Title: Wish (I know. Unoriginal, huh?)
Author: Chimera
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: I dunno…somewhere just after the Willow/Tara relationship in BtVS, and somewhere in the Matt Hardy/Spanky feudette.
Spoilers: Um…the episode with Willow's 'will-be-done' spell, and the first Smackdown! with Shannon as an MFer.
Pairings: Shannon/Spanky, Buffy/Riley, Xander/Anya, mention of Oz/? and Buffy/Spike
Summary: Willow makes another wish. This time someone comes to fulfil it.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Unlike what you'd expect, the scream wasn't all that loud.
Willow flipped the pillow and screamed into it again.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
There was a pounding on the wall. "Get a life!"
The redhead responded with an out-of-character one-finger gesture, mentally writing a nice little curse for her next door neighbour…something involving cockroaches or maybe fungus. She sat up in her bed, holding the abused pillow to her chest.
She had just found out about Tara…the fact that Tara had actually had the nerve to tell Xander she was cheating on her. And Oz's wedding next week…and Percy's rumours that she was a slut…
"Feeling bad for yourself isn't going to do anything, Wills," she said out loud.
The redhead thumped the pillow one last time for good measure before exhaling and grabbing one of Giles' books that needed categorizing "Righto.
"The Ancient Incans believed in such mystics as the Mayan god of peace…"
Okay, Twist of Fate…pin, only gets two…get pissy, c'mon…roll eyes, pick up Spanky. Okay, neckbreaker, look hurt, Sliced Bread #2 into Twist of Fate…_ah, crap!_
Matt Hardy rolled his eyes again in exasperation, standing up and cracking his neck. "Okay," he said aloud. "Sunnydale, California."
He fizzled away in a shower of silver sparkles, unnoticed by all but one person. Shannon settled on the ring steps, used to Matt's disappearances with nearly fifteen years of experience in the matter. He gazed around with disinterest at the crowd, the announcers and even Brian, all stuck in exactly the same position. He winced as he saw Brian's weird position.
_I wonder how 'long' he'll be away for this time._
"I wish...arg!"
Willow sighed, burying her head back into the pillow. Buffy was of doing God-knows-what with Riley, Xander was off doing God-doesn't-know-what with Anya...and she decided to scream again.
"That has a much better effect without the pillow."
Willow looked up with a start; the voice wasn't loud, but it was still pretty disconcerting to hear a human voice in her empty room. She blinked at the guy that had appeared stupidly.
He smiled, suddenly looking very young. "Hi. I'm here to grant you your wish."
"Ooooh no." Willow hadn't really meant for that to come out the way it did. The man's smile dimmed, and he bit his lip. Willow hastened to explain. "Bad experience with wishes. My best friend got chased by demons, my librarian went blind and my other best friend and my…what would you call Spike?…anyway, two people who really don't like each other got engaged and if I'm babbling just tell me to shush."
He smiled again. "It's nice. And my brother babbles."
She blinked again. "Brother?"
The man's grin widened. "Yes, I have a normal broth…hang on." He grew contemplative. "Normal as someone who buys body paint and hair dye by the gallon and enjoys jumping off things higher than five feet can be."
"Sounds…interesting."
"But we're not here to talk about Jeff, and you must think I'm awful rude." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Matt."
Willow took it, instinctively warming to the man. "Willow."
"Hiya, Willow." He grinned at the name rolling off his tongue before he was suddenly all business again. "I have to grant you a wish."
"Why?"
Matt looked slightly surprised. "You're in my jurisdiction, it's my job."
"No, why do you have to grant me a wish?"
"Because you asked." Matt winked at her confusion. "I'll give you some time to think about it. I have to finish something…well, someone else." The brunette smiled again, then just disappeared.
Shannon growled slightly as Matt re-materialized. "Give a dude some warnin', wontcha?" he muttered. He raised his voice slightly. "I bet Jeff an' Shane damn near crashed their car."
Matt shot him the finger before checking he was in the proper position. "Nah. Shot 'em a message before I stopped time."
With no further explanation, Spanky slammed to the mat, breath knocked out of him as he landed the Twist of Fate perfectly.
Matt covered arrogantly, and counted along with the referee. 'One. Two. Three.'
"Oh, yeah!" rang across the speakers, and Shannon celebrated, helping his 'mentor' out of the ring.
"S'what, I wasn't important enough to send a message to?" Shannon asked Matt as they headed up the ramp, flashing the 'Version One' hand signals all the way.
Matt grinned at his cohort. "Nope."
"Aw, I'm hurt," the younger man pouted as they passed the curtain. "...s'what was the wish?"
"She didn' make one yet," Matt answered, stripping off his sweaty 'V1' shirt.
Shannon stopped at the side of the hallway, waiting for Brian to emerge from the curtains. "Then why'd y' come back?"
" 'cause the time freeze was about to end." Matt turned, walking backwards, and gave his friend the patented I-am-the-mystery-that-is-Matt-Hardy grin. "Go screw Spanky. I'll be at the hotel in our room, so go to his."
Shannon stuck out his tongue, but settled against the wall. Matt disappeared with a wink, throwing his shirt at the smaller man just before he dissipated.
As the tousle-haired, defeated Spanky came through the curtains, Shannon smiled, turning on the nice, reliable, Southern boy charm. "Hey, Bri. Nice match."
Willow started as the brunette popped back into existence in her room. "Oh. You came back."
Matt blinked. "You sound disappointed."
"No! I'm just...disappointed."
He settled on Buffy's bed. "Why are you disappointed? If anyone else got one wish free of charge they'd be kinda...happy."
The redhead sent him a look. "I'm not just anyone."
His steady gaze on her turned appraising. "I can see that."
Willow blushed. "Free wish?" she asked, in an attempt to get off-topic. "As in no payment needed?"
"Only your immortal soul," Matt said lightly. At the witch's gasp he shrugged. "Joke."
"Ha. Ha," she responded weakly.
"I need your wish."
Willow bristled slightly. "What if I don't want to make a wish?"
Matt scratched the back of his neck, hand catching in his ponytail. He pulled it out and frowned at the hairtie in his hand. "I'm not sure. I think I have to stop time until you do."
"Stop…time?" Willow asked hesitantly.
Matt glanced up at her. "Yeah, freeze time. I froze time before I came to visit you before." He pouted suddenly. "Really bad timing you have too."
Willow's smile was wry. "Don't tell me."
"Just my job."
"You have a job?" Willow asked, surprised. "I didn't think demons needed jobs."
"Who said I was a demon?" Matt protested.
Willow's eyes widened. "No offence to you or anything, but generally I run into demons a heck of a lot more than anything else and if you aren't then what exactly are you?"
Matt had to smile at her mini-babble. "None taken. And I'm one hundred percent human...on mah dad's side. Mah mother was half-fae, and due to some freakiness when I was born that I still don't understand I got enlisted into the wishing business."
The redhead blinked. "Cool."
"I still need your wish."
The Wiccan shivered. "Uh…I wish for a cheese sandwich."
Matt stared at her. "I probably didn't mention that it needs to be something you truly want, something your heart needs. But yeah, I'm mentioning it now."
At Willow's hesitation, he shrugged. "If the wish doesn't fulfil what you wanted, you can erase it. But no actual refunds."
"So if it gets screwed somehow I can ask for it to be erased…and everything goes back the way it was?" she said slowly.
Matt nodded. "Of course I can't hear you all the time, so I'll need to give you my phone or email or something."
"Cool." Willow exhaled, trying to convince herself this would work. "I wish that there was someone who would listen to me first. Not rumours or anything, just me."
The brunette concentrated for a moment. "Done."
"What, no flash of lightning or boom of ominous thunder?" Willow shook her head. "I'm disappointed."
Obligingly Matt flicked a hand at the window.
Outside the sun was suddenly blanked out. Students glanced up, muttering at the thick black clouds blocking the formerly blue sky. Thunder grumbled, and with a soft hiss of burning ozone lightning scissored to the ground.
The students shrieked as the rain began to fall.
Willow watched all the scurrying students as they began to flee for cover. "Impressive," she noted.
Matt flushed. "I usually stuff those kinda things up…" he said softly. He grimaced as there was a loud cracking noise from above them. "Remind me to get your building a new antenna."
"Noted. What else can you do?"