A Proud Monday

Willa Monday/Timo Proud

Disclaimer: I don't own "The Finder." Short, sweet, and to the point.

One of Willa's first memories is of Timo. She's maybe three years old, and he's eight, and he's pushing her on the swing in front of her mom's trailer. Her blond hair is swinging in the breeze, and Timo's laughing and singing a gypsy song. It's a good memory.

Willa's known Timo her whole life. He's always been there. Mostly like a big brother, and Willa will never admit that she's had a crush on him for just as long. He was her rock through all the tumult and turmoil with her mom (and dad, when he was still around). Timo was there to guide Willa on her first con.

She can't imagine life without him.

Willa's ten years old when she first hears the word "betrothed." She asks Timo what it means (he's fifteen and knows everything), and he blushes and stammers and finally says, "It means 'get married someday.'" Willa understands that, and blushes and stammers when she hears Uncle Shad say she's betrothed to Timo.

It wouldn't be awful being married to Timo, Willa thinks.

Timo seems to think it might be awful. Willa's twelve and sees seventeen year old Timo kissing girls and leading them into his trailer. She doesn't quite know what happens next, but the girls always leave rumpled and with big grins on their faces. Timo always has a big grin on his face too.

He never talks about being betrothed to Willa. He acts like her big brother, teasing and supportive and loving-but-in-a-familial-not-romantic-way.

Then Willa's seventeen and Timo's twenty-two and Willa's mom leaves for Alaska and Timo says he's in love and Willa gets sloppy and ends up in Juvie. Juvie sucks, but Willa makes friends with the most-badass-girl-in-charge and the guards and it's okay because Timo comes to visit and the other girls are jealous of how hot her boyfriend is. (So what if she doesn't bother to correct them when they assume he's her boyfriend?)

She gets out on probation and works at The Ends of the Earth with Walter (who's crazy weird) and Leo (who thinks he's her dad) and Isabel sometimes (because she's been sucked into Walter's vortex.) Timo visits more, which is always a good thing, but it's also a bad thing because apparently he really loves Brina, a good gypsy girl, but not good enough for Uncle Shad's favorite nephew. He keeps trying to find ways to get out of his betrothal to Willa, and never notices how Willa hates it when he talks like that.

Would it really be that bad being married to Willa? She knows they would be happy. She loves him (really loves him, romantically, not platonically) and knows Timo has to care about her too; he's stayed around her long enough. They'd be Uncle Shad's favorites, and Timo would eventually take over for Uncle Shad as the head of the family, and their children would be named Iona, Fonso, and Niko.

Yeah, she may have thought about it. What of it? She may be badass, but there was a girly-girl-in-love inside her. Fuck off.

It's a dream, and she knows it; knows it's never gonna happen because Timo loves Brina, and it sucks.

So Willa puts on a happy face (she's good at those) and helps Timo because Timo deserves to be happy. She works on getting into Walter's safe, toils at her stupid waitress job, and tries not to get wistful when Leo insinuates that she's been sleeping with Timo. (If only.)

Then Isabel tries to be her friend (and Willa knows Leo put her up to this) and the whole shitty truth comes out. (Well, most of it. Willa keeps back the part about wishing Timo wanted to marry her.) Isabel goes to the guys looking for donations to keep Timo away from Willa (because that's really what this is about) and Walter gives Timo the earrings.

Timo is overjoyed and Willa is crushed because now it's certain. They're not gonna be betrothed anymore and Timo's gonna go off and marry Brina and Willa will be stuck here forever.

But then something strange happens. Timo looks over at Willa and she's not fast enough to paste a happy smile on her face. He looks at her, and then Willa knows he knows. But it's not enough and Timo looks regretful but it's not going to change anything.

Timo leaves and Willa goes back to her trailer to sulk in peace. She goes to bed that night depressed, and is surprised and angry when she's woken in the middle of a dream about Timo and her and the future-that-will-never-be.

Someone's trying to get into her trailer and Willa's pissed and grabs the baseball bat she and Timo used to beat that guy for Leo. She's holding it aloft, ready to bash anybody who thinks their gonna get one over on Willa Monday, when the person lets out a couple cuss words and Willa knows it's Timo. She sighs and heads for the door. She doesn't want him coming in anymore.

"Timo, what are you doing here?" Willa asks. He jumps, and twirls around, surprised to see her not in her trailer. The moonlight is bouncing off his chains and making his tattoos and clear blue eyes stand out. She's even more pissed that he's here.

"I needed to see you."

Willa scowls, and points the bat at him. "I don't want to see you. It's late. I'm tired. You woke me up."

He smiles his charming smile but Willa holds firm. He broke her heart, even if he doesn't know it. She's petty enough to hold it against him forever. "Willa…"

"Timo, no. Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Brina? Surely you've been to see Uncle Shad by now."

The smile drips off Timo's face. "Willa, I made a mistake."

Willa raises an eyebrow, but doesn't comment.

"I didn't think you wanted to get married! I was trying to protect you!" He bursts out.

Willa's mouth drops open in shock. "What?"

"Willa, you never gave any indication that you wanted to marry me. It was like I was your brother. I didn't want to force you into a marriage where you were miserable!" Timo exclaims.

She frowns, angry. "Timo, what are you talking about? What about Brina? Don't you love her? You ended our betrothal to marry her!"

He reaches out a hand to touch her cheek, but Willa pulls away harshly. "Brina's okay. Just an excuse, really. A substitution for you. I never wanted to break our betrothal, Willa. I love you."

Willa stands there, silent. Her heart is pounding, and now she's sure she's dreaming. "You…there were always…girls…and I…you…"

He's closer now, and his hands are framing her face, pushing aside her wild blond hair. "I'm sorry, Willa. I was an idiot. I didn't realize what I was taking for granted. You were always gonna be there, and then Uncle Shad was putting more pressure on me, and you didn't seem to want to marry me. I love you, Willa. I never meant to hurt you."

Willa closes her eyes at the feeling of his thumb caressing her cheek. "I love you, Timo. It's like I always have." She opens her eyes, and he looks ecstatic and happy and so-in-love.

He's leaning down now, and she feels one of his hands drop something in the pocket of her pajama pants. It's cool and she can feel it through the thin cloth. "I didn't tell Uncle Shad to break our betrothal," he murmurs centimeters from her lips.

It's all she needs to hear, and she reaches around his neck to bring him all the way in. They kiss and it's perfect and Willa knows he just dropped Walter's earrings in her pocket. The moon's shining on them and she's enveloped in his arms and her fingers are in his hair and his tongue is caressing hers. It magical and wonderful and she knows her dream is going to be a reality someday and the thought makes her heart fit to burst. Suddenly she's grateful for Isabel and her meddling because it brought Timo to her and that's a debt she'll have to settle someday-but-not-today because Timo's kissing her. It's her first true kiss and she's soo happy it's with him.

Everything's perfect now.

The next morning Timo sneaks out even earlier so as not to get caught, but Walter takes one look at her, wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and asks, "Am I getting my earrings back?" like he knew what would happen all along.

Willa laughs because no, he's never getting those earrings back.

Author's Note: I don't know what happened. Usually it takes me forever to write stories, but today I just sat down and banged this out in like two hours (so it's not beta'd!). I hope you liked it! I had fun researching names for their kids. :)

Iona: Io was one of Zeus's loves

Fonso: means 'noble'

Niko: means 'victor'

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