Disclaimer: Nope, don't own it.

Chapter Nine: Out of the Fog, There is a Glimmer of Hope

Tootie didn't know how she'd gotten there in the first place. Where this guy had come from, why he looked like Timmy, these questions danced about in her head. Also, how on earth had she fit in such a tiny briefcase? That thing looked like it barely held a microwave plate, much less her.

Vicky, who, for all the world might deny any love for her sister, really wanted to scream. God, how could Tootie have gotten herself into this mess? She might have actually screamed, if The Other hadn't walked over to slip his arm about her. How did she (and now, Tootie), wind up in this fix? When Timmy Turner came back, oh, was he in for it!

The Other grinned at Tootie, who tried to jump gracefully from the tabletop. "Good morning, sweetie. Pleased to meet you, I'm going to be your new uncle," he announced to all.

In an undertone, to Vicky, "You're damn lucky I didn't shoot her on sight. I've got enough to deal with without a fucking little kid around."

He shoved her into the cabinet and Wanda and Cosmo jumped to leave. All hopes of a peaceful breakfast down the drain, they wanted to be as far away from The Other as humanly possible. Too bad The Other had no intention of letting them go anywhere.

"Stay," he motioned with his pistol, aiming at Tootie, who had one foot outside the kitchen, "stay and eat. We can have a nice family breakfast."

Tootie gulped and slowly walked back to the table. If her eyes weren't deceiving her, Timmy shone through The Other like a star. If this was true, then there had to be some way of reaching him.

Vicky pulled herself up and met Wanda's eyes. The most peculiar expression was on her face. On the outside, she looked terrified, but her eyes were gleaming with triumph.

Cosmo, not trusting himself to speak and in turn be abused, kept mercifully silent. He lowered himself back down and was startled to see Tootie had an aura. The Other also had one, but it was subdued, like he was restraining something. Was he the only one seeing this?

((No, I see it as well. I know what it is, too. That blue light aura around The Other is Timmy!))

((It's getting stronger.))

He was right. It looked bizarre, a purple aura battling through to the blue one. Only they could see it, too, because Vicky looked downright puzzled. It was a battle of the minds, and The Other was losing.

The Other glared at Tootie. This girl, who, when he first touched her, felt electricity pass through his body, was now in his mind. No, correction, not his mind, Timmy's. She'd bypassed him and gone straight to Timmy, with a fierceness born of love.

Fine, if she wants to play this way, she should be prepared to fight dirty.

He drew out his gun and aimed at Tootie, but his whole body became paralyzed. Even though this girl didn't register as high as Trixie Tang in Timmy's level of interest, Timmy blocked him from hurting her. She was talking to him now, on a level The Other would never accomplish, since he was born in hate and would die in hate.

((Timmy!)) Tootie squealed, her thoughts reaching out to embrace him.

Then, she sent, quieter, ((What's going on?))

((That's what I'd like to know. How are you doing that?))

The Other lurched and diminished, down to Timmy, who looked pale and a bit frightened, but otherwise unscathed. He had barely been there for a few seconds before Cosmo and Wanda swept him up into a hug, their eyes shining with tears. Poor kid, he had no idea what merited such a welcome.

Vicky just watched, constraining a smile. "He is your godchild."

Timmy stared and jumped out of his godparents' arms.

"Aaah! Vicky! Guys, why are you just standing there? Icky Vicky's in our house, and how does she know about you!"

"Point taken, twerp. I'm not here because I love you. Don't you know what happened?" Vicky smirked.

"Not really, no. I don't remember much at all." He glanced down at his shirt, or rather, The Other's tuxedo.

"Why is there blood?"

"Sit, stay." Wanda said, in an eerie imitation of The Other.

"This is a long story."

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Timmy ate his eggs and bacon, something Wanda had been more than happy to make for him, and listened to his godparents talk. He was starved (The Other hadn't bothered to eat, since he didn't work off of that kind of energy), but a little stunned. There was a lot to come to terms with, starting with his parents, and then, everything The Other had done. Cosmo and Wanda kept skimming over why Vicky was there, though, since they knew his knowledge about these things was extremely limited-he still thought the stork and machines were in cahoots.

Tootie held his hand, since Vicky was distant and quiet, noticing nothing. From what Cal told her, Vicky now feared her. Anyone more powerful than The Other was powerful indeed, especially considering the "date".

Timmy glanced down at Tootie's hand, firmly wrapped around his own. He felt so numb, but also tingly in the hand she held. For some unfathomable reason, he didn't brush her off. He needed the comfort.

Unlike the courtroom and two days ago, he didn't feel like Big Brother was watching him. As long as they maintained contact, The Other was blind and deaf. A feeling bubbled up inside, beyond The Other, that he couldn't place. Whatever it was, it kept The Other at bay.

"And you're here, why?" Timmy inquired, shifting his eyes to Vicky, who gazed at the walls, seeing nothing and wishing she felt nothing.

Wanda nudged Vicky.

"He's referring to you."

"Oh. I'm here-" and she launched into her memories, aided by them, of last night. Most of which, however, went right over Timmy's head. It wasn't his fault- Vicky's monotonic speech held many unfamiliar terms.

We must. Cosmo and Wanda thought together, and held up a hand to stop Vicky.

"Timmy, there's something you must know about adults. We hoped we'd never tell you this, that your parents would when you were ready, but now you must hear it," Wanda said somberly, regretfully. She never wanted her godchild to lose his innocence like this…

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He felt like his mind blew a gasket. Everything was huge, but this revelation was the mother load. Cosmo piped in from time, to "help" Wanda explain (both were exceedingly red in the face), until Vicky retold her story, only Timmy understood it now. A piece of his childhood blew away, never to return.

Tootie remained tight lipped, she heard the story before, and she understood Vicky's part the first time. Even though her parents were rarely home, they'd made it a point to sit down and tell her about a year ago. Unlike Timmy, she didn't have to hear about it, it was chosen for her to learn.

Poor Timmy. His parents wanted to shelter him so much and it's all gone, Tootie thought. His face is heart-breaking. No one wanted this as a way for him to grow up.

"I'm sorry," Wanda said. "We never wanted you to grow up this soon."

Timmy nodded dumbly. He wanted to cry, but this didn't feel like the time or place. The whole magnitude of the situation, somehow, this was all his fault…

"No, don't blame yourself. It's not you," Wanda said.

"It's that jerk, The Other," Cosmo scowled.

Vicky, whose arms were wrapped about herself, smirked.

"Jerk's a bit of an understatement," she muttered.

"Oh!" Tootie cried, and all eyes were on her. She turned beet red.

"I have a question."

((About what?)) Timmy thought, accidentally making it into a telepathic query.

"That!" She said, and pointed to Timmy.

"I want to know why we can hear each other's thoughts."

Cal, who remained silent, poofed into his normal form, forgetting Vicky didn't know about him. You have to give him some credit, he was new at this. Tootie was his first godchild, and his training was somewhat inadequate- Cosmo and Wanda took up Fairy World's time with Timmy's extraordinary wishes. Nothing happened, though, when he was revealed. Whatever Jorgen was doing, it wasn't watching over them.

"It's telepathy," Cal began, but ceased, blushing, when he saw Vicky. What am I doing? I've revealed my form to a human!

"Who are you?" Vicky asked. "You're not Timmy's."

Timmy snorted.

"Duh! I've never seen him before in my life!"

"He's mine," Tootie said. "I got him because you made my life a living hell, Vicky."

"Yeah, Vicky. You should be proud, you're probably the reason a lot of kids got fairy godparents," Timmy boasted.

While they talked, Cosmo and Wanda conferred silently.

((Where's Jorgen?)) Cosmo thought, glancing up at the ceiling.

((And the gigantic copy of Da Rules to take him away?)) Wanda thought, her eyes also on the ceiling.

Neither of these things was in sight, and Jorgen had a fairy inspection today. Since The Other'd never appeared in Fairy World's books, the whole situation wasn't happening, as far as they were concerned. This was a depressing thought, that, even if they had their powers, they'd be unable to summon help. Months later, when Jorgen appeared to inspect Cosmo and Wanda again, they wouldn't bring it up, since it was partly their fault and they didn't want to receive level nine detention.

A little unnerved, Cal continued, "All people in the presence of fairy godparents, or who are fairy godparents, when meeting their true loves, can share telepathy. This is a really powerful bond and it usually doesn't happen without both parties first acknowledging it. Apparently, there's a reason you two have it now, instead of a few months down the road."

"True love!" Tootie and Timmy cried in unison, their reactions completely opposite.

Tootie squealed with delight, "Timmy's mine! All mine! Too bad, Trixie Tang!"

"Why? Why?" Timmy moaned. "Why couldn't it have been Trixie?"

"Well, maybe because she doesn't like you," Cosmo said, and Wanda hit him.

Vicky remained silent- she didn't trust herself to speak. She thought she might have cracked a rib restraining her laughter. Those two deserve each other. Twerps.

Wanda, grinning, said, "Love knows no boundaries."

"Yeah! Not even stupidity!" Cosmo piped in.

A thought suddenly occurred to Wanda.

"The Other doesn't know about you, does he?" She directed this at Cal.

"No. Why?"

"Oh!" Wanda and Cosmo said, their eyes big.

"We've got an idea-" Wanda said.

"Which means, Wanda's got an idea-"

"We need you to steal The Other's book and copy a page out of it. We, all of us," she glanced at Timmy, Tootie, and Vicky, "must memorize it. This is the key to The Other's downfall- you know which page."

Cal nodded.

"Now?"

"Yes, now!" Wanda pointed upstairs. "In his parent's room, it'll be near the bed."

Cal returned with it, and all of them pored over the page. Tootie's hand was still on Timmy's, but both hands were clammy. She didn't let go, since Wanda informed her that was all that was preventing The Other from coming out again. They couldn't risk it, even if Timmy's memories would be sealed, preventing The Other from scanning them.

"Have you got it?" Wanda asked, and almost all of them nodded. Cosmo looked confused.

((I'll go over it with you later.))

He nodded.

"Make yourself scarce," she motioned to Cal, "and, Tootie, let go."

Tootie dropped Timmy's hand and The Other returned. "What the hell's going on?"

"Nothing," they all responded, hiding smiles.