Disclaimer: I do not own Rugrats/AGU or Fairly Oddparents. You should know which characters are OCs.

Word spread fast around town about what happened to both Z and Harold. However, Harold was back on his feet the next day. Z, on the other hand, was hospitalized, and had already spent a week there. The assault on Z made the 5 o'clock news. And it certainly became the number one topic amongst the students at the school. No one could feel 100% safe anymore, and no one even dared go anywhere alone. For once, students were relieved to be not only in classes surrounded by people, but even in the hustle and bustle of the hallways. At least then if something happened again, there'd be more answers. Not like the assault on Z by what was called 'unknown assailants'.

But for one Ashley, they were not unknown. She knew the Bagmen and only the Bagmen were capable of that type of damage. And she knew who had to have made the order to take Z's life.

Errol Blunt.

I'm not waiting around for answers anymore, she thought, I swear to God I'm gonna rip his throat out!

Right now, she was walking towards the chemistry lab, where Errol and Kimi had recently been staying after school to do their science project (Errol found it easier to bring the subject of the project to school with him rather than bring Kimi to the lab). And she was hellbent on pounding him.

Fortunately for her, he was alone at the moment. No Kimi in sight. She barged in without a second thought.

"You!"

Errol looked up from his notes to see a pissed-off Ashley storming towards him.

"So what's your complaint this time?" asked Errol, having grown content with Ashley's discontent.

She didn't even start with words. She grabbed Errol by the collar and pushed him up against the wall. For a girl her size, she was pretty strong. Especially up against Errol.

"My complaint is that you put my friend in the hospital!" she growled.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

"Stop playing dumb!" she roared, pushing him harder, "That's all you've done ever since you got here! Well no more!"

"Ashley!"

The voice coming from the other room, the science classroom connected to the laboratory, did not come from Kimi, but rather from Tommy. And he looked horrified to see his friend reacting so violently towards Errol.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Stay out of this, Tommy," hissed Ashley, "This is not your fight!"

"I don't even know what's going on!" exclaimed Tommy.

"Your charming friend here is accusing me of attacking that Z guy," Errol said, "And for poisoning Harold."

"What?!" asked Tommy, "Harold was poisoned?"

"By Errol," growled Ashley.

"That can't be!" exclaimed Tommy, "Errol wouldn't do something like that!"

"Maybe not with his own hands," said Ashley, giving Errol the stink eye, "But who is to say he isn't in league with the real assailants?"

"Ashley, that's ridiculous!" exclaimed Tommy, "That's just not possible!"

"I can't believe you're letting the likes of him deceive you like this!" shouted Tommy, "I thought you were my friend!"

"I am!" he exclaimed, "That's why I don't understand what's going on! Why are you acting like this?"

"Because of him!" cried Ashley, "He and his entire family have been nothing but unwanted trouble from the very beginning!"

Something went on in Errol's head at that moment. Something snapped.

"What did you just say about them?" he demanded.

"Why are you attacking his family?" asked Tommy.

"Shut up," she hissed, "I think we both know who you trust more, Thomas."

Tommy kept his mouth shut at that point. It was never smart to cross blades with a girl who, after previously calling you by your usual name or a cute nickname, was now addressing you by your full name.

"You heard me damn well," she replied, lowering her voice to a whisper, "I know who you really are...where you come from and what you've done. And I don't pity any of the misgivings that have fallen on you. Not after what you've done."

Whatever Errol had done to shove Devin away into the wall with incredible force, he had just done so once more to Ashley. All he did was push away from her, and she flew off her feet and hit her head against the wall on the other side of the classroom, causing her to fall unconscious onto the floor.

"Whoa," said Tommy, "I've never seen anyone with that kind of strength!"

"I, uh, guess I should be grateful to you," said Errol, regaining his composure, "Y'know, for sticking up for me. For believing me. So, uh, how can I thank you?"

"Well, you could go to the Pickles' family BBQ tomorrow afternoon," replied Tommy, "That's actually what I was going to ask you before...well, you know."

"Doesn't the name itself imply it to be a family event?" asked Errol.

"You'd think so," replied Tommy, "But most of the guests are just family friends, like the Finsters, Devilles, Carmichaels...you know, people like family."

"Family," muttered Errol, "Would be nice if I could remember what mine was like."

"Is that what bugged you so much about what Ashley said?"

Errol looked once more over the unconscious form of Ashley. She'd be fine, of course, but she poked at a subject Errol did not take lightly.

"Yeah," he replied, "It was...but, in answer to your question, I'd be delighted."

Z lay in the hospital bed unable to move, or even use the bathroom without assistance from a nurse. It was a little past midnight, so visitors were not permitted. But somehow, a petite figure emerged from the darkness of the empty hallways into Z's room. But not in the grungy fugitive attire he first met her in. She was now in her normal outfit...the one that consisted of white boots and a short skirt, with a purple turtleneck and a white headband.

"T-Trixie?" he moaned.

"My god..." sighed Trixie, "What happened to you?"

"Bagmen," replied Z, "The guys you said raided your mansion and murdered your mom...three of them ambushed me at my school."

"You saw them?" she asked, "Did you find out who they really are?"

"No," replied Z, "But I have a sneaky suspicion they're less than human."

The feeling of him punching the Bagmen only to be punching thin air would be engraved in Z's memories for a very long time.

"I thought you were laying low," said Z, "It's not exactly safe around here anymore."

"I've had plenty of time to think during the two weeks I've been here with you guys," replied Trixie, sitting in the chair next to Z's hospital bed, "I talked to your boss...he believes they won't keep my father alive much longer after they've milked him for everything he's worth. And I'm worried that won't be too long. He said he would send some help in to Dimmsdale...and I volunteered to help."

"What?" asked Z, "You?"

"It was that woman Ming who convinced me," replied Trixie, "I can't go into details what she told me, but I trust her. I want to save my father...and my friends...if any of them are still alive."

"I trust you on that Trixie," moaned Z, "Don't prove me wrong."

Trixie got up slowly, leaned over, and kissed Z's unmarked forehead.

"Thank you, Z," she said, "For everything. I'll never forget you."

As Trixie left the room, both failed to notice the camera capturing security footage, making its way to the office of the lazy, overweight security guard who was sleeping on the job. But through the wonders of computer hacking, the footage was wired from the hospital to the nearest satellite signal, re-routing the footage straight to Gemini Labs. Dr. Dreamer and Dr. Mavos were listening to every word.

"Should we do something about them?" asked Dr. Mavos.

"Not about the green-haired one," replied Dr. Dreamer, "He'll be out of the picture for a while. But we can't let that girl go back to Dimmsdale. Not with the Asian woman. She's too dangerous to keep alive."

Dr. Dreamer sipped his coffee before giving the order.

"Deploy more Bagmen to Dimmsdale."

As far as The Unraveling goes, both Trixie Tang and Ming are out of the picture. But I'll be giving them a spin-off fanfic so I can focus on that show's more magical aspect. I don't know how soon I can have it started up, but I have a lot of unfinished docs that I really ought to finish first.