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The Greatest Love
Author: Evil Willow (Jackie)
Rating: U
Setting: Between Seasons Six and Seven
Disclaimer: The world of Buffy and Co. isn't mine (more's the pity!). They
belong to Joss Whedon and ME. I'm just having a lil' play around with
them, that's all.
Note: My second entry for Margot's dream challenge.
She knew it was around here somewhere. Although she'd never been close
to her mother, she remembered her Grandmother with much more fondness. As
she stared out at the rain, she felt she could remember the day when old
Mrs Studelheim had given her the snowglobe, just a little souvenir from
the Empire State Building, as if it were yesterday.
Suddenly she was there. "Thank you, Grandma. I'll go an give it to
Mom."
"No, Willow." The old lady replied. "If your mother gets
hold of it your won't ever see it again. You know how she hates all
this 'tourist junk'."
"But, but…" the six-year old said. "Mom said everything
you gave me was for all the family!"
"I know, but I'm telling you different. Now go and put this in your
bag over there." As Willow went to do as she had been asked, her
Grandmother continued. "Now, how's that boyfriend of yours, young
Alexander isn't it."
"He likes being called Xander… and we broke up." Willow
shrugged sheepishly, trying, but failing to conceal her sadness at the
fact.
"Why was that?"
"Well, he took my Barbie… but, but I don't think he would have if I
hadn't made him mad."
"How did you make him mad?"
"I tried to kiss him. I mean, he let me hold his hand… so I thought
that it's be okay to kiss him, you know, like I've seen some grown ups
do?"
Grandma laughed "Oh, Willow. Boy's can be scared by affection
sometimes, especially when they're as young as your Xander is." She
paused, looking at her red-haired granddaughter fondly. "Are you
going to try and make it up?"
Willow shook her head. "Nah-ah. We'll just stick as friends."
She paused. "I don't think I make a good girlfriend though."
Her Grandmother sighed. "You won't if you don't believe in yourself.
It's very hard for other people to love you, and believe in you, if you
don't love and believe in yourself."
"I know Grandma. I'll try. I promise."
Suddenly she was back in the attic, looking for the snowglobe. It always
brought back memories of that day. She knew she hadn't always believed in
herself. But she remembered the promise she'd made to her Grandmother. She
sighed as she whispered again the promise she had given her Grandmother
"I'll try Grandma. I promise." After pausing for a second, she
carried on looking and suddenly found the globe. She gave it a shake,
watching the glitter fall round the Empire State Building to the floor of
the globe. Her stomach gave a lurch and she turned and glanced out of the
window, at the snowstorm that seemed to have come from no-where. Willow
was freaked, snow in Sunnydale didn't usually happen unless the Powers
That Be were taking a hand in somewhere. So it either meant something bad
was going to happen, was happening or had happened. Throwing the snowglobe
on a nearby pile of paper she rushed out of the attic, down the stairs and
into the street.
Something made Willow turn around. Her house wasn't there anymore. Instead
it seemed that she'd just emerged from the Empire State Building.
Frantically Willow looked around for other people. Her heart grew cold as
she realised that there was no-one else, no more buildings, just the
Empire State Building, herself, and the swirling snow.
She desperately tried to think of something, anything, a spell that would
bring help to her. Drawing a blank she went and pushed the door to get
back into the building. It wasn't a door anymore. It had sealed up. Slowly
a suspicion dawned on Willow. She was in the snowglobe. Not knowing what
else to do she sank to her knees in the snow and started crying. She was
so alone. Oz had gone, Tara was dead, and Buffy and Xander seemed almost
like they were in another country.
Suddenly she started to feel all funny, it was if her insides were
vibrating. Then her vision began to blur, and when, in her panic, she
tried to cry out for help, no sound emerged.
Suddenly her eye's sprang open. She took some deep breaths to calm herself
as she realised that she was in her room at Giles'. Where she'd been ever
since… She couldn't even think about it, it still hurt to remember all
she'd done, and almost done in her grief-filled rage.
Slowly she got out of bed and walked over to the desk which stood in front
of the window. The photo's that were stood on there reminded her of better
times. Sophomore year with Buffy and Xander, the Prom with Oz, Tara's
birthday, and there was her Grandma's snowglobe.
Willow did a double take. She was sure that she hadn't brought the
snowglobe to England with her. She reached down to pick it up, and
realised that it wasn't the one given to her by her Grandma at all, but
one containing a model of the Houses of Parliament. Still, as she shook
it, she could still remember the promise she'd made long ago to her
Grandma, who was now long dead. The promise that she was now having to
make again, unsure that she could love, that she could believe in what
she'd become.
"I'll try Grandma. I promise."
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