CHAPTER TEN

The summer months went by pretty fast. Timantha and Brendan were busy doting on Penny while Penny's parents – thanks to H.P. and Sanderson – were being snowed under at work. It was getting to the stage where the only time that Penny saw them was just before she had breakfast and just before she went to sleep. As such, they were starting to become strangers to her.

For their part, the extra work at the Employment agency – while profitable – was having the effect of tiring them out. Even hiring extra help at the agency wasn't alleviating the additional workload. So by the end of the day, Mr. and Mrs. Pennington were dead-tired and just wanted to go to sleep, thus depriving Penny of any meaningful family time… which was what H.P., and Sanderson intended.

So naturally, Brendan and Timantha filled in the vacuum that Penny's parents had left by their absence. Penny was grateful for their presence and her love for them continued to grow as a result. It certainly helped as the six-month anniversary when Jorgen did the annual fairy inspection.

"Everything satisfactory", Jorgen said in conclusion, "You get 'A's in everything! Keep up the good work!"

After Jorgen had BOOM-ed himself away, the three of them hugged and high-fived each other. Penny then gestured to them to POOF away all of the items that they had POOF-ed up at her request for the inspection.

"Thank you, Honey!" Timantha exclaimed to Penny, "You really helped us to pass the inspection!"

"I can't take all of the credit", Penny replied, "after all, I had you two here to guide me. You deserve a pat on your own backs".

"Like this?" Brendan asked as he POOF-ed up two large floating hands that proceeded to gently pat his and Timantha's backs.

Penny giggled, and then said, "You know, this calls for a celebration. How about we go out and have a soda or a snack to celebrate?"

"Well, we can't exactly show ourselves in public, Honey", Timantha replied, "it might look suspicious to people in the mall seeing you munching French fries in Dimmsdale Mall with two fairies".

"She has a point, you know", Brendan said as he POOF-ed away the hands, "Though we could disguise ourselves as human".

"Let's do something different", Penny replied, "That learning helmet showed that you – when you were Timmy Turner, Timantha - had gone up to Fairy World from time to time with Cosmo and Wanda, so why don't we go there to celebrate. I've never been there yet, and this is a great opportunity to see it. Plus you wouldn't have to be disguised".

Timantha looked at Brendan. Brendan nodded.

"Okay, Honey", Timantha said as she raised her wand, "Let's go!"

With a POOF, the trio found themselves in Fairy World, directly outside a Wandeys fast food restaurant.

"Think a burger and soda would be a good way to celebrate?" Brendan asked his godchild.

"Sounds good to me", Penny said as she followed her fairy godparents into the restaurant.

"And it also tastes good as well", Timantha replied.

Over at their office building, H.P. and Sanderson smiled. They had been monitoring the inspection, and they were pleased that Jorgen Von Strangle had passed them. That 'advice' that they had given Timantha a while ago had evidentally paid off. A major hurdle had been passed.

"It looks as if the plan is progressing satisfactory", H.P. commented to Sanderson as he turned off the magic flat-screen monitor on his desk.

"And our legal experts have crafted the document, H.P.", Sanderson added as he PING-ed up a piece of paper.

"Excellent", H.P. said as Sanderson handed him the document.

Sanderson watched as H.P. looked through the document. After a couple of minutes, H.P. looked up.

"It looks clear enough for Pennington to understand", H.P. said, "and she should have no hesitation in making the wish, but where is the information on the document pertaining to us?"

"It is in microscopic format encased in the final period on the last line", Sanderson replied as he PING-ed up a scanning electron microscope for H.P. to look through.

H.P. set the microscope on the highest magnification and read the 'extremely fine print':

'Fairy World is to be ruled by the Pixies forever, with no possibility of reversion to Fairy control'.

H.P. smirked at that sentence. With a rule-free wish made on a document with that addendum, then there was no way that ANYONE could undo the wish. Fairy World would become Pixies Incorporated, and it would stay that way forever!

"When do you intend to hand Pennington the document?" H.P. asked Sanderson.

"The next time that she is alone", Sanderson replied, "I will be in the Wanda disguise".

"Excellent", H.P. replied, "in six months, we will be running things here, and there will be no chance of anyone stopping it. Go me, Go me, it's my birthday".

"And we'll make sure that not only Timantha, but her new daughter as well will be 'reaping' the fruits of our labors in the New Order", Sanderson added.

"Absolutely", H.P. agreed with an unpleasent smirk, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas".

Sanderson's chance came a couple of weeks later after the fall school semester started. Timantha and Brendan had to POOF up to Fairy World that day to tune-up their wands, which left her fairy-less. Of course, Wanda and Cosmo had to go as well, so Tommy and Tammy were in the same boat, but since there didn't seem to be any problems so far, there was no need to worry - at least about themselves. Penny knew from the learning helmet that Jorgen insisted upon the fairies getting their muscles toned up as well...

"Oops", Penny grumbled suddenly, "I have to go to the bathroom".

"Don't worry", Tammy replied, "We'll save your place".

Nodding, Penny stood up and walked out of the lunchroom and over to the Girls bathroom. Quckly taking care of her ablutions, she went over to one of the basins and washed her hands.

As she did so, a brief PING lit up the room.

"Oh, Wanda", Penny said with some surprise, "I thought that you were up in Fairy World with Cosmo, Timantha, and Brendan getting your wands tuned".

"I had managed to get a break", 'Wanda' replied, "and I wanted to take advantage of the time to give you the paper that I had promised you earlier".

"You're sounding weird again, Wanda", Penny noticed, "You come down with the fairy flu again?" she asked as she took the offered paper.

"Uh, yes", 'Wanda' answered, "I had better get back to Fairy World and get some medicine from the pharmacy.

"What about the PING sound, Wanda?" Penny asked, "I'm used to you going POOF instead".

"Which is why I have to get back to finish tuning up my wand", 'Wanda' glibly replied.

"Okay... then I won't keep you", Penny said, "Get well soon. That fairy flu really makes you sound dull and boring"

"Please remember to keep this between us", 'Wanda' reminded Penny as she walked out of the bathroom. Penny looked back and nodded.

After Penny had left, 'Wanda' changed back to Sanderson, then he PING-ed back to H.P.

"The paper has been delivered", Sanderson reported, "and Pennington will only see what she wants to see when she reads it. The contents of the paper, plus Timantha and Brendan continuing to be there for her will ensure that she will make the wish".

"This is a lot better than our usual thirty-seven year plans, Sanderson", H.P. noted, "moving faster than glacial pace has a certain excitement to it. Remind me to take another dull-down pill this evening".

"Yes, H.P.", Sanderson acknowledged. The one thing that Pixies couldn't do is to be overly excited about things…