It's not the end of the world

"I will look out for her."

…

"I know she didn't do something like this before, but she will be alright Victor."

…

"You do trust your own daughter, don't you?"

…

"I'll bring her back the moment I see her. Just don't be mad at her." Mildred sighed when she hung up the phone. She understood why Victor was worried, but she also knew that everything would be alright. Anastasia was a girl who could look after herself when she needed to. She was after all the daughter of two U.Z.Z. Secret Agents.

Mildred wandered through her living room. It was more than eighteen years ago when she saw her granddaughter for the first time and Mildred has always known that Anna would be a strong girl. "You've gone through so many things, honey. Why don't you accept the way things are?" Mildred whispered while she looked to a picture of Anna. It was taken on her A-level graduation day. Mildred was so proud that her granddaughter graduated A-level with history as subject.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Mildred walked towards her front door. She knew who could be standing there, outside in the rain. "Hey, honey, come inside, I still have some clothes for you to put on." said Mildred when she opened the door. She looked to a strawberry blond teenager, who was only wearing a T-shirt and her jeans. "You shouldn't go through this kind of weather."

"I know, Granny." was the only thing Anna said. She couldn't just talk to anyone right now.

Mildred sighed. "Come on, Anna." she said and she gave her granddaughter a friendly push towards the stairs. "Just take a nice, hot shower and pull on some warm clothes and then we'll talk further."

Anna looked to her grandmother and she smiled just a little bit. "Thank you, Granny." she whispered and she walked upstairs.

Mildred shook her head and she walked towards the kitchen. Her dinner was almost ready and she had the feeling that someone would draw up on her table. She turned the gas down and she walked back to her living room. She sat down on her couch and she saw a picture standing on her TV. It wasn't the picture of Anna, but it was the picture of the wedding day of Victor and Anita. Mildred sighed. It was such a beautiful day that day and their future looked so wonderful. They had a beautiful daughter together and they were a wonderful couple.

Until that very day; that day when the only Anna seemed to be the ray of hope. Anita and Victor Volt were partners against crime once again, after two years of taking days off so one of them would be with Anna the whole day. The last time that Victor and Anita Volt were partners on that very day. That day, Anita was smashed down to the ground by a giant reptogator. She didn't make it and from that day on, Anna had to live without a mother.

"Thank you, Granny." suddenly sounded and Mildred turned around. There was Anastasia, wearing a warm hooded sweater and some jogging trousers and she looked sad.

"Come here, sweetie." said Mildred and Anastasia walked towards the couch, but didn't sit down. "You know I don't bite, honey."

"I know, but it's just…" Mildred saw the tears appearing in her eyes, so she pulled Anna down onto the couch and pulled her into a hug. "It isn't fair."

"What isn't?" Victor didn't tell Mildred that much. Only that Anna ran away from the U.Z.Z. base and she never came back.

"I'm useless."

"What?" Mildred looked to Anastasia. "Anastasia Volt! How can you say such a thing? You are not useless!"

"I am!" Anna started to sob and Mildred looked at her. She couldn't believe that her only granddaughter just said that she was useless.

"Anna, what happened?" Mildred asked. She figured that there that something terrible happened. Anna was always a happy and sweet girl and only a disaster could change Anna's mood into depressive.

"I got a D." said Anna and she looked to her grandmother. "While my parents got an A or A plus, I got a D! I've never got a D in my life before."

Mildred just wanted to ask what Anna was talking about when she remembered it again. Today was the U.Z.Z. Secret Agent test. The same test where Victor and Anita passed every year again when they had to show it for the new agents. They passed it every year with an A or an A plus. "Oh, Anna." Mildred whispered and she pulled Anna into a hug. "Because you got a D, doesn't mean that you are useless."

"Dad will hate me."

"Your father won't hate you. Because he knows that you did the best you could do." Mildred looked to Anna again and she wiped the tears away. "And you do have an A-level graduation in History, remember?"

"Pff, I can only use that for teaching and you know I don't like it to be around with children." Anna looked away from Mildred and she sighed. "Maybe it's better to run away from here."

"Oh no, you won't run away!" Mildred grabbed Anna's hand and she made Anna look into her eyes. "Because I don't want to loose my only granddaughter." Mildred took a deep breath before she carried on. "I just can't live without you and your father, Anastasia."

"Really?"

"I was always proud of you, Anna."

"But I can't become a Secret Agent at U.Z.Z. Just like Dad, and just like you and Grandpa."

Mildred smiled a little bit. So that's what's been bothering her. "Listen, honey, it doesn't matter for me what you will become in the future, as long you have a steady job and maybe even get a wonderful husband."

Anna chuckled and she looked to her grandmother. "You don't know if I would get a husband, Granny."

Mildred smiled. "That's right, I don't know that. But, what I do know is that you will become a wonderful woman. So, I think that you won't walk away?"

"I won't Granny." Anna promised and she stood up from the couch. "I think something is burning, Gran."

"Oh no, not now!" Mildred rushed to the kitchen and grabbed the dish out of the oven. It was completely black on top and it didn't look really tasty anymore. "I guess we'll have to order something, Anna." Mildred sighed and she looked to Anna, who started to laugh.

"I should have known it, Granny." she said and she gave her grandmother a big smile. "You've always been the one who can make me laugh again."

Mildred started to laugh as well and she placed the dish on the counter. "Let's call your father that we found you and ask him if he could bring something with him." Mildred turned around and she saw Anna's worried look. "Don't worry, honey. He won't be mad at you. He'll be glad that you are alright."

"Well, okay." said Anna and Mildred gave Anna a kiss on her cheek before she walked to the living room to call Victor.

…

"Yes, Victor. She is alright. She was just a little bit worried about your reaction on the result of the test."

…

"Just don't talk about it tonight, Victor."

…

"Alright, if you bring something to eat, I'll ask Anna where she's been the whole day. I'll see you soon, Victor." Mildred hung up the phone and she walked to the dining room, where Anna set the table for dinner. "Well, your father will be bringing the dinner."

Anna looked up. "Is he still mad at me?"

Mildred walked to Anna and gave her a hug. "He is only glad that his daughter is alright. Which reminds me…" Mildred looked into Anna's eyes. "Where have you been the whole day?"

Anna sat down on the chair and she looked up to Mildred. "I was at Mum's grave." she whispered. "I just hoped she could somehow help me and I felt safe there." Anna smiled a little bit and she looked away from Mildred. "It's so strange. I barely knew her, but still, it feels so safe to be at her grave."

Mildred sat down next to Anna and she placed her hand on top of Anna's hand. "Your mother is always with you, Anastasia. Just remember that."

"Thank you, Gran." Anna said and she gave her grandmother a hug. "I wouldn't know what I would do if I didn't have you."

Mildred smiled and she whispered: "I know exactly how you feel, Anna. Promise me you won't run away from me or your father ever again."

"I promise…"

A short fanfic written after I stopped IDEE... It was a difficult decision, but I had made it. I have to admit that I did feel like Anna at the moment I started it.

Anastasia Volt belongs to me

Mildred Volt, Victor Volt & Anita Knight-Volt belongs to Tony Collingwood & (C)BBC

Unfortunately, I still don't own 'The Secret Show'... Maybe next year ;)

xxx'jes
Eszie