A/N - This chapter is going to have to be a bridge, I think, and published twice if possible. Ah well. The Adventures of Mary Sue do not work well across fandoms...

"Ms. Reiser? Ms. Reiser!"

My eyes snapped open. I was in my creative writing class, kissing the empty air.

Fortunately, I have some experience dealing with these situations. I inhaled sharply, and turned to stare wide-eyed at my professor. "Did I have another seizure?"

The professor eyed me suspiciously. "Well, I didn't notice you here until I saw you sprawled all over your desk in that very interesting position, so I must assume you did. Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"N-no, I'm okay," I managed, my face flaming. An interesting position, indeed. Though apparently it hadn't been as interesting as some of the poses I've arrived in in the past; the class's attention quickly left me to attend Dr. Schreiber's critique of someone's latest short story. I cringed a bit reflexively, then noticed Elena's beet-red face. She was looking at me apologetically. It was then that I noticed the just-closed laptop in front of her. I stared at her in disbelief. She cringed.

Later, I mouthed, glaring at her. My friend and I would have words after class.

"I'm so sorry, Ria! I'm so, so sorry! I thought I'd be done before you got too close! It was just so much fun to read..."

"Lena, I might be perpetually late, but it's not that hard to believe that I'll be within fifty feet of the classroom within fifteen seconds of class starting, is it? I mean..." I trailed off. Elena felt bad enough, I could tell. I sighed. "Well, next time just see about waiting till after class to get me out, huh?"

"I couldn't," she mumbled.

"What?"

"I - I've read that one before. And you were about to get captured by Daleks, and it would have been months before you could get out, and - "

"You've read that one before."

Now she was squirming.

"Elena, you're telling me you've read that before, and you know when I get within fifty feet of an open fanfic I end up IN said fanfic, and you're telling me you couldn't remember to close the friggin' window before I got there? Or are you telling me..."

She slumped in defeat. "Okay, Schreiber was looking to be dull and I was kinda curious... But hey, I had an exit prepared for you!"

"Just for that, I'm not telling. Absolutely not telling. A lady never tells."

Elena stared in disbelief. I allowed myself a small grin. Then, incredulously, she broke out laughing.

"He MUST have been good, if you're up to joking about it! So, how was it? The fic was kind of vague... uh, Ri?"

Vague. Elena seemed kind of vague at the moment. Suddenly I found myself standing in a woody place - such a woody place that branches were sticking into me and there was hardly room to move. Elena was gone; two bloody boys, a shaken little girl, and a cynical Dwarf were in her place. I stared; this was not a common place for me to land. Maria Suzanne Reiser, I told myself. I'm Maria Suzanne Reiser. Suzanne Reiser. Suzanne. Su...