A/N: Well, here's a little one shot for you all. This expands on Trixie's recollections in Discovery. I decided to elaborate on it because I'm not too pleased with the way she's portrayed in many fan fictions, especially Timmy/Tootie fics, where the authors don't even try to develop her.
Disclaimer: The Fairly Oddparents is copyright Nickelodeon, Federator, and Butch Hartman.
Something that seems strange to one person may be perfectly understandable to another.
For instance, the sight of a twenty seven year old man sitting in a maternity ward. That sight may not seem strange until you realized he was holding what appeared to be the steering wheel of a car, like he had driven here and then didn't take the time to release his grip, and instead opted to tear the device out of the car.
And indeed he had. About thirty minutes ago he had been at home when he received a phone call. The man on the other end informed him that his wife had gone into labor while at her aqua size classes and had been rushed to Dimmsdale General Hospital. The announcement had filled him with so much excitement that he ended up crashing his car in the hospital parking lot and hadn't even bothered to stop and survey the damage.
So the sight may have seemed strange to most onlookers, but it was perfectly understandable to the man waiting next to him.
"So," he asked casually. "Is this your first child?"
The man, still wide eyed with excitement, nodded, not even bothering to face the other father-to-be. In fact, nothing snapped him out of his trance except for a voice.
"Mr. Tang, you may see your baby now."
Nigel Tang rose to his feet, finally dropping the steering wheel and entered the hospital room.
Inside lay his wife of three years, Mrs. Rebecca Tang. Her hair was disheveled and she wasn't wearing her make up, but Nigel thought she looked beautiful regardless.
But something even more beautiful was what rested in her arms. His first born child. He felt his heart melt at the sight.
Rebecca looked up at her husband and smiled. "It's a girl," she said simply as she offered the child to him.
Nigel took the baby girl in his arms. He felt himself shaking as he gently rocked the girl back and forth. "She's beautiful," he whispered quietly.
"Yes," Rebecca replied. "Almost as beautiful as me."
"She needs a name," Nigel realized.
"How about Beatrix? That's a refined name."
"That's a good name," Nigel said, looking down at his child once more. "She'll be our sweet little Trixie."
"Now, Trixie, you look like a true Tang," Rebecca said. She and her daughter had been at the mall for Trixie's first spa date. Rebecca had spent the entire five year length of her daughters life telling her that since she was one of the best, she must always look the part. Starting on this day, she was to keep her appearance up at all times. Her make-up must always be applied, her hair must always be neat and combed, her face must be spotless, her nails perfectly manicured, and her clothes must always be the most fancy and expensive.
Trixie had to admit, as she walked beside her mother, that she felt nice. She was getting looks from everyone, but not as many as her mom was. Her mother considered herself the pinnacle of beauty, and that could very well be true. She had long black hair with blue eyes and a very fetching figure. Several male eyes were following her. Catcalls and whistling noises would have followed if their bodyguard hadn't been following right behind them, his immense size would intimidate even the strongest man.
"Remember, Trixie, your appearance is everything. As long as you look good, people will worship you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mommy," the small girl answered.
"No. You are to call me just Mother from now on. That's the proper way."
"Oh. Yes Mother."
"Good. Now…oh, look at that dress!" her mother exclaimed, walking toward a clothing shop window. After gazing at it for a moment, Rebecca turned to her bodyguard. "Stay with her while I go in and purchase this."
The bodyguard nodded in response. As Rebecca went inside, Trixie's eyes looked around the mall. Soon, she saw a toy store with several fun things in the window. She tugged on her bodyguard's pants leg. When he looked down, she pointed to the toy store.
Realizing what she wanted, he turned back toward the clothing store. Mrs. Tang was just inside. He tapped on the glass, causing her to turn in his direction. He pointed at Trixie, then at the toy shop. Understanding, Mrs. Tang nodded.
Cheering happily, Trixie dashed toward the store, with her guardian right behind her.
Despite being in a mall, the shop was actually quite big. There were balls, kids toys, trading card games, and even DVDs. She darted through the store, looking for a toy that would suit her.
Suddenly, a section of the store caught her eye. It was dedicated to video games, with several shelves lined with games and stations where people could play demos of new games. Seeing this she dashed toward that section, the bright lights and loud noises entrancing her.
As she wandered into the area, she noticed only one station wasn't occupied. It was for a small, rectangular device that was out of the girl's reach. Fortunately, a worker happened to be passing by at the moment. He unhooked the device, a Game Boy Color, he had called it, and handed it to the child, a cord still attaching it to the station.
For the next few moments, Trixie was lost in another world. On the tiny screen she controlled a tiny man named Link as he explored a strange island. She had never had so much fun in her life.
But suddenly, it came to an end as the device was suddenly yanked from her grip.
"What are you doing!" Mrs. Tang demanded quietly yet harshly.
Trixie cringed at her mother's glare. "I…I was just…"
"You were playing with this disgusting device," he mother spat, throwing the still active Game Boy onto the station. She then fixed her glare on the bodyguard and pointed an accusing finger at him. "How could you let this happen?"
The bodyguard was caught off guard by this as well. "I…I wasn't aware you didn't allow this," he explained.
Mrs. Tang's glare softened slightly. "Oh, yes, you've only been in our employ for two weeks, haven't you? Well, don't let it happen again." With that, she turned her glare back on her daughter.
"Never touch something that horrid again," she demanded harshly. "You are to be proper. This is nothing but garbage for lesser people. If you ever so much as think of doing this again, you will be in big trouble, do you understand?"
Trixie, a bit scared, nodded.
A few minutes later, Trixie and her mother were exiting the mall with their bodyguard right behind them. "Well, now that the horrible experience with those nasty games is over, let us go home, shall we?"
Trixie nodded in compliance, but she wasn't really listening. Her mind kept wandering back to that game she had played. She wanted desperately, more than anything, to play it again.
Her thoughts were interrupted by an electronic beeping sound. Rebecca pulled out her pager and glanced at the number. "Oh goodness. It looks like there's an emergency at the office," she said. She turned back to her daughter. "I have to go. You let the bodyguard take you straight home, understand?"
Trixie put on a fake smile. "Yes, mother."
With that, Rebecca headed toward the family limo.
The bodyguard was about to call the house to send over another limo, but Trixie stopped him. "Can I go look in the mall alone for a while?"
The bodyguard blinked at the strange request. "I'm not allowed to leave you alone, Ms. Tang."
Trixie responded by reaching into her purse and pulling out a wad of cash. It was only half her allowance, but it was more than he made in a year. "Please will you let me be alone?" she said, giving "Bambi" eyes and holding the cash up.
He was about to say no again, but he then realized what she wanted. "I can't leave you alone," he repeated, taking the money. "But if you were to run away from me, I wouldn't be able to do anything about that."
Squealing happily, Trixie ran back toward the mall. The bodyguard smiled knowingly, pocketing the money and following his charge, never letting her out of his sight.
The clerk smiled at the small girl, handing her a brand new Game Boy, along with three new games, in a plastic bag. Trixie quickly took the bag and tucked it as best as she could into her purse. It only went halfway in, but it satisfied the girl. She turned around…
…and saw her bodyguard staring back at her. He was carrying an expensive doll in another of the store's plastic bags. "Ah, there you are, Miss Tang. I found that doll you wanted," he said with a sly smile.
Trixie was confused until she realized what he was doing. She smiled as well. "Uh, yeah…that's all I wanted here. Just that," she said quickly.
The bodyguard smiled. "Come on, a limo should be here by now."
Trixie walked down the mall floor, disguised in a purple sweater and red cap. It had been a year since she had bought her first video games, and since then her collection had grown exponentially. Fortunately, she was given several walk in closets to store her wardrobe, so it was a simple matter to use one to hide her games. Her mother never went through it, thinking it was just more clothes.
She no longer bribed her bodyguard. It wasn't necessary. He allowed her to buy any games she wanted. Well, as long as they were age appropriate. While he pretended to leave her alone, he was following the disguised Trixie one step behind. After all, he still had a job to do. She still needed a disguise, however, because everyone knew the daughter of the richest family in town
Trixie entered the toy store and made a beeline for the video games. The workers there recognized her as a frequent customer and greeted her as such.
"Hey, Tommy," a worker said, using her alias. "You came at a good time. We have a new game today."
Trixie's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? What?" she asked, disguising her voice as a boy's.
The worker pulled a game off of the shelf and handed it to the disguised girl. "It's The Crimson Chin Returns."
Under the brim of her cap, Trixie's eyes blinked. "The Crimson Chin? Whose that?"
The worker looked at her oddly. "You've never heard of the Crimson Chin? Don't you read comic books?"
Trixie was starting to feel foolish. "Comic books?" she asked awkwardly.
The worker gave her a disbelieving look. "Okay, we need to fix this problem. The shop next to us is a comic. Walk in there and ask them for the latest Crimson Chin issue."
"Okay," Trixie replied, he curiosity gained.
An hour later, Trixie left the mall.
Both her and her bodyguard were carrying sacks filled with comics.
She had taken the workers advice and gone to the store. When she had opened the latest issue of the Crimson Chin, she had been amazed. The words, the art, the action, all had come together to tell a truly great story. She immediately bought every issue they had, even the rare original prints, and asked what other comics they thought were good. They had recommended Skull-Squisher, Arachni-dude, and Creature Kid. She had paid for every issue they had.
She knew she'd have to keep this hidden. If her mother disapproved of video games, there was no way she would approve of such things.
There was no need to worry. She could keep hiding them, hopefully forever.
Trixie sat at her dresser, filing her nails. Another year had past, and her comic collection was now as big as her library of video games. While there was no denying she still enjoyed getting makeovers and looking nice, she still enjoyed what her mother considered improper activities. Her mother still hadn't found out, though. She would never find out.
"TRIXIE ELIZIBETH TANG!"
Trixie's eyes shot wide open and her blood froze. That was her mother's voice, and she was shouting. She rarely shouted, it was improper. Only when she was extremely angry did she resort to such things. What if she…
Trixie's thoughts were suddenly cut off by her door being kicked open, followed by her mother storming in with a furious look on her face. Almost immediately afterward her father ran in, looking quite alarmed. "Rebecca, dear, what is it?"
The enraged woman turned to her husband. "I'll show you what's wrong," she said, turning back to her daughter. "What is this?" she demanded holding up one of Trixie's comics. She was holding it by its corner by her fingernails, as if it was a putrid object.
The young girl's face was one of absolute horror. She opened her mouth to say something, but found that she couldn't even gather the nerve to say anything.
"I'll tell you what it is," he mother continued when she realized she wasn't going to get an answer. "It's filthy. It's vulgar. It's. Not. Proper!"
There was a long silence before Mr. Tang spoke. "Honey, it's just a comic book."
Rebecca gave her husband a shocked look. "Just a comic book? Nigel, don't you realize our daughter has actually purchased a low class form of entertainment? It's not proper. It's immature!"
"But Trixie's only seven," Nigel countered. "She has every right to be immature."
Rebecca couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But she's a Tang! She must be proper at all times!"
"Mother, please…" Trixie began, but she was cut off.
Rebecca did something neither her daughter or her husband expected.
She slapped her.
Trixie fell to the ground, tears forming in her eyes and her cheek throbbing in pain. When she dared look up, she saw her mother's cold and angry glare.
"Do not call me that you wretched girl!" She then turned to her still shocked husband. "Nigel, we must disown her immediately!"
Trixie's mind filled with fear, while Nigel's shock deepened. "Disown?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes. We cannot risk having ties to such an crude child. Throw her out immediately!"
"No," Nigel replied.
It was Rebecca's turn to be shocked. "What?"
"I'm not going to throw her out just because you don't like what she does in her spare time."
Still shocked, Rebecca managed to say the next sentence clearly. "Nigel, either she goes or I go. Which is it going to be?"
"You go," Nigel said without hesitation. "I'll call my lawyer. We'll be divorced by tomorrow morning."
Rebecca stared at her former husband with utter shock. Then, her face tightened with rage as she turned to the small girl she had bore seven years earlier.
"You…you did this!" she screamed, lunging at her.
Fortunately, her bodyguard happened to be right outside the door. When he heard what was happening, he immediately burst in and grabbed the former Mrs. Tang by the shoulder and pulled her away from his charge. He then placed himself firmly between Trixie and her enraged mother.
"Move," Rebecca demanded. "You work for me!"
"Not anymore," the bodyguard said bluntly, glaring at her former boss. Nervously, she turned to her ex-husband, who was glaring even more ferociously. Backing down from the glares, she left the room in a rage.
Trixie continued crying, feeling guilty for what just happened.
True to Mr. Tang's word, the couple was divorced the next day. After the judge heard what happened, which was confirmed with the bodyguard as a witness, Nigel was rewarded everything. The house, cars, most of the family fortune, and, of course, custody of Trixie. Rebecca was left with only ten percent of their estate. While that was quite a bit, it wasn't enough to satisfy her.
An hour later, she was fired from her job. The incident immediately leaked into the press, and the reason for the split was known. Rebecca's company didn't want the bad press of having a child abuser on their payroll, so they fired her. She had to get another job, but that seemed highly unlikely with all the bad publicity surrounding her.
As she was walking down the long flight of steps of the Tang mansion with her last suitcase, she spotted her former daughter. She had been lost in thought, but noticed her mother coming and tried to hide, but she was seen.
"Well, it looks like I put too much faith in you," she spat. "You're a pathetic little girl."
"W-what do you mean?" Trixie squeaked.
"I'll bounce back from this. My beauty guarantees it. But you…you'll be nothing. Your father is coddling you now, but in the real world, no one will accept a thing like you. I'll have the last laugh." With that, she walked out the door and out of her life.
Trixie began wondering…what if that was true? If her own mother rejected her for being less than perfect, what was stopping the rest of the world from doing the same?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a comforting hand on shoulder. She looked up to see her father smiling at her. "Ignore her," he said. "Your mother was the one who was wrong."
Tears began forming in Trixie's eyes. "Bu…but, if it wasn't for me, you and Mom would still be happy together."
Nigel smiled at her little girl. "If it wasn't this, it would have been something. The version of your mother I fell in love with was a lie. I always knew she was vain, but I always thought there was a good person underneath the surface. But when she struck you…well, I immediately fell out of love. A child is the best thing to come out of any marriage. If she couldn't love you, I couldn't love her. Now, I want you to forget all about her. Don't act so proper all the time. Be yourself. True friends will accept you no matter what." With that, he pulled his daughter into a hug.
Trixie returned the hug. She felt a little better, but the sting of her mother's words were still there.
Three months later, she was standing in front of Dimmsdale Elementary.
She had lost track of where her mother was. Last she heard, she had failed to bounce back. She had gone missing a month later. Their were some wild theories as to were she went, the most popular being that she was murdered. Somehow, Trixie wasn't too distressed at the idea.
A few weeks afterward, her father announced that she would be attending public school from that point on. Rebecca had always kept her away from such places, saying they were too common for her, but Nigel knew better. He wanted Trixie to make some real friends.
As she slowly walked across the field, a blonde haired girl walked up to her. "Hi! I'm Veronica!" she introduced herself. "I'm the most popular girl here at Dimmsdale Elementary. What's your name?"
"Trixie," she answered.
"That's a great name," the girl answered excitedly. "So, what do you like to do?"
Trixie was about to answer with the truth when her mother's words came back to her. What if she was right?
"I like make-up and brushing my hair."
"Right answer," Veronica replied. "Congratulations, you are now a member of the popular kids. Come on, I'll take you to meet our other members, Tad and Chad.
Trixie smiled as she walked with her new friend. Well, she wasn't really her friend. Deep down, she knew this. But she didn't care…at least, that's what she kept telling herself. She would never show them her true self. She'd never be rejected again.
She wouldn't allow it!
