Fan Fiction - Written by Doug Fowler - Television Universe

D.J. Tanner, thirteen, laughed. Her baby sister, Michelle, looked so cute in her Dennis the Menace outfit, complete with very messed up hair and bubble gum in said hair. "I'm glad you two don't have to wear hats," D.J. said. "It took a lot of hairspray to get Michelle looking just right." And those red suspenders of hers, plus Stephanie's old t-shirt, were adorable.

"Now, don't make me sit in the corner," the near-four-year-old said, glaring at her sister, Stephanie, who was eight.

Stephanie grinned. She'd had thid idea after Michelle had been so recalcitrant the previous month, she'd become the first of the girls to actually have to sit in the corner as punishment. They usually just got sent to their rooms, sometimes for a while to think about the fact they were grounded, if their misdeed was bad enough. Luckily, Michelle had been very good since.

"It all depends on how you behave. I kind of like the idea of going as Dennis' mom," Stephanie remarked. "And we've already got a friend Joey. Of ccourse, he's the one walking us around this year for Halloween."

At that moment, Joey Gladstone appeared in the doorway, dressed in his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle outfit. Joey was a professional comedian, and the girls' dad's best friend. He and their Uncle Jesse had moved into the Tanner household to help raise the girls after their mom, Pam Tanner, died in a car accident. Jesse was at a party with his girlfriend, Becky.

"All ready, kids," Joey said excitedly. They cheered. "Steph, Michelle, you look just like the cartoon characters," he complimented them.

"Thanks, Joey. And you look just like a great big turtle," Stephanie remarked.

"Come on. Let's go get candy," Michelle demanded.

"Well, have a great time," D.J. reported, suddenly thinking of something. She touched Stephanie's shoulder. They shared a room - and D.J.'s telephone. "Oh, if when you get home anyone calls for me, don't say I'm sleeping over at Kimmy's. Just say I'm having too much fun getting scared out of my wits, and take a message. You won't be lying," she assured them.

Their dad, Danny, had snuck up behind her. "Don't worry, sweetheart, we won't disturb you. Just remember, it's a busy day tomorrow. You promised to be in bed by 10:30."

D.J. sighed. "I know, Dad. We're gonna walk down to the video store, and then watch two movies and go to bed," she said nervously.

Danny turned his full attention to Stephanie, which relieved D.J.. She feared she'd sounded too anxious. If she had, he hadn't noticed. "Steph, I know you wish Allie were coimng over, but remember, this would be her first sleepover, and you want it to be when you can say up half the night. You got scared and had to come home when you tried to sleep over this summer." Danny shook his head. "Why they call it sleeping over I'll never know. I mean, Joey and I never slept in them during high school..."

"Dad, it's okay," Stephanie said as Michelle pulled her arm. "You're right, Allie would just fall asleep at nine, anyway. We want to prepare for it right. Sleeping bags, the living room, and four movies Saturday night." Michelle had pulled her away before she could hear Danny say "how about three."

D.J. hugged her dad, and then met Kimmy on the sidewalk. D.J. was quite pensive as they walked to the video store.

"Gee, Deej, what's wrong? You've hardly said a word."

D.J. nodded slowly. "I know. I've just got a bad feeling about this."

"Come on, Deej. You and I both agreed hitchhiking to Berkeley would be great fun for Halloween night. What better way to get scared out of our wazoos," Kimmy declared. "And we can save our video money for clothes."

"If it were up to me, I'd change my mind, rent a movie, and go back home right now. But," she continued smiling weakly, "I think you'd do it anyway." Kimmy nodded.

D.J. sighed inwardly. She'd met Kimberley Louise Gibbler in Kindergarten. Her family had appeared rather...well, odd, but her mother always said to give away smiles, and soon D.J. and Kimmy had begun to bond. By age eight or nine, they were best friends.

She gave away one of those smiles to Kimmy as they neared the freeway. They'd been walking for about twenty minutes. Both had their overnight bags - a requirement, because each family thought their daughter was sleeping at the others' house. "Now, Kimmy, remember, we don't hold our thumbs up unless the car looks okay. No scary looking people, only good-looking cars. And only four-door cars, we want to be able to get out quickly."

Kimmy gave D.J. a frustrated look, though it seemed to contain just a hint of relief. "Gee, Deej; you take all the fun out of it."

D.J. couldn't help but snicker, just as she sometimes grinned at Stephanie's wisecracks about Kimmy, at least on the inside. Kimmy could be mighty crazy. But, were it not for D.J., she'd probably be in much worse shape.

They held their thumbs up for a couple minutes, but nobody stopped. D.J. put hers down, but Kimmy kept flagging at one car with a good-looking boy, apparently a college student, in it. D.J. stared. "Kimmy, what are you doing?"

"What?"

"You were giving that boy a look like...I don't want to know what you were thinking," she said, shaking her head.

"Come on, Deej, do you want to do this or not," Kimmy wondered adamantly.

D.J. looked down a little. She could get suckered into some bad stuff because of Kimmy, like the time they played with fireworks with Kimmy's older brother when she was nine. Her dad had been as furious as when Stephanie drove a car into the kitchen earlier this year. He'd taken D.J. to the ermegency room, to give her a firsthand look at how badly she could have been hurt.

Right now, she was getting the same uneasy, grossed out feeling. She shook her thumb, though, as she walk with Kimmy. This time, a fellow, about in his fifties, pulled over in a nice red Ford. "Hey, can I give you girls a lift?"

"Yeah, uh...We're headed to Berkeley," D.J. announced.

Kimmy turned to D.J. and whispered. "Deej, he's balding, he's fat, and he's ugly," she complained.

"Which means he might be safe. Get in," she said in a "let's get this over with" tone. They opeened the back door, and D.J. pulled Kimmy into the car. Kimmy shut the door.

Kimmy whispered as they buckled their seatbelts. "Boy, Deej, if you wanted to do it this way, you should have just said we could only ride with women."

"I know, I wish I had," she muttered before turning to the man. "So, where are you from?"

"I live around the college there. That where you want to go?"

"Yeah, our ride left without us, and we need to get back to..." D.J. tried to think of the name of one of the dorms. She couldn't say their parents lived near there now, because this man might wonder why he'd never seen them.

Kimmy, however, was not as quick a thinker. In fact, she often didn't like to think. "Our parents live near there."

The man nodded. "You're lucky I was just going in that way," he remarked.

"Cool. I'll bet you see lots of handsome men at the college," Kimmy noted.

"Not that you aren't handsome," D.J. interjected, not wishing to hurt the man - or scare herself any further. "I mean, we don't need someone who's handsome, we're not even looking for a guy, but...well, I mean..."

"Face it, Deej, you're blabbering like your dad," Kimmy declared.

D.J. rolled her eyes. That was another thing - no, two things, that she'd lectured Kimmy about before they did this. Don't let anyone know anything about us, she'd said, and make them think we're sisters.

And yet, being with Kimmy was fun. D.J.'s family was always so conservative, she loved to go for a little walk on the wild side sometimes. She loved her family, and really wanted to be a good role model to her younger siblings. But, she liked Kimmy, too, and hoped that she could rub off on her.

"I thought you two were sisters," the fellow said as they drove.

D.J., ever quick thinking, said "We are...we just have different dads."

"Oh, I see. Yeah, lot of that goin' around, I'm afraid. Anyway, my name's Joe. I don't expect you to give me yours."

"That's okay. My name's..."

D.J. claspped a hand over Kimmy mouth. "Kimmy..." She then muttered "oops." D.J. grinned sheepishly. "Uh, I mean, Kimmy, that's our older sister, she's kind of like a mom for us...Kimmy would be very upset if we gave our names to a stranger, right?" She glared hard at Kimmy for a second.

"I guess. Boy, that was quick thinking, Deej. I mean, Penelope."

Penelope? Where does she get that stuff, D.J. wondered. "Yeah, nice going, Ginger, giving him a few false names."

Kimmy smiled. "Hey, great thinking, Deej; I can be Ginger and you be Mary Ann when we get there. Figures, this guy looks like the Skipper." D.J. was very thankful that the man laughed. At least in this car, she wasn't scared - yet.

As he approached a slightly seedy part of town, she became terrified again. "Where do you girls want left off, tell me your house number and street."

A few stray teens were out wrapping toilet paper around a tree. "Oh, uh...that's Mr. Howell's house, isn't it. And there's Gilligan," she said pointing to one of the teens.

Kimmy stared hard. "If you say so. But remember, you're Mary Ann, he's got the hots for you. I'm the movie star all the other boys are going for."

"Riiiiight," D.J. said as she and Kimmy got out of the car and headed toward them. The man turned his car around and drove back.

D.J. noticed an administration-type building in the distance. They were probably near the university. "Excuse me," she said to one of the teens.

"She's Mary Ann. And she called you Gilligan," Kimmy explained.

"Don't mind her," D.J. said with a smile. "Are we near the campus at Berkeley? We were going to our big sister's slumber party, and I think we might be a little lost."

The confused face suddenly lit up. "Ah, I get it. You're probably gonna get in costumes there and go to the Lincoln Hall party. It started aearlier, but you can still go." He had on a jacket that told D.J. he was probably a college student, like his friends. "They've always got great stuff for family." He turned to his friends. "Hey, Mike, Ted, I'm gonna walk these girls over to Lincoln, since it's gettin' kinda dark." They agreed. "You're not that far, probably just took a wrong turn."

"Yeah, that's what we did," D.J. remarked. She suddenly realized that they had no costumes, and yet had talked their way into a costume party.

Kimmy took a pad and paper out of her pocket and looked at the college student with luring eyes. "Do you think you could give me your phone number?"

"Kimmy...I mean, Ginger," D.J. rebuked her.

"Oh, right, you want this one. That's okay, there'll be plenty of other guys there."

The freshman chuckled. "Actually, I already have a girlfriend. And, you girls look pretty young for me, anyway. Although there'll probably some boys from the local high school there that you'll know." He winked at Kimmy.

Kimmy looked at D.J. once they were in the Lincoln lobby. "Did you see the way he looked at me? You may be Mary Ann, but this Gilligan really likes me."

D.J. shook her head. "Kimmy, look, we just planned to come here and go home. Now that we're here, we may as well stay a minute. But, remember, no making passes at the college students."

"Oh, don't worry, Deej. I don't know how I could talk to them, anyway. I wouldn't know where to begin. I'm gonna be happy with any high school boys."

D.J. was relieved. Part of her thought that Kimmy would be just like Kathy Santoni if not for her presence. Kathy had been a friend who'd turned into a major run-around Sue type, going with and kissing every boy around once they got to Junior High. Kimmy liked to talk about that stuff, but she never got any really interesting boys. D.J. had met a couple, and even kissed one. Of course, she was only thirteen, but she suspected that she'd get a good looking, nice fellow before Kimmy did. And as for Kathy? Well, her dad thought she might wind up pregnant unexpectedly. Danny and the others joked about Kimmy, and were concerned about her influence on D.J.. But, they were extremely glad D.J. didn't do much anymore with Kathy Santoni.

"What school are you girls from," a voice asked behind her.

D.J. turned to see a woman in her early twenties. "Hi, we're, uh..."

"Vanetta Junior High. But they're redistricting, and next year we'll be in high school and they'll have a new middle school built for sixth through eighth graders," Kimmy explained.

"Well, you must be the little sibs of one of the other dorm's students. I don't remember any from our dorm having one in that district." She extended a hand. "I'm Ellen Westbrook, the Resident Assistant. The party's almost half over, but you're just in time to come watch Psycho' with us if you're allowed up that late." She led them into the basement. "Will your parents be picking you up, or will one of the others be taking you home in the morning?" She blushed. "Silly question, we haven't had any other people come in. I imagine your parents must be coming to get you."

"Yeah, they will," D.J. assured her. She grinned. This could be quite fun. Plus, they would get to watch a movie after all. It was one she'd seen, but it was still mighty scary.

The fact she'd seen it allowed her to mingle with the others a little. Some others who'd seen it actually struck up interesting conversations with her.

Kimmy, meanwhile, sat glued to the set. She beckoned D.J. over a couple times when it got too scary. Of course, part of this was because Kimmy thought the scary parts were "really cool," and that D.J. had to see them, too. Still, D.J. wondered if maybe Kimmy wasn't a little frightened, too. Maybe it was just her, but sometimes, it seemed that Kimmy backed out of trouble before it got too bad, leaving D.J. to fumble around in the worst of it, knowing that D.J. was going to have major problems herself.

They were in this one together, though. As they left the dorm, promising Ellen that their mom would be waiting in a parking lot, D.J. joked "well, I'm not gonna take a shower for a month. How about you?"

"Sam here, Deej. Now what?"

"Well, think, Kimmy. I know you don't like to, but it's well after eleven o'clock on a school night. The only reason we got in is because some parents do let their kids stay up this late, and I made up a story about how our mom would pick us up on the way home from her shift at the hospital at 11:30, and we'd be sleeping in the car on the way home. Now, instead of hitchhiking back at a halfway decent time, here we are stuck in Berkeley near midnight."

"Well, come on, Deej, we've got to stick to the plan and hitchhike, remember?"

"Kimmy, this is crazy." She shook her head, and went over to a park bench to sit down. Kimmy copied. D.J. was thankful for the light. "I almost had the nerve to ask one of the college kids there if she could drive us back, but then you interrupted and said we had to get going, and we had our own way."

"Come on, Deej, where your spirit of adventure? What's life if you don't live it? So we might get lost." She paused a moment. "Boy, that would be weird, if they figure we just walked to the video store and disappeared. And then we were mysteriously spotted at this party. Maybe there'd be mysterious sightings of us all over the place. Like your Uncle Hairboy's favorite disappearing act, Elvis Presley."

"Don't scare me any more than I am," mumbled D.J..

Kimmy grinned, and looked to her right, pointing. "Look, over there, Deej. Someone's carrying a black cat on Halloween. That's my kind of spooky stuff."

"Kimmy!" D.J. followed after her friend as she ran toward the figure.

Kimmy walked up to the college boy and smiled. "Hey, Mister, nice looking cat...oh, sorry, that's a backpack on your shoulder, isn't it?"

The boy in the scarecrow outfit looked oddly at her. "Well, yeah. I'm going back to my dorm. Aren't you a little young to be out this late? Or are you older than you look?"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm a college student just like you," Kimmy declared. "I know all about how Sir Isaac Newton invented the fig newton. Then he founded Apple computers after one fell on his head. But boy, I'm thirsty. I sure could go for a nice big glass of CO2."

D.J. had to laugh - the way the college boy was chuckling, she couldn't stop, anyway. "Kimmy, water is H2O. As for the Newton stuff...we better have a long talk about that later." She walked toward the boy as he started to walk away, shaking his head. "Excuse me, but..."

Kimmy called after her. "Deej, come on, we can find a ride." She shook her thumb, pointing toward the freeway.

"Kimmy, we are. Right here." D.J. smiled apologetically. "My friend and I...well, we were wondering if you could give us a ride."

"I don't have a car, but I know someone who does. Where you headed?"

"San Francisco." The boy's eyes grew wide. "See, we pulled kind of a...stupid stunt."

"We hitchhiked here," Kimmy said matter-of-factly.

The young fellow gasped as D.J explained. "We planned on just hitchhiking right back home, but then we kind of needed a reason to be here, so..." She shook her head. She couldn't believe she was admitting this.

Neither could Kimmy. "Deej, come on, why are we stopping now?"

"What in the..." The fellow groped for words. D.J. was thankful that she smelled no alcohol on his breath. He had apparently been at a different party, though. He sighed. "I could really yell my head off right now, I've got a younger brother back home and this sounds like the kind of stunt he'd pull. But I'm sure your parents are gonna give you just as much of a tongue lashing when you get home."

D.J. nodded slowly. She hoped they could still find a way to get out of this without them finding out. She hadn't really planned out how to get back, except that they would walk the final couple blocks, and show up at the Gibblers. Kimmy's parents would be a little more willing to accept odd stuff, and they would just say they chose to sleep at Kimmy's instead of D.J.'s house.

Now, they'd be getting in well after midnight. Could they even sneak into Kimmy's house?

"Come on, follow me," he said in a grumbling manner.

"So, how are we gonna get out of this one, Deej?"

D.J. shook her head. She knew she'd have to think of a way. Kimmy never could. She just didn't like to think, and some of her ways were awfully bizarre when she did think.

They entered the dorm, and the gentleman told them to wait. He went into a hall closet and picked up the phone.

"What if he calls Security?" Kimmy wondered.

D.J. jumped. She hadn't thought of that. A security officer wouldn't accept dropping them off; they'd likely knock on her dad's door. Suddenly, her thoughts went from "big trouble" to "grounded for life." "Uh, wait," she said, holding the disconnect lever down. "Why don't you just call a friend and have her drive us. I mean, why bother Security, it's Halloween, there's bound to be so many other pranks they have to check."

"Like that tree we saw being teepeed earlier," Kimmy added.

The youth turned toward the young teens. "How do I know this isn't one?'

"Uh..." D.J. stammered. That was a very good question.

Kimmy's weirdness actually seemed to help for once. "I can tell you my phone number, you look like a cute boy. No, wait, then my parents will wonder how you got it, right, Deej?"

D.J. smiled, nodding. She wouldn't hurt her friend, but she felt like blurting "wow, you got one right, Kimmy."

"Look, I'll call a friend, but there's no way that she's gonna just drop you off without making sure you get into your house. People like us are responsible for kids like you because you get into these dumb messes."

D.J. groaned. Why did she have to pick one with a younger brother?

Then again, she could have found a student who was drunk or something. Perhaps this was best.

Kimmy took a pen and paper out of her purse. "So, what's your brother's name, maybe I'll just take down his name and number."

"Puddintame, ask me again and I'll tell you the same," he said sarcastically. He picked up the phone, and said, "First I need your number, so I can call and make sure this isn't a prank."

D.J. groaned. I'm doomed. Unless...wait a minute. "Here, I'll tell you the number to my room." Now, could Stephanie keep from blabbering? Maybe, if she did this just right. And, if she kept it short enough their dad wouldn't come in wondering what was wrong. "I live at 1882 Girard, and Kimmy here lives next door. Stephanie should answer. What's your name?"

"Leo."

"Okay." Leo dialed the number D.J. gave, and the phone rang several times before Stephanie picked it up. "How rude," she said sleepily.

D.J. took the phone. "Steph, it's D.J, hope you're having a fun dream. Listen. Our friend Loe wants to ask Kimmy's and my addresses. Tell Leo, and tell him something real about me so he knows it's real, but don't tell Dad anything, and hang up if he comes in."

"And you think I'm weird. Put him on."

Leo spoke. "Uh, Stephanie...hi. Is there an adult I could speak to?"

D.J. tried hard to listen close. "They're all in bed. D.J. lives at 1882 Girard St., and Kimmy at 1884. Our parents wanted to name D.J. Farrah but Joey talked them out of it."

"Is that in San Francisco?" D.J. couldn't hear the answer, but assumed it was yes.

She took back the phone. "Steph, go back to bed now and close your eyes. This dream's scripted and...that's how it ends."

As D.J. prepared to hang up, she could hear Stephanie say "I'll never eat that much Halloween candy before bedtime again."

Once she hung up, Leo asked their addresses and what D.J.'s first name almost was. He also asked who talked her parents out of that name. "Okay, I guess you're legit. I'll call my friend and have her take you home."

D.J. and Kimmy took their overnight bags and snuck into Kimmy's house. D.J. was up all night, though - thinking about the movie, but also wondering if her dad had peeked into her room at just the right time. And, what was that strange creeping noise in Kimmy's house, anyway?

She carried her overnight bag, complete with her dirty clothes, home the next morning before school. She heard Stephanie saying "I had the weirdest dream," as she entered the kitchen and got a hug and kiss from her dad, who was ready to leave for work. "I got a call from D.J. telling me to tell someone her and Kimmy's addresses, and then she told me to go back to bed. Did you have any weird dreams after all that candy, Michelle?" Michelle shook her head.

"That's funny." Danny sat back down and noted "I heard your phone ring, Deej, a little after twelve. I peeked in a couple minutes later and Steph was in bed, though. Did you hear it, Steph?"

D.J. laughed. "Well, that's probably what triggered it, Steph was dreaming when she heard it. I've heard dreams can be triggered by outside sounds."

Danny smiled. "That's true. I remember once Joey said he was dreaming about knights fighting with swords right about the time I was rattling some clothes hangers in his room cleaning." Danny went off on a long spiel, soemthing D.J. sometimes disliked but for which she was very thankful this time. She and Kimmy had escaped a potentially very dangerous situation.