What If…

The Change

A/N//Disclaimer – The TOT parts where it sounds remotely familiar are probably quoted from the actual movie. Ana, Uncle Buzzy, Q, Jill, Caroline, Gilbert, Dewey Todd, Ms. Partridge, Sally Shine, Abigail Gregory, and any other characters that I forgot to include belong to the producers. Any other characters I mention in later chapters belong to me. This disclaimer is for the rest of my story. Have fun!

"Maybe you should disappear."

"We couldn't leave you here!"

"Of course not!"

"No!"

"And besides, I already tried it, it doesn't work."

* * *

    Buzzy, Sally, Abigail and Jill raced down the stairs to the basement and the service elevator.

    "Q, does it work?" Buzzy asked, worry evident in his voice. (A/N – This is where it gets interesting). Q was franticly banging the "down" button.

    "It would Chief, but I can't get the doors open!" He practically yelled, pulling and shoving with all his might at them, but to no avail. The doors were stuck. Jill piped up from the back of the group.

    "Maybe that curse thing you were talking about is trying to make sure you won't rescue them." Buzzy sighed and turned to Sally.

    "Do you think you could go up there, just to tell Ana and the rest not to worry?"

    "Sure!" Sally paused, and turned to Abigail. "And, in case something happens, Abby, I love you and I forgive you for everything you've done, okay?"

    Abigail nodded, tears filling her eyes, as Sally faded away.

* * *

    Ms. Partridge stiffened, her eyes widening in fear. "Sally, lass, don't!" The rest of the ghosts quickly joined in (with the exception of Gilbert, of course).

    "Sally, No!"

    "Please dear, don't! It's a trap!"

    "You have to go back!"

    "Stop!"

    It was too late. Sally slowly shimmered into view. Ms. Partridge sighed.

    "What?" Sally asked, looking perplexed. "Did I do something wrong?"

    "No, dear. It's just that, as soon as you came up here, you were trapped w' the rest of us. There's no chance of getting' back now."

    "What do you mean? Will I see Abby again?"

    "I'm afraid not." Gilbert added dryly, "none of us have been able to get out of this place so far." Sally's face collapsed.

    "Wait!" Ana began to pace again. "Last time, the spell didn't work because Abigail didn't have identifiers for all of you, so, instead of banishing you, it just turned you into ghosts. This time, she has identifiers for all of you, but she doesn't have one for me!"

    "Then we won't all get banished to the underworld?" Sally asked, looking hopeful.

    "No!"

    "What about you?" Dewey asked, looking concerned.

    "Yes, what about you?" Gilbert added, sarcastic, as usual.

    "If I can remember correctly, all of you will continue on as ghosts, because the curse will have halved out to me, too."

    "Then, that means…" all the ghosts turned to look at Ana. She nodded.

    "You can't sacrifice yourself just for us, Ana, we're already dead!" Caroline exclaimed, looking horrified. Gilbert blinked.

    "Why not?"

    "Gilbert!" Caroline smacked his arm. Ana frowned.

    "I'm not ready to give up yet. I was just thinking." Gilbert checked his watch, paused, then did a double-take and checked it again.

    "I hate to be the messenger of doom, but it just turned 8:01."

    "Hurry, Uncle Buzzy, hurry!" Ana muttered, more to herself than anybody else.

* * *

    Buzzy paused for a second from trying to push the doors open. He thought Jill had tried to say something, but he wasn't sure what.

    "What was that, Jillie?"

    "I said, why don't you just take the stairs?" she repeated, sounding exasperated and a little bit worried.

    "Good idea."

* * *

    Ana started to pace again. Gilbert, checking his watch for the twentieth time in the last minute, frowned.

    "Two minutes left." Suddenly, there was a sound from the floor outside the elevator doors. It sounded like pounding feet. A familiar voice yelled

    "Ana!"

    "Uncle Buzzy! You made it!" She could hear the elevator button being pushed. "The doors won't open!" A yell sounded from the other side of the elevator shaft.

    "I did it! I got the service elevator working!" It was Q. "Abigail came up with me!" Sally perked up at the name.

    "Abby?"

    "Sally, it's me." Abigail's voice was thick with suppressed tears. " Thank you for forgiving me. I know this was all my fault, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" She began to sob.

    "It's okay, Abby. We aren't angry at you." Sally said comfortingly through the door.

    "Chief, we better hurry if we're going to do anything!"

    Buzzy thought for a moment, then turned and ran to the other side of the shaft. Q, Jill, and Abigail followed. When they reached the elevator, Buzzy was scanning the ceiling.

    "Q, is there an escape hatch?"

    "You are good, Chief." He bent down, yanked two rusty bolts out of their sockets, and pulled the hatch open. "You see, they have another one of these on the other side."

    "Ana, there's an escape hatch!" Dewey straightened.

    "He's right!" He bent down and pulled it open. Ana kneeled on the floor and looked out.

    "Uncle Buzzy!"

    "Ana! Quick, you have to get over here, before it's too late!" He leaned out the  door, and Ana did the same. He reached out his hand. She reached out hers. Gilbert checked his watch and muttered,

    "Oh no." Q checked his watch.

    "Uh oh." Jill looked at him. "It's show time." Ana, hearing both of them, made a hard decision, fast.

    "Uncle Buzzy, I love you! Tell mom I'll be alright!" She shoved him back into the service elevator. "Get out! Run!"

    Without thinking, Buzzy grabbed Jill, and Q grabbed them both, dragging them and Abigail out of the elevator just as the doors slammed shut. Buzzy let out a cry like a wounded animal.

    "ANAAA!!!" He slammed himself against the doors, pounding them uselessly with his fists. "NOOOOO!!!!" They all heard the crash of lightning at the same time, and Buzzy sank down to the floor, a defeated look in his eyes.

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