On the ride to the beach, Timmy noticed Tecna looked upset over something. However, he couldn't think of anything that would have made her so… unless she just missed her mom. A wave of sympathy caused him to tightened his grip on the wheel, it's been years since his mother took her own life, but it still pained him.
When the plane landed at the hotel, the girls were all waiting to greet their handsome boyfriends. It was so awkward for Tecna, but she waited while they greeted each other.
Musa was the first to notice Tecna standing alone. She broke from her lover's arms to speak with her, "Come on Tecna, we have to check in while the boys get the luggage."
Tecna followed her in, and they collected two hotel suite keys, one suite for the girls and one for the guys. While the guys loaded the luggage cart, Tecna whispered to Musa, "Is there a craft store somewhere around here?"
Musa looked at her oddly and answered, "Yeah, but what do you need from the craft store?"
"I was hoping to get some sewing supplies," Tecna replied.
"I'm sure we could pass by there later tonight," Musa responded.
Riven came up to them and said, "Hurry up with those keys."
"Screw you Riven," Musa said back irritated.
…
At the restaurant, each of the girls sat next to their respective boyfriends, while Timmy and Tecna sat across from each other. Tecna felt stressed the whole time. She wasn't used to associating with so many people, and they all seemed interested in learning more about her.
Timmy knew she didn't like to be the center of attention, so he listened quietly for the most part. Tecna decided to change the subject and asked, "Can fairies use dark magic?"
The group looked at her in surprise. Stella nodded and replied, "Yes, but generally they have to be under a lot of stress. Using dark magic isn't healthy for a fairy, but it is possible. Why, did something happen?"
Tecna bit her lip nervously, not really wanting to tell them about the incidents she'd been having lately with her magic. She thought back to the strange magic she summoned at the race and her encounter with the Trix. Tecna silently hoped that the boys would keep their mouths shut about it. "I was just curious," she replied.
Tecna let out a breath of relief when the food came to the table and took the attention off her. As she was handed her plate, she felt her phone buzz. She reached into her pocket and read a message from Timmy, "I'm sure Codatorta would have some information on it, just try to relax for now."
She looked up at him with a slight smile and nodded before putting her phone away. Tecna took a bite out of her pasta and commented, "This is delicious. What kind of pasta is this?"
"It's spinach alfredo. Timmy ordered it for you when you were in the bathroom," Flora replied, "Do they not have it on Zenith."
Tecna shook her head no and replied, "There isn't much vegetation in our realm, so we don't get many dishes with vegetables in it. Our food is specifically designed to nourish our bodies, flavor is never discussed. Since pasta has very little nutritional value, it's rare that it is served there. In fact, some people have their meals in pill form."
"Well, that explains why you are so surprised by something as simple as spinach alfredo," Bloom replied with a laugh.
Tecna noticed Bloom didn't seem nearly as aggressive as she had the past two times they met. 'Does that mean I'm forgiven?' Tecna wondered.
"If you like that, you should try Lynphean cuisine, it is mainly composed of fresh fruit and vegetables," Flora added, "Besides, it happens to be Timmy's favorite."
Timmy blushed at Flora's comment while Tecna took a mental note on it. She figured it would come in handy later.
…
After they ate, they were on their way to the club, when Tecna noticed the craft store that Musa mentioned. She stopped and said, "You guys go on without me, I have to pick something up here."
"I'll stay with you," Timmy volunteered.
"No, thanks Timmy. Musa already said she would come with me. It will only be a few minutes," Tecna lied.
"Uhhh… Yeah, I am going to stay with her. You guys go on ahead and order us drinks. We'll be there in… like, five," Musa added.
They all raised an eyebrow at the two girls but agreed.
Tecna and Musa walked in, and the latter asked, "So, what did you need me in here for?"
"To get rid of Timmy," she replied simply, "I need to buy a spool of thread and needles to fix his favorite shirt, but I don't want him to know about it."
"Awwww Tecna, that's sweet," Musa squealed.
They walked to the sewing section and Tecna pulled out the shirt to match the fabric to the thread. Musa grabbed a spool and said, "This one looks like it matches."
Tecna looked at it closely and smiled, "That's perfect Musa, thanks." She then grabbed a pack of needles and said, "let's go catch up with the guys." She was about to check out when something caught her eye. She walked up to it and saw a model hover car, like they use at Red Fountain.
She thought for a moment and asked, "Musa, do you think Timmy would like this?"
Musa shook her head and replied, "Trust me, where you're more about logic, Timmy is more about love. Timmy is going to like that you spent your time mending his shirt way more than if you spent your money on this… I'm not saying that it's not a nice gift, I just know he would like your original plan more."
Tecna nodded and placed the ship back before heading to the register.
…
When arriving at the bar, Tecna placed her craft store purchases inside her purse before entering. Musa led them to a table in the corner. The guys were sitting on one side the booth and the girls were sitting on the other.
Musa and Tecna slid in with them and said, "Sorry we took so long." Musa saw Riven holding her Zombie and said, "You can read me like a book."
Timmy handed Tecna a Shirley Temple, remembering that she didn't handle alcohol well. Tecna smiled and thanked him before commenting, "This is really good. It's not bitter like the Zombie."
"That's because Timmy doesn't have the balls to lie to a girl about the alcohol content," Riven replied giving Musa a cheeky grin.
Tecna looked at Musa with a cheeky grin on her face, "Oh yeah, we still need to talk about that."
Musa cringed at the look Tecna was giving her, knowing she was in the doghouse. Before things could escalate, Bloom asked, "So are we just going to sit here like bumps on a log? Let's dance!"
As they exited the booth, Tecna noticed something on Bloom's shoulder and stopped her. "Bloom, what is this doing here?" Tecna asked worriedly.
Bloom looked at her shoulder and shrugged, "I don't know, it appeared a few weeks ago. I've been meaning to ask Timmy about it, since it looks computerized."
Tecna looked over to Stella and asked, "Do you happen to have a pair of tweezers on you?"
"I always have tweezers on me," Stella answered simply, digging in her purse.
"Stay still Bloom," Tecna said, as she used the tweezers to pull the microchip from her shoulder.
"Ouch, watch it Tec," Bloom grumbled. When she saw what it was, her face paled and asked, "What is that thing and why is it in my shoulder?"
"I won't know for sure until I get back to Red Fountain, but I believe it's a more advanced version of a mood patch. In Zenith, they recently came out with mood patches that are supposed to change the attitude of the wearer. They are mainly used on people who have violent tendencies. But, if used on a normal person, they have the opposite effect. The patches only last a day or two though, which means if I am correct this one could last several weeks. It would explain why you are acting civil towards me now, when you've been quite cross with me for weeks," Tecna explained.
"Huh, I don't remember being angry with you. And when was the magic chip planted on me?" Bloom asked.
Tecna shook her head and replied, "I can't answer how or when the chip was placed there. But, forgetting is a normal side effect of the patch."
Flora looked nervous and said, "Actually, I put it there."
"You, but why?" Bloom asked looking betrayed.
"I thought it was a gift from Helia," Flora explained. "You see, I found it on my desk shortly after the Diaspro incident. It was wrapped pretty and left with a loving note from Helia saying, 'I know you are nervous about the midterm, but Timmy made this confidence booster to help you through it. Simply use your magic to place it under the skin, and watch it work.' You were seriously depressed at that time, and I thought a confidence boost just might be what you needed. I'm so sorry Bloom."
"It had us all fooled," Stella mentioned, "you started acting happy again except when you were around Sky and Tecna. Probably because that was the source of your stress."
"I didn't send that to you," Helia replied.
"And I didn't make it," Timmy added.
All of the Winx and Specialists looked troubled by the sudden realization until Tecna said, "Well, it's gone now. You shouldn't have any more side effects."
Musa nodded and added, "Well, we can't figure out who sent it here. So, let's go have some fun."
The group seemed divided on whether they should let it go for now or keep investigating. Seeing how they didn't have any leads and it was supposed to be their vacation, they decided to head to the dance floor.
While the others went dancing, Timmy and Tecna stayed in the booth and tried to make light conversation. However, Timmy knew her mind was stuck on the microchip. He thought for a moment and came up with a way to distract her, "I have created a new invention, would you like to see?"
To his surprise Tecna's eyes lit up, "Of course, I would love to."
He pulled out what looked like a pocket watch and opened it up. Inside the pocket watch, was a hologram of a woman that looked a lot like Timmy. "This is my mom, I made it for my father's upcoming birthday. However, as you can clearly see, I am having issues with the hologram flickering. Do you know why it's doing this?" He asked.
Tecna smiled and answered, "I know exactly why it's doing that and how to fix it. When we get back to Red Fountain, we can work on it together if you would like? It should only take an hour or so to fix."
"I would love that," Timmy replied with a slight blush.
Tecna took a sip of her Shirley Temple to hide her own blush when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see a man towering over her. "Hey there beautiful. Would you like to dance?" he asked.
Tecna shook her head and politely declined, "Thank you for asking, but I don't like dancing."
She thought that was the end of it when he grabbed her arm and pulled her out the booth. "Come on gorgeous, I have been wanting to dance with you all night," he said pulling her into him.
Timmy quickly stood up and said, "She said no, now let her go."
The man who was trying to take advantage of Tecna started laughing, "it's like watching a chihuahua standing up to a Great Dane," he commented.
Tecna gulped down, she knew the two of them didn't stand a chance against the stranger and his friends. Especially since they couldn't use weapons with all these people around. It would be too dangerous.
When all hope seemed lost, the Winx and the Specialists saw the commotion going on and came to help. "Hey, get your hands off of her," she heard one of the guys yell.
"Or what?" the leader laughed, looking around to see where the voice came from.
"Or you're going to have to dance with me," Riven said before slamming the leader's head into the table, knocking down all the drinks in the process.
"You spilled my Mai Tai," Stella shrieked irritably.
Riven laughed and asked, "Really, Stella? Is that what you're worried about?"
With Tecna now out the man's grasp, Timmy pulled her behind him and the other guys while they got into a fighting stance.
The three guys looked at the group of Specialists and backed away, "Fine, keep your witch. She's not that cute anyway," the leader said before walking away.
With them gone, Timmy asked, "Are you alright?"
Tecna was a bit shaken up, but otherwise fine, she nodded and said, "Thank you guys."
Seeing that Tecna looked a bit frazzled, Flora suggested, "How about we go take a walk on the beach?"
"Oooooh, a super romantic walk on the beach with my Shnookums sounds like the best idea in the world!" Stella squealed.
Brandon and the rest of the group started laughing and followed them out to the beach near their hotel.
When they got there, they started to pair off, leaving Tecna and Timmy by themselves. Tecna stood near the water, letting droplets spray on her face. The smell of the sea was amazing.
Timmy stood next to her staring at the moon as it reflected down on the water. "It's a beautiful night," Tecna commented.
Timmy smiled at her and nodded, "Yeah, I think this was the perfect way to get away from school. Do you like it there?"
Tecna nodded, "I do, but I kind of miss Alfea as well." She looked at him with a quirky smirk and added, "At times, there's a bit too much testosterone at Red Fountain for my taste."
Timmy chuckled, it was originally an all-boys school, so it only made sense that she would feel that way. "Yeah, but I hope you know that we will always look out for you," Timmy replied.
Tecna bit her lip, she wanted to believe that but after what her father did to her, she just couldn't. She turned away from him and said, "It's getting a bit chilly. I think I am going to head in for the night."
Timmy was disappointed, but nodded, "Sure, let me walk you back to your room."