Disclaimer: W.I.T.C.H. is the property of Disney and they actually make money off it. Why be mad at me for doing a freebie?

Summary: After "V is for Victory," Will tries to apologize for being so... so Nerissa lately. Will/Matt. Spoilers for "Y is for Yield" and "Z is for Zenith."

Author's Note: Great episode (I just love bad Will) but she never really apologized at the end of "V", did she? Keep in mind this spoils the end of the second season a lot.

Angel With Horns

The night wasn't a complete wash-out, all things considered. The former Guardians had regained their free will even if they were now imprisoned in Nerissa's Seal. Nerissa herself had actually ran despite her increased powers and, as Will was learning, you really couldn't win them all no matter who you were.

Not even when you cheated. Will gazed dispassionately at Phobos as the dethroned prince stalked out of the school gym without looking back. She wasn't sure why he was so angry with her; his own hidden plan hadn't worked because of his poor acting and uncontainable arrogance. Or maybe it was her speech about winning and losing honestly. Or maybe he just hated her for helping to end his previous reign of misery.

If only he knew that she was trying to help him begin it anew, even if it was just temporary in the Give-Him-Enough-Rope-To-Hang-Himself sense. The thought of Phobos in a noose was too tempting a picture at the moment; his praise was worse than his scorn, his approval more cutting than any curses. Simply put, Will preferred it when Phobos hated her

Will looked at the others and found little comfort in their expressions. The girls were tired, not physically but in every other sense; Hay Lin in particular looked weary having been so close to getting her grandmother back only to have her snatched away again. Caleb wore the same look he did after every battle with his mother: hard, as if it didn't hurt him at all to see what the person who had carried him into life had become. Blunk, well, Blunk just looked relieved. And Matt...

Matt looked worried. For her. Even after she was so horrible about Mandy. Her small smile went away before she finished the thought. Holding the Heart up she changed herself and the girls back into themselves; the transformation back was more noticeable to Will than usual. She went from a girl who could easily compete with Mandy Anderson to her regular short, flat self that had somehow snagged the Matt Olsen. Will rolled her eyes at the absurdity of their relationship; even magic couldn't explain how she had lucked out like this.

But maybe, just maybe, her luck had finally run out. Both of them were still hurting from her jealousy and "orders," all of which seemed ridiculous now that she had thought it over. And she had thought it over, thought it over a lot ever since Matt had compared her to Nerissa of all people. She was both angry and terrified at his words since she felt that Matt knew her better than anyone, even better than her mom and the girls. Maybe that was just the puppy love talking, but if he thought she was evil in the making...

Nerissa was the ultimate cautionary tale for the Keeper of the Heart, the star of the after-school special that might destroy entire worlds. She was arrogant, insane, manipulative and worse, "good" at what she did; she had taken out the Oracle and the Council of Candracar easily and had run W.I.T.C.H. so ragged that it made their crusade against Phobos feel like the Good Ole Days. And sometimes, very infrequently but sometimes, Will actually did want to be more like her predecessor.

Shaking the thoughts out of her head, Will turned to the others and said, "There's nothing more we can do tonight. Let's just go home and sleep. I got a feeling that we're going to need a lot of rest soon."

Cornelia turned to Caleb with the look she wore when she felt wronged by the world. "I can't believe you didn't tell me what you were doing! Do you know how creepy it felt being fondled by 'Phobos'!"

"I thought it was obvious!" Caleb defended. "We couldn't say anything aloud because my... Nerissa might have figured it out." The warrior tilted his head and looked at his paramour questioningly. "I mean... you honestly couldn't tell?"

Cornelia mouth opened, but then she shut it. "Well, I... I mean... there was so much going on, I..."

"It's okay," Caleb said, both to soothe Cornelia and not wanting to pursue the topic any further, "I guess I didn't think it would be that good a disguise. Heh, say what you will about His Ladyship, but he does good Glamouring."

"Yeah, but his acting is terrible!" Irma added. "Nerissa knew who he was as soon as she got a good look at his face! You know, I don't think it's even possible for him to reign that ego in, it'd be like damming a flood with cotton swabs!"

Will chuckled weakly. "Since you're our Water expert, I'd guess you'd know." They left the gym and emerged into the cool night. Hay Lin and Caleb headed off in the direction of the Silver Dragon while the other girls grabbed their bikes and began to trek back to their homes.

As Will began to ride off Matt said, "Want me to walk you home?"

Will hesitated, an unusual response to the question she'd heard so often. Usually she wanted Matt with her as much as possible, even for just a walk to her apartment. "Uhm... sure. If you don't mind."

"Of course not." He stuck his hands in his pockets. "Safety in numbers, right?"

Will felt a bitter taste flow from her mouth to her stomach. "Right." They started off, Will pushing her bike beside her. As they walked Will kept snatching glances at her boyfriend's face, trying to decipher what he was thinking but his countenance was as blank as Shagon's golden mask.

Fireflies wafted through the air in light-hearted denial of the coming fall, skimming over their clothes and faces so closely Will felt like she was wading through candlelights. In only a few short weeks or even days the air would become too cold and the fireflies would eventually disappear. If she really wanted to know where they went Taranee could probably tell her, but... she really didn't want to know. When Will was little, her parents would tell her that the fireflies and frogs went to their hidden homes in the trees with their tiny windows and doors where they would wait out the winter with a good (and very small) book.

Looking back it was probably an attempt to get her to concentrate on her reading assignments, but Will still preferred it over to the reality she was hit with every day. She missed the days when she hoped to find the minuscule windows and peek in as the fireflies and frogs shared their hot cocoa on a snowy day. Back then she felt... what? What had she felt that was lost now? Safe? Special? Good enough?

Matt cleared his throat, causing Will to nap out of her reverie and look at him expectantly. Matt felt her eyes on him and turned to look back at her. "What? Oh, my bad. Throat's a little sore."

Will smiled weakly. "Oh... right." She tapped her finger on her handlebars and blew her bangs out of her eyes. More long seconds passed before she even thought about what to say. Maybe she didn't have to say anything. Maybe it was all water under the bridge and no one had to...

Zzzzaaappppp! "Yeow!" Will dropped her bike and reached into her shirt, pulling out the Heart of Candracar and holding it away from her. "What the...?!"

"Will!" Matt cried as he placed his hands on her shoulders protectively, like she'd been hit in battle. "What happened?"

"I... I don't... it shocked me! The Heart shocked me!" Will was staring at the talisman with a hurt expression. "I mean... it wasn't a bad shock, but..."

Relieved but still confused, Matt dropped his arms and scratched his head. "Maybe it was a warning?"

Will briefly considered this before she realized that she knew in her own heart what it really was. She shook her head slowly. "No... no, that's not it." She looked up into Matt's dark yet warm eyes. This was the closest they'd been since her ultimatum; as his body heat filled the space between them she realized how much she'd missed being able to embrace him without fear or guilt. Her eyes begin to well up with tears.

"Will, what... did I do something-"

"I'm sorry!" Will slammed into him and wrapped her arms around his torso with crushing force; Matt's response was an "Urk!" "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... I j-just didn't want to... Nerissa keeps winning and I just can't catch up... and school... and I just can't swim fast enough... I cheated! I won because I cheated! I'm... I'm horrible!" And then she was sobbing.

Matt said nothing as she soaked his shoulder with her guilt and regret, just rubbing her back with one hand. Will wanted to stop and regain some dignity, but she could no more stop her outburst of than Phobos could act; Irma's cotton swabs would have come in handy right about now.

Matt wasn't exactly in an enviable position, either. On the list of the worst situations a guy could face, comforting your crying girlfriend was actually higher than being changed into an evil minion. Fighting for your soul? Easy. Figuring out what to say in a moment like this? Pretty much the hardest thing ever. "Will, it's okay. Things... things have been tough lately. You've had a lot to deal with..."

Will rubbed her face into his jacket as she shook her head. "No... sniff... no excuses. Nerissa makes excuses, and I don't want to be like her, even if she... I'm not like her, really, I promise!"

Matt was thrown off guard by this. "What are you talking about? Of course you're not. Will, look at me." Will raised her head and glanced at him with wet eyes. "Believe me, I would know. I have being Nerissa's minion on my resumé for life."

Will looked up at him, knowing her face was a total mess and not realizing how beautiful her honesty looked to him at that moment. "But... you said I was giving you orders like..."

Matt grimaced as he remembered. He hadn't meant to imply that Will was like Nerissa, just that she was re-acting extremely to his and Mandy's friendship. He hadn't really understood why Will was so jealous, still didn't to be honest, but whatever her reasons it made sense to her. As he'd told Caleb, books had been written about women (he'd read a few since Will came to Heatherfield) but each one presented their own challenges. "Oh, Will, you are the opposite of where Nerissa is. I mean, she tried to kill all of us several times, I can't even imagine you hurting anyone."

"I hurt you when Shagon was in control," she pointed out regretfully.

Darn, she was quick. "Well, yeah, but he deserved it. I couldn't even feel it, but I did notice you never went all out on him."

Will wasn't ready to forgive himself just yet. "Well, he did keep saying he knew where you are..."

"Now you see, that's why you're different from Nerissa. She thinks she's some kind of saint even while she does all this stuff. Like with Cassidy, not letting her rest in peace and messing with Hay Lin's grandmother. Do you think you could ever do stuff like that?"

Will pulled away from Matt and stared at the fireflies. "You mean manipulate people? Yeah, I'm doing that right now."

Matt sighed. "For their own good, Will, geez. Cops and secret agents do it all the time, Nerissa and Phobos just do it to put themselves up above everyone else." He pulled her closer to show she would not be pushed away for her mistake.

Will lay her head on his chest. "Sorry. I'm just worried... no, I'm scared of turning into someone like that. Nerissa was jealous of Cassidy and look how that turned out. I know I can be ridiculous sometimes..."

I have noticed that, Matt thought. Aloud, he asked, "Why?" Will looked confused. "I mean, you know me, Will. And after everything we've been through together I'd think you'd realize I'd do anything for you. The last thing I would want is to hurt you, and you know that, so I think the real question is what are you really afraid of?"

"A... afraid? What do you mean? I was just jeal..."

Matt shook his head. "It was more than that. It was like if I wasn't cheering just for you, I wasn't there at all. I mean, your whole family was there, your friends... I think Blunk was hiding in the equipment rack. Why did you focus on me?"

Will was beginning to get annoyed with him; Matt took this as a good sign. "What are you talking about? What does it matter who watches me swim?" If he was trying to torture her as some sort of payback, Will thought, he was off to a good start.

"I'm just saying that things are never that simple. Yes, you freaked out a little over Mandy, but like I said, you know I would never cheat on you. Especially not with a girl who's like a sister to me. So it has to be something else. Nerissa is driving us all crazy one way or another, but you're having to go head-to-head with your predecessor, someone who's got a lot more experience and a lot less sanity. Most people would bet that she would have won by now..." Matt smiled proudly at her. "But you've managed to seriously mess up her plans, you and the real Guardians."

Will fidgeted in embarrassment. "Well, it hasn't been easy... "

"No, it hasn't. And you're dealing with it. Besides Nerissa and the surreal part of your life, your dad's remarrying and your mom's dating our history teacher; that's not easy to deal with."

Will thought about that and nodded. "Yeah... I barely get any time with my parents any more, even my mom and I live with her. And she and Dad are hooking up with other people..." She smiled sadly. "You know, when he came back, I maybe sort of hoped that he and Mom... that's stupid, of course. Mom would never forgive him for whatever she thought he did wrong, whatever it was."

"You don't see him very much, do you?"

"Um, not... not often..."

"Birthdays and Christmas?"

Will hesitated, telling Matt all he needed to know about that. "Sometimes... he's real forgetful when he's working." She was making excuses for him, Matt realized. "I've never really been into birthdays, anyway. Cornelia ambushed me with my last one, remember?"

And how many did you skip because your father didn't care and your mom was working her butt off to support you? "Yeah, I remember. Are we going to have to jump you again next time or will you come along quietly?"

Will finally laughed. "You may have to drag me. I hate being fussed over."

Yeah, right. I know you better than that, Will. You've missed out on too much, that's why you freaked out over Mandy; you thought I would leave, too. "I think," Matt said as he returned to his argument for Will's innate goodness, "that Nerissa wasn't used to hearing 'no' from people. She reminds me of that girl who faked being an exchange student, the one you raced? That really scared me, by the way."

Will smiled ruefully. "Sorry, but yeah, I remember. She wanted everyone to love her."

"See? So does Nerissa and she can't handle it when they disagree with her, not like you. That's why she creates Knights or Enthralls people; she knows that no one would go along with her plans if she didn't. She has to trick them like that fake foreigner did because she wants the masses to love her."

"Yeah, but I just wanted you." Will blushed. "I mean..."

Matt smiled and took her hands in his. "I'm really glad to hear that."

"I just... why wouldn't you want Mandy? She's pretty, confident, a great swimmer... and me... I figured you'd be bored with me by now."

"You might find it hard to believe, but I'm about as interested in swimming as Blunk is in bubble baths. I mean, I'll cheerl for you guys, but I wouldn't know a backstroke from dog paddle. And I'm not going to ever get bored with you. Did you not hear the song I wrote for you?"

"I may have the worst memory, but I'll never forget it. Don't know if I'm an angel, though. Not lately."

"Nah, you're an angel all right." He placed his index fingers on her hairline. "Just an angel with horns."

Will laughed and grabbed his hands. "HORNS?!"

Matt grinned as he flirted with danger. "Little ones, anyway. They're red, so they blend in with that hair."

"Uh-huh, right. You sure you want to date a girl with a little devil in her?"

"Hey, I'm a rocker, babe. It's required that my girl be a little mean."

Will poked him in the chest with her finger. "I'm going to remind you of that later, in the worst possible way!" She stood on her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I don't deserve you, y'know?"

"Yeah, you do! So, when does your mom expect you home?" Will tilted her head and gave him a surprised (and intrigued) look. "What? Oh... whoa, I just meant I didn't want to get you in trouble!"

Will pouted. "Awww... is that a 'no'?"

"Uh... to what?"

"An hour."

"Huh?"

"That's how long until my curfew kicks in. So we got time."

"Time? Oh."

Will smirked and began to pull him toward the bushes next to the path. "Personally, I think saying sorry just isn't enough, y'know?"

Matt could only respond: "Eep..."

Author's Note: You owe me, Matt. And don't worry, readers, it's just a make-out session. Thanks to stayphoenix for beta-ing this story-many, many months ago, I don't know why it's taken me this long to post, but it's not her fault.

I generally don't think up stories that tie into the episodes, but it was almost like I had to add this or "V" wouldn't be complete. An itch to scratch, I guess. It's not my favorite work, but I liked the title and I hoped you enjoyed it. My other story MINE is a counterpart to this one with a first-person Matt musing on life after meeting Will, so if you want to check that out. This also works into my other stories like Dark Gossamer Wings and Never Too Young, but not in any big spoiler way.

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