Title: Bitter Prize
Fandom: BtVS
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Willow.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 300
Spoilers: Passion.
Summary: Willow wanted the opportunity to teach, but not like this.
Written For: Challenge 363: Amnesty, using Challenge 47: Teaching.
Disclaimer: I don’t own BtVS, or the characters.
A/N: Triple drabble.




Willow had been so excited by the chance to stand in for Ms Calendar, teaching the computing class, and so disappointed when her teacher had turned up on time, meaning she didn’t need to play substitute teacher after all. Why couldn’t Ms Calendar have been unavoidably delayed so she didn’t arrive until near the end of class, or better yet, not show up at all? It had been Willow’s chance to show what she could do, and then it had been cruelly snatched away at the last minute!

Looking back at that day, just a few short weeks ago, Willow gave a bitter little smile. Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. Yes, she’d wanted the opportunity to show off her skills as a teacher, thinking maybe that would prove to be her calling in life, but she never would’ve wanted to get it this way, so now she felt guilty for ever wanting it in the first place.

Ms Calendar, one of the best teachers in the school and someone Willow had looked up to as a role model, was dead, murdered by Angelus in order to hurt Buffy and Giles, Slayer and Watcher, throw them off their game. It hadn’t worked the way he’d intended, all it had really done was make them both even more determined to kill the vampire, but as an unintended side-effect it had given Willow her chance to teach.

With a few weeks of term remaining, Principal Snyder had been stuck without anyone to teach the computing class. He’d approached Willow to see if she’d be willing to take over, and of course she’d said yes. How could she refuse?

Willow came to a decision; she wasn’t doing this for herself, but in honor of Ms Calendar’s memory.


The End