Chrisom Roses

Chapter 5

A/N: Ok I'm sorry, this one took a little longer than the other two, but I hope you like what I decided to add. As for editing, that was the easier part.

Disclaimer:

I do not claim the original fairy tale, but CR's plot and characters belong to me. Any famous songs, TV show/movies/books and manga names, and brands that are mentioned in this work belong to their rightful owners.

Willa Field

-.-.-.-.-.-

Three:

Demons

-.-.-.-.-

Her parents loved her. But the same couldn't be said from the first two daughters of the Fed family.

The Feds were so excited to have another baby, oh, and they were proud to find that they would have another baby girl to spoil rotten, their final baby.

The older daughters, however, were dreading the arrival of the new baby because their parents' attention wouldn't all on them anymore, and as their mother's stomach had gotten swollen as the months passed, their hatred grew deeper. The baby had stolen their rightful right to their parents' attention. No longer were they the stars in their parents' eyes and it was the baby.

However, they hid their twisted feelings towards the unborn baby well and sold a front of excited big sisters. But, deep inside, the anger boiled in their blood, chewing on their hearts, forever changing them against their good minds. They slowly turned icy cold, however, their parents could not see pass their excitement. Their eldest daughters' cold hearts were from their sights or minds.

As time passed, they had turned the spare bedroom of their childhood home into a nursery fit for a princess. They brought the baby pretty dresses and clothes. They were ready for another perfect daughter, the one they were asking and praying for. All of this made Zariah and Dania's envy even worse.

But after three years of taking care of said daughter, they noticed that Willa wasn't normal from the outside. Her parents still loved her and they cared for her.

But her sisters, full of envy and anger that even when she turned out to be less than perfect and the heads of the family still loved her, grew into a deeper sense of evil thoughts and hatred, which led to horrible abuse when their parents weren't in sight.

Yes, she was very well-behaved and well-mannered, and yes, everyone loved her so much. But, she knew not everyone loved her, oh no. Willa's sisters viewed her as a demon and she was treated as such. Her sisters slowly stripped her the very little self-wroth she had at her young age. They put so much pressure on little Willa to be the best sister and she was. But nothing was good enough for the Fed sisters.

"You are a freak! Why did you win?" Is what she got from the older sister after she won the school's talent show and when they returned home after it, and when their parents disappeared from sight for a mere second, also a beating from her sisters.

"Please guys, I thought you wanted me to win! You are hurting me!"

But they didn't stop and, although it isn't her fault, they beat her for not going to school the next day because of the pain; because they knew their parents would figure it out if their beloved Willa missed too many days of school. To save her from more pain, Willa would have to grin and bear through school.

She couldn't understand why they were hurting her because she was doing everything they ordered from her and she was a good girl. She practiced for weeks with her vocal coach and her kind mother on the song: How can I not love you, just so she would please her sisters, but she just disappointed them again.

She kept trying, however. Through everything she did; singing like an angel, getting outstanding grades in school, and being an amazing daughter at home:

"I am ashamed of you, why can't you be normal?" Is the response from them both each time straight A's appeared on her report cards, but they got only B's and C's. She thought that would make them happy for her, but she was wrong.

Nothing was ever good enough for them, every time she did something good or even bad, they sent her to her room without food for a week, the only meals she got was at school and when her mother forced her to eat.

Soon, she was beaten for the littlest things: if their rooms weren't neat enough, if she made either one mad at school or at home, and if she spoke out of turn.

Dania always was the abuser that used her hands and Zariah was always the abuser that used words to hurt her young sister. Willa could handle the beatings with no problems, but the words cut to her core, ruining her with every word.

The only comfort she had was her father and her beautiful mother, their love was the light in her endless darkness. Although they did not know of the beatings, they were so loving towards their youngest daughter and they were protective of her. They were just blind to the evil inside their own home, in the hearts of the eldest daughters they adored also.

When their mother died, she knew that she couldn't tell anyone about the abuse if she wanted to keep her family together for her father. Willa knew if he lost more of his family, it was going to destroy him. So, putting on a brave front, she took on the beatings and verbal abuse for her dear father:

But, the abuse gotten worse when she crept closer to the age of eighteen, telling her that she was always going to stay with them, because she was a monster that doesn't belong in the outside world. She will be always their slave, hidden from both her father and the world that she lived a living hell. Soon, it was getting to the point that she couldn't take anymore.

However, when her father took her to meet Adnet, she saw it as an outing and took it.

She had enough: She had to break free from their cruel hands, she loved them but Willa knew their love had never existed, their hearts turned into ice.

Eighteen years, eighteen years of beatings and sharp words had ruined her spirit, to the point where she wasn't sure if anyone would be able to fix it, bringing it back to the state it started at. Now, she lived day to day, realizing that no one would or could want a girl with a broken smile

And now, although she had those thoughts in her mind, that she entered the magical world of the beast, Willa knew that her new friends and Adnet will keep her safe from their abuse. But, the memories of the hurt still will remain, lingering in the dark of her mind like monsters in the night.

Always reminding her she will never be perfect…

-.-.-.-.-

She groaned and wiggled onto her back as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before hitting the silencer on the old clock settled on the side table, thinking about the events that happened in the dream, no more like a nightmare.

It was a string of horrible memories of her former life, lingering to remind her that she will never be something than the disabled, abused girl and she will never be loved. Never would have someone to see her for who she was inside. She knew better than that, but Willa's mind kept playing those thoughts on a loop.

She sighed deeply and rolled on her side, trying to calm herself down, to free herself from those thoughts in her mind, but she failed miserably:

It was happening a lot in the past weeks, and she wanted to talk to someone about it, but if she did, they would freak. She knew that the people in her life now would race to the cruel people's door and make them pay for hurting her.

They loved her that much. Even though it was just been weeks, the ginger knew she was loved by the people here in the castle. The castle was filled with love. And all because of the little, shy ginger girl.

She exhaled deeply again, smiling at the thought as she noticed Annalisa sweeping into the room with a smile placed over her painted lips and a beautiful but simple blue dress draped over a wooden arm:

"Willa, you're awake, I see my dear. Let's get dressed, you have a busy day today. Oh, and here, the master wanted me to give this to you."

Then, she reached out to the sitting girl, a wooden box in her hand, and placed the box into her hand. Willa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she lifted her hand, opening the beautifully crafted box to reveal…..

She stared at the golden key cuddled into the violet lining, shivers broke out across her spine. It was beautiful, with golden roses engraved across the body of the key and the nickname Adnet gave her was crafted into the back of the key. Willa stared at it for a moment more before she hooked the gold chain around her neck as a smile danced across her pink lips.

"He spoils me too much." She whispered, more to herself than her caretaker.

She chuckled and began to say something in reply, but the wind blew and one of the doors leading to the balcony opened, breaking the statement before it was out of Annalisa's mouth. She was going to close the doors, but Willa wanted it open while she dressed her, so Anna followed her wishes and pulled her into the chair.

A few hours later after Annalisa pulled her dress onto her frame and fixed the things on the dress, the ginger sat in front of the mirror as the duster ranked a brush through her red hair with a worried expression laced to her beautiful facial features, which was not hidden from the elder duster. The duster frowned deeply as she knelt oddly to the ginger's level:

"Are you alright, sweetie? You look worried about something."

"I'm fine, madam. Just didn't sleep very well, that's all." She lied, replying to her question with a smile laced to her lips, hiding poorly the fear she felt. But the duster wasn't fooled and her frown grew deeper:

"You're lying to me."

Willa sighed deeply, moving to the balcony and leaned on the railings and let the winter sun shine upon her bare skin. Should she tell her the truth? And risk the master going into the outer world and getting hurt by them? Or even worse, he could be locked in a cage and been tested on by cruel scientists, along with whomever goes with him. That thought made her shudder deeply, hating the feeling.

She knew it might stop the dreams from ruling her life once and for all, but Willa worried very much about what would happen if Adnet would have find out. But, the truth was burning in her body, the demons wanting to reveal their ugly heads.

She sighed deeply, finally turning to Annalisa again with a crestfallen expression placed onto her facial features.

"Do you want the truth, Madam Annalisa? Here it is, I have been having nightmares of my past. Memories of my sisters and the pain they caused me, the hurtful words they poured onto me all of my life. Believe me, I tried to forget all about the past, but the moment I think I am alright, the moments of pain come back to haunt me. I wish that they would just leave me be, but they won't! I didn't want to worry you guys with this, so I didn't tell anyone, but it's getting so hard to hide this and the pain. I need to let go of the pain and just move on, but I just can't! Annalisa, it hurts so much to see them hurting me and every single night, reminding me of my imperfections!"

By the end of the speech, Willa was looking over the big garden Adnet loved so much once more with tears in the corners of her eyes, one hand over her mouth to keep in her cries, but the action failed. Oh god, the words stung like a torn stink into her side hard. However, she felt free for the first time in weeks. She was free to feel the way she did have here, beautiful and loved.

Silence came over them, almost crushing the ginger in its wake, as the duster gasped in horror, her hand covering her mouth. Annalisa didn't know what to say to this confession.

Her icy blue eyes bore into her back like a ray, wanting to rip them from limb to limb for hurting her friend! But she knew her ginger friend wouldn't want that, so she sighed deeply and she went to her, turning her into a huge hug.

Placing a hand on her cheek, she returned her confession with some advice and a loving smile:

"Willa, sweetie, you are not the past or the things they said to you. You are a charming, strong, beautiful young woman because of them, I know that sounds odd but it's the truth. The past forms us into whom we are meant to be, even if it is a painful thing to remember. You cannot keep pushing us away, you need us as much as we need you." She paused and moved to the railings, leaning on her hands with her eyes facing her:

"You need to tell your friends to be completely free, Willa. You know that the master needs to know, I know Adnet already senses it. You really can't hide anything from the master. You need to tell your other friends, sweetie, to be free from the past, am I clear?"

"Yes madam, but what if he—"

"He deserves to know, sweetie, he loves you very much and he deserves to know you, in every way, no matter how much it is painful to do so. Adnet can protect you from the monsters in the darkness of your heart. He can heal the scars the past gave you. Tell him, he won't do anything you don't want him to do, you know that. You know he wants only your happiness." She smiled at her as the sun shining down on her wooden body, her eyes held truth and Willa knew there's no arguing with her. She was stubborn and when she made up her mind on something, she wouldn't budge on the subject.

So, she nodded slowly as, after the duster pulled her hair up a ponytail. They made their way out of the room, feeling hope for the first time in weeks. Maybe she'll be alright now.

She smiled once more over her shoulder.

"Thank you, madam."

-.-.-.-.-.-

Soon, as the ginger was being fed, the moment she dreaded had come. The master, Alec, and Maria noticed the change in Willa's mood and looked up to the beautiful ginger; the other three beings stopped what they was doing as soon as they saw the grim expression, their own faces twisted into an expression of worry:

"What's wrong, my rose?" Adnet questioned, moving his paw on her small hand reassuringly, not wanting to push her into telling them, but Adnet needed to know. The blonde beast couldn't soothe her worries if he didn't know what she was fearing in her heart.

She closed her eyes, sighing and squeezing the kind paw holding hers for strength. She didn't want to ruin the day with her horrible past, didn't want to relive the pain that comes along with it, but she knew Madam Annalisa was right.

They needed to know to be closer to her, to be able to understand how truly broken she was. And she needed to tell them to finally move on from it, to finally let go of all the monsters inside her:

"I'm ready to tell you about my past, guys, but I can't promise you that you will like it."

"We understand, rose." The beast promised her tenderly, his eyes moving around the table, earning eager nods from the other two.

Willa took a deep breathe, opening her eyes again, and she slowly revealed her past:

As Beauty finished her horrible story, Adnet shook with anger, but he didn't let it show, she didn't need to deal with his anger too when she's fighting tears.

But Adnet wanted to scream and hit something, or trash his room to rid himself of the anger, after hearing about what her tormentors almost did to her drove him insane! Why her?! She is the sweetest thing to walk the worlds!

Adnet held his little rose close and rocked her gently as the tears came over her to keep his anger in check. The beast is never letting go now for sure, he is protecting her from all the danger in the worlds. He will make sure she would be loved to the highest level, that she feel that she was truly beautiful, not the terrible words her sisters spat. Maria's voice shook him from his thoughts.

"Oh my god, Willa…we have to punish them! It is only right! They need to know your pain." Maria yelled, slamming a wooden fist down, growling loudly.

"I agree with her, darling! They need to be punished. Adnet and I could go tonight and—"

"No Alec! You are not to go there, am I clear?! I'm safe, and now that I told you, I'm going to be free from that life. I want to forget about that and focus on this life. Because it's the only thing worth this pain getting to, I'm going to become my true self and they won't stop me. So, I don't want to need to worry that you are going to get hurt or worse, getting yourselves thrown in jail! And what will happen to Adnet if you get caught? I cannot lose him!"

Willa angrily cut the clock off, grabbing her chair's wheels before she exited the large room, not noticing the statement she just omitted and the quick smile dancing across Adnet's lips before they chased after her

"Willa, we're sorry. We know you want to forget, but we cannot just let this go, especially after hearing that." Maria explained bitterly as they moved down to the beautiful garden, wanting the ginger girl to understand where they were coming from.

Willa rolled her eyes, knowing that she was going to say that. They are acting just as I expected, she mused sadly as she turned to them, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I know that, but I'm begging you to not to go. Please, guys, the past is in the past, it's gone now and I'm safe from them. I want this life to be about us, and about what I'm going to become. You guys are totally sweet to worry about me, I'll admit that. But it's not needed, not for this. We have so many other things to worry about. I'll be ok now and I'm not going back there, so please, guys, forget it. I'm here now and I'm happy." Willa stated firmly, turning from her friends to the rose brush, playing with one to keep her calm.

They stared at her, blinking fast, surprised to hear her be as firm and serious as herself. But, they knew that their cute friend was right. They shouldn't be concerned with those lowly beings when her happiness is more important right now. So, Adnet sighed deeply as he turned her around and held her tightly while he gave into her again. Fighting against her was useless, he found.

"Okay, love, we won't go, but you need to promise us something. You will tell us when you have a nightmare, don't hide this from us. Do you hear me?" Adnet ordered her firm, the fiery passion in his chest to protect and comfort her was so strong that he crushed her to his chest, burying his face in her red hair:

"I promise, Adnet." Willa whispered so lowly that it was barely audible.

-.-.-.-.-

Maddie looked at the crying teenage girl, heaving a sigh. She could see now why Willa was so uncomfortable in her own skin, so down on herself. Her sisters weren't the typical siblings or even people, they both were born with an icy cold heart and they couldn't be able to feel anything but anger and envy; that did twist their personalities into something scary.

Just like her earthly parents as Maria, she wanted not to hate them, but their choice to view her as a demon made it hard.

The blonde groaned at the memories as she waved her hand over the scene and a cloud covered it, after doing so she wheeled back in the throne room, her head pounding.

This is so annoying, Maddie wanted to save her but she won't believe that she was worth of being loved and adored, more so than anyone in the world until she could see it herself.

She sighed deeply, wanting to show the beautiful ginger that she was special. Like her friends did while she was living as Maria, all the ginger needed to do was embrace her new friends and life:

"Problems with your charge, baby?" A voice came from behind her. The blonde turned to find her mate smiling kindly at her. The beautiful fairy rubbed her head, smiling back.

"Kinda. I'm just trying to find out a way to make Willa see that she was something more than the words her sisters fed her. But, she is worse than me when I was Maria and my 'parents' had abuse me, I don't know how she will be able to move on from them when they are all she knew. Adnet is going have a lot of work on his hands with her. I'm so worried about them, Russel. What if Fritz was wrong and we can't help them?" Maddie rubbed her face feverly, growling out in frustration and sadness.

Russel smiled softly at his little fairy, seeing things never change. She was always the worrywart, no matter what it is and how small it was. She just wanted to have everyone to be okay, happy and safe. And this is her way to ensure their happiness:

Russel, however, knew that everything would be alright in the end. He knew Adnet from growing up as Michael and he knew of his strength, the young beast would never give up on Willa so easily. Both men were the same on that fact, when it comes to the women they loved and cared for, they fight to the end and to the death for their happiness and safely. So, yes, he would never be done with the ginger, because he knew that she needed him.

Russel smiled at the thoughts while he walked to his mate and wrapped her into a tight embrace, stroking her back tenderly.

"Honey, I have faith that it will be okay. Fritz knew how strong you are. And if Adnet is anything like he was while we were children, he will be fighting like hell to make her realize she is worth of his love and care. Besides, Willa is stronger than you think, look."

When she heard that, Maddie obeyed as her head turned to the spot she left the minute before and she saw Willa sitting in the garden, playing with a rose:

-.-.-.-.,-,-

She sat as she spun the rose with her fingers, thinking of the dreams and her life now. Willa was trying to find out how to forget about the past and just live for the present, but the ginger found that was impossible to do. She wanted to be happy and the ginger knew that she have been since coming to the castle, however she couldn't shake the stringing feeling of the past and the hurtful words which made her like a worthless piece of thrash.

Why can't I just move on and be happy? She thought as her arms snaked tighter around her knees and the tears fell onto her hands. She wanted to just be happy here, to forget about the past, but the dreams just wouldn't let her be. They wanted her to be reminded of the monsters and how she was. She will never be the princess Adnet thought her as. She sighed, closing her eyes to calm down.

A hand landed on her shoulder, making Willa open her eyes to see Annalisa smiling down on her softly:

"Hello madam." She said, her voice cracked from the tears, and the duster moved to sit next to the ginger with a smile and a tray of treats.

"Hey you, wanna have a girls' chat?"

Willa stared at her for a moment before nodding shyly, watching as she poured tea into two cups, handing one of them to the girl. The duster smiled sweetly as she stirred her tea, her eyes cluing the ginger in that she was trying to find out how to start.

"I heard you told them about your past." Annalisa stated, taking a bite of a cookie.

A smile tugged at the corners of Willa's mouth as she started to relax. She couldn't hide anything here at the castle; it was like living in a small town, you couldn't get away with anything when the rumors started. And everyone listened when the rumors stared her.

"Yes, I did, madam."

"I'm glad you did, angel. I think you could move on to something more. Something you deserve." Annalisa admitted as she took a sip of her tea:

The ginger stared at the duster, her hand coming up around her new key for comfort. That thought was hard to see, and she asked the question once more; could she really move on from the past and finally live the life she deserves? The ginger could not see the answer clearly right now. She sighed deeply, clenching the key hard.

"I don't know if I can move on, madam. It seems so impossible to me right now." She admitted as her brows furrowed together, showing her worry. The duster giggled behind a cookie before answering the statement:

"I think you can, angel. All you have to is let Adnet and your friends in. let them show you how to let the demons go."

Then taking a bite of the cookie to hide her smirk, Annalisa stared at the ginger teen as the thought seemingly ran through her mind, the shock clearly written on her beautiful facial features. The duster knew that the thought seemed so foreign to the ginger:

"But….but how can I…..do that? Is it really that easy?" She managed to stutter out, sounding in disbelief at her caretaker's statement.

"Yes, sweetie, it is truly. I know that it seems impossible to you right now, but it's doable. Believe me, I should know. I was in your position before. I was broken like you." Anna paused, laying the cookie on her lap while looking like she was miles away, seemingly remembering something from her past as a frown came across her face.

Willa sat there, frozen to her place, unable to believe the words coming out of Anna's mouth but also unable to speak or move. She could not stop listening, she wanted to hear that, yes, you could move on from something so horrible and you can live a good life:

"I was abused by my parents before they sent me here to work as a maid. I was basically like a slave to them to be sold off to the highest bidder and the ones I was sent to was cruel to me as well, expect Adnet. I kept to myself, just did my work, for a whole year until Adnet came to me with this big smile and just talked to as if we were old friends. Soon, I opened up to him and told him of my past. When I did, he told me what I just mentioned to you.

Just let the demons go and you will feel better. And do you know what happened when I did? A weight was lifted off my shoulders. I know that you are afraid but now you are free, the past is done and gone. You can't keep regretting it, you have to move on and start anew, and working on your friendship is a great start. You have me and the gang on your side now too, Willa, so don't keep hiding from him, it'll become harder and harder to do so. Trust me, I know." She whispered the last part, remembering the feeling of having the weight of your past holding you back from what you want most."

Willa sighed deeply, moving to face the door again with her knees drawn to her chest, doubting her own ability to do so.

"I don't know Anna, I don't know if I can move on from this."

"Willa, angel, I don't doubt your ability to become stronger. You can move on if you want to. I know that you think they broke you beyond repair, but you are a lot stronger than you think." Anna agrued, eating the rest of the cookie before turning herself and the ginger so they were facing each other:

"What is your real problem? Because we both know that you can be a fire cracker when you want to be." The duster raised an eyebrow, making the poor gray-eyed girl wiggle uncomfortably.

She didn't want to admit this to the friendly duster, but she made the ginger feel safe, as if she was her mother, and the words just escaped from her mouth before she could stop them.

"I'm so afraid that I would not be able to move on, the memories won't go away and that scares me so much. I don't know if I can let go of my demons, no matter how much I want to. I don't know my own strength. They did a number on me."

Willa's hands cleched the skirt of her new blue gown as tears traveled down her bowed face, missing the elder duster shaking her head in amazement and wondering why would anyone do this to anyone as sweet and kind as Willa before pulling the fragile teen into a tight hug, stroking her beautiful red hair tenderly, almost motherly.

"Honey, I know you are unsure right now, but you have friends to help you with moving onto something better. And Adnet, sweet Adnet will do anything to get you happy and sure. Adnet doesn't want just anybody to be his friends, he's shy and prefers a small group of close friends, and you, my darling," Anna gently tapped the girl's chin up, forcing her to look her in the eyes, because the girl needed to know this:

"are the closest and the most important person to him, if he doesn't have you with him, nothing or no one would do. Yes you guys just met, but he truly cares for you and wants the best for you. Stop letting the past rule you and start letting your heart guide you because you might be surprised where it leads you."

And with that, she got back onto her feathers and took the tray and made her way back into the castle, leaving without no other words to be spoken.

Willa stared at the duster's back, trying to make sense of what just happened, but she didn't. Willa was reeling since the conversion. Anna made her think about the master in a way she could ever understand before this night.

He really cares about her, he wanted her as his friend, but as her mind tried to progress this, her heart hummed a soft rhythm and her voice filled the small room. Singing always helped her think but this song was both familiar and unfamiliar to her, it was like her heart was singing through her and this was its thoughts finally coming to the surface:

From a rose,

A tale as old as time,

Is born one again.

The color red,

Is bounding two lost souls,

Together forevermore.

Beauty and the Beast,

They are afraid to let each other in.

Willa's mind went back to the time her mom taught her that song. It was the last time she saw her alive, smiling through the pain for the last time. The small ginger remembered that day with bittersweet feelings, but she also recalled the last lesson Annabella taught her…

-.-.-.-.-

"There's my rose! How are you, baby?" Annabella smiled sweetly, stroking her fiery hair when the fourteen-year-old was in reach.

Moving was hard for the blonde, but she tried to hide the pain whenever her beloved daughters were around, but her rose was too clever to see pass the fake front her mother was giving her.

"Momma, you don't need to fake it with me here. You are hurting, aren't you?" Willa required, brushing a loose curl behind her ear as a deep frown formed onto her face:

The older blonde chuckled lightly, patting her youngest's hand while the burning of her medicine rushing into her veins made her shudder openly. Yes, Anna mused, she is too like me.

"I guess I'm not very good at pretending, am I, sweetie?" She smiled sweetly, folding her hands in her lap.

As her mother moved, Willa's eyes looked over her body, drowning in the blankets. Once, her body was rounded and bright, but when the illness really hit her, she looked like a poor machine with the tubes and wires hooked to the shell of her mother. Yes, she still acted like their cheerful, bright mother as usual, but Willa saw a different side to the smile on her face:

She winced whenever she moved or even breathed sometimes, no matter the smile tried to hide from them. The ginger wondered how she could go on smiling through everything she was going through. No matter how she was feeling, Anna found a way to either to smile or be at whatever school event each of the girls had.

"Momma, why do you do this? We don't need it, all we want is you to get better." The teen grabbed her hand, but knew that Anna would just chuckle it off and move onto another subject.

But this time, the blonde smiled small and moved to open a drawer, pulling out a picture of her grandma. Then slowly, she set the frame in her daughter's lap, smiling motherly as her gray eyes moved to the window:

"I remembered what Nana said to me when I was your age and I was having a bad day. Do you want to know what she told me?" Her cloudy eyes returned to the worried ginger with a deeper frown upon her face, however she slowly nodded as curiosity took over her mind. Her mother giggled as she reached up to caress her cheek before she spoke once more:

"She told me that if you keep on smiling, even when you don't want to, then good things will happen to you."

"You are here, though, mom. I don't see how that was good advice. No offensive to Nana, but you dying is not a good thing."

Anna laughed a bit, shaking her head as she leaned over to hug the beautiful ginger to her, humming softly into her ear.

"Honey, sometimes life is unfair, that's why you need to smile. If you let the bad things ruin the good times, you'll be lost and will become cold to the great things that will happen. Do you know the original tale of Beauty and the Beast?"

"Of course, I do, mother. Where Beauty have abusive sisters, right?"

"That's right. You see, most people think it's about forgiveness and acceptance, but I believe there's more to it. I always thought that it also about being able to move on from the bad. If Beauty let the pain her sisters caused her rule her, I think she wouldn't be able to open to the beast and she wouldn't see past her fear of him." She explained as she shifted her eyes back to the window before continuing:

"Therefore, that's why I love that you guys love the fairy tale so much. It teaches a lot of life lessons, ones your father and I can't teach. And baby, I won't be here to teach you anymore in the future. I need you to not let any of the bad things stop you enjoying the good things that will happen to you." Her eyes moved back to the tiny ginger as she watched the tears pooling in her own.

She knew her mother won't be there, but she wished that she would be. The blonde was one of the reasons that Willa could face the abuse with a brave smile, and without her mother, it will be harder to be silent about the abuse. Willa knew that her father would need her to be brave, however, she just wanted to scream and break down; she wanted to just be weak for once in her life:

However, she just threw her arms around her mother's neck carefully, sniffling into her ear.

"I just don't want to lose you, momma. You are my best friend. And I hate that you need to fake a smile when you are clearly in pain. I know that you are strong, but I also know you are in pain." She breathed, squeezing her a bit before she pulled back to meet her eyes as the tears danced down her cheeks.

Anna just smiled sweetly, bringing her hands up to hold her face and she leaned her forehead. Her girls were so strong, but she knew that her death would impact them as well. She soothed her, rubbing her back.

"My Beauty, don't worry about your momma. I know it will be hard on you, but believe me, it will get better. And I'll always be there to watch over you and your father. You are so strong and brave. But, remember, you need to face every day with a smile. It will help you girls a lot. Don't let the past ruin your future." She smiled, tucking her hand under her daughter's chin:

"I love you, Willa, please be happy. For me."

"I will, mom. I love you too."

-.-.-.-.-

Willa smiled at the rose before she moved back into her chair, ready to find Adnet. Her mother was right, just like her friends, she shouldn't let her horrible past ruin her bright future. Her sisters aren't here, so why should she be afraid to live her life? She had to move on from the demons of her past.

She let a grin dance across her face as she pointed her head to the magically binal sky, her hand laying on the door's hand.

"I'm going to follow Nana's advice, momma. I miss you so much." And with that, she wheeled inside

She didn't realize that, with that decision, she opened a door to memories long lost…..