floor it through the fences
Willow is dropping off Weiss on her first day when she sees her. “Does she know me?”
“Of course she does, I’m surprised she didn’t recognize you. Mama Willow.” Kali bumps the blonde’s shoulder. They were being watched; they always were. Hence why Ghira hadn’t come to Blake’s first day of kindergarten. There’s an order to keep Ghira and Willow separated; apparently, Kali wasn’t perceived as a threat.
“YANG, CMON, WE’RE GONNA BE LATE.” A pajama-clad 22-year-old Raven Branwen comes dragging a 5-year-old ball of sunshine, Yang Xiao Long. Behind them wander Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose, who are holding a wiggling 4-year-old Ruby Rose. Willow smiles warmly at the family she’s watched the older Branwen twin build, against all odds, she had made it. One of Kali’s notes had told her about them finding out Raven was pregnant at barely 17 and everything that had unfolded. 3 kids before 20, that girl was out to set a record. Her oldest and adopted child, Cinder, was in the same grade as Winter; goodness only knows the trouble they got up to.
Kali lowers her voice so she isn’t overheard, “Is he gonna be at the hospital?”
Willow rolls her eyes, grinning, “No, he’s going to be overseas. However, I wouldn’t mind a visitor or two.” Kali had been there for Winter’s birth, had even managed to make it to Weiss’s, and although she never saw him, she knew Ghira had seen Weiss through the glass window of the nursery. Willow had stayed away from Blake’s birth, her husband deserved to see the birth of one of his children.
“Are you gonna be okay?” Kali’s tone is serious. Her youngest two children’s conceptions hadn’t been exactly joyful.
Willow matches her tone, repeating the plan she’d discussed with the medical team, “The doctors already agreed to have a complication pop up so they can give me a hysterectomy.” Jacques had never wanted anything to do with any of the births of his children; hell, he barely participated in making them. Throwing some sperm in a cup while Willow was left to her own devices.
“Call the bar, one of them will let me know.” Willow knew that number by heart.
“God, I miss you. Both of you.” Willow gets the distant look in her eyes that often takes over when the memories get too much. They weren’t married by any legal means, but they were her husband and wife. She loved them no matter the time, no matter the distance.
Whitley Nathiel Schnee was born in the quiet hours of August 21st, to his mother, Willow, due to a c-section, which led to complications, causing Willow to have a full hysterectomy. Baby and mother are recovering well. She never did see Kali that day.
The months drag on until Whitley is two years old. Willow had watched from a distance as Blake and Weiss became best friends, unaware of their connection. Blissfully unaware of the box in the now locked away nursery that housed countless memories of missed birthdays and happy moments. Klein had been sent away after Whitley, through no fault of his own, called the butler grandpa.
It wasn’t until Weiss turned 10 that Jacques' carefully built prison crumbled. “Okay, pretty girl. Ready for cake?’ Before Willow can help Weiss stand, she’s ripped away from the room.
Jacques shoves her into the study, just out of earshot from where the children are, far away from the minimal staff that was kept, “Why are you so hell bent on keeping a connection to those criminals?”
“Maybe because they loved me, not my name.” Willow could handle a lot. Digs at her rolled off her back, but she drew a line a long time ago.
Jacques moves closer, Willow matching every step forward he takes with one of her own going backwards, “You would be nothing without this name, this family.”
Willow scoffs as she states the truth, “I had everything.” That’s when she is reminded of her nicknames, Ghira had called her tornado, and to Kali, she was wildfire. She would show this sad excuse of a man destruction even if it was the last thing she did. She wasn’t gentle, she wasn’t kind, she was Willow Schnee, and she was going to live up to her name.
Jaques' voice rises. Careful, Willow thinks to herself, don’t let them hear you. “Oh, like what, a house? Food on the table? A marriage. Those criminals couldn’t provide you half the life I have.”
Willow's voice turns deadly, glaring, “Stop calling them that.” Kali and Ghria were a lot of things. Some good, some bad, but they were hers and that’s all that had ever truly mattered. No matter where, no when they’d take each other to the grave, haunting each other.
“What am I supposed to call a man who groomed a girl, god only knows how much younger than him?”
Willow doesn’t try to stop the laugh that escapes her throat, like some sort of poision“At least, I didn’t fuck a prostitute. I didn’t step out on our marriage.” Suddenly, she realizes she’s been backed into a corner, literally.
“At least, I didn’t fuck a man five years my senior as a child.”
The yell escapes her, the beast inside was finally fed up, “AT LEAST, I DIDN’T MARRY A CHILD.” Willow doesn’t have time to react before the pain bursts across her face. She looks into the mirror, seeing the imprint of a wedding ring on her cheek.
“Mama?” The shape of Winter is in the middle of the door, far taller than any child of Jacques should be.
“Get that bastard child out of here.”
“Winter, cmon time for bed. Go get your siblings.” As Willow goes to follow the 15-year-old, Jacques grabs her wrist, no doubt leaving another bruise for her to cover in the morning. Willow shakes him off, heading up the stairs to tell her child goodnight.
“Do you have your socks on?” Willow asks as she tucks her oldest child in, for the first time in a long time, a gentle smile on her face as Winter nods, “Good night, sweet girl. I love you to the grave and beyond.”
“Hey, pretty girl. Can you show me where your shoes are?” Weiss does as asked, for once not asking questions. As the small girl climbs into bed, Willow smiles, “Good night, pretty girl. I love you to the grave and beyond.”
“Make sure you hold Kitty tight.” Willow smiles as Whitley clutches his snow tiger plush closer to his chest. “Good night, little prince. I love you to the grave and beyond.” As the door clicks shut behind her, Willow knows what comes next,
When Willow retreats to the nursery, she pulls a near-ancient phone out of the box of memories. She hits call on the number she knew by heart- the Menigarie. The phone rings once before the familiar voice of Sienna Khan greets her like the hug she gave a scared blonde girl so long ago, “Take me home.” Willow squares her shoulders as she ends the call. Come hell or high water, the vow made so long ago suddenly solidified in her soul.
As the house quiets and Willow lies staring at the ceiling, waiting for the monster on the other side of the bed to fall asleep. When his breathing evens, she takes her chance, slipping on her shoes and into the hallway.
Gently shaking the teenager, Willow whispers, “Wake up, sweet girl. It’s time to go home.” Winter rises with little issue, smiling.
Helping Weiss slide her shoes on, Willow softly says, “Cmon, pretty girl. Let’s go home.” Putting her small hand in her mother's, Weiss grins.
Picking a half-asleep Whitley up, “Hey, little prince. Let’s go meet your mommy and papa.” Willow feels at peace as his small grip tightens on the snow tiger.
The blonde mother manages to lead them through the house and out onto the long drive with no issue. Keeping to the shadows, she breaks out into a run, Winter not hesitating to scoop her sister into her arms to keep up. They don’t stop until they see the faint glow of an interior car light. “Aunty Sienna!” The girls run ahead, with a suddenly awake Whitley. Willow stops taking in the sight of her husband and wife in front of her, hesitating for only a moment before crashing into her lost love's arms.
“I’m home.” She whispers as tears stream down her face. After getting the kids into the far back of the black SUV, Willow collapses into the middle seat, leaning into Kali as Ghira kisses her head.