Author's Note: This took longer to write than normal, thanks to distractions abound. I'm pretty sure it came out better than the original, though I feel awful for all the crap I put the faeries, Timmy, and Tootie through.

Also, Vicky getting abused by faeries as a child is now my accepted canon for her current personality. So there.

Chapter Eleven: Estranged Reality for Strangers

It was dangerous for Timmy to walk around without Lorenzo's influence. Before, manipulating him had required equal parts mind control and reinforcing what Timmy already believed. However, after Timmy had realized Lorenzo had taken advantage of him, he no longer seemed keen on his plans. In fact, Timmy had tried to return home and repent. Now that he had his little pet, he had no intention of letting him go.

Timmy longed for his godparents? He had other incentives, ways to subjugate him and force him to do his bidding. Cosmo and Wanda already knew The Other wanted them dead. How much sweeter was the betrayal coming from their godchild? With their lack of powers, he was merely toying with them by training Timmy to kill them. The more Timmy hurt them, the more he fed off them and the stronger Timmy's parents grew in turn.

There was no possible way to revive Timmy's parents by murdering Cosmo and Wanda. The only reason Timmy's parents existed in any form at all was because Cosmo and Wanda's magic allowed it. Once Cosmo and Wanda died, his parents would die too. Lorenzo had known it the instant he called them from the grave. No matter what Timmy did, unless he got his hands on a Deathversary muffin, his parents would never be more than this, and would in fact fade away if his relationship with his godparents were restored.

He had no intention of letting Timmy know. The Other knew Cosmo and Wanda understood, or strongly suspected, but with his influence overwhelming, no matter how many warnings they issued, Timmy would never listen. He'd become a puppet.

The Other's control over Timmy wasn't perfect. There were gaps, which he was working to eliminate, and his faeries might yet break through. At their current power level, The Other didn't fear them. They'd need far energy to fuel their magic, and the only way to do that was to regain it through one of two sources. Lorenzo wasn't going to galvanize his destruction, and Timmy's parents didn't know Cosmo and Wanda existed.

Or so he thought.

Cosmo and Wanda wracked their brains. They had no way to transport to Fairy World, and only enough magic to send a message, which Jorgen had chosen to ignore. Anxiety knotted their stomachs- they knew The Other had abused Timmy, because they always knew when their godchildren were in trouble, and they couldn't transport themselves to Lorenzo's mansion. Tootie had cried herself to sleep and nothing they had said impacted her. Da Rules had no aid, Lorenzo's mansion probably held the key to their salvation, and they couldn't reach it in their current feeble state.

"This is pretty pathetic," Wanda spat.

"Damn you, work," Cosmo said and wrung his wand. It smacked him in the face and she sighed.

"It wouldn't be so bad if we could just figure out why this is happening," she growled.

"Lorenzo tapped into our magic and has been draining us slowly ever since Timmy's parents reappeared at the beginning of July?" Cosmo suggested. Wanda blinked. "And he's feeding off Timmy even as we speak?"

Wanda gaped. "That was brilliant, Cosmo."

"What was?" he said.

"Never mind," she groaned. "It looks like it's only one way."

"Unless we can get Timmy back on our side," Cosmo said. She massaged her temples. They'd leafed through a hundred pages of Da Rules and discovered outdated rules, but nothing useful. At this point, she had a small desire to fling the book in Timmy's face and see if hitting him with it would negate The Other's magic.

((With the added bonus of head injuries! Yay, head injuries!)) Cosmo teased.

A shadow rippled through the room and they froze, hands flying to their wands. Da Rules vanished in a dust cloud and Wanda narrowed her eyes; the two held out their wands like weapons before them. They didn't sense anything, but given the current clime, she didn't trust her detection abilities. The shadow vanished, they breathed easier, and then, popping up right before them, Mr. and Mrs. Turner appeared. They were opaque now, dark grey, and solid enough to touch. The faeries screamed and, without thinking, blasted them into the wall.

"I told you we should asked first before barging in," Mrs. Turner said. Wanda's heart raced and Cosmo kept shifting, darting from one animal to another without bothering to get any right. She had more composure, though that didn't stop her from shaking. They were dead, she knew they were dead, but that had been one nasty shock. Cosmo was fussing in the corner, having changed into a goldfish and forgetting the water in the tank hadn't been changed in months. He gasped and, grimacing, she drew him back to her in his proper form.

"Wanda, they can see us!" Cosmo whined. "We need to go, now!"

"Cosmo, they're dead! They're not human anymore," she said. ((Calm down.))

"Neither are you," Mr. Turner said. "What are you, anyway?"

Wanda straightened her shoulders and stared at Timmy's parents. Her lower lip curled in disdain. These were the idiots Timmy had left them for. She understood Timmy loved them, and they were his real parents, but she couldn't help but resent them for driving the wedge in between them. Their attachment was unnatural to Timmy and they prevented Timmy from moving on. In their dark grey facades, Wanda glimpsed pink and green faerie sparkles and clenched her teeth. She grabbed Cosmo's arm to held him down.

"Can you help us?" Mrs. Turner asked. "We've seen you around Timmy before-"

"And The Other talks about you all the time," Mr. Turner said. Wanda glared.

"I'll bet he does," Wanda spat.

Timmy's parents did a double take. She felt Cosmo's disturbance in the back of her mind, but it was superfluous compared to her severe irritation. Cosmo's eyes widened and she ignored him.

"Now, that's not very nice," Mrs. Turner admonished. "For people who look like weird children, you're being very rude."

"We are not children," Wanda growled. "We're faeries."

"And you have our magick!" Cosmo retorted.

"We do?" Mr. and Mrs. Turner chorused. They stared at each other, and, sighing, Wanda flung pink faerie dust around her and illuminated the dust within Timmy's parents' bodies. Cosmo repeated the process and they waited, expectant. Cosmo quivered and she touched his hand. He jumped, now more afraid of Wanda's anger than Timmy's parents.

"But, how…" they stammered and, groaning, Cosmo and Wanda conjured up a flashing spotlight.

"I'm Cosmo," Cosmo said, zooming to the spotlight.

"And I'm Wanda," she said, and the spotlights illuminated them.

They chorused, "And we're…"

A giant stone sign dropped down from the ceiling. "Timmy's faerie godparents!"

"If you're godparents, then where's your pumpkin carriage?" Mrs. Turner asked.

"Hey, you can't be a faerie," Mr. Turner said to Cosmo. "You're male. Everyone knows there aren't any male faeries."

"I'll show you male-" Cosmo started and Wanda pushed him back.

"Not now," she said. She smirked, amused. "Believe me, he's male. I'd know."

"How?" Cosmo said and Wanda gave him a look. He grinned at her and she grinned back. ((Oh right. Hah, hah.))

"We came to you to ask you for help," Mrs. Turner said. Cosmo and Wanda looked back at them. "The Other's been taking advantage of Timmy."

"We saw him…" Mr. Turner said and flinched. Cosmo and Wanda winced.

"We had a feeling," Wanda confessed. "But you have all our magick. The Other's set it up to weaken us and profit himself. Any influence we might have had over Timmy won't work as long as The Other is controlling him. Without our magick, we can't even get to Timmy."

"And if we did," Cosmo said, "he'd just go right back."

"We've been paging through this book for hours," Wanda said, pointing to Da Rules on the floor. "And haven't found a thing."

"Except, apparently, that it's against Da Rules to be naked in front of your godchild," Cosmo said and shrugged. "Who knew?"

"You want to help him too?" Mrs. Turner said and Wanda exploded, her hair turning into flame.

"Of course we want to help him! We've been trying to help him all summer and he's been fixated on you two!" she said and forced herself to calm down. "And now we don't have enough juice for more than the simplest of spells."

"If we have your power, why can't we help?" Mr. Turner said.

"We'd do anything to get him away from this monster," Mrs. Turner said.

Wanda's anger drained. She and Cosmo drifted down to the bed and though she resented Timmy's parents for their intrusion, she pitied them. Paling, she lifted her head again and stared at them. It felt so strange to be talking to them, after so long of talking about them and in their company without being overheard. Wanda's throat constricted.

"You have our magic," she said. "In the end, you'll have to give it back."

"We're prepared to do that," Timmy's mother said.

"Right now, we are what's animating you," Wanda said. "If you help us, we'll need all our powers back. And the only way to get that is take them back through you."

"I don't get it," Mr. Turner said.

"You'd have to die again," Cosmo said.

"And there'd be no return now," Wanda said. "You'd have to break your tethers to us and reality. You'd never be able to see Timmy again."

Their eyes welled with tears and Mrs. Turner uttered a hoarse sob. They broke away from the faeries to discuss it and Wanda lay back on the bed. She couldn't imagine having to make such a decision. Emotionally, they'd already lost Timmy. And, no matter how weak they might be now, they were still alive.

"You know he'll rape Timmy again if he did it once," Wanda said and flinched at her words. Cosmo whimpered and tears burned the inside of her eyelids. She blinked rapidly. "And he's already killed several people, including at least one faerie we know about. Without your help, he'll be able to run unchecked throughout Dimmsdale."

"Then who knows what'll happen?" Cosmo said. Wanda opened her eyes and hugged him tightly.

"That's it, Cosmo!"

"What's it?" the three others said in unison.

"If we show Timmy what might happen if The Other gets his way, we can break through to the real him and shatter The Other's powers," Wanda said. She bounced up and down in the first real excitement and happiness she'd felt in months.

"Do you really love him?" Mrs. Turner asked.

"Yes," the faeries answered at once. "Like he were our own son."

"Can we have a few more days with our bodies?" Mr. Turner asked. "Or ghost bodies?"

"It'll take some preparation," Wanda said, grimacing. "If I remember correctly, The What If Spell can only be enacted during the full moon, and on All Hallow's Eve. That's the time when the spirit power and ours are the closest, so you'll be at full keel and we'll be able to borrow any additional power from the dead."

The two ghosts exchanged looks.

"Until then?" Mrs. Turner asked. Wanda sighed.

"Until then, we can try to shake him out on our own," she said. "But he probably won't listen."

"And you can try too," Cosmo said. "Since you have about ¾ of our powers."

"And Lorenzo will just keep hurting Timmy?" Mrs. Turner said sharply.

((You let Vicky do it for years and didn't say a word,)) Wanda snapped.

"At the moment, a rock has a better chance of stopping Lorenzo than we do," she said aloud. "But you're welcome to try."

"And you're sure this will work?" Mrs. Turner said.

They nodded. It wasn't the ideal situation, but she supposed they had no choice but to throw their lot in with Timmy's parents.

Timmy moved in with Lorenzo and helped him shove away the last remaining ties he had to his family and friends. Cosmo and Wanda could only come if called for, a privilege Timmy seldom invoked, and The Other clouded his mind, corrupting his judgment and hoping Timmy would never have free will long enough to realize Lorenzo was molesting him. As a peace offering, he'd given him Trixie Tang, though Timmy was usually so out of it he didn't recognize her. This suited him fine.

Two days after Timmy had moved in with Lorenzo, Lorenzo began 'practice sessions', teaching Timmy self-defense and, more importantly, assassin techniques. Fairy World's armory had foolishly left a book on the subject lying near the transistor, and Lorenzo was a quick learner. Convenient and stupid, at the same time- that was Fairy World's specialty. At the moment, he was running Timmy through basis exercises since, even with Lorenzo's control, the boy was remarkably uncoordinated.

Every time Timmy successfully completed a move, Lorenzo rewarded him with a pat on the head or a kiss. Every time Timmy screwed up, of which he was doing a remarkable amount, Lorenzo belted him across the face. They had endured three practice sessions so far, one per day often running until midnight, and Timmy hadn't shown much improvement. There was only so much one could do without completely assuming the body's mantle, and certain moves had to be intuitive. Part of the murder had to be the shock factor, but it couldn't be the only component.

Timmy tripped over his own feet in the middle of a lunge and Lorenzo's mood dipped.

"You are trying my patience," he growled. He kicked Timmy back to his feet and, predictably, he fumbled again. Lorenzo clouted him across the face and Timmy stared, stunned, holding his cheek. Snarling, The Other punched him in the face so hard he knew his sire saw stars and wrenched his arm behind his back. Timmy cried out and he scoffed, shoving him to the floor.

"I was not aware you lacked the ability to walk," he spat. "Pray tell, how do you get around, aside from shambling like an invalid?"

He kicked Timmy in the back and Timmy choked. Digging his heel into Timmy's back, right next to his spine, he listened to Timmy struggle to breathe correctly. The shock of his treatment had started to wear off the mind control and Timmy twisted his head to stare at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Why are you doing this?" he gasped. A tear leaked out and he rolled him over onto his back, so Timmy could stare up at him.

"You need to learn," he snapped. "And your old teachers have been far too lenient."

"But, dude, there's a way to do it without, you know…" he trailed off and swallowed hard. The Other scoffed and scooped Timmy up by his collar. He could feel his fear and fed off it, amplifying it. Timmy whimpered, backing up, blue eyes huge.

"Now, do it again, and do it right, or there will be dire consequences," he snapped. "Are we clear?"

He nodded and his anti faerie scoffed. "Don't cry. Only bitches cry. You are not a weak woman. I never want to see you cry again. If I do, you will be sorry indeed."

Timmy nodded again, throat tight, and wiped his face. Lorenzo set his influence swirling in the younger boy's mind, to prevent him from mutinying, and, for a little while, things went better. Timmy's strokes were more exact, he wasn't tripping over himself, and he was taking things slowly enough not to screw up. He might, given enough practice, become fairly good. The spirit world and the living world lost its Veil on Halloween- it would be the perfect time for Timmy to kill Cosmo and Wanda and for Lorenzo to benefit. Of course, if it were at all possible to revive his parents, Halloween would have been the time too. That gave them exactly…a month and a half. Yes, a month and a half should be ample time to put his plans into motion. He'd waited this long, after all.

Timmy ran at the Cosmo dummy full tilt and tripped over himself. The Other sighed, straightened him, and sent him off again. A couple more mistakes Lorenzo could handle. Should he err further, his temper might rise again.

He slashed the dummy face, rather than the throat like The Other had said, and The Other corrected his grip and technique. His mind drifted again, stroking Timmy's cheek. He hated him and had wanted him to suffer ever since he'd locked him up inside his mind and then cruelly thrust him out. And yet, there was sweetness about him, a wild flower beneath the rudeness and caustic behavior he exhibited. He could almost see himself growing fond of the boy. He wasn't entirely light, this was true, but he was much brighter than Lorenzo. The light attracted the darkness and he wanted nothing more than to corrupt it and make it his.

Phantom hands guided Timmy in the correct movement and Lorenzo's mind wandered. Timmy was so important to so many people. Tootie adored him, though she was unworthy, and ultimately, someone he really should dispose of. She posed a threat, but she didn't have magic like the faeries. He had no idea how much real pull she had, since his only memories of her were Timmy's from long ago, before he cared about her at all.

Cosmo and Wanda thought of Timmy as like their own son. They always considered their godchildren their flesh and blood, and had allowed their emotions to sway them. Perhaps, were he more like their godson, he'd feel compassion toward them. Instead, he was disgusted. They were pathetic and unworthy of Timmy too.

And Timmy's parents…they were only here because they had nothing better to do. Lorenzo sneered.

Timmy withdrew, panting, his face coated in sweat. Lorenzo knelt down and kissed him, tasting his sweat and a tanginess Timmy's alone. Timmy draped his arms on Lorenzo's shoulders and Lorenzo nuzzled his cheeks. His heart skipped a beat and he wanted more of this, not just the closeness, but all of Timmy again. He hugged him and held him closer.

"You've done well," he said and looked up at the dummies. Cosmo dummy's head was hanging by a thread off his cloth neck, and Wanda dummy had no eyes, and numerous stab wounds in the throat. He chuckled and kissed him on the forehead.

"Can we go home?" Timmy asked and he kissed his throat. Timmy stared at him and he siphoned off more energy. Little blue wisps flew off his body and Lorenzo absorbed them. He felt a little light headed at the rush, and he kissed him on the lips again. Using magical coaxing, he convinced Timmy to open his eyes and let them kiss open mouthed. He sighed and lifted him into his arms; the height difference was only a few inches, but he preferred cradling him. Timmy wrapped his arms around Lorenzo's neck and Lorenzo wrapped his around Timmy's waist.

"Take a shower and we'll continue," he said, drinking in more blue wisps and moaning. He gently placed Timmy on the floor and, patting his backside, sent him toward the bathroom. Timmy swayed, dizzy, and The Other watched him go.

He waited, patient, and paced the room. He felt younger, enticed by Timmy's life force, and had a strange curiosity about certain things lying around the room. He also felt lonely, which he supposed was Timmy's emotion at moment, and he buried it beneath mind control.

Timmy changed and redressed, which was a situation Lorenzo would amend in a few minutes. Then he felt it- a disturbance in the magical equation he had set up. Stiffening, he sought out the wrong chord and discovered an offset, but he knew not where. He drew Timmy into his arms and kissed him on the forehead, and then on the lips, but his attention began to stray.

Lorenzo's mind control was lifting and he could tell his anti faerie was distracted. He was supposed to be helping him, he was on his side…and he was trying to yank his pants down. Plus, his body ached from half remembered blows, and Timmy flinched, jerking away from him. The Other drew him closer, ignoring it, slipped his hands down his pants. Timmy squirmed, aiming a kick for wherever he could reach, and The Other groped him. Timmy's mind was his own and he gasped, ashamed and dirty. The Other's attention snapped back and he growled.

"Stay still, damn you," he hissed. Timmy pushed him away, but he was lethargic. The Other brought them closer, so Timmy could feel his excitement, and Timmy screamed, trembling.

"Stop it!" he pleaded. Torn between whatever was afflicting him and his lust, The Other slapped him across the face with one hand. His left hand remained beneath his pants and pumped him. Blood drained from Timmy's face and his next push was weaker than the first. Tears filled his eyes.

"Stop it, leave me alone…" he pleaded.

The Other flung him to the floor and ripped his pants off. Timmy crawled, desperate to get away, and his anti faerie was on him in a second. He grabbed him from behind and thrust into him, despite still wearing pants. Blind panic set in and he kicked out, unable to connect. Unable to stand on his knees, he collapsed onto the floor and The Other siphoned off more energy.

"Mom, Dad…" he gasped and Lorenzo snorted behind him. He tore off his underwear too and held Timmy down, though he needn't have bothered. Timmy could barely move if he wanted to. He fidgeted, whining, and felt something wet enter him. A new energy burst propelled him to slither, like a snake, along his stomach to get away. Tears fell down his cheeks and his lower lip quivered.

"You have nowhere to run," The Other drawled. "I can wait until you tire yourself out."

"You're supposed to be on my side," Timmy sobbed. "You're supposed to help me get my parents back. Why are you hurting me?"

Lorenzo pretended to consider this, and brought Timmy into his lap. This close, Timmy lashed out, hitting him with his palms and trying not to feel, though he couldn't help it, his erection. He ground against him and Timmy cried out, petrified.

"Cosmo and Wanda!" he screamed. "Help! I know you can hear me! Help me!"

Blue mist settled around him and imbued him with more power. Tootie could have told him longing for his godparents, in any fashion, jerked the magic flow the opposite way, removing it from Lorenzo and returning it to its rightful source. As it was, Lorenzo snarled, infuriated he'd called on his godparents, and slammed him onto his back. Timmy whimpered and kicked again, hitting a thigh. The Other loomed over him like a giant predator, waiting for him to stop fighting and simply give him. Timmy thought he'd never been this terrified in his life, not even when Ms. Doombringer had come within inches of killing his godparents. Or even watching his parents die…

"They're not coming," The Other smirked. "Not with the send off you gave them."

"Cosmo and Wanda," he repeated. "Cosmo, Wanda, please! I need you!"

The Other scoffed and Timmy felt a little more energy return. He kicked him in the face and this time, it connected. He felt bone beneath his foot and, at Lorenzo's roar, crawled away as fast as he could. Lorenzo roared and Timmy hurried to fix himself, all the while avoiding The Other. His heart raced and he rolled away, only to have The Other grab his ankle.

"I wanted to reward you, but now it seems I'll have to punish you instead, "he said. Timmy squeaked.

"Cosmo, Wanda-" Timmy cried and Lorenzo slapped him across the face. He punched him hard in the stomach and Timmy crumpled, spitting out blood. Then he felt a subtle change in the air.

"We heard you," Wanda said and Timmy whipped his head around. "We were debating whether or not we should come."

"After all, you don't need us, right?" Cosmo said acidly.

"Get out!" Lorenzo roared and threw out magic, too angry to think clearly. Cosmo and Wanda hovered near the ceiling and stared at their godson. Lorenzo grabbed him and threw him at his godparents; Wanda caught him with her wand and prevented him from crashing into the floor and breaking bones.

"Timmy, what's going on?" Cosmo asked.

Lorenzo withdrew the transistor and growled at the faeries. "I told you to stay away from him. I told you he would murder you. How much clearer do I have to make the message?"

"Then why did he call for us?" Wanda retorted.

"It was a mistake," Lorenzo thundered and blasted Timmy with mind control. Timmy slumped over in mid air, his vision blurring and his perceptions fading. His previous terror fled, replaced by numbness. He didn't care what The Other did to him- he existed to serve him. The Other wanted Cosmo and Wanda dead and he should kill them, rather than cater to them. His breath hitched in his chest and his thoughts were no longer his own, nor could he convince his body to move. He stared up at Wanda and tried to plead with her while he still could, with his eyes.

"What have you been doing to our godchild?" she growled.

"It's none of your concern, right, Timmy?" Lorenzo snapped back. Timmy glanced down at himself and felt like he was looking somewhere outside, staring at a body that didn't belong to him. His clothing was in tatters and Wanda followed his gaze, along with Cosmo. The blood drained from her face.

"Oh, oh…Timmy…" she breathed.

"You can't prove he doesn't want it," Lorenzo growled. "He's on my side now, bitch. Scan his mind and prove to me he's not mine completely. Do it, frach."

"Don't call me that!" Wanda snapped and drifted closer to him. Cosmo followed, forever at her side, and cloudiness blew over the lingering sentiments he felt toward them. Instead, he felt Lorenzo's fury they had interrupted him and disdain for Timmy's weakness.

"He hurt you," Cosmo said in a low voice.

Wanda's wand still had him in thrall, but he was The Other's now and not theirs. Wanda released him so she could probe his mind, but there was nothing to probe. The Other's rage consumed him and he lashed out at her, grabbing her by the neck and strangling her. In his mind, he heard The Other laugh hysterically and Cosmo and Wanda flinched, stunned.

"Punish them for interfering! Punish them!" he chanted. Timmy tightened his grip and Wanda struggled, blasting him in the chest with her wand. Surprised, Timmy let go and The Other caught him. Her lips quivered and she stared at him.

"Is this the little boy who said he needed you?" Lorenzo mocked.

"What have you done to him?" she whispered. Cosmo hastened to her side and investigated her throat; he ran his fingers along it to verify it was whole and nothing had happened. Deep down, Timmy winced, sensing their love for each other.

"He's hated you for months," Lorenzo said. "I merely made some improvements. I told you before, frach- tell me he's not wholly on my side, that he truly wants his godparents back."

Wanda hesitated. ((Timmy…please…come back to us. He's a monster.))

"No," Timmy said, his lower lip curling. "He cares about me a lot more than you do."

"Oh, is that why he beat you to a pulp?" Cosmo snapped. "Because he cares?"

"Show them how much you love them," The Other said, laughing, and handed him the transistor. Before, he'd been weak and unimpressive, but now he had all the power in the world backing him. The transistor shifted into a dark wand and knocked out theirs. He advanced, smiling insanely, and Cosmo and Wanda retreated, their eyes huge.

((Timmy, please. We love you,)) they sent.

"Even now, they lie," The Other said. "They love you, and yet, they're recoiling from you."

"Duh, because he's got a murderous look in his eye!" Cosmo said.

"A look you put there!" Wanda added.

"I told you, frach," he said. "All you need do is look into his mind and discover the answer."

"Then why would he call for us? Why would he plead for us?" she said.

"Just to lure you here," The Other said and smiled widely. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Liar!" she screeched. She had no power and yet, she was proud. If The Other had any affinity for women, he might have found it admirable. Wanda straightened in mid air and her eyes blazed. "I know the difference between a trap and a child in pain!"

"Timmy, who do you want? Cosmo and Wanda, or me?"

In answer, Timmy lunged with the transistor, now a knife, and Cosmo and Wanda flew away as fast as they could. The transistor imbued him with black fairy wings and he charged after them, catching Wanda in the lower right leg. Cosmo struck him on the cheek to get him away from his wife, surprising both Timmy and Wanda. No magic either, on his part, but he stood in front of his wife and glared at Timmy.

"Stay away from her!" he snapped.

Timmy hovered, dispassionate, and slashed again, catching her leg in a deeper gash. Wanda was weaker now, less capable of dodging, and Cosmo grabbed her to shield her from their godson. Timmy ignored this, the dark viscous fairy blood dripping onto the floor, and focused, like he had never been capable of doing in the past. He stabbed Cosmo from behind, catching the already slick knife right below Cosmo's wings. The knife actually stuck, too, before Timmy pulled it out.

Lorenzo laughed, his calls echoing through the room. Both faeries screamed and Wanda grabbed the knife blade. Lorenzo stopped laughing. Timmy stared and the small, outraged part of him was creeping toward his consciousness.

"Timmy," she said and her voice was low, dangerous, despite Cosmo sobbing. "I don't know whether or not you planned this-"

"I didn't," he whispered. "Guys, you have to believe me, I-"

Lorenzo tore through his consciousness again and Timmy tugged on the transistor to get it away from his godmother. Wanda snarled, ignoring the fact the knife was cutting up her hands, and inched her grip forward. Fairy blood made the knife slippery and it shimmered. Timmy's heart thudded in his chest.

"Kill her," The Other whispered. "Do it now."

((Timmy,)) she sent. ((You can't do this and you know it.))

((Get. Away. From. Me.)) he sent back. ((Or I will.))

He could see muscles beneath the bloody, gashed hands and was mildly nauseous. Wanda eased forward, trying to snatch the transistor away, and Timmy growled.

"Get away," he snapped. It wasn't a threat so much as a warning. He didn't, deep down, want to hurt her. The blood was hot and thick on his hands, and he lunged, thrusting forward and catching her in the chest. She screamed and Cosmo, despite his wound, tugged Timmy back to get him off her. Lorenzo laughed again and Timmy felt dead inside. This wasn't real, it wasn't happening to him, and he certainly wasn't about to kill his godparents.

"One more move, my apprentice," The Other mocked and Timmy gawked at the knife. Blood dripped off it in a steady stream and his heart clenched painfully. A little voice squealed desperately in his head, Give them back their wands! The transistor shook in his hands and Lorenzo swallowed more of his energy, shoving the horrified voice further back. The Other punted him further back and the transistor became a scythe. Cosmo and Wanda backed up, staggering in mid air and finally plummeting to the floor.

They stared up at him and the wings vanished. Timmy stalked forward and his throat tightened. The Other laid a hand on his shoulder and together, they leered at his fairy godparents. Cosmo's hand accidentally rested on Wanda's injured leg and she whimpered, pressing one hand to her wounded leg and the other to her chest. Cosmo's back bled steadily and Timmy choked, unwilling to see what was before him. However, it wasn't him in control anymore, it wasn't he who ordered his body, and it certainly wasn't he who wanted this. The way Cosmo and Wanda looked at him made him want to scream and beg for their forgiveness.

Their eyes were huge, tear lined, and like betrayed children. Their lips quivered and despite the blood falling, they were deathly pale. How could you do this to us…we're your godparents…we love you, Timmy…

Lorenzo strode forward and, though pathetically weak, they crawled backward. He raised his foot over Wanda's head.

"One stroke and I could crush her skull in," he said. "They can't stop us, Timmy. They never could. They lack the power, the conviction, the ability to do anything but gawk. They are weaklings. Why do you think they're subservient to humans? They should bow to us."

He kicked Wanda into the corner and there she laid, still and unmoving. Timmy wanted to plead with him to stop, but had lost his autonomy. Instead, he strode forward and kicked Cosmo in the ribs. Then, at The Other's nod, he punted Cosmo harshly beside his wife and there he rested, green eyes huge, crying softly. Timmy's knees buckled and The Other straightened him. Wanda wasn't conscious and Cosmo snatched her hand to cradle in his lap.

"It wouldn't be sporting to kill them now, however," The Other said. "Plus, the magic we'd need to revive your parents isn't at its zenith, so this would be a wasted effort. It will serve as an adequate warning, however, to keep them out of our way."

"You're not a monster, are you, Timmy?" Cosmo said. "Not like The Other, right?"

Timmy wanted to cry, deep down, but on the surface, he was calm and collected. He spat at his godfather and The Other wrenched the transistor away from his sire. The wands flew back to his godparents and reignited, their power restored. The transistor transformed into a dark powered wand and sent his godparents away. Their blood sparkled on the floor and Timmy's stomach would have clenched if he could be anything but calm about this. He was a traitor and he knew it.

The Other smiled at him and kissed him on the head. "You did an excellent job, love. I believe you deserve the rest of the night off. I'll just-"

He paused and Timmy cocked his head. Someone, breathing harshly, was sitting on the stairs.

"Oh, really," Lorenzo snapped. "That is the second time that's happened, and I am getting very weary of being spied upon."

"What are you…what are you doing in there?" Miss Waxelplax gasped. "Is that blood? Mr. DeMedici, what are you teaching Timmy?"

"Go home," The Other commanded and handed him the transistor. "I shall deal with this one."

"But-" Timmy protested. In full view of the principal, he knelt down and kissed him on the lips. He ran his fingers through his hair and sucked on his neck.

"Go home," he said. "When I get there, you can go out with Trixie. I promise."

The transistor shifted into a dark faerie wand and brought Timmy back to the mansion before he had a chance to protest further. Cosmo and Wanda's images floated behind his closed eyes and he wanted to sob, but couldn't. It wasn't until Lorenzo, distracted by Miss Waxelplax, allowed his power to crest elsewhere and Timmy cried hysterically.

"You have no business being here," Lorenzo said, ascending the stairs.

"I have every right to be here," she said, pale and backing up. "You're not who you said you are. What are you teaching him to do? I've heard rumors about you. I've heard-"

"You heard falsities," he said.

"I heard you brought Crocker to your mansion and he said you believe in hunting faeries like him," she said.

"How did you hear this?" he asked. He willed the transistor to return to him and it did, cleaning itself off in the process. It had returned to its dormant state as a brown smooth wooden stick in his pocket.

"I overheard Crocker thinking about it, I mean…" she looked down at her feet. Lorenzo's interest was piqued. She had overheard his thoughts, which meant they shared rudimentary telepathy, probably brought on by Crocker having Cosmo and Wanda when he was a child. Of course, since no parties recalled that, the magic had remained without a source. Fairy World really needed to clean up better. They were getting awfully sloppy, and leaving him to fix their messes was beneath him.

"You saw nothing," The Other insisted.

"I didn't," she said. "I saw you teaching Timmy and attacking those…those…faeries…"

So she knew what faeries were, and she knew the purpose of these missions. Not to mention she had telepathy- someone else might have kept her and tried to draw magic out of her. Lorenzo had no need for more magic and besides, she might tattle. She backed up, lips quivering, and he pursued, catching her easily. He wrapped his arms around her and she whimpered, staring at him.

"You saw nothing," he repeated.

"No, I saw something!" she insisted. "You, you're…you're fired!"

"You can't fire me," he said. "You know too much."

"What are you…" she stopped, spying the gleam in his eyes. She struggled and he meant to withdraw power from her the way he siphoned it from Timmy. Except, this time, it didn't quite work. Instead of drawing life force, they both collapsed and he discovered himself in a small, circular room with a young woman, more fit and frightened, staring back at him. Miss Waxelplax had at least 100 pounds less on her frame and she cringed, recoiling back toward the large, healthy fire crackling in a grate behind her.

He took stock of his surroundings. Behind him, a large widescreen TV was blank and on high shelves around the room, there were books and symbolic trinkets. She had a portrait of Crocker as a young man near the ceiling and a faerie Lorenzo didn't recognize. The room was cozy and radiated tranquility, and a child friendly atmosphere. Needless to say, he didn't like it very much, though he thought Timmy might have enjoyed it.

"Don't hurt me," she begged. "I don't know how you got in here, or where here is, but please-"

"You know too much," he growled. He shook her and she whimpered, not struggling, just staring at him with wide eyes. It reminded him of Cosmo and Wanda and he dropped her suddenly, associating their fear with Timmy's love for them. Shaking his head to clear it, he advanced on her and she grabbed a stoker by the grate. She wielded it in front of her but seemed reticent to use it.

"Please, please," she whimpered. "Don't hurt me. I don't know what you want, but…don't hurt me!"

"You know too much," he growled. She held the poker further out and he grabbed it, wrenching it away from her. Perhaps he ought to scare her, wherever he was, and maybe she'd forget the entire affair. Perhaps he ought to kill her and ensure she didn't speak. Whatever it was, he suddenly found himself in possession of the poker.

"Please!" she begged. The TV screen flicked on and Lorenzo froze, spying Cosmo and Wanda with a much younger Crocker. He rounded on her.

"You knew them," he said. "You're drawn to them."

"No, I don't know who they are," she pleaded. "Please, Mr. DeMedici-"

"You knew them," he growled. "You knew all along-"

"I didn't, I swear, I don't know who they are, I just know-"

He growled and, without thinking, thrust forward with the poker. It caught her in the chest and she screamed, writhing in pain. There was no blood, but wind gusts struck up and attacked the fire. Stunned, Lorenzo dropped the poker and watched as the woman before him evaporated and the fire huffed out. Darkness surrounded him and he gasped, landing on his back in the school yard with no recollection of how he'd gotten there.

"What just happened?" he said and stared down at Miss Waxelplax. She had no marks upon her, but she was clearly dead. His voice raised an octave and his skin crawled.

"I didn't mean to…I know I'm…I didn't mean to…"

Had he been spending too much time around Timmy? His stomach churned. Now how was he supposed to dispose of someone he hadn't intended to kill?

Tootie almost wished Cosmo and Wanda hadn't kept them so well informed. A week had passed since Timmy had almost murdered his godparents and The Other's 'charity' had saved their lives. Since then, Vicky had kept her under lock and key, and, unable to communicate with Timmy and forced to stay by her sister's side, Tootie had relied on the last refuge of a scoundrel. She watched TV endlessly, no matter what inane tripe was on. She didn't want to deal with a world without Timmy, without her beloved light, and without any chance of getting through to him. Because, really, if he had almost killed his faerie godparents, whom he loved so dearly, what chance did she have?

"You have to stop doing this," Vicky said in the middle of a particularly egregious soap opera.

"You do it all the time," Tootie retorted. "I don't see the problem."

"This is my space," she growled.

"You wanted me down here," she countered.

"I wanted you down here for a couple days, not to leech off my stuff," she snapped back. "You actually like Cosmo and Wanda. Why not go play 'fairy' with them?"

"They're not playing," Tootie growled. "And it's criminal for me to sit and watch TV all day, when that's all you've done ever since The Other assaulted you?"

"Don't you dare compare our situations," Vicky snarled. "You lost your precious little 'fairy'."

"Calente was murdered!" Tootie screamed, jumping to her feet. "All The Other did was rape you."

Vicky's eyes bulged out of her sockets and color raced into her cheeks. She balled her fists and looked upon her younger sister with utmost loathing written in every line of her face. Jumping to her feet too, she grabbed Tootie by the throat.

"You have no fucking clue, you little shit," Vicky growled. "None."

She released her throat and Tootie stared up at her. She swallowed hard and backed up. Whenever Vicky was in a killing rage, Tootie normally fled the scene. In the back of her mind, she still disagreed, but she was too scared now to argue. Vicky slammed her fist down on the table and cracked it. Tootie gulped.

"Get out," she snapped. "Get the fuck out, you little shit."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Vicky pounded the table so hard it collapsed and Tootie whimpered, tears rising. She swung her fists in Tootie's direction and she ducked, curling into a ball.

"I wish Cal were here…" Tootie whispered and Vicky stopped, staring at her. A few minutes passed, where Vicky allowed Tootie to cower and Tootie felt wholly alone. Then Vicky yanked her to her feet and plopped her on the couch. The soap opera had gone on regardless of the dramatic scene in front of it.

"Are you done?" Vicky said.

"I miss Cal…and Timmy…" Tootie said and curled up in a ball. Tears streaked her cheeks. "You don't understand. You never lived your whole life in fear…of you…"

Vicky stared at her. "You're right. I didn't. And maybe I don't know, or care, how much Cal and Timmy meant to you. But I know what you're doing is sitting here, watching TV, instead of going to school and punishing someone else for your pain."

"What I want to know," Tootie said and took a deep breath, "who hurt you in the very beginning? Who started it?"

Vicky scowled. Rather than say 'wouldn't you like to know', which was what Tootie had anticipated, she said, "Who said it was a person at all? Maybe it was one of those stupid creatures you're so fond of."

Tootie gasped. "A faerie hurt you?'

Vicky scoffed. "They're not always so innocent, just like Turner."

"It's not Timmy's fault," she said defensively.

"You're so naïve," she scoffed. "You have no idea how much people can hurt you if you give them the chance."

Tootie hated seeing her beloved with Trixie, even if the Asian girl wore a bemused look and usually walked around wearing mismatched earrings or other fashion faux pas now. She hated how weak Cosmo and Wanda had grown, too, and how lethargic they were. When they weren't researching a particular spell, checking up on Timmy from afar, or conversing with Timmy's parents, they were sleeping to recover what little energy they had. They could barely shape shift and it broke her heart to see Wanda snuggle into Cosmo's arms during the middle of a movie, be talking to Tootie, and suddenly both faeries were out like a light. Not to mention their ever present crowns had tarnished gold now, instead of their bright shimmering forms.

She knew Timmy still loved her, because on the accidental occasion he could speak to her, he sent her troubled telepathic messages. Cosmo and Wanda warned her not to believe them, however, because The Other's energy had almost entirely consumed him. They wouldn't put anything past him now.

What was the most devastating, Tootie thought, was how, whenever they actually made contact with Timmy, he repudiated them at the best. And, at the worst, they'd come home barely alive. In Timmy's mind, Tootie had become a non entity and Cosmo and Wanda were mice for the big cats to play with until they finally decided to kill them off.

There had to be a way to get through to him. She just had to think of it.

Anything to get her light back…anything to stop Cosmo and Wanda from being so weak, they could barely get up in the morning…and anything to fix things…

She was all that was left, wasn't she? She'd better do the best damn job she could.