A/N: I know, I know. I have a bunch of fanfics I haven't updated in months and I'm posting a one-shot. I'm sorry. (I also have a March 15th long one-shot that I haven't finished yet). I'm sorry. It's school time and this has been a particularly hellish semester. I also fell back into FOP, because my brain is strange. I blame the live-streams on YouTube.
So I will try to work on the longer series, I promise. And if this receives a good reception, I'll post the March 15th fic.
One more thing. This is like a mash-up of Fireball Faerie and Conversations with Wanda. Tootie has magical powers, but no godparent. She also has a special relationship with Wanda.
Tootie knew that Chloe was supposed to be off limits. She owed Wanda that much, especially after the way Timmy's fairy godmother took care of her on the side and ensured that her magic didn't reach critical mass, thus obtaining someone's unwanted attention. And she did care for Wanda, enough so that the first few months of Timmy and Chloe sharing Cosmo and Wanda, while it rankled her, she tried to ignore. However, the closer that Timmy and Chloe grew, the more Tootie's hatred mounted. Sometimes, when she was in a particularly hostile mood, she hated Timmy for not appreciating Wanda (and Cosmo as well, on occasion). That was nothing compared to her violent loathing of Chloe. Her hatred of Chloe knew no bounds. The girl was blonde, brilliant, and perfect. She had charm, she had class, and she was in close proximity to Timmy most of the time. It was a perfect equation for them to become boyfriend and girlfriend. Tootie wanted to maim her. But, for a little while, she kept her peace, knowing that attacking Chloe would guarantee Wanda slamming down on her, if not Jorgen and the Fairy Council.
The situation was, lamentably, untenable. Between Vicky making her life a living hell at her house and Timmy being untouchable, Tootie had no outlets. Her magic built and Wanda was distracted by having two godchildren to tend to. Her free time was limited and Tootie's patience ran out. Unable to stomach Chloe being so close to Timmy and stealing Wanda away, Tootie finally struck.
It started with little things at first. Tootie would hide Chloe's shoes or will them somewhere else. She'd become adept at small annoyances, things that wouldn't tip anyone off about her but nonetheless were useful. For example, she could trip Vicky going down the stairs so that her sister smacked into a wall. She could also deter Crocker from chasing after Timmy by giving him an insatiable itch or flattening his tires with magic. Having Wanda's spare wand hadn't hurt.
For Chloe, Tootie intended to escalate things. Wanda wouldn't suspect her hand in the small stuff or, if she did, she might not think to intervene. But Tootie wanted Wanda's attention. In a way, Tootie had come to think of Wanda as a surrogate mother. Tootie knew Chloe had both parents who were, if stifling, at least attentive and caring toward their daughter. As far as Tootie was concerned, Chloe didn't deserve fairy godparents. Even if she did, she certainly didn't deserve Wanda. Wanda did work above and beyond and she cared for poor souls like Tootie. Chloe didn't appreciate her properly.
Maybe Tootie idolized Wanda. It was hard not to, when affection was scarce and the only light in her life was kept away. She'd latched onto Wanda because, one, Wanda was a link to Timmy and, two, Wanda genuinely seemed to care about what she went through. In a situation like that, who wouldn't yearn for more attention, more affection from the sole giver of it?
She vowed it wouldn't be anything too destructive. While not a fairy godparent herself (obviously), she felt somewhat constrained by Da Rules. Da Rules said you couldn't wish harm on a person, although she wondered if there were a loophole for indirect harm. If she caused someone to accelerate or to lose control of the wheel and then hit Chloe…
But Wanda wouldn't have stood for that. Moreover, if the car didn't outright kill Chloe, even if it only injured her, the faeries would be enraged with Tootie if they discovered her hand in it. That was assuming the faeries would let harm befall their goddaughter, which Tootie doubted. No, she'd have to be more circumspect than that.
She ramped it up, from the random missing shoes and untied shoelaces to more sinister actions. She gave Chloe stomachaches and headaches. She caused Chloe to forget her umbrella when it rained. One time, which she was particularly proud of, she gave Chloe indigestion and diarrhea. She'd cackled to herself after that.
Wanda hadn't spoken with Tootie in weeks, if not months. However, by visiting all this torment on Chloe, Tootie had guaranteed her attention. After all, wouldn't she grow suspicious by all of Chloe's maladies? It was almost like someone with magical powers was paying her visits…
She leaned back against the school's brick wall and watched Timmy and Chloe talk during recess. As usual, bile rose in her throat and she balled her fists. Her wand was stowed in her backpack and she itched to grab it. Crocker had found Chloe's distress amusing, because he'd been in a rotten mood and everything unpleasant had amused him. Tootie spared some hatred for him too, not because he disliked Chloe, but because he tormented Timmy something fierce and tried to capture Cosmo and Wanda on a regular basis.
She whistled, checking her watch. No one would hang out with her because she was too weird, as well as being Vicky's little sister. They were either afraid of her and whether being associated with her would bring Vicky's vengeance upon them or otherwise thought she was too freaky to hang out with. Both left her alone, which, while not ideal, had become something she'd grown used to. She didn't like it, but she didn't have any other options.
She wriggled her backpack around to gain access to her wand and, touching it while it remained concealed in her pack, she aimed the tip at Chloe. The blonde haired girl doubled over, terrible stomach pain cramping her and, in Tootie's darkest desires, possibly causing internal bleeding. Timmy looked concerned and, as did Cosmo and Wanda. Bingo.
Tootie ducked behind a tree and, sure enough, Wanda appeared as a squirrel in front of her. Tootie smirked.
"Took you long enough," she said. "Although I could've gone on for months. Think if I cause internal bleeding, Jorgen might pay attention to me for once? Give me my own godparent or let me go to school with the other faeries?"
Wanda growled. She looked like she wanted to pin Tootie to the tree and, while Tootie was glad to have her focus, she was also uneasy due to the look in Wanda's eyes. That was a look not to be trifled with.
"What do you think you're doing?" Wanda demanded.
"Getting your attention," Tootie said smugly. "I see it worked."
"You're hurting my goddaughter," Wanda snapped. "Did you really think I hadn't noticed your little stunts?"
"Oh, no, I knew you had," she said casually. "I was just wondering when you'd get around to talking to me again."
"This is not the way to get my attention," she growled.
"It is if it worked," Tootie responded and Wanda's eyes flashed in warning. Her wand glowed and Tootie inched closer to the tree, as if it might spare her Wanda's wrath.
"Leave Chloe alone," she snarled. "I know you don't like her-"
"I hate her. I appall and loathe her. If she got hit by a car, I'd thank the driver."
Warning sparks shot from Wanda's wand. The faerie edged closer to her and brought her wand to bear.
"You are out of control," she snapped. "I should report you to Jorgen."
"Then you'd have to admit that you knew I've had powers for years and you've been concealing them," she pointed out. "Plus, you'd have to rat out Juandissimo for impregnating my mother, which is forbidden by Da Rules…"
"Causing Chloe intentional pain and suffering is also against Da Rules!" Wanda snapped.
"Ah, but I'm not a fairy godparent," she said serenely. "Da Rules don't apply to me."
"I'll ask you this once, politely," she said through gritted teeth. "Leave my goddaughter alone. You're jealous and I understand that."
"She doesn't deserve you!" Tootie burst out. Tears pricked her eyes and she hated it, hated how weak she was. Even with magic, she was inferior. She was a half breed, who didn't belong in either the human or the magical world. She was an outcast no matter where she went.
"That isn't for you to say."
"It is for me to say, because it's true! Little Miss Perfect doesn't need godparents! I do! I need you! You're the only person who gives a shit about me!" she proclaimed. Tears streaked her cheeks and she was shaking. She released the wand, however, ending Chloe's cramps for the time being.
"You don't understand. You don't know what it's like to live in a house where your parents are afraid to give you affection because Vicky will punish them. Where your crush, the light of your life, barely acknowledges you exist and is obsessed with someone who's better than you'll ever be. You're the only good thing in my life and you never come around anymore because you're too busy with Prissy Perfect over there. I don't care that you don't grant my wishes. I just want you to be there to talk to once in a while! Is that so much to ask?"
"Oh, hun…" Wanda said and lowered her wand.
"It's not like you have such a great life either," she added. "Cosmo verbally abused you, Timmy ignores you half the time, and you're always treated like a second class citizen. I bet you don't tell Chloe any of that, do you?"
Wanda faltered. The fact she couldn't meet Tootie's eyes said a lot to her. So, Wanda was keeping secrets from her goddaughter, Little Miss Do No Wrong. Yet she'd told Tootie about it, which meant that she trusted her more than she trusted Chloe.
"What the heck is taking Wanda so long?" Timmy demanded. He hadn't spotted his godmother behind the tree yet. Tootie's heart lurched and she wiped her face. Nonetheless, her lower lip quivered.
"Chloe would make you go to marriage counseling and try to fix it. She wouldn't listen to you, because she'd be too busy trying her own brand of helping. She doesn't understand that you need to vent sometimes. She doesn't care about you the way I do. You're an amazing fairy godmother and nobody sees it."
The pink squirrel frowned, uncertain how to respond. Tootie continued.
"Neither of us are appreciated and you get to talk to Timmy on a regular basis. He treats you like shit on a regular basis, too."
This time, Wanda met her gaze, if only to reprimand her for cursing. Tootie's lips quirked into a half smile. Even when she was off the job, she was still acting like a mother.
"I know having two godkids is probably very demanding. And I know I'm not your kid. But...don't you need time to yourself once in a while? Don't you want to be alone and able to decompress?"
"Stop making Chloe sick and we'll discuss it," Wanda said firmly.
Tootie smiled. She'd gotten her way after all. And it'd been worth it, too, to see the pain etched on Chloe's face. Maybe she was being unfair, asking Wanda to split her attention a third way, but she didn't care. She could be selfish if it was a good thing. And anyway, she didn't need a godparent, not really. She just needed someone to talk to.
She suspected Wanda needed the same. Having all the magic in the world didn't fix anything if the problems were more mundane. Sure, she could alter them magically, but that'd be a superficial response to a real problem. And in the end, it'd just revert back to the way it was. There was really no point in it.
"I have to go," Wanda said and her eyes narrowed. "Before Timmy decides to be an idiot and call out for me on the playground where everyone can hear. But we'll talk later, okay? And leave Chloe alone!"
Tootie nodded, still smiling. Oh, she would...for now. After all, Wanda hadn't put any time constraints on that demand...