Disclaimer: I humbly borrow, twisting and bending plots to my will.
Summary: a little interlude from If Only I Knew Then, for everyone who
asked for more Little Willow:)
(i know it's been a while, but here she is)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 1~
"Oh, come on, it’ll be fun."
"No, it will not."
"Yes it will. You know it will."
"I’m thinking no."
"You know you want to. Everyone else is doing it."
"No, everyone else is NOT doing it, Anya."
"Oh, please, you’re such a worry wart. Just a big old stick in the mud."
"I am not! You take that back."
"Oh, alright. Whatever. Willow’s not a stick in the mud."
"Thank you."
"You’re a scardy-cat."
"Hey!"
"Well, you are. I mean, come on. It’s a teensy-tiny little spell."
"Anya! Teleporting random customers to your store is not a teensy-tiny spell! It’s wrong, and dangerous and…kinda weird."
"Well, it’s a slow day, and we need a little business. I’m sure that they would have liked to come here anyway. We’ll just help them along."
"No! Anya, I’m not doing that."
"Oh fine, but the only reason you won’t is because you can’t."
"That isn’t going to work."
"Right, because you’re just too smart for me. Hey, why don’t you show me just how smart you are by doing a little spell?"
"You know, sometimes you can be really annoying."
"Yeah, well sometimes I think I preferred that little girl version of you that Halli created."
"I really wish you would just stop talking."
"Yeah, well, I wish a lot of things. I wish people would come into my store and never leave. I wish Giles would just give me the store once and for all. I wish that Xander would get a little more involved in the planning of our wedding, and I wish the little you was back again."
"Done and done."
Anya saw a flash and then suddenly, her eyes widened as she took in the little girl standing in front of her. The small redhead looked around in confusion as her eyes began to water.
"I…I don’t understand," she whispered, beginning to sniffle.
Anya opened her mouth to say something, wanting to stop the tears before they started, but found that as she tried to talk, no sound would come out. She attempted to clear her throat, and tried again, still with the same, silent result.
"What the hell?" She mouthed, no sound coming out, before clutching at her throat.
Anya looked down at the little girl again, who was now sobbing softly, and she began to panic.
"No, no…don’t cry," she tried to say, nothing but air coming from her mouth.
Willow looked up at her in confusion. "I was just here, and then I was gone, and now I’m back, and…why am I back here? I just wanted to go get my doll from Xander and…"
"Xander and that damn doll," Anya mouthed. "What the hell is going on?"
Just then, the bell on the shop door rang, and Anya looked up to see someone coming into her store. She gave him a bright, forced smile, before looking back at the young version of Willow that was still standing before her.
"Excuse me, Miss? I had a question about a certain herb that I need," the man called over to her, as he glanced at a stack of shelves full of herbs.
"Not now," she mouthed with a dismissive wave of her hand, wracking her brain to try and figure out what was going on.
"Excuse me, Miss?" The man called again. "If you could just help me for a moment."
Before she had a chance to attempt at responding, the bell rang again and two more people walked in. She looked at them wearily, unsure of what to do.
Lifting the crying redhead up, she brought her back behind the counter and sat her down on top of it. "Don’t move and don’t touch anything," she tried to say. Willow just sniffled and gave her a funny look.
"Huh? I can’t hear you," the young redhead told her.
"I Know!" Anya mouthed exasperatedly, wincing as the redhead burst into tears again.
"Excuse me, Miss," came a woman’s voice, from the other side of the shop, just before the door bell chimed again, two more customers coming in.
Panic setting in, Anya did something that she would have never expected she’d do. Running toward the front door, she grabbed the sign hanging in the window that said open, and ripped it down, flipping it over, pointing at the word Closed. She began to run from customer to customer, pointing frantically at the sign.
"Oh! You’re closed. I’m so sorry," the first man told her. "Well, I’ll only be a moment, really. I just need that herb."
"Well, the sign said open a minute ago," one of the women argued. Anya shook her head fiercely.
"I just need a few things and then I’ll be out of your hair," one of the other customers told her.
"This is lovely. How much is it? A-and what is it?" Another one said, completely ignoring all attempts at shooing her out.
"Anya?" Willow called from across the room. The frantic blonde ran back over to the redhead, giving her a questioning look.
"I have to go," she whispered in a tiny voice, blushing slightly as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap.
It took her a moment to understand what the redhead meant. Once she did understand, Anya pointed to the restroom at the back of the shop, but Willow shook her head.
"Can you take me?" She whispered. "Please?"
Anya was defeated. She knew it. There was no way she could say no. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she lifted the redhead up and set her on the ground. Taking her hand, she led her to the restroom, hearing the bell over the front door chime again as they went in.
~*~
Coming out of the restroom a few moments later, Anya shook her head at how difficult a task that had been. Willow wanted to do everything on her own, but needed help undoing the clasps on her overalls. Then she needed help reaching the toilet paper. Then she need help washing her hands. Then she splashed water all around. Then her shoe came untied. Then she thought that she might have to go again, before realizing that no, she really didn’t have to go. Then she wanted to play with the hand dryer. Then she cried when she slipped on some water and fell down. Then she giggled when Anya slipped on some water and fell down. Then she cried when Anya silently tried to scream at her.
~~~*~~~
Anya was beginning to think she would prefer the older Willow to this younger one.
Looking up, the former vengeance demon’s eyes opened wide in horror as she took in the shop. It was filled with people wandering about. Customers. Sweet, money paying customers, and dear god! Not only did she have this child to deal with, but she had absolutely no ability to talk! How could she make sales and take money if she couldn’t talk people into buying things that they didn’t really need?
A middle aged woman walked up to Anya, holding a fertility statue.
"I’d like to buy this, dear," the woman told her.
Anya gave her a skeptical look.
"What? You think I don’t know what it is, don’t you?" She said haughtily. "Well I do. It’s a…it’s…well, it’s…" She trailed off, looking the statue over, turning around in her hands. "What is it exactly?"
Anya opened her mouth, about to tell her, when she suddenly remembered that she couldn’t talk, and closed it again, frowning.
"Tell me what this is!" The woman demanded. "I want to buy it."
"It’s a male fertility statue," said a little voice behind her. The woman turned around and looked down, finding herself staring down at a small, red haired girl with a big bright smile.
"Oh, sweetheart, I think I would know a little bit more about…" The woman turned back to Anya with a laugh, seeing the blonde nodding her head enthusiastically. "It is a fertility statue?" She asked in a hushed voice. Again Anya nodded. "How did you know that?" She asked the little girl.
"Spike told me, when I was here playin before," Willow replied with another wide smile. "He said that it’s for men who ‘ain’t got the stones to knock a chit up on their own.’"
"I’ll definitely take it," the woman told her enthusiastically.
Anya gave the woman a look that was a mixture of surprise and questioning before going to the cash register and ringing out the order, pointing at the receipt to tell her the total. The woman handed her the money, and Anya happily placed it in the register, before shutting the door with a perky grin, proud of herself for making a sale without having to say a word. Maybe she could do it this way all the time. Not having to talk to the customers was definitely better than having to pretend you cared about what they were saying.
Anya watched the woman walk to the door, waiting for her to leave, and then noticed that she stopped before walking out, something else catching her eye. Turning around, she once again began walking around the store, looking over all the merchandize.
"What is going on?" Anya asked soundlessly.
"What?" Willow questioned. Anya looked at the girl miserably, shrugging her shoulders.
"If you can’t talk, why don’t you just write it down?" Willow suggested. Anya looked as though a light bulb should suddenly light up over her head. A brilliant idea! Why hadn’t she thought of that? Why had a little girl been able to think of that and she hadn’t? Even as a little child, Willow was still out smarting her, damn it!
~*~
The door bell jingled for what had to be the hundredth time, and Anya looked up wearily. People kept on coming in, and they kept on buying things. This was something that would have any shop keepers heart a flutter. But then, after they had made their purchases, they wouldn’t go away! They were supposed to leave, but they kept just wandering about the shop!
"Hi, honey," Xander yelled across the shop, surprised to see so many people shopping there. "What until you see what I have to show you."
Anya felt her panic rise again, as she grabbed Willow, who had been sitting on the counter, playing with some little trinket, and put her on the floor, hiding the girl behind her.
Anya gave him a big, forced smile as he leaned over the counter and gave her a quick kiss. Willow giggled behind her, peaking out around the side, and Anya tried to hush her and push her back.
"Busy day," Xander mused, looking around at the all the people. Anya nodded. "Are you having some kind of sale?" Anya shook her head. "Is there a run on magic supplies?" Anya shook her head. "Is there some horrible demon on the loose that I’m not aware of?" Anya shook her head. "Is there any particular reason that you aren’t speaking to me?" Anya shook her head. "Are you hiding something behind you?" Anya shook her head.
"Me!" Willow yelled, pulling away from the blonde and running up to a shocked Xander.
"Willow? Little Willow? Again?" He mumbled, before fainting dead away.
Willow pointed at the man who now lay on the floor. "He fell down," she stated.
Anya ran over to Xander, attempting to shout at him. A few of the customers walked by, stopping and staring down at him with disinterested faces. A few moments later, he began to come to, and looked up at her wearily.
"Willow. I thought I saw little Willow," he told her, looking around a little dazedly.
"You did," Anya mouthed.
"I did?" Anya nodded. "Why did I see little Willow?" Anya began to try and explain, but Xander wasn’t able to keep up with trying to read her lips.
"Anya, stop! I can’t understand. Why aren’t you talking?"
"I can’t talk!" She attempted to yell. That part he got.
"Why not? What happened?"
Anya opened her mouth, about to attempt to explain again, when she felt something tug at her sleeve. Looking over, she saw the redhead holding out a pad of paper and pencil, rolling her eyes at the frantic blond.
Anya grabbed the paper and scribbled something down quickly, turning it around for Xander to read.
"Willow was being mean, and then she disappeared, and this one appeared, and I can’t talk, and people won’t stop coming in, and they won’t go away," Xander read out loud. "Huh?"
As soon as Xander read the paper out loud, something clicked in Anya’s head. They had said "I wish!" How could they be so stupid? They should have known better! Anya wished for Willow to be little and for people to come to the store, and Willow had wished that Anya stop talking. Well, how rude was that? To wish she stop talking! As if she talked too much!
"Anya, what is it?" Xander asked, noticing the pensive look on her face. His girlfriend grabbed the paper and began writing again, quickly explaining that a vengeance demon must have granted their wish.
"But who? Do you actually think that Halfrek would come back here again?" He asked. Anya rolled her eyes and nodded her head. She certainly wouldn’t put it past her. "What do we do? How do we reverse it?" She shrugged her shoulders.
~Part: 2~
The door bell rang again, and Anya was sure that one more time and she would run over and rip the bell down off of the wall. Looking up, they saw Giles walking in.
“Oh! Giles! Just the man we need!” Xander called out.
Giles made his way through the growing crowd of people, looking around.
“Certainly is a busy day for sales, isn’t it?” He asked, smiling proudly. “This will make what I’m about to say that much more exciting for you, Anya.”
The blonde looked up at him with a mix of excitement and dread. She had no idea what he was about to say, but guessed that it couldn’t be good.
“Oh, wait! Speaking of exciting,” Xander interrupted, grabbing a book that he had dropped when fainting, and held it out to Anya.
“A book?” She mouthed, looking thoroughly unimpressed.
“Not just a book, honey. It’s a planner. A wedding planner.” Anya’s eyes once again widened in surprise. “I have every single thing we could possibly need to plan, right down to doilies for the tables and these neat, funny little glasses, with the googley eyes that hang out, for the groomsmen. Isn’t that a good idea? I’ve got everything planned, honey. You won’t have to do a thing.”
Anya shook her head in horror.
Xander was smiling brightly at his fiancé. Feeling a tug on his pant leg, he looked down, seeing the small redhead, and suddenly remembered the curse.
“Oh! Giles, listen. There’s something we need to talk about and…”
“I’m giving Anya the store!” Giles announced, spreading his arms out in a great flourish.
Everyone in the store looked up for a moment, and several women started to applaud, not knowing what else to do.
“You are?” Anya tried to yell, running to Giles and throwing her arms around him. Pulling back she smiled widely at him before she suddenly remembered. The wish! She had wished that Giles would give her the store, and now he has! But she couldn’t keep it if he only did it because of the curse. Damn! Well, she reasoned, maybe he was planning to anyways, and this was just all a funny coincidence.
“You don’t look terribly happy, Anya,” Giles said with a frown. “I’ve just told you that I’m going to hand over my entire store to you. Don’t you have anything to say?”
Anya opened her mouth to say something, but thankfully, Xander stepped in.
“Actually, Giles, that’s the problem that I wanted to talk to you about. See…”
The door bell chimed again, and they all looked up to see someone come running in, a light trail of smoke behind him. Anya, Giles and Xander all rolled their eyes, knowing immediately who it was, before he even pulled the blanket away.
“Spike!” Willow squealed out, running across the shop to greet the vampire.
Spike looked down in complete surprise, seeing the small redhead run to him and latch onto his waist tightly.
“Willow?” He asked, a little stunned, before looking up at the others. “What happened?” He growled.
“A little early in the day for a stroll, isn’t it Spike?” Xander asked.
“Yeah, well, I woke up feelin the sudden urge to come here. There’s somethin I needed to buy, but I can’t seem to remember what,” Spike told him.
“Oh, I know what you mean,” a woman said. “I was just walking down the street and I noticed the store and thought I’d come in. Seems like there’s something in here that I need to purchase, but I’m not sure just what.”
Spike scowled at the strange, obtrusive woman.
“Ohhh, he’s kind of cute,” an older woman giggled as she walked by, reaching out to pinch the blond’s butt. Spike moved out of the way just in time, glaring daggers at her. “Is he for sale?” She questioned.
“I’m trying to explain,” Xander told him with a sigh, before turning back to talk to Giles, surprised to see him no longer standing next to him. “Giles?”
“Oh, yes, sorry,” Giles apologies, popping his head up from behind the counter. “I was just gathering up a few things for Anya. Old paper work and what all.”
“Giles, listen to me, for just a minute, alright?” Xander pleaded. “Something has happened. Didn’t you even notice Willow?”
“What? What’s wrong with Willow?” Giles asked in mild alarm. Xander gestured emphatically toward the redhead still holding tightly onto Spike. “Oh dear. We’ll, that’s not good, now is it?”
“Apparently Wills and Anya were arguing and they both made a wish. Now Willow is little again and Anya can’t speak,” Xander explained.
“You wished that she be little again?!” Spike yelled. “Who would ask for that? Why would you have any interest in seeing the little girl version of her anyway? What were you think?”
Anya took a step back, raising her hands defensively.
“Giles, we need to do something. We need to fix this so that Anya and I can get back to planning our wedding. I still don’t have all the songs picked out for the reception, and I can’t decide which would be funnier…The Emperial Death March from Star Wars or the theme for Jaws, for when Anya walks down the aisle.”
Anya gaped at him, ripping the book out of his hands and flipping through the pages, gasping again and again at his choices and selections. At one point, she actually pointed something out to him, making a face of complete horror.
“What? A lot of people like the new donut wedding cakes. It’s all the rage. I saw it in Martha Stuart Wedding.”
Spike snickered and Xander glared at him.
“Spike, will you play with me?” Willow asked the blond vampire.
“I’d love to play with you, pet, but first we need to reverse a nasty little curse that’s been done,” he told her.
“But I wanna play now,” she said with a little pout. Spike gave her a disapproving look.
“Excuse me, Sir?” A woman interrupted. “Do you know how much this necklace costs?”
“That’s not a necklace, lady,” Spike snickered, seeing the woman holding up the talisman for a particularly nasty breed of fungus demon. “And the owner is right over there,” he added, pointing toward Giles.
“Oh, no, no, no, I’m no longer the owner. That would be Anya, now,” Giles said, pointing to Anya, who gave him an exasperated look.
“What are we going to do, Giles?” Xander asked. “And what do you think for table arrangements? I thought it would be fun to go with monster theme, being in Sunnydale and all. We could have little figurines on all the tables. Doesn’t that sound fun.”
“I missed you,” Willow whispered to Spike, as he lifted her up and she was once again set down on the counter. “Can I see it again?” She asked timidly, running a hand over his face.
“Can’t do it here, pet,” he told her. “Too many people.”
“Please?” She begged. “Just for a minute?”
Finally, Spike relented, letting his face shift for just a moment, before returning to his human mask.
“Happy, luv?” He asked.
Willow giggled. “Do it again.”
“You know, luv, you aren’t nearly this demanding when you’re all grown up,” he muttered.
“I’m not really sure what I CAN do Xander. We don’t even know who cast the spell,” Giles explained as he rang out another customer.
“Shouldn’t we maybe, I don’t know, lock the front door?” Xander asked.
Anya shook her head, quickly writing something down.
“Why turn away good business?” Xander read, looking up at her with an arched eyebrow. She shrugged and smiled sheepishly.
“Well, it is her store now,” Giles told him. “She can do what she wants with it.”
“Anyone going to help me with the little girl problem?” Spike asked, as Willow played with the buttons on his coat.
“I don’t really know where to begin to look for…” Giles began, stopping as Anya walked over and dropped an open book in front of him. “Oh, well, yes. I suppose this might work.” Everyone gave him a questioning look. “The spell to call upon Halfrek,” he explained.
“Good. Do it. Like to have a word with that chit,” Spike said angrily.
“Spike’s like a big kitty,” Willow announced with a giggle. Everyone looked at her strangely and she raised her eye brows, lowering her head meekly. “He was rumbling and purring in his chest,” she explained in a whisper.
“So let me see,” Giles said, tallying up their problems. “Anya can’t talk, Xander, you seem to have some obsession with your wedding…”
“Hey! It’s not an obsession, pal!” Xander shouted defensively. “It’s the most cherished and sacred moment that a man and woman can share, when they are bonded together for all eternity. When a man looks at his bride, walking down the aisle…in her white dress…ready to say ‘I do’ only for him, there’s no more magical moment in the world.” No one could be quite sure, but they all thought that they might have seen a tear in his eye.
“That was just the most beautiful thing,” a woman said, as she walked past, several items in her arms.
“Oh, please, what ridiculous nonsense,” a man countered.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” the woman told him.
“He’s clearly whipped,” the man replied. “Any moron could see that.”
“Well, you certainly got the moron part right,” she told him.
“Hey! You callin me a moron?” The man shot back.
“Your words, not mine,” she told him.
Their exchange grew more heated until Xander finally broke it up. At the same moment, a fight broke out between two women in the far corner, over a book of Ancient Garmolic demon recipes.
“I NEED to learn how to make Slugs in Slime Soup!” One of them yelled.
“No, I need that book. I heard it’s got the same recipe that the Naked Chef used for roasted fengle demon in bbq sauce.”
“Right, then…Xander’s obsessed with the wedding, the store is over run with customers, Spike is…well, just his usual annoying self as far as I can see, and Willow is little.”
“Hey! I’m not little! I grew two whole inches in the last year!” Willow protested.
“Don’t forget about you, Giles,” Xander included. “Selling the shop to Anya.”
“Well, that isn’t a spell. I just woke up today and decided that I suddenly wanted to give Anya…oh bloody hell. How many things did you wish for, Anya?” He asked her angrily.
“Do the spell,” she mouthed, gesturing toward the book.
“Oh, right then. Looking at the book, Giles quickly recited the incantation, just before there came a blast of light. When the smoke cleared, Halfrek glared at them.
“What in heaven’s sake do you people want?” She asked in annoyance.
“Undo whatever spell you've done,” Spike growled, stepping closer to her.
“Oh, calm down, William. Don’t get your knickers all in a twist,” she said with a giggle. “You know all the demons on the next plane were just having the biggest laugh over this. Really upped my points with a few of them. I should thank you Anyanka.”
Everyone glared at the demon.
“Undo the damn spell,” Spike demanded.
“Pushy, pushy. I have friends and they won’t let you threaten me this time,” she told him. “Anya and Willow got what they asked for. If they didn’t want this, well…they should have known better.” Anya let out a huff, hands on her hips. How could her own friend be this mean. “Besides, after Willow altered reality the way she did, I never got to lock you all in the house. I know, you don’t remember, but trust me, it was loads of fun. Well, until I got trapped as well, and…”
Halfrek paused as Willow started to giggle.
“And what do you think you’re laughing at, little girl?” She asked.
“You’re funny,” Willow said, pointing at the vengeance demon. “Her face is kinda icky, Spike. Yours looks much prettier,” she whispered to the blond vampire, who looked around with a scowl, hoping that no one heard her call him pretty.
“Why exactly am I funny?” Halli asked, crossing her arms in a huff.
“You trapped yourself again,” Willow told her with a giggle. “No one can leave the shop.”
Everyone looked around, surprised at what Willow had said.
“What makes you think that, luv?” Spike asked the girl.
“Just ask anyone,” she told him, far too knowingly for her age.
“Hey, you!” Spike called out to a man near the door. “Get out!”
“Oh, right. Sorry,” the man said, looking a little startled, and turning toward the door. Just as he reached for the handle, he paused and turned back around. “You know what? There’s just one more thing I need to get.”
Spike raised an eyebrow, before turning to another woman and vamping out. The woman screamed and ran toward the door. Stopping when she reached it, she turned around, terror melting away from her face. “Hey! That’s a neat mask. Where can I get one? Do you have them in children’s sizes?”
“What the hell?” Xander mumbled.
“They won’t leave!” Anya tried to yell.
“She’s right,” Giles agreed. “I hadn’t noticed, but apparently no one is able to leave.”
“Part of Anya’s wish,” Halli stated smugly. “Customers would come and not go. Now everyone is stuck here for….oh crap.” Suddenly, Halfrek realized her mistake. “Oh, damn,” she muttered. “I can’t believe I did this again! You’d think I’d learn,” she told them with an embarrassed chuckle. “Well, aren’t you just the smart little girl,” she said with a scowl, looking toward Willow.
“That she is,” Spike said, giving there girl a tight hug and smiling proudly.
“Fine. The curse is lifted,” Halli said in defeat, a bright flash of light following her words.
~
“The little girl version of you was at least a little more accommodating. All I want you to do is a simple transportation spell, but Noooo. You have to be all moral and honest. And while we’re at it, I wish that….” Anya said, continuing with her tirade in the empty shop, never aware of anything that had just transpired.
“Anya, if you got everything that you wished for, our lives would be in complete chaos,” Willow told her with a roll of her eyes, before turning and walking away.
The End