Hot Chocolate Makes Everything Better

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 7


Willow slowly climbed her way back to the waking world. When she

came back to herself, she found that she was cocooned in a nest of

sheets and blankets. She sleepily looked around the room. For a

moment she had no recognition of where she had found herself. Then

it came to her in a flash, she was still at Sylvie and Gwen’s

house in their guest bedroom.


A brief glance out the window confirmed her suspicions. She had

slept the day away. She had been warned that the first few times of

her change would be traumatic to her system. She wouldn’t

immediately bounce back like the other members of the pack.


She recalled the previous night’s activities. She had been

accepted into the pack. She had met a few very drool-worthy guys.

She had met the infamous Anita Blake.


She had been impressed with Anita’s power but not entirely

impressed by Anita herself. That lady just gave off vibes similar

to the ones that Willow had felt off of Faith, the rogue slayer.

She still didn’t trust Faith completely. Faith could be

treacherous and shown that in time past. Willow didn’t know

enough about Ms. Blake to make an educated comparison. So, the jury

was still out on what Willow felt about Anita.


Everything else was a blur. She could almost grab snatches of

memory. First, she had felt such great pain. Her body felt like it

was tearing itself apart from the inside. Her normally agile mind

had shut down her thinking under the onslaught of the pain. With

her higher thought processes gone, Willow’s primitive instincts

took over.


She again tasted the freedom of swiftly running movement. She flew

through the trees in search of something to sate her ravenous

hunger. How hot and thrilling was the first taste of flesh as she

tore into the throat of a hapless deer. She felt like power

incarnate. This excited her and yet frightened her at the same time.


She quickly disentangled the blankets and set off at a dead run to

the bathroom. She hovered over the toilet as she gasped for

breath. She felt sick. Sick because she had enjoyed the hunt so

much. What was wrong with her?


Gwen found Willow in the same position minutes later. She stood at

the door and looked on with sympathy. Willow was at odds with her

beast. She may now be werewolf but her residual human morals still

clung to her. If she were to have any peace now, she would have to

come to terms with her beast.


Gwen quietly crept into the room. She knelt by the weeping Willow.

She placed a comforting arm around Willow’s shoulders. Willow

looked up at Gwen with a horror-struck face. With another sob,

Willow threw herself into Gwen’s embrace. Gwen held and rocked

Willow until the crying ended.


Eventually, Gwen coaxed Willow downstairs for a nice hot cup of

chocolate. Gwen had even managed to rustle up some tiny

marshmallows for Willow’s drink. They quietly conversed for what

seemed like hours. Gwen didn’t judge. She understood perfectly

what Willow was going through. She suggested that Willow should

take a shower and dress. Gwen would take her home to her aunt.

Willow needed the comfort of familiar things around her.


Willow nodded and trudged back upstairs to the shower. She put on

the clothes that she had borrowed from Gwen. It wasn’t a perfect

fit but it wouldn’t do to drive through the streets of St. Louis

naked.


Willow said her farewells to Sylvie and set off with Gwen for home.

She felt nervous energy begin to creep up her spine. How would her

aunt take the news that her darling niece had been infected? Gwen

told her that she could stay with them for a while if she was kicked

out of her aunt’s home. That had made Willow feel marginally

better. Always prepare for the worst was her motto.


The drive to her aunt’s house was over too soon for Willow. She

dreaded what was to come. She told Gwen that she would call her if

worse came to worst and she found herself homeless. She took a deep

breath and slowly let it out as she unlocked the front door.


She hadn’t made it very far into the house when her aunt came

running down the stairs. Willow found herself in the grasp of a big

bear hug. Her aunt looked absolutely relieved to see her. Willow

felt that twinge of guilt because she had kept her beloved Auntie in

the dark about the recent happenings in her life. It was time to

come clean.


Willow stepped out of her aunt’s embrace. She took a hold of her

aunt’s hand and led her to the living room couch. They both sat

down. Her aunt continued to hold her hand. Willow bowed her head

for a moment and took another cleansing breath.


She looked up into the anxious eyes of the only family member left

that gave a darn about her. She worried that she would truly be

disinherited and banished from what remained of her family.


She didn’t want to be abandoned but she couldn’t have lies

between herself and her aunt. Her aunt knew the whole story of what

had happened in Sunnydale. She accepted her even when she knew that

Willow had the potential to be dangerous. This gave Willow hope

that maybe just maybe her aunt would accept her again.


Willow took another breath and slowly let it out. “Auntie,

something bad happened to me and I would like to tell the story

without any interruptions before you speak. Is that okay with

you?”


“Of course, Willow, you take as long as you need. I’m here

for you.” Her aunt said while giving an encouraging smile.


“You remember me telling you about that boy at school?”

Willow questioned her aunt.


Her aunt nodded her reply but stayed silent as requested.


“Well, we had a confrontation of sorts after our study group.

Things got way out of hand. He attacked me. Before you ask, I’m

relatively fine. Too make a long story short, he infected me with

lycanthropy. I’m a werewolf, Auntie. Last night was the full

moon. That was why I couldn’t come home right away. They

didn’t want me to endanger you.” Willow paused and let out a

sigh.


Her aunt was silent. Willow could see the wheels turning over in

her aunt’s mind. She was giving the situation some thought

before she would speak.


Finally, her aunt looked up and held Willow’s gaze. “Willow

I am so sorry that all these bad things have happened to you. I

really wish that I could protect from the big bad world out there.

I won’t lie to you and tell you that it doesn’t scare me.

But I won’t let my fear dictate my life. Willow, I will always

love you. I’m here for you now like I was here for you before.

Nothing can change that.”


Willow felt the weight of doubt lift from her shoulders. She gave

her aunt a dazzling smile. They hugged again. Willow thought that

maybe her life was really turning around even if she would be furry

every month.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*