Chapter Text
Munich 1: At the Munich Circus
by Lucinda
Willow sat on the porch, staring at a tree. Buffy was gone, accused of murdering Kendra, who was dead. Dru had killed her, nearly caught Willow when the evil vampire and the minions with her had attacked the library. They'd killed Kendra and interrupted the Restoration ritual. Granted she had later completed it, while in the hospital from all the various injuries from one of the bookcases falling on her, but still... Kendra was dead, Buffy accused of murder and vanished, Angelus... no, Angel gone, Giles had been tortured, and she was still injured. She wasn't stuck in the wheelchair anymore, but everything still hurt, and she wasn't at her best.
Her parents were home, and had been horribly appalled by the unexplained attack on the library. They were both worried about her, and she'd caught her parents discussing the idea of sending her to a private school somewhere safer. Both of them had been unexpectedly good about her injuries, helping her when she needed it, but not pushing. Maybe there was an advantage to all that psychiatric knowledge after all.
"Willow, honey? Your father and I have talked about it, and we think that maybe it would do you some good to be somewhere else for a while. Away from the scene of the trauma, as it were. Would you like to go with us for our next conference? It's in Germany..." Her mother was behind her, sounding worried.
"Germany?" Willow turned around, looking at her mother with interest. "Where in Germany? Will they speak English, because I really don't think that my German is up for total language immersion. What will there be when I'm not listening at the conference? Will there be problem transporting my pain killers?"
Her mother chuckled, clearly amused by the flow of questions. "Well, it looks like you didn't quite grow out of the babbling after all. I'm sure that there will be enough people speaking English that you will be able to manage just fine. There will be shops and restaurants, and maybe you can find some souvenirs for your friends, Xander and that Bunny girl. Just remember to take a copy of the prescription with you and your medications should be just fine, although I suggest you keep them in your carry on."
Willow smiled, feeling hopeful about the whole thing. It had been over a year since her parents had offered to take her with them to any of their conferences. "I think I'd like that, mom. My passport's still valid, I can pack my things... umm, how long will we be there so I know how much to pack? Should I take my laptop?"
"Ten days, assuming there aren't any delays for the trip back home. You might want to take the laptop, but I don't know how likely an internet connection will be. We'll be leaving Saturday, if you want to go."
Willow had smiled, giving her mom an unexpected hug, and moved as fast as she could hobble to her room to pack things. Germany... away from the Hellmouth, away from the mess that was Sunnydale. She packed and repacked several times before she was finally satisfied. The trip over... well, the turbulence made it impossible to sleep, and she had to make several urgent trips to the tiny airplane lavatory so that she could heave up the water in her stomach, but the view was almost worth it. All of their luggage transferred with them, and they managed to check into the Munich Eagle Hotel with no difficulties.
The conference itself was... rather dull, actually. Willow found herself going among shops, looking for presents, listening and practicing her German. She read it quite well, thanks to all those volumes on demons and prophecies, but her spoken German... well, it wasn't nearly as good. It was while she was looking through a store with an amazing collection of toys and carved curiosities that she heard about the circus. Apparently, there was a circus with a really, really good trapeze act, and they would be here starting tomorrow. There was something else about the star trapeze artist, but all Willow could decipher was a mention of blue. She decided that she'd like to go see the circus, she hadn't seen one since she was in elementary school.
Her parents had no objection, so she found herself sitting on a narrow bench, watching the circus. There were lions, and elephants, and clowns, and tumbling acts on the ground, and trick riders, and the trapeze act. That was well worth coming. There was a blond girl in a white and red outfit, and the other person... oh my. He was blue, with a tail... or else a really good costume. But she somehow didn't think it was a costume. She watched enthralled as the Amazing Nightcrawler did flips and crossed amazing gaps on the trapeze.
After the circus, she found herself sitting on a small grassy hill. The crowds had been thick enough that she'd been separated from her parents, but she was confident that she could get back to the hotel. She was taking advantage of the chance to try to ease her now aching back, and to look at the stars.
"I am sorry... I did not know that anyone was here." The voice was in English, with a heavy German accent. He sounded as if he might be close to her own age.
Willow looked towards the voice, and for a few moments, she couldn't quite see anyone. Then, it was as if the shadows parted, revealing... oh my, it wasn't a costume. This was the amazing Nightcrawler, his skin a deep blue, tail twitching nervously behind him, his feet different, with two long toes in the front. Abruptly, she realized that she was staring, and
blushed. "It's alright, you aren't interrupting anything. I was looking at the stars."
"You are certain? You.. would not mind if I sat and looked at them as well?" He sounded surprised, and a bit shy.
Willow looked at him, realizing that maybe he really was that shy. Someone that was shyer than she actually was... undoubtedly due to worry about how people would react to his appearance. Well... maybe he did sort of look scary. But he seemed like a nice guy. "Really, I don't mind. I watched you at the circus... all those flips. Amazing."
"I am Kurt Wagner... not to many people would want to talk to me. Not once they learned that this.. is real. The flips... those are not so difficult."
She smiled, holding her hand towards him. "I'm Willow Rosenberg. And I could never do flips like that."
They talked for hours, about swords, about Errol Flynn movies including a spirited debate on which was the best of all time, about books and the stars. They found that there was actually a lot of things they had in common.
"It is a sad thing that you will be going back to America. I would like to be able to talk with you more." He looked so mournful at those words.
Willow tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. "Well... I can give you my address and my email, maybe we can stay in touch that way? I mean, letters and bills and things have to go somewhere, and some of the other people have to get letters occasionally... and you know, email's sort of spreading everywhere."
"I would like that. But... I do not have... email." He looked thoughtful. "Is it very difficult to get?"
"No, it's not very hard at all. I mean, five minutes with a halfway decent connection and I can have you set up with a free email account." She felt the enthusiasm brimming inside.
And it was really that simple to get him an email account. He'd insisted on walking her back tot he hotel, worried for the safety of his new friend. They'd stopped at a small internet cafe, and he'd become the slightly bemused owner of an email account. Before they parted, he'd given her an impulsive hug, promising to stay in touch.
Willow smiled the whole trip back to America, remembering her unexpected new friend. She couldn't wait to hear from him again. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
end At the Munich Circus.