Tea and Muffins (Will and Sam)

Willow walked into the cafe smiling brightly at the clerk who sat behind the counter, tilting her head to one side she let her eyes take in all of the different muffins before deciding she would go with one of the old staples, a blueberry muffin. She liked muffins...a lot...muffins were good. Getting a drink of tea as well Willow wandered over to an empty table and sat down softly.

She had tired to keep herself busy the past few days so that she wouldn't have to think about what had happened to her, Willow didn't want to think about that. She didn't want to be sad. There was no point to it, life goes on and she must go along with it.

"Hm...muffin and tea."

Willow smiled ripping off a chunk of muffin and eating it.

Sam had been troubled by the most horrific nightmares the past few nights; he was unable to wake up from them no matter how much he struggled. The sight of so much blood and terrified him and made him feel ill. He was white as a sheet and shaky. He hoped a drink of tea and sometihng to eat would calm his nerves; thats if he could stomach anything.

He entered a little cafe that he had never been to before. He asked for a giant chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk to clam his nerves. It was like he was a little boy; but thats becuase when he had had nightmares in the night, his mother would always take him inot the kitchen for a snack and they would read together until he fell asleep again. It always made him feel better, and even as a grown man, the memories stuck.

He spied Willow and his heart sank. In his dreams, whenever he saw an angel, he was convinced now that it represented Willow. What he saw was not good, and it made him worry about Willow so much. The angel in his dreams had gone through so much pain... She looked happy enough, but her aura seemed broken.

He bent his head down to her and waved, forcing a small warm smile.
"Hey Willow, mind if i sit with you?"

It had been a while since he had seen her. He had so many things in his head troubling him about her. So many things he wanted to discuss, but his dream was predominat, but he would leave that for now; it was ahrdly light conversation.
"So, h-how's it been going with you and Jamie..?"

Snapping her head up from her gaze on the muffin Willow grinned happily to see that Sam was standing in front of her, it had been a while since her gig and she hadn't seen him since then, he had a habit of showing up just when she wanted someone to talk to.

"Oh Sam! Yes please do sit."

Getting up out of her seat she hugged him tight around the neck and kissed his cheek, he looked a little worn and more than a little upset and she wondered if there was anything that she could do to help.

"Oh everythings wonderful yes! He is such a lovely man...but...I cannot say there haven't been complications, every relationship has them but we're working through them."

Willow entwined her hand with Sams and looked up into his eyes:

"Sam what's wrong? I-I-I don't mean to pry but you look really rough, have you been sleeping badly?"

She looked genuinly happy to see him, which he was glad about. Sam couldnt believe he had left it so long to speak to her again. He hadnt meant to. He hoped he had shown up at the right time; although trying to sdeny it to everyone else, the lower parts of his 'sense' were working again, so he could tell she was hiding something and needed someone to talk to and comfort her right now. He hoped he could be that person.

Sam embraced her in return, hugging her arms, but being weary of her back and shoulders. He kissed her opposite cheek and stroked it with the back of his hand. She was so beautiful and sweet; how anyone could ever even imagine hurting her was beyond him.

He smiled warmly into her eyes. He was thankful at least that she had Jamie in her life; he could tell Jamie wasnt the man in his dream who hurt Willow, in fact, it was two different flames that had saved her from the dark figure in his dream. The complications lied with that figure, not with Jamie, at least moreso than the latter.
"Im glad it's working out ok for you two then. Im sure you can work through whatever it is."

He entwined his hand with hers back as she touched him, stroking the back of her hand by strectching his thumb. He wanted to cry. She was such a loving person. Depsite her own problems, she was more concerned for others and it broke his heart.

"Erm..." He cleared his throat to rid him self of a teary voice. "Just a couple of bad dreams here and there. No biggy, im fine." He smiled at her reassuringly, but the nightmares were not fine; they had gave him seizures and panic attacks and all sorts.

"Willow..." He took hold of both her hands gently and leaned towards her, speaking in a soft voice.
"Are you sure you're ok? Has anyone done anything lately, b-because..."
He took a nervous deep breath in.
"Bec-cause... i er... i had a dream... about, you... and it... it really... it really worried me, and im not sure if you'd be able to tell me what it means...? B-buut... if...if you dont want to...then... then thats fine... i just wish..." He closed his eyes as they teared and his throat swelled. "I just wish i could have stopped it..."

As much as she seemed like it Willow was not stupid, she could see that something was bothering Sam and she wanted to be able to help, when he told her it was about his nightmares she wondered if it was because he was worried about something in real life, thats why Willow often got nightmares. She had them now of course but she was fine.

"Nightmares are the worst Sam...maybe...I don't know of course but whenever I'm stressed out in real life my dreams tend to reflect that."

Still smiling up at him with her warm friendly eyes Willow bid him wait there and she bought him a blueberry muffin like her and a cup of tea, setting them down in front of him she smiled softly.

"Nothing like tea to ease the burdens of a hard day ne? Isn't that the English solution to all? Tea..."

Willow listened intently to Sam, when he begun to cry her heart tugged wildly and she moved around to his side of the table and hugged him close to her chest stroking his hair and trying to calm him down.

"Lots of people have done things lately Sam...maybe, if you told me what happened in your dream then I could tell you if it's right? Of course you don't have to I can see your upset...Sam I'm worried about you...please be alright."

She whispered softly into his ear.

Sam hoped his nightmare didnt reflect a real life event. It was horrific. No person should ever have to go through that.

"Ah thanks Willow hun, you didnt have to do that." He broke his giant cookie in half and insisted she have the other half with him before nibbling round the edges of the muffin appreciatively.

"Huhha... yea... supposedly... no matter what happens 'ooh, i'll just pop the kettle on', you're problem goes away coz it just gets completely drowned in tea..."

He cried even more and bit his lip to stifle the throaty cry.
"It's not me that needs to be worried about here by anybody..." He moved his head up from her chest and breathed in to calm himself down. He cupped her face in his hand and rested his forehead on hers for a minute before taking his hand away and sitting up straight again.

He pulled her chair close to him so she could sit back down. He cleared his throat but couldnt look her in the eye as he explained his dream.
"There was this angel... she... she's walking through a meadow down a path and then all of a sudden all the plants die and this shadowy figure appears and he... he surrounds the angel and binds her to the dead ground in chains... he..."

Sam had to force himself to continue although he didnt want to. "He uses his claws to tear away the angel's wings... then two flaming figures come along, and the shadow disappears... the angel is bleeding... the flames surround her and the angel becomes a mortal woman carressed by flames and saved from the shadows... but she... she is so sad... becuase... becuase she cant return to the skies and the flames are sad becuase they couldnt destroy the shadow man.... the screams in my head..."

Sam placed his hands over his eyes and ears and shook his head to block it out. He relunctantly forced his trembling eyes to look into Willow's.
"Willow..." He choke don tears. "Im so sorry i wasnt there to save you... im so so very sorry..." He buried his face in his hands and thumped his head on the table.

Willow laughed lightly and shook her head at first when Sam tried to give her the cookie but eventually she accepted it and nibbled at it until there was nothing left, she hated seeing Sam so depressed and she really wanted to help him to feel better.

"Sam please it's the least I can do after you've been so sweet to me."

Then, she stopped talking and listened intently to the dream that Sam was describing and immediately knew that he had dreamt about the incident with Gervais not too long ago and even though a twinge of sadness ran through her she smiled gently at Sam.

When he began to cry and headdesked the table Willow gasped and quickly picked him up off the table and placed her hands either side of his head gently to keep him up from hitting his head again.

Stroking back his hair Willow placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Sam, hush, hush now there's nothing anyone could have done, and everything happens for a reason...maybe I'm due a whole load of good luck! Who knows? The man was very sick who did it to me, I don't blame him at all..."

Sweet to her? He hadnt been very much to her at all which he regretted. It was her who had been the sweet one to him. To everyone she met. How could she smile despite the pain? Why didnt she scream and wanna punch someones lights out?

He placed one of his hands over her own as she cupped the side of his face.

"There was no reaosn for something like that to happen to someone as dear as you...and being sick in the head is no excuse for anyone- oh god!"

Sam cried again and placed his head on Willow's shoulder.

"I just wanna hunt this mine down and pull him apart with my teeth! I cant stand that anyone would wanna hurt you Willow. You dont deserve to feel pain like this... I wish i could have been there to do something.. im so sorry Willow... im so soory for being so useless... i should have been there... i cant even imagine how you must be feeling.... how can you not be mad at this guy? How? I just dont get it..."

As Sam started to cry again and placed his head on her shoulder Willow bit her lip, she felt so horrible for being the cause of Sam's distress and she didn't know how to make it better in anyway. All she could do was wind her fingers in his hair and gently shush him until he chose to be quiet once more.

"Sam...Sam please don't cry you're making me feel awful...is there something I can do to stop you crying because I'll do it? You want me to be angry cause I'll try!"

Willow narrowed her eyes, just looking cute rather than angry and she muttered:

"Um...I'm very angry and I just wish that Gervais would...get a stale muffin!"

Groaning lightly Willow hung her head but she smiled again none the less and poked Sam cheerfully in the cheek:

"When there are so many people out their wanting to ruin your life, the last thing you want is yourself to ruin it as well. What's the point in being sad? Tell me?"

"I dont mean to make you feel awful...im sorry..."

Sam laughed at her angry face; she was so adorable that she could be weilding an axe and still look like a plush cuddly toy.

"You shouldnt always try to please other people Willow. What about yourself for a change? What can i do to make YOU happy?"

Sam huffed a laugh and shook his head. "What is it with you and muffins? You know Willow, you're probably one of the only decent human beings left on the planet... you cant wish bad on anybody...why arent there more people like you... the world would be so much better then..."

"Well you cant be sad all the time, but pretending to be happy and bottling it all up inside isnt always the best tihng to do either. Its ok to let your emotions out once in a while..."

Sam held Willow's hand against his face and kissed the back of her wrist before conjuring her a chocolate rose and passing it to her, along with a charm that - until her wings grew back, if they ever grew back - she would still be able to at least levitate like 40 feet off the ground and fly around a bit. H eknew how much flying meant to her. He wanted to use the charm becuase it only worked for the person to first use it then, but he wanted Willow to have it more. Just because a bird has clipped wings, doesnt mean it shouldnt fly.

Willow shook her head frantically with wide eyes, bringing her hands up and shaking them along with her head, she hadn't meant it like that she didn't want Sam to feel even worse.

"I just meant I don't want you to cry about me! Look! I'm fine yes?"

Stroking her hand on the table top Willow took a sip of her tea not wanting it to go cold otherwise she wouldn't drink it and it would be a waste of her ever dwindling money resource. Smiling still she didn't know what to say in answer to that question...in all honesty she'd only been asked about three times in her life what she wanted to do...

"Um...well...we could just keep talking...this is good. Is that alright?"

Willow asked a little unsure of herself.

"A world filled with me, what a scary thought! There wouldn't be enough muffins to go around and if everyone was the same the world would be pretty dull."

When Sam held out the rose to her Willow smiled happily and took it from him sniffing it lightly she noted it smelt like chocolate which was lovely because she loved chocolate almost as much as she loved muffins. Willow frowned at the charm and handed it back to Sam she wouldn't accept something she could see he wanted.

"Don't worry Sam...I don't need it I have my Firebolt at home and my wings are slowly growing back I actually came out today to get some potions to make them grow faster, they should be back within the month."

"Well i will cry for you Willow, cause i cant stand the thought of anyone bringing any harm to you..."
He took a deep shuddering bretah in to clam himself back down. "Im sorry..."

He forced himself to smile a give a small, warm hearted laugh. "Ok, if thats what you want, we can talk for an entire lifetime ha ha. And it doenst matter if its alright with me Willow". He cupped her hands in his and stroked the backs of them with his thumbs again. "More importantly, is it ok with you?"

"I dont think that'd be a scary thought at all, i think that'd be a wonderful one." He shook his head and laughed with a smile. "What is it with you and muffins? I bet if someone tried to make you, the main ingrediant would have to be a giant muffin."

"That rose is actually edible by the way" Sam smiled. "Taste it" (He made it taste like her favourite kind of muffin x))

He pushed the charm back at her and coiled her hand over it.
"Please, i want you to have it. Flying on a broom doesnt give you the same freedom and a month is ages away. Please take it. That or tell me the where the prick who took your wings away from you lives, so i can pay him a little visit when the moons full."

He cared so dearly for Willow. She was one of the people he had made a deep spiritual attachment to; he held her in a special place in his heart and would do anytihng to protect her and make her smile.

Willow smiled warmly when Sam smiled and laughed, she was happy that he was stopping feeling sad about what had happened to her, she didn't feel sad about it so why should he? It just wasn't right to make others feel sorry for you.

"Oh yes, it's very ok with me Sam I love talking to you you're such a lovely kind hearted person."

Smiling again Willow was about to set the flower down on the table top before she heard what Sam was saying, it was edible? She's never eaten a flower before and part of her didn't want to eat it because it looked so pretty but another wanted to try it...what would it taste like.

"Are you sure?"

She asked cautiously as Willow broke off a peice of the rose and popped it into her mouth, to her great surprise it tasted like muffins!

"WOW! Thats awesome! This is my new favourite type of flower! A muffin flower..."

Her voice taking on a rare sad tinge Willow sighed and placed the flower down on the table:

"Even though it may not seem like it Sam but there is a reason for everything I do..."

With a grin she took the charm from Sam not wanting to have to make him offended any more and secretly she really wanted it, and what he said next made her a little shocked she didn't know that Sam had this side to him...she had never seen it before.

"Thanks, i love talking to you too, but trust me Willow, no-one on this earth is sweeter or has a kinder heart than you. You truly are an angel sent from heaven, a celestial maiden from the stars too woundrous and special to be here with people like me..."

Sam smiled at her. "Haha, i can make you a whole boquet if you want"

"I wish i could understand the reaosns a little more..."

A happy smile streched across his sullen face, glad she had taken the charm. being as useless as he was, he had little else to offer her to try to help.

"Im sorry..." Sam sighed, ashamed of himself. "I dont mean to be this way... when someone is sad, the man in me wants to comfort them and shower them in affection... when someone i love is hurt, the wolf in me wants to tear the person who hurt them to shreds... forgive me, im just weird i guess.... i ahve been for a long time..." Sam wasnt a dark person by nature, he really wasnt, but even he was not pure of ill thoughts from time to time.

Willow couldn't help it, she blushed bright red at the words that Sam spoke to her, she had never been complimented this much in her whole life and she didn't know what or how to react to it so she just kind of blushed and looked down at her half eaten muffin on the table.

"That's so sweet of you to say that Sam..."

She didn't know why but she thought that perhaps this was the time for her to tell people about her past, after keeping it bottled up for so long Willow really didn't see it as a big deal anymore to her she had dealt with it but to others...they might wonder how she could still be the way she is.

"If you want to know, I'm more than prepared to tell you...I even want to tell you, I haven't told anyone about my past...not yet."

Biting her lip Willow looked up at Sam and shook her head a new smile appearing on her face and she sqeezed his hand to let him know that she wasn't afraid and that she didn't think anything less of him.

"Don't apologize Sam...really it's alright."

"And its the truth. I could go on forever saying how beautiful, kind, wonderful, talented, loving you are."

He sighed. "No, its not alright for me to show that side to you... im sorry... i'll bottle it back up in my mind were it belongs." He smiled at her hand. Willow had the power in a single touch to make you feel blessed and humbled.

"Not even Jamie...?" Sam was glad she trusted him so much, but couldnt believe she had never spoken to anyone before and chose him of all people. He felt honoured to be trusted with so much. "You can tell me anything Willow...anything at all.... but i dont want you raking up memories from the past that are going to hurt you..."

"No...not even Jamie...Jamie he, he would understand but he wouldn't understand my reaction to it if you understand me? I think I would annoy him a little bit."

Willow smiled gently and moved her thumb softly around Sam's hand thinking where might be the best place to begin her story, and she decided that the best place to begin was always at the start.

"Well, I guess I should start with the beginning, we were always a very close family me, my mum and my dad, my name back then was Ingrid Wazowski and I was one of the happiest little girls in the world. My mother often brought her friends home both witch and muggle alike and I enjoyed speaking with them...one day she took us out shopping with her best friend Maria and I went over to look at some broomsticks in the window. When I turned around they had gone so I went to look for them, a large riot had been started further down the street with the reigning Pure Blood fanatics killing people left right and center.

And that's when I saw her, my mother she had collapsed over Maria and I thought...well I thought that she was just hiding her so she wouldn't be hurt so I ran over to her to try and move her but of course...she did not move...she was dead as was Maria."

Taking a large shuddering breath Willow continued to speak not wanting to stop for fear that she would not start again.

"After that Dadda got sick, he didn't remember who I was anymore kept getting confused so I had to go and live with my Grandmother in Paris, but I remember the one thing that I wanted to do was go to England you see thats where my mother was buried I still go to see her every week and I bring her her favourite food...a blueberry muffin every week...

But anyway. Yes I lived with my Grandmother in France and she treated me well enough, gave me a room however small, made me work for my keep which was fair had me scrubbing the mansion floors a lot and sure I didn't get much food but at least I got some. She taught me magic but none of the useful things, no healing spells, no spells to attack anyone so I'm rather useless at everything like that...

She was rich there was no doubt about that but she didn't give me any money, she sent me out to work and work I did, I found a small cafe and got a job there not earning much but enough to get by and it was there I met the first decent human I had in a while, his name was Gervais and he was lovely. Just at a time I felt most low he built me back up and made me strong...we fell in love and we were so close to being engaged.

Yet of course nothing goes smoothly for me..."

Stopping to take another shuddering breath Willow tried not to cry with all of the memories flashing to the forefront of her mind.

"He started to get a little heavy handed, an odd smack there an odd kick here but I never thought it would get as bad as it did, I ran away to England to escape him but he followed me...but then my Dadda got better so I collected him from Russia and brought him here where we lived quite happily for a few months before his heart got sick once more and this time there was nothing they could do to fix it...he was dying of a broken heart and not even my love could make it right...

Thats when I met Jamie! And things started to look up from there everything was going fine until Gervais saw me with him, he got angry and said...he said..."

Tears started to fall down Willows face but she kept strong her story was almost finished:

"He said he was going to kill my father as revenge, I didn't believe him but the next day...Dadda...he was dead...he'd slit his throat and killed him he drew all sorts of symbols on him they said that it meant his soul, his sould would never get to heaven and I felt so sad, so stupid for not putting up with a few smacks to save the life of the one I loved the most.

Then the rest is history...the attack on myself and now I'm here...it's his funeral tomorrow by the way...I guess I'll be needing two muffins now."

Willow smiled sadly and wiped her tears from her eyes ashamed at herself for crying.

"Oh look at me crying like an idiot."

"Maybe he'd suprise you...?"

He listened attentively to her story, not taking his eyes off of her for one moment.
"Ingrid Wazowski huh? I think thats cute."

His heart gradually sunk more and more. Happy stories never stayed happy from his experience. He was glad she and her family werent another family of blood puritists. His uncle would have loved to have been friends if they had had the chance to meet.

His throat dried and tightened. He squoze her hand as she shuddered to show he was there for her.
"Im...." His own tears welled with Willows. "Im so sorry about your family Willow..." Sam had lost his parents too.

Her grandmother sounded like a right old bitch. Hey, maybe she was nice deep down but had a funny way of preparing Willow for the real world like his uncle? But he still didnt like it. Willow getting treated coldly like Cinderella. The only reaosn her loving kind personality survived must have been becuase of her parents.

"You could always teach yourself some? Thats what i had to do."

So that was the gits name... it sickened him... He was disgusted and angered by the hole idea of a man laying hand on a woman. He had raised his voice before true, but he had never intentionally ever wanted to hurt anyone in his life. This Gervais sounded like Kerew.... Poor Willow... she didnt deserve to have a demonic shadow hanging over her life and causing her harm. There was only one way to get rid of his, and he wanted nothing more than for Willow to be free of hers.
Sam wished he could do something. "Makrs or no marks, if you're dads as kind as you, he'll go to heaven regardless."

He pulled her in for a hug as she cried, her head on his chest. He stroked her hair to try to comfort her.

"You shouldnt feel like you have to let someone hurt you Willow..." He spoke softly. "You dont exist for that. And you shouldnt feel ashamed to cry... its ok to cry... cry as much as you need to.... Have...have you got anyone to go with you...? Do...do you need anything....? Is there anything i...?"

Willow laughed sadly and she wiped the tears that had just begun to fall from the corner of her eyes, she let the water trickle down her fingers and onto the table where she rested her hands. For a moment she just looked at the table, not moving her gaze for fear of crying again, then taking a bite of her blueberry muffin Willow composed herself.

"There is no need to be sorry, they both lead good lives and I hope to lead mine in the same way...there's no denying I miss them both a lot but, you have to move on with your life as it wont wait for you."

Biting her lip Willow smiled up at Sam again, now almost back to her normal self, telling her story after not telling anyone else took a lot out of her and she now knew that she had it in her to tell Jamie...there was precious little he could do about it.

"I have learnt a few now, basic spells you know to defend yourself and I learnt one attack spell but it's not very useful more like a joke spell..."

Giggling softly she took another sip of her tea:

"No I have nobody to go with me, although I expect that Charlotte will end up coming, Jamie wants to come but he can't...and then there's the friends of my fathers and I think my Grandmother is coming but I don't know."

It scared Sam to see Willow like this. She must have had practice over the years hiding her feelings. He was amazed at how strong she was; how she could push through all the bad times. He never had it in his to move on from anytihng; all the regrets and bad moments in his life were weights that dragged behind him.

She was right though, life didnt wait, for anyone; and his life wasnt going to last much longer apparently, so for Willow, he would try to live his life to its fullest and let nothing stop him from doing so.

"Well, its still something haha."

He guessed it must have been something to do with what Jamie's true occupation was that meant he physically couldnt go, even though he'd probably want to be there for Willow more than anything.

"Well... if you ever need me to be there for you, or do anytihng..." He stroked her hand again and smiled warmly into her eyes. "You know i'm here for you, dont you? And i always will be Willow."

He thought of something that might cheer her up, although he wasnt sure. It was one of the only things he had left from his grandmother, but it was from Russia.
He delved into his pocket and withdrew and crystal decorated music box. He turned the key and a little dancer twirled about to an uplifting lullaby song as the lid lifted up. It was one of a set, one of the only ones of its kind. His grandmother had spent her whole life collecting them and had managed to find everyone bar 3.
Sam used to wind them all up, and watch them dance; the music calming him down and making him feel happy even after a sad day. She'd sit next to him and tell him about where she had gotten each one and what each dance or doll represented. He never tired of it. The one he presented Willow was called 'The Dance of the Angels'. The other one he had been left in her will, was ironically, 'The Dance of the Wolves'.

"Here Willow. I want you to have this too."
He hoped it wouldnt make her more sad. He hoped that she'd be able to watch the dancer and get lost in the music and forget about her woes, even if it was just for a moment...

Willow smiled and to keep up her happy demeanour she quickly ate what was left of her muffin and licked her fingers afterwards to get rid of all the crumbs that were on them, sighing happily she drank what was left of her tea and poured a new cup from the teapot.

"I would like it...if you could come with me...I mean you don't have to I just wondered if you would mind because I don't really have anyone to go with and I don't want to be alone there."

Eyes looking up pleadingly into Sams own Willow hoped that he would agree to come with her after all there was nothing worse than going to a funeral full of strangers or people who didn't like you...and that was what all the people who were going felt towards her.

"Oh my Sam, it's so lovely...I can't possibly accept this as well as all of the other lovely thing that you gave me it would just be wrong!"

Listening to the sad song Willow titled her head to one side and let the figure twirling upon the box float around in her head, in her mind, she really thought this music reminded her of a song her father used to play her, they had danced to it and it was when she was first taught how to fly.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes again but she forced them back.

"Of course i'll come with you if you want me too Willow." Sam smiled warmly and took both her hands in his. He wasnt gonna let her go through something like that alone.

"It wouldnt be wrong. It'd make me happy" He smiled.

His eyes widened with panic when he saw the tears in the corner of her eyes. "B-but! You d-dont have to if it upsets you. That wasnt my intention! I-i hoped it would make you happy. Im sorry!"
He rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her.

Willow let herself be enveloped by Sam's arms again and she rested her head on his chest, her curly hair pressing against his tshirt and she placed a hand on his hip to hug him closer to her, it looked a bit awkward true but at least she wasn't going to wobble around.

"No no Sam these are happy tears."

As if to illustrate just how happy she was Willow grinned and wiped way her tears, her other hands gently stroked the little figure in the box before tracing the lid and the engravings upon it.

"It is beautiful and this song just reminds me of what me and my father used to do that's all, he'd used to play it for me and I'd dance along, we called it 'twirling'."

Sam was relieved he hadnt made Willow even more upset. He stroked her hair and pulled her in closely for a squeezy hug.

"Happy tears? As in, happy tears of a good memory? So i havnt messed up then?"

Willow wiped away her tears and stroked the figure in the box. He hoped she liked it and that it'd help cheer her up.

"I guess it'd make sense that song being familiar, it is a Russian music box after all. In fact..."

Sam was sure he had others. They werent left to him, but he had found them one day amongst his grandmothers things. One was called 'A father's embrace' and the other 'A mothers love'. He had a similar one called 'Eternal bonds'.

"Here, these ones werent the actual collectors items; well they are pretty much the same, they're really good copies just not officially stamped. I thought maybe you and I could leave these for your mum and dad, so they could be reminded of Russia again too...?"

He really hoped he hadnt said something insensitive or upsetting. He just thought it'd be a nice thought.

Willow smiled happily at Sam and nodded her head there were very good memories associated with this music box and she wanted to accept it really badly, biting her lip and deciding to be selfish she pulled it towards her and closed the lid stroking it gently.

"Thank you Sam...it means a lot to me."

Then as he took out two more music boxes Willow tilted her head the music that they played sounded familiar too, were these Russian also?

"Yes, the Russian music is most familiar to me..."

But when he asked if he could leave the music boxes for her mother and father Willow bit her lip and shook her head squeezing a few more tears out of her eyes before she managed to speak, getting rid of the lump in her throat.

"Sam you can't do that. They, they can be reminded of Russia by me visiting them they do not need such gifts I fear, they will only get stolen before they can come down and collect them."