Chapter 3

"Buffy... Is that you?" Dawn asked.

"Um... Well, it looks like me, but I've never..." Buffy started.

"Maybe you have an evil twin!" Anya said. "One that's on tv."

"More sisters?" Buffy shook her head. "No thanks."

They heard a distant 'bling'.

"W-what was that?" Tara shrieked.

"Oh, it was the microwave," Willow explained and opened it. "I made popcorn."

"Willow!" Buffy yelled. "We have a problem. When you have a problem you don't eat popcorn!"

"Sorry..." Willow said quietly and stuffed some popcorn in her mouth.

Everybody looked back at the tv screen.

"Oh my God..." Buffy whispered. "I'm singing?"

"Here," Spike said and threw her a tv-magazine. "Read that."

"'Once more, with feeling'?" Buffy read. "A musical episode?"

"Yeah," Xander said grimly, peeking over Buffy's shoulder. "Of Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

"This is a catastrophe!" Giles almost shouted. "No one is supposed to know about you!"

"But... That never happened!" Buffy pointed at the tv. "I never sing as I slay."

"Maybe it's a joke," Dawn suggested. "Or we're all hallucinating. Or I'm dreaming."

"No, this must be my dream!" Anya corrected. "I'm the one who's dreaming!"

"Or maybe," Willow said. "We're all having the same dream!"

"Why," Spike asked. "Why would I dream about a singing Slayer?" I only dream about..." he gulped. "Uh, killing her."

"Look!" Buffy cried. "Giles is singing!"

Giles went red and closed the tv. "It's not important to watch tv right now. We must figure a way out."

"W-where are we anyway?" Tara asked. "Is this... A new universe?"

"Must be," Xander said. "I've never seen Buffy singing on tv before."

"Or Giles," Willow pointed out. "Except that one time, when..."

"Guys!" Dawn said happily. "We're on tv! How cool is that?"

"It's not really cool when everybody knows what I am, Dawn," Buffy answered. "I gotta get out of here." She walked to the door and tried to open it. "Great, it's locked," she said. "Well, let's do it my way." She kicked the door down.

"Buffy," Willow said. "Um, is it really safe for you to go out now?"

"I'm the Slayer, Will," Buffy told her. "I can handle this universe as well as I handle the other." She stepped out of the door. It was dark outside the house except for a couple of streetlamps. She walked toward one with a poster on it.

"'Christmas 2001 is coming'?" she read. "What? It's not 2001 yet! And it's not even near Christmas."

A couple of people passed by her, glaring at her.

"So... Maybe we just jumped a year ahead?" she wondered. "And... Started working on tv?" Somehow it didn't really seem possible. She saw a group of teenagers coming closer. "I could ask them what year is it," she thought.

The teenagers stopped a few feet away from her.

"Hey, look!" one girl said. "It's Buffy!"

They ran closer. "Sarah, can I have your autograph, pleeeease!" another girl said.

"Sarah? No, I'm Buffy!" Buffy told them.

The group laughed. "Are you taking your role a little too seriously?" a boy asked. "Of course you're Sarah!"

Buffy shook her head and ran back into the house.

"What is it, Buffy?" Willow asked, worried.

Buffy went pale. "We have fans," she said.