Disclaimer: I do not own W.I.T.C.H.

Chapter 4: Voices of the Past

"Will," Yan Lin gasped in shock. This could not be true. Not one of her girls. Not one of her guardians. "How could you?"

Will Vandom grabbed a Kleenex from the box on the table. She blew her nose and grabbed another to wipe her eyes. Yan Lin waited almost impatiently for her to talk. "They wouldn't leave me alone," Will replied softly. "I wanted them to go away."

"Them," Yan Lin replied. "Who?"

"As soon as I stepped off the plane they started torturing me," Will explained her eyes pleading for Yan Lin to understand. "I couldn't get away. They were everywhere."

"Will," Yan Lin said calmly.

"Ma'am?"

"Who was torturing you?"

"Voices," Will muttered. "It was like they were in my head. They fed off all my insecurities and fears. They were right about everything and I just wanted to shut them up."

"Voices," Yan Lin replied. She looked at the young woman critically. Could Will be losing her mind? Was being the leader too much for her? Did I force too much on her and the others?

"I'm not crazy Mrs. Lin," Will said quickly. "I was fine until I got off the plane in Heatherfield and once I ended up in this time the voices didn't follow me." Her hands balled into fists. "Someone was trying to mess with my head."

"It sounds to me like they achieved that goal," Yan Lin replied. "What fears and insecurities did you have for them to feed on?"

"You're not going to write me off as crazy and send me to a place like the Gotham Asylum?" Will asked surprised.

"I do not believe you are crazy," Yan Lin replied. "The enemy has many ways to exploit weakness. I would not put anything pass Prince Phobos."

"We've been expecting another attack from him," Will revealed honestly. "That's one of the reasons why I came home."

"I want you to tell me everything," Yan Lin commanded. "I will try to help you overcome these feelings that has been exploited so easily."

"I'm not sure I'm supposed to tell you about what happens in the future," Will said uncertain.

"Only tell me about you," Yan Lin replied. "Tell me what happened to you."

"On this date, next year my life changes forever . . . ."

Fifteen-year-old Will Vandom paced around her living room like a mad woman. Her life officially sucked. Her now shoulder length red hair was pulled back in a hasty ponytail. She was dressed in old pair of red sweats that time had faded an ugly dull color.

Will and Cornelia Hale would have been the only sophomores at the school dance with seniors but her mother refused to let her go. It was so unfair. Her mom was now on a date with an older guy. Didn't that make her a hypocrite? Now she had to sit in this dumb house and wallow in self-pity.

The dumped twins were not doing much for her attitude either. Irma Lair and Caleb sat on the couch staring off into space.

Cornelia fell for Hay Lin's older cousin when Phobos had captured them both. Caleb had risked life and limb to rescue her and slipped in the cell just to see them locked in a passionate kiss. He led them to safety broken hearted but to proud to admit it. He'd known when Cornelia first met Lei Lin that she was entranced, but so were the older girls, minus Hay Lin, but that kiss was still a shock.

Lei was a handsome guy of seventeen with coal black hair and intense brown eyes. Everyone at first, save Hay Lin, were put off by Lei's spoiled holier than thou behavior, no one more so than Cornelia. The two butted heads on more than one occasion. There was room for only one spoiled one in the group after all.

Lei proved himself on many of occasions. He faced many enemies-along side a surprised Caleb-from Meridian when the girls were in situations where they were unable to go to guardian form. He'd mastered Tae Kwon Do and Chinese Kenpo and integrated both to make his own form of martial arts. He and Caleb would fight the creatures until the girls could slip away and transform.

It all was a mess and unsurprisingly to Caleb, Cornelia left him. Lei and she were on their first outing. He could never hate Cornelia, but he was still hurt. He'd thought they would last forever. He hated the emotions he was going through. He'd thought that he would be immune to them, but being hurt was one thing he couldn't rebel from.

Irma had finally decided to allow Martin Tubbs to date her, but stupid Martin decided he was in love with someone else. She growled just thinking about it. How dare he stop drooling over me-who knows why he drooled over me, but that's beside the point-to start mooning over Lily Moon? Life was so unfair.

"You guys want a pizza, my treat?" Irma suggested after getting tired of staring at the wall.

"What I want is my own place, my own space, and my own rules," Will said skidding to a stop.

"I want to forget the time I wasted on Cornelia," Caleb muttered.

"Okay, one with everything but peppers and anchovies," Irma said brightly. She got up and headed for the phone.

"I don't know why I come to Earth anymore," Caleb muttered. "There's no point."

"Can I move to Meridian with you?" Will asked. "All you'd have to do is feed me and give me water." Before Caleb could answer, the doorbell rung echoing loudly through the house. "Hold that thought." She marched down the hall to the door.

Caleb covertly looked over the sofa to see who it was. If it was Cornelia and Lei he was going to jump out the window and make tracks back to the restaurant. The men in uniform that Will let in alerted him.

One of the men was saying something to her. She backed against the wall and slid to the floor. Her hands cupped her face as her body started to shake in silent sobs. He'd never seen her cry. For someone so small, she held a silent strength that Caleb admired. These men had changed that.

Caleb vaulted over the couch and hurried to intervene. "What's happening, why is Will crying?" He asked his green eyes narrowed.

"You have to come with us Miss Vandom," the other man said ignoring Caleb.

"No."

"You're not taking her anywhere," Caleb said dangerously.

"Miss Vandom it's procedure," the man in uniform said gently.

"Please . . ." Don't make me do this, she silently pleaded. Caleb read her distress.

"Get out!" Caleb commanded. "You're presence is not welcome here." He was ready to drag the two men out of the house.

"Caleb heel!" Irma commanded. She'd finished her call and had come to see what was going on. The scene she stumbled on was somewhat scary. Will crying, her face hidden behind her hands, her hands hidden behind her raised knees, and Caleb was about to attack two cops. "What's happening?" She asked swallowing.

"These men, they're trying to force Will to go with them," Caleb said still in a defensive stance.

"Miss Vandom, I'm sorry we've put so much on you and so little time," one cop said sympathetically. "But you told us you were the only next of kin in this state."

"Next of kin?" Irma repeated blinking. The only used a term like that when-"Has something happened to Will's mother?"

"She's" -Will sucked in a long breath- "dead." Her voice sounded muffled. Caleb and Irma looked at each other in shocked grief.

"I am sorry Will," Yan Lin whispered. She reached over and grabbed Will's fisted hand.

"I know, thanks," Will replied. "I could not have gotten through it without you." She tried to smile. "I became a horrible friend to everyone."

"I don't believe you became horrible," Yan Lin said seriously. "When you walked in here with the others, they didn't even notice your sadness. You put their feelings above your own. That doesn't seem horrible to me."

"I just couldn't be the Will of old."

"Maybe that is why you're here," Yan Lin said gently. "To find what was lost."

"Maybe," Will said softly. "My father, who couldn't possibly take me in, signed over custody to you. I stayed with you guys sometimes, but most of the time you let me stay at my house."

"Alone?"

"Between the girls, Blunk, Lei, and Caleb I was never alone," Will replied.

"Blunk?"

"He decided he had adopted me," Will replied smiling over the memory.

"Blunk?"

"I know it sounds weird, but at one time it was Caleb, Blunk, and I against the world."

"Blunk?"

"The next summer, the girls decided to stay in Meridian with a friend," Will explained. "I did not wish to go, so I stayed on this side." She placed a lock of stray hair behind her ear. "Imagine my surprise when those two showed up on my doorstep."

Sixteen-year-old Will padded around her kitchen in some white Elmer Fudd socks. The rest of her ensemble consisted of Elmer Fudd short shorts that were covered by a huge Elmer t-shirt. She finished making her turkey sandwich and hurried to watch her favorite TV show.

When the opening credits started rolling, a knock sounded at her door. She sighed, placed her plate on the coffee table and, rushed to the door. "Yeah?"

"It's Ca-"

"Blunk!"

Cablunk, she thought. She half smiled, starting to make the process of unlocking the many locks that Yan Lin had installed. She finally got the door open.

"Hey," Caleb said.

"Hi Caleb," she replied surprised. "Blunk."

"Blunk and Caleb stay with Will?" Blunk asked.

"Huh?"

"Can we come in?" Caleb asked. "Blunk kind of stands out." She silently stepped aside. The passling and the rebel rushed inside. Will closed the door behind them. "Why didn't you come to Meridian with the others?"

"I work now Caleb," she replied softly. Blunk spotted her sandwich.

"Yan Lin offered to give you a couple of weeks off," Caleb reminded her. "With pay."

"I just . . . I didn't feel like it," she replied softly. "Besides, I promised to visit every Saturday."

"It would've been good for you to get away," Caleb said his hands shoved in the pockets of his pretty much demolished coat.

"You know, you really need to replace that thing," she said ignoring his last comments.

"Blunk and I decided to vacation here since you decided to stay."

"Why?" Will asked. "Still trying to make yourself invisible to Cornelia and Lei?"

"No-" Will gave him a look. "Well yeah . . . but that's not the only reason I'm here."

"Okay, what are the other minor reasons?"

"Caleb didn't want Will to be alone," Blunk yelled his mouth full of Will's sandwich. "So Blunk ask Caleb to come here with him."

"What he said," Caleb replied.

"How long do you foresee this visit lasting?" Will asked watching Blunk plop his stank body on the couch. I just had it cleaned, she thought grimacing.

"Summer and as long as I'm not needed in Meridian."

"Caleb you're going to die of boredom here," Will declared. "There are no dragon slash monkey slash rat slash donkey creatures here for you to slay."

"I'll take my chances." His mouth raised into a slow grin.

Will found herself making sandwiches for them all. She carried the plate back to the den. Caleb and Blunk stared at the television in an almost a trance like state.

What could those two possibly be watching to have them so involved? She thought sitting the food on the table. She looked at the television. Barney! She quickly grabbed the remote as Caleb and Blunk dove for the sandwiches.

Will took to watching some of Mrs. Vandom's favorite shows. Golden Girls was on. She put down the remote and grabbed a sandwich.

All and all, despite the surprise arrival of Caleb and stinky Blunk, she was having a good day. She hated being alone and with her friends being in Meridian, she was looking at a lot of alone time.

When she was alone, thoughts about her Mother's car accident crept in. Guilt engulfed her because of the last words she'd ever spoken to her mother. "I hate you!" The look on Mrs. Vandom's face when she snapped those words would never be forgotten by the teen.

I didn't mean it, she thought in horror. Her eyes started filling with tears. She stood quickly, startling both Caleb and Blunk. "I forgot the drinks," she said brightly. She rushed for the kitchen. She stopped in front of the sink. A few big tears escaped, trickled down her face, and landed in the sink. Don't cry Will, she ordered herself.

"Will."

Drat, Caleb had followed her. "What's up Caleb?" She asked as if nothing in the world was wrong. She did not turn around.

"You don't have to be the big tough leader with me," he said softly. She gasped but still refused to face him "You can yell, cry, whatever just don't hold it in anymore."

"Hold what in?" She asked.

"Whatever it is that you've yet to tell us about that night," he replied gently. "I won't think any less of you. I respect you more than you'll ever know."

"Why don't you get the glasses?" She suggested brightly. She turned to face him. Her eyes betrayed her cheerful façade. "I'll get the juice."

"There's no need," he replied. "I'm not thirsty and Blunk just went to take a drink out of the toilet bowl."

"Eww," she muttered.

"Tell me," he commanded gently.

"You don't care," she said suddenly.

"I do."

"What possible reason would Caleb the Great have to care about Will the Freak's problems?" She asked.

"You're important to me," he replied. "I care about you." He walked forward and grabbed her fingers. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."

"You're hiding from Cornelia," she reminded him looking down at her socks.

"Willow." The quickest way to get a Rock Bottom from Will was to call her that, but for some reason her name coming from his lips didn't cause blind rage.

"I told her I hate her, alright," she blurted suddenly.

"Your mother?"

"Yes, because she would not let me go to that stupid dance with that damn senior!" Will shouted. "I hate you was the last words from her "beloved" daughter that she heard!"

"Will-"

"I'm a horrible person," she exclaimed. "She didn't even have the comfort of thinking of me when she was- and if she did my last words sure were a comfort; not!" Caleb pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her. He held her loosely. Not sure how she would react.

"Mothers know the dramatics of teenage redheads," he said softly. "She knows you didn't mean it."

"I was cruel," she whispered letting her tears fall. He held her tighter.

"I'm sorry Will," he whispered back. He ran his fingers through her hair.

"If I could just take it back-"

"You have," Caleb replied. "She knew how you really felt about her."

"I wish I could've said I'm sorry," she whispered to his chest. He felt more than heard the words.

"Trust me, she knew you were sorry the moment you realized what you shouted in petty anger," he said softly. "You are a storm of emotions. You may not have said it with your mouth, but you said it with your eyes."

She clung to him like a life preserver. "Thank you Caleb."


A/N:I went back and fixed some of the errors I've made. I don't know when my next update will be but it's coming. I hope you enjoy this chapter.