Author's Note: This chapter compiles the original chapters nine and ten. I found chapter nine especially had too much filler, enough to rend it useless, so the first scene contains the only useful information it provided. Chapter ten I thought a little better, but not by much, so this is a complete rewrite.

The only remaining paragraphs are Lorenzo's note to Tootie after Cal's death. A little note- Lorenzo's "muse", as it will, had a lot of problems with this rewrite, since Cal is based off his lover.

Throughout this rewrite, I've striven to make TOS tighter and provide more answers to the why of what's going on. It struck me as strange for certain things to happen with flimsy basis, and so, I added on. I hope, for whomever's reading this, that they appreciate the effort going into it. :)

Chapter Nine: Only Freshmen

Timmy left school in a quagmire. He even allowed himself to be corralled by A.J. and Chester into sitting beside them. What The Other proposed was ludicrous. How could he commit murder, much less murder Cosmo and Wanda? His stomach ought to be curdling at the thought. He ought to be recoiling in horror and retreating to his house for safety. Yet the niggling thought remained. He craved his parents.

When they were alive, they'd never had time for him. Now, in death, they had nothing to do but pay attention. He was almost happy enough to lose his godparents, which, in a subconscious way, he thought he might have wanted from the beginning. He wanted his parents to pay attention to him, for Vicky to be a non entity in his life, and for everything to wrap up nicely. Here was the chance and he ought to seize it. The Other seemed like he was telling the truth, and had showed him mentally his remorse.

The bus stopped and Timmy moved stiffly, like a robot, to the exit. He wasn't surprised to discover pink and green animals on the lawn waiting for him. He didn't acknowledge them; instead, he entered the house and was also unsurprised to found Cosmo and Wanda in their true forms floating before him. Cosmo was crying and Wanda was doing her best to keep it together. She folded her arms across her chest and stared.

"Tootie told me what happened with The Other earlier," Wanda said. "You can't be seriously considering this."

There was a large mental block in his mind, obfuscating his thinking, and he said, "You're in my way. Are my parents up there?"

"Your parents this, your parents that," Cosmo spat and burst into tears anew. "You'd think we were already dead."

Wanda hugged Timmy and Timmy kept his arms at his sides. She frowned and stroked his hair. Timmy acted like she wasn't even there and became aware of Tootie behind him. Wanda released him and he turned to face the kindred spirit, the one who shared telepathy with him. The Other's contempt and disregard for her filled him.

"Hello, Timmy," she said. "How was school?"

He didn't ask how she'd gotten home before him. Then again, Cal had probably taken her. It didn't matter to him. He shrugged it off. Instead, he gazed at the stairs and Tootie yanked him by the collar to look at her again. His glance went right through her.

"You need to listen to us," Wanda said. "I know you haven't been listening-"

"-all summer-" Cosmo interrupted. He turned into a record player and began to skip. Timmy let The Other's coldness fill him. He tugged his shirt out of Tootie's grasp and Tootie snagged his sleeve again. Her lower lip curled.

"Like it or not, even if I have to tie you to a chair, you will listen to us," she said.

"Tried that before," Cosmo interjected. "It didn't work."

"Timmy, anti faeries can lie mind to mind," Wanda said. Timmy gawked at her and doubt trickled in. He faltered.

"What?" he said. "The Other didn't mention that."

Cosmo snorted. "Of course he didn't. He's the bad guy."

"Anti faeries have always had greater mental ability than we faeries," Wanda said. "It was a trade off. Anti faeries don't normally have telepathy, but they manipulate the mind."

"Lorenzo can lie to me?" Timmy stared at Wanda. "But…you can't lie in telepathy."

She frowned. "There's a difference between lying…and bending the truth. You can't lie mind to mind, but you can say things you believe true, regardless of whether they're actually true."

Timmy was stunned. The Other had warned him Wanda might lie, but now he didn't know who to believe. He wanted his parents back and he wanted to be a child again. His lower lip quivered and he sank onto the couch. Cosmo and Wanda joined him and Tootie sat on his right side, his faeries on his left.

"So if I said Wanda was hot in telepathy…" Cosmo said and grinned from ear to ear. Timmy and Tootie gave him strange looks and Wanda smirked.

"I'd appreciate the compliment, but it wouldn't make it true for someone like, say, Vicky, who would disagree," Wanda said. "Do you understand?"

Timmy frowned. He was still befuddled. The Other's opinions and mental persuasion lingered and he wanted to think things through, which was strange enough on its own to be remarkable. Wanda and Cosmo had always been loving, and Tootie wanted to help, though she was out of her element here. Surely his godparents hadn't been warning him for months without just cause. By the same token…he wanted to believe The Other, because it eased the hurt and loneliness inside him.

Tootie squeezed his hand and he thought of Lorenzo. Compared to his godparents, The Other was a powerhouse. Anti Cosmo had helped Cosmo once, hadn't he? True, he'd needed to be captured, but he'd still helped. There had to be other cases where anti faeries had changes of heart and decided to help their counterparts. Unless, of course, they'd lied about helping them and rescinded the offer.

He closed his eyes and contemplated his link with The Other. The Other was waiting, ready and willing to listen to him. There was openness, a sense of listening.

((You wanted me?))

((Wanda said you can lie mind to mind.))

The Other laughed. ((I told you not to listen to her.))

((But…you've never done anything but make my life miserable. Why should I trust you?))

((Has Wanda ever lied to you?))

((I don't know. Maybe.))

((No one tells the truth all the time. I am trying my best. I am trying to make you see your godparents are a crutch, and you can have what you truly want, if you only listen to me.))

((I want to believe you…)) he hesitated and The Other nudged his mind. Timmy relaxed and The Other smiled.

((Then believe me.))

Timmy smiled back, slumping on the couch. It really could be as easy as that, handing off control and letting The Other make his decisions for him. Energy escaped his body in tiny blue bursts and Timmy reclined, utterly at peace. He'd believe him.

The Other detested lateness. He considered punctuality crucial. Scowling, he consulted his pocket watch, an old faerie relic he'd stolen along with the transistor from the armory, and gritted his teeth. The pocket watch was golden, with runes he didn't recognize, and had to date back to medieval times. Its chain was fastened to his trousers, and, for once, The Other had dressed up. He wore black pinstriped pants, and a white linen dress shirt with ruffles. His hair was slicked back and he had used glamour to decrease its length.

Their meeting was supposed to be for seven o'clock on the dot. He'd give Crocker a few more minutes, and then leave to begin his plans to bring Timmy to the manor. This was a waste of time, anyway, but Crocker's faerie obsession might help him with Cosmo and Wanda. He knew Crocker detested Timmy, and it was a good idea to keep an insane crackpot close to him, in case he tried anything with his sire. The theory had sounded good, and yet, seven fifteen and the guy hadn't shown up yet. Lorenzo gritted his teeth.

He checked his watch again- a half minute had passed. He paced back and forth in front of Il Maestro. In front of the restaurant, there were painted white iron tables with uncomfortable wire chairs in front of them. One was pushed up on each side against the black icon fence running around the restaurant's edges, followed by two more near the main walkway, which Lorenzo kept passing. The restaurant itself was a modest Italian eatery, looking like it belonged in a villa. It had red stucco brick for the roof and a waiter wearing a black suit watched The Other throttle his nerves. It was supposed to be a formal affair, and tended to be popular for dates. A woman in a taffeta gown and white gloves walked by him with her date in a three piece suit. He ignored them, and they ignored him.

Brakes squealed and he looked up to the parking lot. They had a valet, but apparently, Crocker had bypassed him. His van screeched upon pulling into the space and The Other slapped a palm to his face. To a formal restaurant, rather than borrow his mother's car, which would have been only somewhat offensive, he'd taken the faerie hunting van. The damn thing was an eyesore. Again, The Other thought maybe he ought to up and leave, because this was preposterous.

Crocker bounced out of the car wearing a white suit and his lip curled. He'd dressed the part, despite being (he consulted his watch again) nearly seventeen minutes late. He bounced all the way to the front gate and the waiter sniffed in disdain.

"I share the sentiment," Lorenzo muttered.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Crocker said. "Mother said I was crazy to join up with someone who looks like a multiple murderer."

Lorenzo eyed him. "You listened to her? You, a grown man. I would expect this out of a boy, but a man?"

"Mother has a lot of weight," he said defensively. "I live with her."

The Other sighed and pinched his nostrils. "You might as well join me for dinner. I believe, regardless of your living situation and questionable practices, we might have much to discuss."

Tootie couldn't concentrate on her Chemistry homework. Instead, her mind drifted to Timmy and Lorenzo. Timmy had retired to his room to play video games with his parents. He'd banished Cosmo and Wanda from his room and, rather than be alone, they had joined her in her room. Wanda was reading a book and Cosmo was leafing through a comic book. None of them seemed capable of focusing, because Wanda scanned the same page multiple times and Cosmo had started and stopped five times already.

"If The Other can lie mind to mind, why does Timmy believe him?" she asked.

"Sometimes, when you're desperate, you'll believe anything," Wanda said softly. She gnawed her lip.

"But he loves you guys deep down," Tootie protested. "I know he does."

"I think," Wanda said quietly, "Timmy has forgotten."

"Faeries are real," Crocker cried and slapped his knee. "I knew it! I knew-"

The Other covered his mouth and rolled his eyes, sighing. "Please don't cause a scene. Yes, faeries are real, but if you scream it to the heavens, not only will everyone in this restaurant think us mad, they'll probably forcefully eject us."

He removed his hand from Crocker's mouth and the older man, slightly put out, stared at him. Lorenzo's breath hitched- Timmy's history was interwoven with this man. Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda had impacted him. In fact, he could almost see old faerie dust clinging to him. He wondered if the man recalled any of his old affection toward his godparents. Didn't he have the faintest clue he was hunting the very creatures who had once wanted to help him?

"Do you want to hunt them with me?" Crocker bounced in his seat, giddy. They were seated inside, because the iron made Lorenzo uneasy, and in a back booth. From here, they could see the grand chandeliers and waiters and waitresses gliding through the restaurant. He could also distantly see the dessert case- not that he wanted any. He hadn't eaten more than a few bites throughout dinner, since he didn't need to eat.

"In a way, yes," he said. "We both acknowledge Timmy Turner has faeries. I plan on dealing with those faeries in my own way, but for that, I need your help."

You would best serve me by staying out of my way.

Crocker looked like Christmas had arrived early. His whole face lit up and he beamed from ear to ear. His eyes danced and The Other had to grab him by the wrist to prevent him from skipping about. The excitement was palpable and The Other drank it in, feeding off him like he did indirectly off Cosmo, Wanda, and Timmy.

"You want my help?" Crocker said. "No one's ever said that to me before! What do you want me to do? I'll do anything to help hunt…" He paused and then spazzed. "FAERIES!"

"Yes, yes," The Other said and refrained from rolling his eyes. "Here's what I want you to do…"

Tootie insisted on walking Timmy to school the next day with Cosmo, Wanda, and Cal at their sides. Thanks to magically enhanced shoes, they could walk to school without fear of being late. Timmy hadn't wanted to go, but he was lethargic, unable to think for a few seconds at a time and stumbling. He'd slept enough, too- he didn't understand where the energy was going. Tootie grabbed his arm and he scowled- he just wanted to be with his parents, but they'd disappeared again this morning.

"What do you think will happen once you kill your godparents?" Tootie asked. Cosmo and Wanda flinched, transformed into butterflies above Timmy's head. Cal had changed in a shoulder bag on Tootie's left shoulder.

"I'll get my parents back," Timmy said and paused. He didn't want to kill them, not really. He looked up at his godparents and shook off the fugue they incited. Their eyes had glowed and he remembered all the good times they'd had together, all the love they had for him, and it unsettled Lorenzo's instilled state of mind. He swallowed.

"And after?" Tootie prompted. "When The Other tricks you and you lost your parents and your godparents?"

"It won't happen," Timmy said. Uncertainty swirled in his thoughts and he avoided looking at his godparents and Tootie.

"We've been saying it for months, and I know you don't want to hear it, but The Other is tricking you," she said. "Look how weak Cosmo and Wanda are now. They've never been like this."

"So?" Timmy countered. "They've always been weak."

"They've wielded all the power in the universe!" Tootie countered. "And it didn't strike you as a little strange that all of a sudden, a faerie that could sink Atlantis can't stand up against a human Anti Faerie?"

"What's your point?" Timmy said. They walked about fifteen miles an hour and Cosmo and Wanda projected a screen, to prevent humans from becoming suspicious. It looked like they had become part of the scenery to anyone else.

Tootie hissed. "Wanda killed all the dinosaurs. Cosmo destroyed Atlantis, made Pompeii erupt, and the two of them helped start World War One! They have phenomenal cosmic power and all of a sudden, they'd being outranked?"

"Jorgen's always been more powerful than them," Timmy retorted.

"Actually, when Cosmo isn't trying, he's stronger than Jorgen," Wanda remarked quietly.

"So what?" Timmy snapped. "Maybe The Other's always been more powerful than them. Maybe it's because they're so pathetic and useless."

"We are not useless!" Wanda snapped, offended. A bird got caught in their zip stream and squawked, crashing into a tree thanks to the increased air pressure it hadn't anticipated.

"I could squash The Other down like a bug inside you a few months ago!" Tootie snapped, losing patience. "All I had to do was hold your goddamn hand and now, all of a sudden, he's walking around slamming Cosmo and Wanda into walls and beating the crap out of them! Meanwhile, your parents are getting more and more solid, more real, and Cosmo and Wanda are getting weaker and you don't see the connection!"

He sensed The Other listening in on their conversation and smiled, relaxing and yet feeling strange, not quite himself.

"No, I don't!" Timmy retorted. "You're crazy, Tootie."

"I'm crazy?" she growled. "You're the one who thinks murdering his faerie godparents is going to bring back the parents back that your anti faerie killed! The same anti faerie who is now promising to be 'good' and make all your wishes come true."

((I do not like this girl,)) Lorenzo growled in his head. ((She is growing rather tiresome for my tastes. She needs to be punished.))

((Punished?)) Timmy sent. ((Punished how?))

((You'll see.))

"He'll bring them back," Timmy said.

"At what cost?" Tootie snapped. "Timmy, goddamn it, listen to me! Is it worth it? They love you. They were sent here to make you a little less miserable. How can you betray them like this?"

"It's not a betrayal!" Timmy said stoutly.

"Yes," Tootie said quietly, "it is. They love you and you're going to hurt them because of it. You're a traitor, Timmy Turner."

Hours passed. The Other skipped lunch in order to visit Timmy's house. There he discovered Calente, sleeping soundly and curled up in a ball on Tootie's bed. His chest rose and fell gracefully and he seemed utterly oblivious to the danger surrounding him. The Other dug his knife under the flesh beneath Cal's neck and he jerked, waking instantly. The Other smiled.

"You're going to leave Tootie a nice present after she comes home from school."

Cal screamed, reaching for his wand, which The Other twirled on his fingers. It was as he'd always suspected. Faerie blood sparkled.

"No," Timmy snapped. "I'm sick of your shit."

They'd halted outside of school. Tootie had gone home already, unable to quell panic rising within her chest when Cal hadn't answered her summons. Meanwhile, Cosmo and Wanda were having yet another argument with their godson. To facilitate it, and to prevent more people from thinking he was crazy, they'd shifted into children his age. It hadn't made it easier, however- it seemed to have made Timmy more vicious.

"Watch your mouth!" Wanda retorted. All day long, Timmy had wandered in a fog and Wanda had sensed The Other subtly shifting his judgment and thinking patterns to his refrain. They'd followed him and attempted speaking to him, but it wasn't until afterschool he finally acknowledged them, if screaming at them could be construed as 'acknowledging them'.

"Why should I?" Timmy countered. "Why should I listen to a word you say when you both lied to my face?"

"We have never lied to you!" Wanda said, puffing her chest up.

"The Other said-"

"The Other this, The Other that," Cosmo growled. "Why don't you just marry him?"

"There's a way to restore my parents using magic and you didn't want to do it," Timmy snapped. "And their deaths are your fault anyway. Why the hell should I listen to a word you say when you're both fucking useless wastes?"

"Death muffins are forbidden," Wanda growled. "Jorgen has made it his personal mission to find any faerie who attempts to make it and incarcerate them for the rest of their lifetime."

"Faeries are immortal," Cosmo said. "That's a lot of years."

"And he's hidden the recipe," Wanda said. "Anything else impossible you'd like to ask for?"

"If you really cared about me, you'd want to make me happy," Timmy said treacherously.

"We want to make you happy, but we can't do everything, damn it!" Wanda snapped and startled Cosmo. He jerked, staring at her, and touched her hand.

((Wanda? You cursed…))

"The Other can bring my parents back," Timmy said. "You can't. You don't want to make me happy. You just want me to yourselves because you're jealous."

Wanda exploded. "Listen to me, you spoiled brat! We've told you time and time again that it has nothing to do with jealousy or resentment and that we love you, but you choose not to hear it. It's not our goddamn fault that you choose to create your own reality instead of living in ours! Grow the fuck up, Timmy."

Cosmo looked like she'd smacked him over the head with a skillet. Timmy's mouth dropped and it pierced the mental fog he'd had all day. He gaped at her and his lips quivered.

"Wanda?" he squeaked. "You just…"

"Cursed…" Cosmo stared at her. "You never swear."

Timmy stared at her too. He seemed thunderstruck. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His eyes widened at her.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" she growled. "Any more backtalk? Any more insults or cruelty? Care to hit us again?"

She radiated fury and Timmy unconsciously took a step back. In the back of her mind, she could feel herself unconsciously groping for a backup power source, and recalled she was distantly related to an anti faerie through her father. Black magic trickled in with the light power and Cosmo winced, stepping back too. Malevolence mingled into and she didn't want to do this, she did not want to intimidate her godchild, but what choice had he left her?

"I…" he paused and froze. His expression glazed over and two things happened at once. Distantly, Wanda sensed a faerie dying, like a disturbance in the magical equilibrium, and then she heard Tootie's mental anguished shriek.

"Oh, no…" Wanda breathed.

Tootie had walked into her room expecting to start homework and never finish. Instead, the carpet squished beneath her feet and she looked up, staring at her blood. It was soaked with blood, sparkling shimmering blood, and Cal's throat had not only been slashed, but torn open. She could see his neck bones wet and gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Tootie fell over backward and screamed.

((Timmy!))

On the door was taped a note and, fingers shaking, she groped for it. Her gut clenched and she thought she might vomit. Blood coated everything- her bed, her dresser, table, closet door…it seemed the murderer had decided to paint by numbers and soak everything in sight.

Blood, blood everywhere and not a drop to drink. Cheers, Tootie.

Love,

Lorenzo DeMedici

P.S. Such is the albatross, such is the sacrificial lamb

((Timmy! Timmy, please! I need you!))

There was no response.