promise me you'll be careful."
"Promise."
They kissed briefly and then Chris and Buffy grabbed their jackets and left the Bronze.