Meant to Live, Ch. 4: Bent

A/N: Hiya people! You realize how long this chapter took? It took me forever to get over a big case of writer's block for this story. Anyway, the beginning of this is kind of a recap of what's going on so far. You can skip it if you want to. Onto the story!

FADE IN:

Giles' V/O: Previously on 'Meant to Live'…

Lily, Ray, and Robbie walking down the hall.

Willow V/O: Slayers are awakening everywhere.

Lily stopped in her place as Willow says 'everywhere'.

Cut to: Interior- Cleveland, Buffyverse

Willow performed the spell.

Willow: It's time.

Cut to: Interior- Roscoe High

The portal opens and sucks Lily, Ray, Robbie, and Travis into it.

Cut to: Exterior- Cemetery

Lily gets knocked out.

Cut to: Interior- Summers' house

Lily get out of the bed and runs out of the room only to see the Scooby gang and a bunch of Slayers.

Buffy: Cliff notes version? We're real.

Lily: What do you mean? I'm…

Buffy: Lily Randall? You're a Vampire Slayer.

Cut to black

"No…"

Lily stood there in shock. As Buffy edged closer, she sprinted towards the steps.

Lily ran hurriedly up the spiral staircase, too panicked to ask what room her friends were in. She stopped at the beginning of the hallway and was faced with 4 doors: one to her left, two to her right, and one straight ahead. Deciding on the one to her left, she took a few steps and opened the door, finding the linen closet. She sighed and closed the door, deciding on the 2nd to the right. She turned the knob, entering quietly. Considering the sun was just rising, the room was still dark. She flicked on the light near the entrance. Flinching slightly at the brightness as her eyes adjusted, she spotted three familiar figures lying in separate ends of the room, along with several other slayers in the room. Out of breath, a relieved and equally freaked crossed her face. "Thank god."

Behind her she heard approaching footsteps. She turned to see Buffy and Faith, as if waiting for her to say something. Lily turned back to the three unconscious boys, noticing only two were still unconscious. Travis was sitting on the floor, yawning and starting to get up. "Lily?"

"Trav, you okay?" Lily asked, concern in her tone.

Travis stared wide-eyed at the two girls behind her. "I'm fine, but..." He trailed off.

Lily sighed, quickly turning to the older Slayers before turning back. "Don't worry. I'll explain everything as soon as you help me wake Ray and Robbie up."

He nodded and kneeled next to Robbie, shaking his shoulder. Lily crossed the room, kneeling down beside Ray. "Ray! Can you hear me?" She shouted into his ear.

Ray stirred a bit, mumbling something about dead frogs and compasses. Lily, a bit confused, shook his shoulder. He moved a little, not opening his eyes. "But Mom, I don't wanna go to school. Not after the leprechauns took over."

She rolled her eyes and slapped him upside the head. He winced a bit but opened his eyes nonetheless. He turned, and looked up at Lily. "Lils? What are you doing in my house this late?" Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he looked around the room. "Wait, were IS my house? Where are we?"

"I think we'd all like to know that…" Robbie began, staring wide-eyed at Buffy and Faith, while Travis helped him up. The other two boys also stared at the two Slayers, frozen in their place.

"Guess we got more fans than we thought, B." Faith smirked at the boys. Robbie shook his head, as if trying to adjust his vision; Travis, for once, was the one who looked completely confused; and Ray kept pinching himself on the arm. Lily suddenly pulled them aside to the far corner.

"Lily…that wasn't who I think it was, was it?" Robbie queried.

Lily shook her head. "No…" A sigh of relief came from all three before she finished. "Actually, those are two very REAL Slayers." As she spoke, she didn't really believe it herself. The group was silent for a moment.

"That can't be possible. This has to be a dream." Ray pinched his arm again. "Ow."

"Believe me, if this was a dream, I doubt that punch I got in the cemetery would have hurt so much." Lily touched her jaw where a bruise once was. She then muttered, "Gotta love the super-quick healing."

"Cemetery?" Ray asked quickly.

Robbie looked to the two Slayers. "If this is really true…then why are we here?"

"Well, actually," Buffy began, "you're not supposed to be. Only Lily is."

Faith nodded in agreement. "Your friend here's a Slayer."

The three turned to Lily, obviously trying to get confirmation on their friend's new calling. Lily, after grasping for words, spoke up. "I was…getting to that."

"So, basically, this is an alternate reality where Lily was chosen to be a Vampire Slayer?" Travis asked, not as freaked out as Robbie and Ray.

Buffy shrugged. "Sums it up."

After a silent pause, Ray threw up his hands. "Okay! Where are the cameras? Is this like a 'candid camera' kind of thing? Ya got me!"

"Ray! This isn't a joke." Lily snapped. "You have no clue how much I wish it was."

Robbie, still taking everything in, stepped forward a bit. "How do we know if this is the real deal? That you're both Buffy and Faith, not actresses?"

"How about Faith tells one of her stories, kinda like the one about-" Before Ray could finish, Lily punched him in the arm. He rubbed the bruise. "Jeez! Well, now I can completely rule out this being a dream."

"Depends," Buffy started. "Willow could do a spell, we could take to a vamp nest, or one of us could toss you across the room. Well, at least the spell or vamp nest scenarios."

Robbie gulped down hard. "And the worst part is you're serious."

Buffy smiled cryptically. "Absolutely."

Travis, as usual, remained not a bit phased. "So, you two are really…"

"Yep," Faith answered.

Ray pointed to Lily. "And she's a…"

"You betcha," Buffy nodded. She walked further into the room. "I'll get Willow to send you guys back, but Lily has to stay."

"You really think we're gonna leave her here? No way. I'm staying," Ray stated confidently.

"So am I." Robbie crossed his arms.

"I'm staying, too," Travis added.

Buffy let out a frustrated sigh. "I know you guys want to be here for your friend, but it's bad enough you know. You can't be involved."

"I never thought of you to be a hypocrite, but look at you, Willow, and Xander," Travis spoke up. "You never would've survived without them. No offense."

Buffy, taken back a little by Travis' response, scoffed lightly. "I have a feeling I'm not going to win this conversation."

"If Lily stays, we do," Ray replied firmly.

Buffy and Faith turned to Lily. She shrugged. "You take me, you take 'em all."

Faith grinned. "Check out the Scooby Gang, 2.0."

Buffy smiled ruefully at the thought. "Well, I guess, getting situated aside, training's starting at ten."

"Ten as in ten AM today?" Lily questioned warily.

Buffy nodded. "Be ready." She and Faith, followed by a few younger Slayers, left the room.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Great."

TBC

A/N: Hey again! I'd just like to thank AKADropsofJupiter for beta-ing this chapter! And I'll try my best to get the next one out ASAP. Later days.