A/N: The language level will rise considerably, as The Other is rather fond of vulgarity.
Disclaimer: If I owned Fairly Oddparents, do you think I'd just sit here and let the world pass me by?
Chapter Five: Where Fore Art Thou, Timmy?
Cosmo half dragged, half carried Wanda to the couch, and collapsed. He didn't know how much he could take. There was no way he could stand against The Other, and without Wanda, he was completely lost. Althought it was true he was only alone until Wanda recovered, Cosmo didn't think much further than five minutes in advance.
While he was sweating bullets and whimpering, the doorbell rang. Cosmo gazed up at it and stared.
The Other, ignoring the blood on the rug, dashed to retrieve the book he threw at Wanda.
Why the hell did I throw something I needed? The Other thought, scowling. He scooped it up and turned to look at Cosmo. His hands shook with anger and he dropped the book again.
"What the hell is your problem? Answer the damn door!" The Other spat and Cosmo felt the hairs on his back stand up straight.
Only Jorgen makes me this scared. Wah! I'm scared!
Despite his fear, Cosmo knew better than refuse a request from someone more powerful (even if it was temporary), and darted to the door, and saw A.J. and Chester, the latter holding a can of tuna wiggle. They had been present and saw most of the catastrophe, not all, as when Timmy gallivanted off, the driver made a U-turn, much to the chagrin of some blood lusting youth and went an alternate route home. It stuck, despite it being the last day of school and they wanted to ensure Timmy's safety.
"Hey," Chester whispered to A.J., "it's that guy Timmy hired to be his father."
"I thought they disappeared?" A.J. whispered back.
The Other materialized on the wooden banister. The book was clutched in his left hand again as he gave a cursory glance to Timmy's friends. His hearing was supernaturally acute and he knew their conversation. After another sweep of Timmy's memories, he figured that he was equipped to deal and dispose of these children.
They don't know what they're dealing with. Fools.
He crossed the foyer and shoved Cosmo to the side.
"Hey!" Cosmo objected, but The Other's glare stilled him.
"Hello. I suppose you would like to see Timmy, yes?" The Other drawled, suppressing a smile.
My, my. Isn't this buck-toothed buffoon popular? The topic du jour is to talk to him. They should relish any words they may exchange with him; he will be unable to answer much when I'm finished. I doubt they will be when he is six feet under their feet.
Chester and A.J. nodded, they were unaware of the sinister dialogue in The Other's mind. Nonetheless, he registered somewhere, like everything Timmy did supernaturally. Something was greatly amiss, although they'd be hard put to identify it. After all, the only situations involving magic they'd been in didn't even scale against this.
"And you would be?" A.J. asked, being polite; he demanded chivalry but the reason was unclear. A.J. didn't know that his responses were scripted and anything he did was no longer his to do. The Other had a little power, because of the spell to make these procedures go to his aid, and he didn't feel comfortable with the intelligence of this child. Although A.J. had human fallibility, including the desire to write off anything to do with magic as coincidence or ignore it all together, if he remained more than a few minutes, he might unravel some of The Other's carefully constructed plans.
"I am…" Who am I? I must be clever, if I say something impossible, he'll catch on.
"I'm a cousin of Timmy's. My name is Lorenzo. That green haired man is my father, Kramer, and the pink haired woman, asleep (with a concussion, what awful timing) is my mother, Wilma. We heard about the tragedy and moved to help him (is that possible?). ( I forgot to explain Timmy! Shit!) Timmy is asleep upstairs, wouldn't want to be disturbed. The event was devastating and we expect he will sleep through the night."
Chester turned to leave, and The Other assumed that A.J. would follow. He was much mistaken, as he remained, moving not an inch.
Shit! Just leave, damn you. You must have more important things to do than interrogate me. The spell's power is weaning, and if he remains, I will lose what little control I had.
A.J. realized his mind was going in circles, and whenever it approached what Lorenzo said, it pulled back. Unfortunately, A.J. was used to out thinking people, and he managed to state just what was wrong.
"If you're Timmy's cousin, why have I never heard of you? And you must live rather close to here, but what has happened to your house? I'm familiar with Timmy's aunt Gertrude, not with Aunt Wilma and Uncle Kramer (although I have seen them). Why are you referring to the death of Timmy's parents so coldly?" A.J. stood with his hands over his chest.
The Other stood, intimidated by this child, and he couldn't think clearly. While he struggled for the words, Timmy struggled for control, and The Other doubled over. Regrettably, the lapse was too short, and The Other finally came up with something to reply.
"I apologize. I'm putting distance between myself and the deaths, to delay the inevitable. If I were to ponder, I would howl with despair. (Yeah, right). I have been away at college, so you have not met me yet, though I believe you have seen my parents. A kind neighbor is watching our house until we can move Timmy to a place of comfort. Now, I must go check on Timmy."
With those words, The Other shoved the door closed in their faces.
His back to the door, The Other sank to the floor. He didn't know why, but his body was wracked with pain, and he could feel Timmy pushing against him again. Were his friends enough to make Timmy want to talk?
I thought he was sufficiently miserable…
((Get out of my body!)) Timmy snapped at The Other, and forced him back down, as the doorbell rang again.
Timmy meant to open the door, but he saw blood on the carpet, and…Cosmo? What was he doing as a human, just standing there? Where was Wanda? What was going on?
Cosmo cocked his head.
"Timmy?" He asked shyly, afraid of what might be if it weren't.
"Cosmo, what's going on? I don't remember anything since I hit my head." Timmy meant to quiz Cosmo at length, but Vicky grabbed Tootie and used her to ram the door open.
Timmy smacked into the wall and saw stars.
Tootie stumbled, head spinning, and her vision blurry. She saw Timmy and attempted to flee, but her legs wouldn't cooperate and she plopped down at Timmy's feet instead. Her breathing was ragged, and Timmy could see she had a black eye, in addition to a brown ribbon with a floating crown.
Tootie has a fairy godparent? Timmy thought, perplexed, while The Other sulked, paying attention to everything but able to do nothing.
"Where was that hunksicle I saw a few minutes ago? I only came over to see him, not this stupid twerp!" Vicky growled.
She stepped on Tootie, who moaned, and walked into the kitchen, where she sat at the table, waiting. Her fingers drummed on the table, driving both Timmy and Tootie mad.
"Hi, Timmy," Tootie said softly, realizing she was cornered.
"I guess you caught me."
"What hunksicle?" Timmy asked, meeting Cosmo's eyes.
"What's going on here?"
Timmy helped Tootie up, and noted her ribbon was talking to her but it was too low for Timmy to hear anything. Tootie gained courage from it, whatever it said. She nodded imperceptibly, and looked him in the eye, but soon began to cry.
"I can't do this," Tootie whispered to Cal. "What if she comes after him?"
"She's sitting in the kitchen, and besides, she won't do anything with Cosmo and Wanda here." Cal responded.
"Cosmo and Wanda? You mean they're here? But why?" Tootie, during one of her previous stalkings, accidentally discovered them, but Cal swore her to secrecy.
"Someone wished for them to be human. I can't detect any magic from them. I doubt the wish was made by Timmy because he would have nothing to gain and much to lose."
They stopped when they noticed Timmy was staring. He couldn't help it- this was the first time he'd seen someone completely ignore him and talk to their godparent like he didn't exist. Also, Tootie wasn't whispering very quietly and neither was her fairy. What they spoke about only served to render him more confused.
"You know who Cosmo and Wanda are? And since when do you have-" Timmy began, but Tootie cut in.
"I spied (sorry!). For a year," Tootie said, so quickly Timmy wasn't certain she spoke English.
He wasn't sure which Tootie he disliked more, hyperactive, love-struck Tootie or shy, frightened Tootie. The change was evidently due to Vicky, who had become crueler for reasons unknown.
Maybe, Timmy mused, it was 'cuz of boys thinking she's 'Icky'. Not that I really blame them.
They talked for ten minutes, because Tootie was anxious to see if Vicky carried on any threats. Once Tootie was reassured (again and again) that he suffered no bodily harm at Vicky's hands, they fell to silence and the loudest sound was Vicky.
Tap, tap. Vicky's fingers still drummed on the table.
Timmy hummed along; it was "Icky Vicky". She probably didn't even realize what she was doing, making all the more humorous.
"Icky Vicky…" Tootie sang and Timmy chimed in, even finishing with the dance he and Chip had done two years ago.
((Did I just bond with Tootie?)) Timmy thought, inadvertently sending it her way.
((Maybe.)) Tootie responded and they both jumped.
Before Timmy had time to ask someone who might know better (that someone now being Cosmo, unfortunately), his stomach lurched and he gasped. It felt like his gut was being wrenched from his innards. The Other had sensed his good mood and wanted to stop it.
It was just his job in life, that, and making sure the people who sponsor sci-fi get it cancelled ASAP. There is always evil in the world to make people miserable and ruin their lives. The Other loved both.
Timmy bolted to the downstairs bathroom, aware of Tootie's stare but more aware of The Other, always paranoid of being discovered. He really wanted to be back in control, but actually, his main goal was…he really needed to pee.
So, as poor Timmy's body changed from his own to another's, The Other managed his business. He forgot, disused to human affairs, to close the door, giving any one who cared to a full view. No one cared, though, and it passed.
The Other sped off to the kitchen, but slowed as he become within earshot of Vicky. She probably would consider it a turn-off if he practically cart wheeled into her lap and told her she must go on a date with her so he could steal her energy. Besides, if Timmy's memories served him right, she wasn't the sort of person you ever wanted to be happy around. He knew she also earned a considerable revenue from the Turners (90 of their money went to her) and he was certain she was upset about her deaths from a logical standpoint- no more money.
The Other slid into the kitchen and grinned at no one in particular. He had to play hard to get first.
So, through trickery (and accidentally turning on the stove and burning his left butt cheek), "Lorenzo" captured Vicky's heart and her time on a non-negotiable affair- a date. At nine o'clock, tomorrow night.
Vicky walked out, dragging Tootie along. The door slammed shut and its finality rang throughout the house.
