Susan sighed happily as she dug her keys out of her purse for the apartment she shared with her teenage daughter. She felt a little bad about staying out all afternoon and evening but she left some money for Will to buy something to eat since she had to meet Dean at school for a conference and ended up going to dinner and a movie with him though a part of her mind kept hinting at something that she had forgotten which did damper the evening but it was still one of the best dates they had recently.

Finally finding the key she went to unlock the door but was shocked to find it already open since it was after ten at night. Will knew better than to leave the door unlocked that late at night when she was home alone. Pushing the door open she shook her head at seeing all the lights on wasting electricity.

Walking quietly into the house so not to wake Will up if the redhead was asleep. She heard something coming from the living room. Walking slowly into the room she found Will curled up on the couch wearing a black strapless formal gown and elbow length gloves. It looked like she had fallen asleep clutching a small piece of paper or tickets to something.

Moving closer to the sleeping girl Susan could make out fresh tear tracks on her face, the little bit of makeup having run from the looks of it. Feeling bad for whatever had caused her baby to cry Susan gently brushed the mop of red hair causing Will to mumble something in her sleep and her hand to open dropping two tickets to the ground. Curious Susan reached down to pick up the tickets she saw the price on them causing her jaw to drop, each one had cost seventy five dollars.

"Hey mom, will you go to the Mother Daughter fundraiser at the end of the month with me? It's a dinner and the tickets proceeds go to research for breast cancer." Will asked, "I'll pay for the tickets, I'll save my pay from the pet shop."

"Of course honey but let me help." Susan replied smiling, happy that her daughter wanted to do something with her like this. They haven't been spending much time together lately and this sounded like their perfect quality time plus it would be for a good cause.

"Nope, I want to do this." Will said smiling when Susan agreed to it, "I know I haven't exactly been very easy to deal with lately mom and I want to do something nice for you."

"If your sure honey but don't go overboard." Susan agreed reluctantly.

Apparently she did go overboard, the tickets ranged from ten to seventy five dollars Susan had found out. The cheaper tickets were just for a cheap meal and reserved seating at the large tables that as going to be set up. The seventy five dollar tickets were in short supply as there was only twenty of them, ten mother and ten daughter tickets for ten private booths and a choice from the buffet or any meal off the menu as well as a framed picture of mother and daughter.

"Don't forget about the dinner tomorrow mom." Will smiled as Susan kissed the redhead goodnight before replying happily.

"Of course not honey, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Susan smiled, turning out the light, "Sweet dreams baby."

"Night mom." Will replied in the darkness.

Susan couldn't believe that she had forgotten something this important to her daughter. She must have been the worst mother ever, in fact she really didn't originally plan to stay out all evening but Dean kept flirting with her at the conference which she had to wonder if it was just an excuse to have her come by since it wasn't even anything important. He had just said that Will was making progress in getting her grades up a little.

Will must have had to save up a month worth of her pay as she only worked a few hours a night and was off on weekends as Mister Olsen had insisted that she spend the weekends being a kid, hang out with her friends and catch up on her homework if needed. He paid her thirty to forty dollars a week depending on how long she worked though Susan suspected that he gave Will more money than she worked for because the man had once admitted he liked spoiling Will as she seemed like the granddaughter he always wanted. Still, Susan knew for a fact that Will worked hard at the store to earn her money so never really brought it up.

"What time is it?" Will asked before sitting up.

"It's a past ten Will, I'm so sorry." Susan sighed.

"Where were you?" Will asked angrily.

"Honey, please, I really…" Susan got out before being shut up by her daughters angry yet very hurt glare.

"Where. Were. YOU?" Will snapped, punctuating each word and nearly yelling the last as she got up from the couch with a little limp. It looked like Will's leg had fallen asleep after sleeping on the couch like that.

"I had dinner with Dean." Susan sighed, "Will, I'm sorry…"

"Don't, don't even start." Will said as new tears started streaming down her face, "All I asked was just one night but you couldn't even give me that."

"Will." Susan sighed reaching out toward the younger girl only to have her hands slapped away.

"If you didn't want to go all you had to do was say so!" Will sobbed, "I saved for a month before asking you and buying the tickets! I was looking forward to this for TWO months!"

"Will, stop acting like a child!" Susan snapped and paled at the look on the redhead's face. She would have preferred anger, hatred or even a hurt expression to the one that looked like her baby girl was dead on the inside. What the hell was that, of course Will was a child, she was Susan's child and baby but the way the older woman acted lately sure didn't seem like it.

"Geeze, I'm sorry Missus Vandom, if you will excuse me I think I'm going to bed!" Will said coldly, stiffly turning away to walk from the living room. By the time Susan got over her shock Will was already in her room with the door locked.

"Will, please open this door." Susan begged, her own tears forming at the pain she caused her daughter. Susan listened for any reply but the only noises coming from the room was the loud heart wrenching sobs emanating from the emotionally destroyed redhead on the other side of the barrier. Leaning back against the door Susan slid to the ground pulling her knees to her chest and crying herself at what she did, at her own selfishness and stupidity. She knew she loved her daughter but ever since coming to Heatherfield it seemed like a rift formed between them and slowly grew driving the mother and daughter farther and farther apart.

"Will, please answer me." Susan begged turning a little and leaning against the door. "I'm sorry, please talk to me!"

After the absence of yet another reply Susan began thinking about how this wasn't even the first time she screwed up since getting together with Dean. Time and time again Susan had either forgotten plans or outright canceled them to be with him. True, a lot of the times mother and daughter were having problems but it was Susan's responsibility to try and fix the problems instead of making them worse by running to Dean to be comforted while she either left Will alone with no one to go to or straight up grounded her not even giving her the chance even if she did have someone.

It was at that moment that Susan had an epiphany, her daughter didn't hate the fact that she was seeing Dean. Will was afraid of losing her mother which was what was happening and the only person to blame, despite the aggression Will showed toward Dean, was Susan herself. This was all Susan's fault and some how, some way she had to make it right.

NOTES

Kind of a sad story but one I might continue showing Will's struggle with the growing depression caused from not only her mother but the constant stress and hostility from Cornelia. Speaking of that, this takes place in the cartoon universe around the time Elyon is first taken to Meridian except for one difference, Susan is already openly dating Dean Collins.

If I get enough reviews showing interest in this kind of story I'll continue it starting with Will's side to this chapter. Question is, would anyone be interested in this kind of story?