Italics indicate a flashback/memory
When in a memory, regular font will indicate a thought.
Author's Note: I will say only this. The what-if spell is the possible future if Timmy succumbs to Lorenzo, but not actually occurring in the story. Confused? Let me put it simply- it's just a goddamn spell!
Disclaimer: Yes, I don't own, very good.
Chapter Fifteen: The What-if Spell
The first thing Timmy Turner knew was, aside from no longer being in Kansas (as if he were to begin with!), the smell of decay and rain. Donned in black from head to toe, he watched the rain wash away the grime on the headstones and shuddered. Behind him, nature ceased and Lorenzo tapped his foot impatiently.
"Come. We have other business to attend to," The Other said crossly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It does not do to dwell on what might have been."
"But how?" Timmy asked, his eyes riveted to the names. "How did it fail? What did we do wrong? How...?"
"It was a doomed prospect to begin with. Come now, love, the day grows long and your parents have nowhere to go any more. You can see them again tomorrow."
"How…?" he whispered, holding back tears. "How did it go wrong?"
I wish I knew why…
"We'll visit Trixie tomorrow," Lorenzo murmured and kissed Timmy's temples. "She like A.J., Chester, Sanjay, Elmer, Miss Waxelplax, and Juandissimo have nowhere to go."
Timmy nodded in agreement and didn't look behind him. He never did any more if he could help it. If he had, he would have seen the seven new gravestones receive their first rainfall of summer.
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"I see you're back," Remy snapped, holding up his hand to try and bar their entrance. Beside him, Gary leaned against the iron fence and held what strangely resembled a golden earring like one of Wanda's. Both wore sullen, defiant looks and clasped hands.
"I see you're not leaving," Lorenzo retorted and advanced, his arm strongly wrapped around his territory. "Is this a new boyfriend of yours, Remy?"
Remy glared and moved closer to Gary. "It is no business of yours."
"I ask only because the last one was yours only for a few weeks before something tragic happened to him. Then there was the one before…"
"You happened to them!" Remy snapped and squeezed Gary's hand. Gary, however, showed no sign of attraction. Quite the opposite, he had eyes only for Tootie and vengeance only for Timmy.
"I happened to them? You give me too much credit. Any fool within range of a bullet might have dropped dead, but your boyfriends just had a penchant for being intimate with them."
Timmy? Hello, blockhead. The Other's massagin' your shoulder and you're just standin' there? It's nice to know you don't care! Gary snapped and Timmy's head hung low.
"See what you've done? You've made poor Timmy depressed. What sort of sick human being would accuse me of wrong doing? I've never done anything immoral, indecent, or illegal in my life."
"Bull shit! You killed Juandissimo!" Remy screamed, his eyes burning with an intensity matched only by Gary's loathing of Timmy right now. "You stood there and watched him die! I hate you!"
The Other smirked and pulled Timmy closer, eliminating any space between them. "Your complaint has been noted."
Bile rose in Timmy's throat and he shut his eyes tightly to reality. What was wrong with him, being repulsed by Lorenzo like this? He'd taken him, taught him how to fight, and…forced him to kill two innocent creatures. No! It was needed, it was a deal.
What's the matter? Are Remy and Gary bothering you? I could arrange it so they never bother you again. Would you like that?
No, I wouldn't. I mean, Timmy stammered as Lorenzo began to rework his mind yet again. Sure, do what you will.
Thank you, He sent back and then scowled. Tootie, as usual, was trying her damnedest to get through to her love. Not another plea…
No, it wasn't. Timmy recognized this memory as did Lorenzo. It had begun at the same place where Remy and Gary stood now.
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"This place gives me the willies," Sanjay proclaimed and shuddered, watching a crow settled down on a branch and fall off, dead. It joined a pile of dead crows, their little feet in the air.
"Remember, we're here to see Timmy, not to-" A.J. swallowed hard and spun his friends around. Also in a heap was a collection of candy bags from last week's Halloween. There was blood on them and a pink ribbon.
"Dude, that really looks like Trixie's bow," Chester said and stepped back. "I'm not sure we're doing the right thing here."
"Of course we are! We're here for Timmy!" Tootie cried. Her eyes were dull and she appeared to have cried a great deal. Of the four present (Elmer had disappeared yesterday and no one seemed quite sure where he went), she alone knew of Cosmo and Wanda's deaths. She alone bore the burden and it slowly killed her.
"We can't abandon him in his time of need!" A.J. agreed. "Are you with us or not, you guys?"
"I suppose I am in," Sanjay said, casting a disparaging glance at many, many foreboding signs and clenching his fists tightly. "But this surely is not-"
"Chester!" A.J. inquired, frowning slightly and tapping his foot. "I need an answer."
"I guess," the towheaded said, running his hands over his upper arms to create some sort of warmth. There's something not right with that house and DeMedici. People have a habit of meeting him and not coming out alive.
"Then let's go," Tootie murmured and shifted her purple bag back onto her shoulder. An errant tear trickled her cheek but she ignored it. She didn't care any more, she didn't want to care any more. Goddamn Timmy…
"Are you all right?" Sanjay asked, scrutinizing the bespeckled girl. "You look ill."
"I'm fine!" Tootie snapped loudly and bit her lip. "Leave me alone!"
A.J. nodded and pushed the gate open. It squeaked on the hinges and all four jumped. When they did, Tootie's sleeve dropped down and A.J. stared- there were deep gashes on her wrists, only caused by a razor.
"You're cutting yourself?" the African American boy demanded and the three boys turned to face her. This was serious. Did everything going on cause to feel she had to inflict pain upon herself?
Tootie's head hung low and she sobbed silently. Timmy, he'd done it to her. He'd hurt her so badly but it was time to pick up the pieces. There was so little hope left…
Before any one could respond (and Sanjay had moved to slip an arm around her shoulders), the speaker system on the gate sparkled to life and a cold, cruel voice emanated from within. It sent shivers down their spines and Tootie, heedless of its iron structure, kicked the gate. She liked pain now, it reminded her there were other feelings than mind-numbing grief.
"Didn't you read the sign? 'All Trespassers Will Be Shot'. Honestly, what are they teaching you children in school?" Lorenzo drawled and there was a soft chuckle, barely audible.
Miss Wanda and Cosmo? Timmy snapped maliciously.
You monster! Doesn't it hurt? It aches, it kills me… Tootie responded. You, I hate you! I wish you were dead. I wish I were dead. (sob)
"I'm afraid rules are rules and they were made to be obeyed. Enable the video, dear Timmy. I wish to see their final moments in crystal clarity. But, oh, get the bitch out of the way. She's still useful, for the moment."
"Timmy?" A.J. cried in disbelief. "Timmy, he's insane! We're here to rescue you! Just get out of here and-"
"Like I'm some sort of damsel in distress?" Timmy shot back. "Fuck that!"
"This is true, you are no damsel, but Timmy-" Sanjay started but was unable to finish his thought for Chester interrupted.
"Dude, he's threatening to kill us and you're going to-" Chester started but a bullet to the brain from a hidden rifle silenced him forever. His body took forever to drop, like time suffered the same as A.J. and all that remained was Chester falling, falling, dead.
"No!" A.J. howled in pure agony and cradled him. "No! You can't! You're not dead! Just get up and give me a smile. It's just a virtual reality game!"
Poised between the open gate and the driveway. Tootie closed her eyes and kept them shut. Whatever was going on, she knew she could do little about it. She was no heroine and the part thrust upon her grew too heavy to hold. Of the four who came, she alone would survive because The Other toyed with her like a cat with a mouse and she was sick of being the girl who lived.
"Now, who to pick off? Hmm. Well, let's see. Choices, choices, choices. I certainly can't kill you all at once! What fun would that be?" The Other crooned.
"Leave the girl," Timmy said coldly, no trace of humanity left in his voice. "Let her go."
"I suppose I'll take requests. Okay, Timmy, you get your wish. If I were you, Toot, I'd start running."
But she stayed still, her feet glued to the asphalt. Some sort of morbid curiosity paralyzed her, forcing her to watch A.J. and Sanjay's final moments. (Later, she would discover this curiosity was actually The Other's game and his magic bound her there)
"You're not going to get away with this!" A.J. snapped and cradled Chester's head to his chest. His fingers traced the trail of blood from his scalp and he bent over to kiss his forehead.
"Oh, honestly! Is it the sole purpose of every 'hero' to cry this? No wonder all the villains are mad! I'd be insane (more insane) too if I heard that line every damn time I tried to do something! Which line would you like a response? 'You and your little dog too'? Nah, too trite.
"I prefer a much simpler phrase. Don't think of it as goodbye, think of it as mind-numbing pain culminating in death. Farewell, A.J. and Sanjay., we will not meet again in this reality."
Tootie turned back one final time and while she did not turn into a pillar of salt, her knees weakened and she fell to them, unable to move yet again. Two shots rang out and continued to ring, forevermore, in her heart and mind. If Timmy let this happen to them, what was to become of her?
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Somehow, he never was certain how, Remy escaped unscathed. Gary, leaning on the fence, cocked his head back and glared at Timmy. Lorenzo was nowhere to be seen as well, presumably in the mansion. There was no one there to protect him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Timmy snapped. All he wanted was to be left alone. Memories kept flashing through his mind; terrible, horrible recollections he wished he didn't have. Wish…Cosmo and Wanda…
Instead of giving him a salutation in response, Gary punched Timmy in the stomach as strongly as he could, truly Timmy's proper reception. It was deeply satisfying, though not nearly enough to fill the anger in his heart. Gary would never rest until Timmy was dead, be it only by his own hands.
Timmy groaned, dropping to his knees. "What the-?"
"Get up," Gary snarled and grabbed him by the collar. He then slammed Timmy's head against the gate and kneed him in the groin. Still not enough…
"You killed Cos and Wan, you bastard. I'll get you if it's the last thing I ever do. Oh, and when I do, Tootie's mine," Gary snapped and dropped Timmy on the ground as if the touch burned him.
"You sicken me. I'm out." He vanished into the night but the words didn't. They reverberated in his head.
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"Where were you?" Lorenzo demanded, adding the finishing touches to two new fixtures on the main hallway. "Remy got away, the slick bastard."
"I was…" He trailed off, looking at them. Cosmo and Wanda's decapitated heads hung from nails. The Other had even forced their eyelids open so they stared from their position. The combination was nauseating.
"You like?" The Other, poked Wanda's head, both floating above the floor. "A nice homage, don't you think? Really great, it fits the décor perfectly."
"Yeah…" Their waxen faces, frozen in the same looks they'd worn when he'd murdered them, unbidden, it brought forth another memory. Goddammit…
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Reaching the final rung, he paused. Cosmo and Wanda faced him, wands drawn. Both were crying but prepared.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Come on and kill us!" Cosmo snapped and Wanda scowled.
Gee, thanks for reminding him! Her stomach was fluttery.
I don't think he was coming to say hello. Or was he? Hi, Timmy!
With a flip, he landed on his feet and the scythe turned into an anti-fairy weapon, a twisted sort of wand made of steel and a black star at the tip. It shortened out their wands immediately. Lorenzo had been quite proud of it of this trait. Certainly, it cut the projected times in half.
Taking both of them in with one glance, he seized them up. He thought he'd take Lorenzo's strong suggestion and take out the frach first. It would be much more entertaining that way.
Now a sword, a glorious bronze sword engraved with rubies on the hilt, Timmy squeezed it tightly and relished its cold, deadly power. It was tangible and made him feel as though his goal were as well. Deep breathing, in and out, in and out.
Lunging, Timmy made for Wanda but she swerved out of his way. After a few practice attacks, he caught her pattern easily and cornered her. Once she was dead, he could have his mother back.
The sword went forward but Cosmo pushed his wife out of the way and it plunged six inches deep into his chest instead, pinning his tie. Blood began to blossom on his white shirt and Timmy stumbled back, for the moment stunned at what he'd done. Cosmo slowly died and, for some unfathomable reason, Timmy wanted to grant his godparents one last moment.
Wanda caught Cosmo before he hit the wall and she broke down completely, sobbing unabashed. Her tears splattered his face and he, trembling and growing weaker by the second, wiped them away, reached up, and kissed her tenderly.
I love you, Wanda, Cosmo's own thoughts were rasps and his breathing extremely labored. I always did.
No! Don't talk like that! We'll get you to the best doctor in Fairy World. You'll be fine! We-
I'll miss being a 'we'. Of course, it was never as much as fun as 'whee'.
What do you mean? We'll always be together! You're not dying. You're not!
I thought you were supposed to be the smart one…
Cosmo! No!
I think…the moon is calling…it is made of cheese…I loved you, Wanda…
NO!
With a final jerk, his lips fell from hers as did his hand from her cheek. She felt his presence slip from her mind and his heart stop. No…
"Cosmo!" Wanda screamed and kissed his still warm lips. "You're not…he didn't…Timmy couldn't have…"
Cosmo! Say it's a joke! Say something! Cosmo! Cosmo! She tried to send it but it wouldn't go through. He wasn't there to receive it. His mind room was empty…
"Timmy!" Wanda growled and gently placed Cosmo down on their bed (she ignored the blood on her shirt which fairly sparkled with its reddish shimmer) and glared at her godson. The intensity of the glare was astounding- she looked like she could kill Timmy.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Timmy cocked his head, listening intently. Well, he hadn't thought she'd come, but the more the merrier. Whose thoughts were these? When did he stop being Timmy Turner?
Tootie, no! It wasn't working, she had no choice. Why couldn't she send telepathy any more?
"Tootie! Get out of here!" She couldn't bring herself to say it, that Cosmo was dead. If she said it, it made his death concrete, something magic couldn't change. She couldn't handle that.
Wanda floated towards the door but the sword, returning to its owner by thought alone, became a scythe again and slit her throat. She was dead before she hit the floor.
"You!" Tootie screamed, standing on the floor not five feet from where Wanda's body lay. There were no words to express her fury, only violence. Only…
Smack! She struck him hard in the chest and wrenched his arms behind his back. The transistor fell to the floor with a clang and skidded across the room.
Timmy tried to protect himself but she was unpredictable. Driven to the brink of insanity, Tootie hit him anywhere within reach. She'd grabbed a hunk of his hair and ripped it out, rammed him into the wall, and slammed him onto his back.
This was not to say Timmy wasn't struggling as well. He'd grabbed her skirt (the only thing within reach) and tried to yank it down. She'd kicked him in the crotch and he pulled away. No way was he getting her skirt down. She'd sooner kill him first.
They rolled about on the floor in a tangled mess. Finally, Tootie landed a nasty kick square in his chest that sent him sprawling. He landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him.
Seeing her opportunity, she grabbed the transistor, a sword once again, and pressed the tip into Timmy's throat. He glanced up at her, eyes wide. Did she want to do this?
Fairy blood shone on the edge and it swirled around the two. Surprised at the sudden heat building in the hilt, she dropped it and he stood. However, unlike before, his blue eyes were clear and he retreated, straight out the open door, landing on his leg. Meanwhile, the blood shimmered.
You have slain the innocent for your own selfish gain. You will live a cursed life until the righteous take this luxury from you.
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In his room and on his bed, Timmy hugged his knees to his chest but was cautious not to move his left leg. Since the fall and subsequent poorly knitted bones, he couldn't move it much without immense pain. Only he knew it was broken, he hadn't the heart to tell Lorenzo, especially after the joyous celebration that night The Other told him they had.
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"Did you?" The Other squealed and took a look at Timmy's black eye, absent hair, bloody clothing (all, ironically, dealt by Tootie). "You did! We must celebrate! Come on in!"
Timmy didn't but moved slightly closer to the door, wincing every time any sort of pressure was applied. He'd a hell of a time getting home and the only comforting thought was his parents hugging him; his newly restored parents. The deal was done and he'd fulfilled his part so it was time to reap the benefits.
"I think you owe me," Timmy snarled and didn't budge from the doorway. "And you promise me it would be tonight."
"But don't you want to celebrate? Work always comes after play and you need to have some champagne. Besides, all work and no play make Timmy a dull boy, or is it a serial killer? I can just never recall."
"I want my parents," Timmy growled. "I won't move until you bring them to me."
Hmm. He seems awfully determined but it's nothing a bit of alcohol won't dislodge. What's with the pained expression? Ugh, never mind that, he stinks of Tootie!
"Timmy? Sweetie?" Mrs. Turner called and floated through the door. Instead of being almost entirely solid and requiring only a finishing spell to restore her to life, the reverse had happened and she was now a will-o-wisp, prey to a stray wind. In fact, between the light on the porch and the darkness beyond, she was hardly visible.
"Mom? What happened?" Timmy cried and she cringed. Mrs. Turner was having a bit of trouble keeping her particles together. The night, unfortunately, was rather gusty (not by sheer coincidence, either).
"I, I must have done something wrong in the spell casting," Lorenzo stammered but he smirked slightly. He had, of course, arranged it. Uttering magic of the ancient sort in an English translation would always accomplish the inverse of the spell's original intention.
"I'll remedy it immediately. I would never cause you pain. I live for you and the only thing I want is for you to be happy.
Love lorne, love lost
Return them no matter the cost
Tears shed
Take them instead
Recall their lives and regain what once was
"End the pain," he chanted and then whispered the final line as Timmy's father floated through the wall to be beside his wife, "to the graves again."
In a burst of cold white light, Timmy's parents dissipated and simply vanished. He felt a soft brush against his cheek and then nothing. They were gone.
"NO!" Timmy howled and collapsed into The Other's waiting arms. Everything was working out perfectly, just the way he'd planned it. Now that essentially all the threats were out of the way, he could have Timmy all to himself.
Carrying a bawling pink hatted murderer past Timmy's bedroom, Lorenzo paused on the way to his own. Trixie was chatting animatedly and he wasn't certain he liked the discourse. Loath as he was to abandon an utterly miserable Timmy, he could always pick it up where he left off. Besides, Trixie seemed to be too poised and the information she gave seemed too covert. It was driving him mad.
Tenderly, he opened the door to the master bedroom (his own) and set his beloved down on the bed. The pre-teen sniffled and glanced up at Lorenzo as if to ask "Are you leaving me too?" If only he hadn't gotten lax with her control, goddammit! Timmy was in the perfect position to be seduced.
"I think that DeMedici guy is totally creepy. I mean , what guy wears all black and walks around with a knife in his pocket? Ugh, I think he's even training Timmy to be a serial killer or something."
"Oh, my God, like, you know, I think this phone call is, like, totally over!" Lorenzo said in a mock valley girl tone and the cordless white receiver burst into flames.
Trixie screamed and scrambled back against the headboard. Her eyes were wide and she shook from head to toe. "What, what are you?"
"Well, let's see. Would you like a full bio and profile? Really, though, such terror is unmerited. I'm only an anti-fairy bent on making Timmy my own and eliminating all obstacles. What's so twisted about that?"
"You can have him! I'm getting out of here!" Trixie yelled and darted to the door. The Other, however, waltzed into the room. Fire sprung up and impeded her exit.
"They say parting is such sweet sorrow. I, however, feel no sentimental attachments to you whatsoever and I only kept you alive because Timmy had a fondness for you. I'm done playing around and I must concur, the time has come."
"My dad has money. He'll give you money!" Trixie whimpered and held her pillow to her chest like a life preserver.
"Fool! I am magic! What use have I of monetary things? Don't be stupid."
"Please!" She begged and began to wail in earnest. The Other shuddered for he loathed the sound of women crying.
"Fine," he sighed, appearing to relent as the barrier collapsed. Trixie, whispering her eternal gratitude, hurdled towards the open door when the flames reappeared and caught her half-way. There was an ear-shattering scream as Trixie Tang, the "love" of Timmy's life, was quite literally immolated.
On her bed (which stank of feminine "health products"), The Other watched her burn (no popcorn, he'd forgotten it in his haste). A slight smile twisted his lips while Trixie begged, screamed, and pleaded for her life. What a crybaby.
"Hurry up and die! You're wasting precious make out time!" The Other snarled and turned up the intensity of the flames. Before she was entirely ashes, though, he made certain to procure her ribbon, then, she was cremated. The flames vanished on their own.
"Shame there's no urn like in those simulation games." He magicked her remains into one, swiftly composed a condolence note ("I'm very sorry for your loss, freak fires will happen, blah, blah, blah") and sent both to the Tang mansion. If only he could be there when they awoke and see their reaction, but no. Timmy beckoned.
Lorenzo walked into his room where Timmy sat, curled in a ball with an accusatory glare. Damn, for what duration of time had he left him? Hmm. Well, he supposed it depended on how long it took for Trixie to die. It couldn't have been too long.
"You left me," Timmy said, wounded. "And I heard screaming."
"It was nothing and I'm sorry. In the reverse order."
"Nothing?" Timmy whispered, his eyes full of tears. Lorenzo drew him close and held him tightly. Ripples of pleasure ran up and down The Other's body.
"No, nothing. I think you need something to calm your nerves. There's some liquor around here. Ah, yes, in that cabinet, there it is. How do you like it?"
Timmy pulled away. "Drugs are wrong. I don't need-"
One hell of a time for that anti-drug propaganda to kick in. "Murder is wrong. What you suffered is also wrong. Liquor will numb the pain."
"I guess…" He wavered, indecisive.
"Atta boy," Lorenzo responded and cupped Timmy's head up so he could kiss him. Even so, Timmy hung back. Good ole alcohol would loosen some inhibitions on his part.
As he mixed drinks and gave him the highest proof he could find, Timmy sobbed on his bed. This was no good. He couldn't afford to leave Timmy alone with his own thoughts or else the recent events would sink in.
"Here," he thrust it out and Timmy sniffed it. Ugh, he wondered where the kid had picked up the habit. Of course, in this case, it truly was poison, but still!
"It smells awful," Timmy groaned.
"You just have to get used to it."
Timmy took a sip, winced, then chugged the entire glass. However, because he hadn't eaten anything the whole day or regained the weight he lost, it hit him quickly, rendering him inebriated in five minutes. As he was now drunk, he failed to realize while he'd downed the glass, Lorenzo had abstained. The Other never drank himself, only coerced his victims to.
"I guess it's all right," Timmy slurred and leaned against Lorenzo. "Tasted funny, though."
"Aren't you cold?" Lorenzo whispered and the fireplace in the center of the room suddenly sputtered and died. Now, of course, Timmy had to be cold because the only source of heat in the room was Lorenzo. My, my, the boy was putty in his hands.
Shivering, Timmy fell into The Other's waiting arms and Lorenzo ran his hands up and down the boy's goose bumps. He'd studied all the effects of alcohol on the human body before even considering administering it to Timmy. There was the loss of heat, the lack of inhibition, the sluggishness of the senses, confusion, and generally everything Lorenzo looked for in a victim. This was not to say he wanted to hurt Timmy greatly, he just wanted to have his fun, that's all.
Timmy moaned weakly. He could feel his limbs soften and his brain became befuddled. "Tootie…"
Grand, just what he wanted to hear, his lover calling out for his own beloved. Well, he'd soon fix that. He'd give Timmy a night to remember, if the alcohol lent him any recollection of the night at all. Someday, someday soon, Timmy would be boasting of his prowess, not of any girl's.
I will ignore his transgression for the moment. He clearly doesn't know what he's thinking and, as if to illustrate, his mind room has become very foggy. There's no point in sobriety, either, or he'll think of Cosmo and Wanda and the deal going sour.
Doesn't this feel better? Lorenzo murmured, trailing kisses down Timmy's bare chest and moving his way downward. Timmy gasped, his head reeling. Of course it does. Leave everything to me, love. I'll make sure you feel good.
The next time Timmy awoke was to realize he had to throw up. That he did, clutching the toilet bowl for dear life, for who did he see in there but Cosmo and Wanda, silhouetted against the water.
Weaker than he anticipated, it was all he could do to cling to the bowl and wonder about his sanity. They spoke to him, if only he could properly listen. He leaned his head further and further in. Lorenzo wasn't awake (if he were, he would have put a stop to it immediately) so no one noticed him.
"Well, I guess this is where goldfish go when they die," Cosmo spat and Timmy, feeling hot all over, only groaned.
"You guys aren't really here. I'm hallucinating. I'm going insane."
"Timmy, you have to listen to us," Wanda said softly. "There isn't much time."
"Oh, like he's going to listen to us now! He didn't listen to us when we were alive; what's the chance he'll do it when we're apparitions in his toilet?" Cosmo snapped and Wanda scowled.
"Cosmo! Please, Timmy, just listen," Wanda said, sighing. "Although you don't really have much of a choice in the matter…"
"You're not real. You're just brought on by all the rum I drank."
"You had alcohol?" Wanda said, flabbergasted and immediately distrustful of the person offering it to him. "Who gave it to you?"
"Well, lucky he can have alcohol, because we can't, because we're dead!" Cosmo snapped.
"Not helping, Cosmo. Did The Other give you alcohol?"
"He might. I don't really remember what happened in the last twenty-four hours."
Wanda sighed. "Great. So he could have done anything to you and you wouldn't know it. Well, believe what you want about why we're here, it doesn't matter. You still have to listen to us." She was pleading now.
"Yeah, and if you flush us, we won't go away!" Cosmo added.
"Anyway," Wanda said, shooting her husband a dirty look, "I think you should-"
This, unfortunately, was the time Lorenzo chose to enter the room. His eyes were narrowed- he too could hear them. Damn, he should have looked up fairy murders and realized they could communicate beyond the grave. No matter, he'd dispel of them as quickly as possible.
"Dead fairies should tell no tales," Lorenzo snapped and flushed the toilet. They, to his chagrin, remained. "What the fuck?"
"But we do. Three weeks from now, it will all be over," Wanda warned and they turned into fish and swam, gone from sight, into the U-bend. See, kids, what happens when you drink? You see Cosmo and Wanda in your toilet.
"'I'm just hating cryptic messages'," Lorenzo quipped and kicked the porcelain in frustration. "Like I give a fuck."
Truthfully, he did. The warning disturbed more than anything, especially the look in Wanda's eyes, the forgiving look. She still loved him…
"They, I killed them, didn't I?" The truth finally sank in and Timmy pushed his face so far in he nearly fell. The Other had to rescue him, pushing the seat back to its proper position in the process. He wanted no more close calls.
"It's Halloween! Come on now, let's celebrate!" Actually, it had ceased being Halloween a few hours ago but Timmy had lost his concept of time so it mattered little.
"I killed them!" Timmy screamed and Lorenzo wrapped his arms around the still shuddering boy, kissing him anywhere within reach. For the moment at least, he wasn't siphoning off energy, just mucking about in his mind.
"Calm down," Lorenzo whispered and clutched him tighter, their bare skin pressing against each other. "Please."
"I killed them!" Timmy insisted but it was now a whimper. "And for what? I still don't have my parents."
"It was a mistake," The Other lied and trailed kisses down his bare neck and back. "It never should have happened that way."
His head buried in The Other's chest, Timmy whimpered. I should stop him, somehow, but he loves me. No one else does any more…
On the floor, Lorenzo held him and Timmy fell asleep in his arms. The odd thing was; he never stopped sobbing like his heart had broken.
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"I have a present for you," Lorenzo said and threw a bundle on the bed. It rolled back and forth and emanated anger. A black pigtail stuck out and Timmy identified the bundle to be no bundle at all but Tootie wrapped up in a garbage bag.
"Don't open before December 25th," he teased and kicked her off the bed and across the room. She would have smacked into the cabinet if Timmy hadn't jumped off the bed and caught her in the nick of time.
The Other shrugged and left. "Go ahead and play. I struck her down before she got too far on our grounds. She was creeping around again. I think it's a goal for her to trespass every week. I must make a note. Today, Tootie snuck around and I captured her, November 15th."
Timmy undid the knot at the top and once she was free, she smacked him. "Don't touch me!"
"Hey, I kept you from getting knocked into the glass part of that cabinet!"
"Good job. I see The Other taught you something. Then again, any animal can catch; same as any animal can commit murder. Are you proud of yourself? Does it make you feel all warm and fuzzy? How are your parents? Alive and well?"
"Shut up!" Timmy roared and punched her in the face. Blood rushed through his veins and it pounded in his head.
"Are you a man now?" Tootie snapped, producing the transistor. It became a pink knife with a green hilt and both cringed. Everywhere, it seemed inescapable, the reminders were.
Although her cheek still stung a great deal, she decided to hold off on an attack for a good thirty seconds. His eyes were glued to the knife and it did more to hurt him than anything she could do right away. What a peculiar color combination the transistor had chosen- sometimes it seemed more to Tootie the weapon responded more readily to subconscious desires than spoken thoughts.
Both scarcely breathed and their eyes met. He brought his hand up again and she clenched her eyes tightly shut but he caressed her cheek instead. Skin tingled.
Aw, forget it. He's not serious. Tootie thought and finally clobbered him. Considering everything that had happened; she wasn't sure she wanted him to touch her, even if he made her heart skip beats. She wanted to hurt him but yet hold and be held by him.
In the corner, the T.V. sparked to life and The Other's face showed. Unconsciously, Tootie clung to him, seeking some sort of protection. His arm slipped about her in response and she, with a pang, remembered Vicky's warning and pulled away. He glared at her.
"Guess what? I decided this house was getting a little too empty, what with all the unexplained disappearances, so I took the liberty of inviting a guest. You might know her; she's eighteen with reddish-orange hair, a ponytail, and a green t-shirt. She answers to the name 'Vicky'. Ring any bells, Tootie?"
The camera pulled back to reveal Vicky, trembling, with a pistol held to her temple. Lorenzo had his other arm casually around her, indicating his property. Now he had the three things he'd always wanted (aside from Cosmo and Wanda out of the way) - Vicky, Timmy, and a convenient deterrent to Tootie.
"Now, you ask why it should matter. How does it affect me? Well, to put it into terms Cosmo would understand (Tootie, Vicky, and Timmy flinched), if you put one toe out of line, Toot, I'll kill Vicky. I'm sure you no longer care about your own well-being, a longer razor will produce a deeper cut there, Tootie, but can you stand another death on your head?
"Just remember, Tootie, it's all your fault. If you had been smarter, better, he would never have gone to me for help. And, if you loved him a little more, maybe he wouldn't have killed Cosmo and Wanda. Maybe the four of you would be sitting down to pizza, or whatever it is you humans eat. It's irrelevant. You ruined him, you drove him to this."
"NO!" Tootie cried and Vicky tried to say something to comfort her sister but he whispered in her ear and she froze.
"Yes, yes. You did this."
A little voice in her head piped in, He's right. I did this. I drove to Timmy to this. I made him kill Cosmo and Wanda, I wasn't good enough. If I had tried harder, been a little more vigilant, loved him more, I could have prevented it. It's my fault, it's all my fault.
The set switched off but not without a strangled cry. "Tootie, don't listen to him! He's lying! TOOTIE!"
"I did it…it's my fault…" She couldn't take it anymore. Standing up, she ran to the bathroom, Timmy at her heels.
"What are you-" Timmy's jaw dropped and he was unable to finish his thought. The transistor had turned into a razor, a brilliant razor with a handle of brown and it looked sharp enough to cut the tub, much less her wrists. He had no doubt what she was planning.
Tootie, you can't! Timmy sent, on the verge of desperation. The walls were closing in, his deeds were racking themselves up, stabbing him in the back. How much more of this could he take?
"You never loved me," Tootie began, tears sliding down her cheeks. "You loved Trixie, you loved your parents, but never me."
Let go of that!
"I thought, foolishly, if I was just there, it would be enough. I was wrong, so terribly, horribly wrong. I wasn't strong enough to stop you, to keep you from killing them. For that, I'm sorry."
Give to me! He started to cry despite himself and wiped his tears with his arm.
"I can kill myself thanks," Tootie said coldly and pushed him away. "I don't need your help."
On impulse, she pulled him towards her and kissed him. He could taste the salt of her tears on her lips. Her arms wrapped firmly about him and they remained for a minute this way. Finally, she disentangled herself and stood next to the tub.
"I loved you, Timmy Turner, but it doesn't look like it was enough. I guess love, for me, came at much too high a cost."
With those words, she slit her wrists, making sure to cut it at an exact angle to ensure a quick death. Timmy stood, frozen. Cosmo and Wanda's dire warning repeated in his head but he was at a loss as to what to do.
It took five minutes for her to die and when she did, Timmy took the transistor from her .He didn't know what he was going to do with it but never got the chance. The Other walked into the bathroom the split second Timmy acquired the transistor.
"A blood stain is orange once you wash it three or four times in the tub, but I dare say the tub (where Tootie's body lay), will give it a stronger scent and tint. Come on, it's time for dinner and I want you to meet my blushing bride in person. I can't wait to give her the news!"
"That's-" Timmy found his mind curiously empty. The Other still pulling the strings, he led him to the kitchen where Vicky sat, tied to a chair.
"Good news! Unfortunately, since I don't have a car, I didn't switch to Geico, but this is better." He selected a seat beside Vicky. "We only have two mouths to feed (I don't eat, remember?). Tootie's gone and committed suicide. Dreadful business, that. So sad."
"What?!" Vicky cried in dismay. "Tootie killed herself?"
"And Timmy saw it. I was speaking English before, wasn't I?" Lorenzo inquired, shifting his glance to a glum Timmy who nodded.
"You killed my sister. It wasn't enough that you killed Cosmo and Wanda, you had to kill my sister too! Are you happy now?:" Vicky spat, starting to cry despite herself.
In the brief moment when Lorenzo had forgotten to protect him, to shield him from the truth, everything sank in at once. He'd killed his godparents, lost his parents, been the cause of death for his friends, and watched his true love kill herself. For what? Nothing was worth this agony, nothing.
"I'm sorry! I didn't want this! Cosmo and Wanda, someone, save me!" Timmy sobbed, falling to his knees. Around him, the world shimmered and converted itself back to where he previously had been. He wasn't in the mansion any more but the training shed.
A dream? No, but it had seemed so real. Where were they, all of them? Could it have happened? He never meant for-
"Cosmo! Wanda!"
Wanda swept him up into a bear hug and he sobbed, both from relief and the sheer shock of the what-if spell, into her chest. He clung to her and she stroked his hair until he finally quieted and she released him.
"Are you okay, sport?" She frowned at him and Cosmo floated at her side, looking none too pleased himself.
"You're alive? Both of you?"
"Sure. Why wouldn't we be?" Cosmo replied, forgetting the spell he'd cast not five minutes ago.
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have made the deal. I couldn't think! I just needed my parents. I just…I'm so sorry!" Timmy sobbed.
"Unfortunately, sweetie, part of the vision was true," Wanda said and they floated out of his line of vision. Timmy's parents were beginning to break up, their ghostly forms growing weaker and weaker.
"We knew you would make the right decision one of these days," Mrs. Turner said, smiling.
"You just needed a shove in the right direction," Mr. Turner added.
"We have to be honest, we planned this with your godparents. They're good creatures and they love you so much. Even if we can't be there to watch you grow up, they will be," Mrs. Turner whispered and only her face remained.
"We love you, Timmy," they chorused and disappeared for the last time.
"We're sorry," Wanda whispered, watching her godson choke back sobs. She wanted to do something, but Cosmo kept warning her not to touch him.
"Yeah, but at least you won't have to worry about The Other. He's out cold," Cosmo said and pointed at Lorenzo, who had a sizable lump on his head.
"I guess there's nothing left to say, really," Tootie murmured.
"You're alive too?!" Timmy shrieked and swept her up into such a strong embrace she was left breathless.
"Yes," Tootie said, grinning. "I'm alive and so are Chester, A.J., Sanjay, Elmer, Juandissimo, Crocker, and Trixie. They're all alive and my wrists are intact. See?"
"Huh?"
"We must have accidentally showed it to her as well," Cosmo said, grinning sheepishly.
Wanda slapped a hand to her forehead. Way to go, Cosmo.
"Let's just get out of here," Tootie whispered. She couldn't help but whisper. Timmy was squeezing her so tightly he might crack a rib. It was almost pleasant except for the lack of oxygen.
"Yeah," Timmy said, grinning and kissing her full on the lips. She kissed him back and drew away.
"Huh?"
"I can't breathe."
"Oh, sorry."
"Now I know how it feels," Tootie said with a grin, massaging her ribs.
"Yeah, any one else wanna get out of here sometime this millennium?" Cosmo said with a tinge of annoyance. Tootie and Timmy grinned sheepishly and nodded.
One chapter was almost closed.
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"I'm glad I didn't take much," Timmy said, holding his backpack, the only item he'd left in Lorenzo's possession. "I don't think I ever want to go back there again, even in my nightmares."
Tootie laughed humorlessly and squeezed his hand. "And you're free from The Other's influence, right? You aren't going to attack me or anything, are you?" (The what-if spell still hung heavily on her mind).
"Yeah, Cosmo and Wanda managed to sever the connection. I can still talk to him, but he can't talk to me unless I let him. I just wish they could have done more, though." She knew he was referring to his parents.
"They did it for you. They sacrificed themselves so you could be happy."
"I know," Timmy said and bit her lip to prevent the onslaught of tears (he was a little sick of crying). The mansion grew smaller and smaller in the distance. He was leaving the oppression, yet, on some level, also leaving his childhood. His parents were gone and he, finally, after all this time, had to deal with it.
Brushing past them was Trixie Tang looking harried. She kept muttering things to herself, nonsensical things. She looked back at them and resumed her frenzied dash.
Okay…"You and Trixie are done, right?" Tootie said anxiously.
"Yeah, we are. I'm not sure we ever were. I don't remember much after August."
He'll probably repress the memories until he can find some way to deal with them. Don't be surprised if you mention something that happened and he's clueless. He's been through a lot and the what-if spell was traumatizing. We ran a test run and the four of us bawled our eyes out. Give him a little time. Tootie could hear Wanda's advice resonate in her mind and knew her to be right.
They walked in silence until they reached his house. Tootie gulped hard, thinking of her own parents. The Other had to have one final word before they knocked them out (she had entered the spell the instant she was mentioned and not a moment sooner) and he'd screamed, in his fury over her hitting him in the head with a mallet (actually the transistor), the brilliant plan of her parents' disappearances, a slaughter as they went to their planes for a business trip (at night when he was ten). He'd left their bodes in the gas tank and they'd been cremated during the flight. As much as she wanted to be there for Timmy, she was drained, both emotionally and physically.
The door was open and they both trudged up the stairs, finally collapsing on Timmy's bed. They were unconscious for days.
Don't touch him, Cosmo warned. You shouldn't have touched him before.
It was the second night of the two's collapse and Wanda grew worried. Timmy moaned in his sleep and a bead of sweat began on his brow. She couldn't help wanting to hold him, he was calling her name.
He won't hurt us any more. I'm sure of it, Wanda replied and, to Cosmo's surprise and happiness, gave her husband a peck on the cheek, But it's sweet of you to worry.
How can we trust him again? He betrayed us.
I don't know.
Can we? Cosmo sent.
"Lorenzo…I'll do it…" Timmy moaned and hugged Tootie tightly.
No. They sent in unison. We can't trust him at all.
Author's Note- Damn, my hand and my fingers hurt. Anyway, aren't you glad this part's done? No? Oh, well.
I bet at least you're glad the what-if spell didn't actually end up with Timmy killing Cosmo and Wanda anyway after the spell was over? See, Timmy isn't heartless. J
Will Cosmo and Wanda ever trust Timmy again? For the answer to this question and many, many more, tune into the same FOP fiction, same FOP writer, some day soon.
Ciao.