CHAPTER NINE

The jury deliberated for half-an-hour. While Remy, Juandisimo, and HP quietly - and morosely - chatted at the defendant's desk, new Timmy, Wanda, Cosmo, and Timantha were chatting by the persecutor's desk.

"I'm sorry, Dad", Timantha said, "but it looks like there's not going to be any playing 'catch' between us any more".

"I don't know", Cosmo replied, "you may be totally a girl now, but do you still like baseball?"

Timantha thought about it. True, in her mind, she was picturing unicorns, dolls, makeup, and lots of pink fluffy toys, but she also had a clear picture of the Great American Pastime".

"Yes, Dad, I do", Timantha said.

"Well then, no problem", Cosmo answered, "I may not have a boy to play 'catch' with, but I have no problems playing 'catch' with a tomboy!"

Timantha smiled at her father. She floated over and kissed Cosmo on the cheek.

"And that's another advantage", Cosmo added, "You'd never have a son doing that to his dad!"

Giggling some at Cosmo's answer, Timantha then turned to Wanda.

"Well, Mom", Timantha said, "looks like you'll be redecorating my bedroom back home".

"Well, Sweetie", Wanda answered, "Speaking as Girl-to-Girl, I think we can work something out, but I'll tell you this: your father and I still love you just as much as when you were Fairy Timmy".

"And it'll be easier for you whenever you go out with Trixie in future", new Timmy added.

"True, but this innate ability of knowing which boy bands rock out loud is still a little weird", Timantha pointed out.

At that moment, Big Daddy and Mama Cosma came up.

"Timantha", Big Daddy said, "Your grandmother and I are sorry for not being able to stop that kid Buxaplenty, but we's wants to let you know that despite our differing feelings about your parents, your bravery as shown in this court has made youse very special to us, and its not just because of the grandparent clause".

"It will also be nice to have a granddaughter staying over with us once in a while", Mama Cosma added, "I can show you fun things about what girls do".

"I bet you can, Grandmother Cosma", Timantha replied, cheered by her warmth and sympathy.

"It still doesn't change my view about Wanda though!" she admonished.

"Just so that you don't be mean to her while I'm around", Timantha asked.

"That's fair enough, I suppose", Mama Cosma agreed.

Wanda rolled her eyes. Still, at least while her daughter – she had to get used to that fact now – was around, Mama Cosma would at least knock off the insults and the falling anvils…

Just then, three GONG's sounded. Jorgen came up to new Timmy and the others.

"The jury has reached a verdict, so settle down", he ordered.

With a POOF, the twelve members of the jury reappeared floating over the jury bench. The judge rapped his gavel.

"This court is back in session. Foreman of the Jury", the judge said, "have you reached a verdict?"

The foreman replied, "Yes, your honor".

"Please hand your verdict sheet to the bailiff", the judge instructed.

As the foreman held out the form, the bailiff floated over and took it out of the foreman's hand.

"Is this verdict unanimous?" the bailiff asked the foreman.

"It is", the foreman replied. The other jurors nodded their agreement.

"Bailiff, please read the verdict. The defendants and their attorney will please rise", the judge ordered.

As Remy stood and Juandisimo and HP floated higher, the bailiff opened the form and started to read the verdict.

"The jury finds Remy Buxaplenty and Juandisimo Magnifico guilty of violating the spirit of DA RULES in their vindictive usage of the aforementioned book for their own selfish purposes", the bailiff read.

"Thank you, Bailiff", the judge said. Turning to the jury, he said, "Thank you for deliberating. You are dismissed".

With a POOF, the jury vanished. Also, the spirit of DA RULES flowed back into the book.

"Remy Buxaplenty", the judge intoned, "the jury having found you and your fairy godparent guilty, it only remains for me to pronounce sentence upon you both. Do you have anything to say before I do so?" he asked.

"I only wanted to have that which they enjoyed, Your Honor", Remy replied, "I've had a childhood deprived of any warmth or compassion!"

"Juandisimo Magnifico", The judge said next, "do you have anything to add?"

"I was only acting out of my love for Wanda, Your Honor", Juandisimo Magnifico said solemnly, "so please take that into account". He turned to Wanda.

"I was blinded by my love for you, Wanda", Juandisimo said, "can you ever forgive me?"

"You used my son as a weapon of revenge, Juandisimo", Wanda replied evenly, "He is now forever a she as a result of your vindictiveness against my family. That is going to be rather hard for me to forgive, or to forget". She turned back to face the judge.

"Remy Buxaplenty", the judge said, "I'll let you know this: when you were first assigned a fairy godparent, it was after a lot of debate. True, you were wealthy, but the loneliness that you had suffered because of your parent's apparent lack of affection is what finally swung us over".

The judge paused to let Remy absorb what he had said, then continued.

"It was hoped that by you having a fairy godparent, you would be able to make friends and come closer to your parents, but instead, you used Juandisimo to further your conceited attitude", the judge said, "by flaunting your wealth and social status, instead of making friends, and using Juandisimo's magic for asserting yourself, your money, and your snobbishness, meant that we made a bad mistake".

"But why was I not warned of this earlier?" Remy asked.

"We had hoped that with your second chance with Juandisimo, plus your apparent truce with Timmy Turner after the scavenger hunt, you were starting to learn, but your subsequent conduct, coupled with the recent events, meant that you never did learn anything", the judge replied, "which brings me to my decision".

Remy's head hung low as the sentence was announced.

"Remy Buxaplenty, it is the decision of this court that you lose your fairy godparent Juandisimo Magnifico, that you forget that you ever had a fairy godparent, and that you never be reconsidered for being assigned a fairy godparent in future. Sentence to begin immediately!" the judge ordered, raising his wand.

With a POOF, Remy Buxaplenty vanished. The judge then turned to Juandisimo.

"Juandisimo Magnifico", the judge began, "it is the decision of this court that you be removed from the pool of fairy godparents for the next ten years, while you undergo probationary retraining at the Fairy Academy. While I can understand that your love for Wanda blinded you to some extent, you also knew that she was married, and that she was happy being married to Cosmo. Using their child as a weapon of revenge, and your permanently changing him to a her as a result, nullifies any mitigating factor in this decision. Sentence to begin immediately".

Jorgen raised his wand-staff and POOF-ed Juandisimo over to the academy.

"This court is adjourned", the judge said, bringing down his gavel.

"Well, I'd better get back to my business, I'll send the court my bill for expenses", HP said before he PING-ed out.

As the courtroom emptied, Jorgen turned to face the others.

"I'd better get Juandisimo's training program prepared", he said, "but Timantha, I will still see you at the academy prep school on Monday. Change your boy's uniform for a girl's one before you start your morning classes".

"Yes, Sir", Timantha replied, "though I'm probably going to face a lot of teasing at the academy now that I'm a 'she'", she added.

"Don't be too sure", Jorgen said, pointing to a camera mounted in the wall, "this trial went out live on F-SPAN, and the circumstances will be well-known by your classmates by Monday".

With that, he BOOM-ed out, leaving Timantha with her parents, grandparents, and new Timmy.

"I'd best get back to my legitimate business", Big Daddy said, "I still have some clients to torture – I mean negotiate with".

"Yes, and I like helping", Mama Cosma added.

With a POOF, they both vanished.

"Well, I think we'd best get back to Dimmsdale", Wanda said, "We've got Mr. and Mrs. Turner to wake up for starters!"

"Let's do it!" new Timmy confirmed.

Cosmo, Wanda, and Timantha raised their wands. With a final POOF, they returned to Dimmsdale.