CHAPTER FOUR
"That was great!" Penny exclaimed after her parents had left her room, "my first-ever tea party with my parents".
Brendan and Timantha POOF-ed back into their fairy forms once Mr. and Mrs. Pennington had left the bedroom.
"Oh, and my fairy godparents as well", Penny added.
"Glad to be able to participate, Honey", Timantha replied, "and you made a wonderful hostess".
"I don't see why You-doo dolls are so bad, Timantha", Penny said to her next, "after all, it did allow my parents to come to my tea-party".
"That's the problem, Honey", Timantha replied, "They initially seem to solve problems, but those dolls can be abused, or worse, left for others to handle. When that happens, anything could result from their ignorance".
"You really did have a bad experience with You-doo dolls, Timantha, didn't you?" Penny asked.
Timantha nodded, saying, "I nearly got mulched up in a wood chipper, and my parents were – for a while – pulled apart in a you-doo fight. That kind of thing makes for a long memory".
"But why did you and Brendan POOF them up earlier this evening if they were potentially dangerous?" Penny asked.
"Your wish was vague. Not really specific", Brendan replied, "that gives the magic a lot of leeway. Those dolls appearing were just as much a surprise to us as to you".
"So I have to be more mindful of what I wish for in future", Penny deduced.
Brendan and Timantha smiled. Penny was really an intelligent girl.
"As long as what you wish for does not contradict DA RULES, Penny", Brendan said as he POOF-ed up the book, "what you wish for, we grant. Just by using the words 'I wish' will be enough".
"Can you pass me DA RULES, Brendan?" Penny asked, "I'd like to look at them".
"Here you go, Penny", Brendan replied.
Penny scanned through a few pages. She made a 'task' sound at one of them.
"I see what you mean", Penny commented, "for example, not wishing anyone hurt, maimed, or killed. That means I'll still be at the mercy of Francine at school tomorrow".
"Francine?" Timantha inquired.
"Oh yeah, she's the chief bully at Dimmsdale Elementary", Penny replied, "A grey skinned, female Frankenstein who loves picking on me and a few others".
"She wouldn't be related to a grey-skinned guy named Francis, would she?" Timantha asked.
"Yeah, he's her dad. Her mom is a female wrestler", Penny replied.
Timantha rolled her eyes. That figures, she thought.
Penny looked through more of the other regulations in DA RULES. She sighed.
"You know, I get the feeling that some of these rules were written on the go by some thick-minded bureaucrat with muscles for brains. What kind of dimwit would do so?" she asked.
"This one!" a new voice said.
With a BOOM, the large, muscled, and camouflage-clad visage of Jorgen Von Strangle appeared, carrying his wand-staff. He looked at Penny, Brendan, and Timantha with a sneer.
"Who's this?" Penny rather fearfully asked Brendan.
"That's Jorgen Von Strangle, one of the toughest fairies in Fairy World, and our boss", Brendan replied.
"What do you mean by 'one of the toughest'?" Jorgen asked menacingly.
"Well, Big Daddy and Tooth Fairy may have something to say about that", Timantha pointed out.
"Enough!" Jorgen snarled. Timantha shut up.
"Now what was that about thick-minded muscle-brained bureaucrats?" Jorgen asked next.
"Uh, just commenting on how comprehensive DA RULES are… Sir", Penny quietly replied.
"Hmmm", Jorgen said, "respectful. I like that 'Sir' bit".
Penny breathed out a small sigh of relief.
"Penny Pennington", Jorgen said next, "It was with my approval that you were assigned fairy godparents. It is a privilege not easily given. Be mindful of DA RULES, and the guidance from your fairy godparents, and you will continue to have them. However, I will be watching you, like I watch all the other puny humans with fairy godparents. You do anything to warrant their removal, and it will happen to you. GOT IT?!!"
"Yes, Sir", Penny said quietly.
"Good! Have a pleasent evening", Jorgen concluded. With a BOOM, he vanished.
"Nice to see him in a good mood", Brendan said in a relieved voice.
Penny turned to face Brendan with a shocked look on his face.
"THAT was him in a good mood?" she exclaimed.
"You should see him when he conducts the fairy inspections", Timantha said, "then he tends to be rather less forgiving".
"Oh boy!" Penny muttered.
"Don't worry about Jorgen, Sweetie", Timantha consoled, "he really does mean well, and after all, he did approve your selection to be given fairy godparents".
"What did you mean about the Tooth Fairy and Big Daddy?" Penny whispered.
"Tooth Fairy is Jorgen's wife. Big Daddy is my grandfather", Timantha replied.
Penny nodded. Wives can cow husbands and this 'Big Daddy' person sounded like someone whom you'd jump if he said 'frog'.
"Just how many kids on Earth have fairy godparents?" Penny asked next.
"A lot", Timantha replied, "though DA RULES forbids us from telling you which kids have them. That is one thing that you have to find out for yourself".
"So for all I know, there could be other fairies with godchildren here in Dimmsdale?" Penny asked.
Timantha and Brendan did not reply. They certainly couldn't let on about Tammy and Tommy Turner, and their fairy godparents.
"Okay, I get it", Penny replied, "I don't want to do anything to bring back that…"
She broke off as she noticed Timantha making a slash gesture across her throat.
"I mean, that muscular, handsome he-man of a fairy godparent who is such a conscientious and caring boss", Penny hastily said.
"Now you're getting the picture", Brendan said.
"Well, I'd better get to bed", Penny said next, "I've got school tomorrow and the usual stuff that goes with it".
Timantha aimed her wand at Penny and POOF-ed her nightclothes on. Brendan then used his wand to elevate Penny, and then float her over to her bed.
As Penny settled in, Timantha and Brendan floated over to her.
"You have a good night, Penny", Timantha said, "and we'll see you in the morning".
"I'm actually scared to go to sleep", Penny replied, "Because I'm scared that when I waked up, you'll be gone".
"We will be here, Penny", Brendan said, POOF-ing on a gold wrist bracelet, "and this is the proof if you wake up during the night and wonder".
Penny looked at the bracelet. It bore an engraving of a crown, and the lettering, TO P from T and B inside a heart.
Brendan and Timantha then kissed Penny on the cheek.
"Have a good sleep, Honey", Timantha said.
"You too, Timantha. Brendan", Penny replied.
Both of them watched Penny fall asleep. Now Brendan waved his wand, and with a quiet POOF, both he and Timantha were shrunken down to doll size, outside the dollhouse that Timantha had POOF-ed up earlier.
"Now it's time", Brendan said as he picked up his wife.
"Let's cherish the moment", Timantha replied, kissing her husband.
With Timantha still cradled in his arms, Brendan carried his wife over the threshold, and into the house. Their first day as fairy godparents had come to an end.