Author's Note: School is out! School is out! No more Chemistry, which I have passed for the year! Whoo! Yeah! Er, sorry…
Disclaimer: From the person who brought you Fairly Oddparents and Danny Phantom does not bring you this fanfic. This fanfic is brought to you by the constantly broke and always in debt person, soulfulsin, thank you.
Chapter Four: Good Morning Sunshine
Leaning his elbow on his knee, Mark Chang watched his goddess fight her way through her past and lose miserably. He wanted to help, truly he did, but how much could he really do when she resisted him? All he could do at the moment was hope she would trust him soon and take care of her in the meanwhile.
Outside he could hear the birds chirping and knew it drew close to dawn. Even so, he hadn't slept a wink, preferring to protect her from whatever her subconscious might throw at her. He was a warrior, albeit exiled from his planet, but a warrior nonetheless and it was his duty to ensure her safety and well-being. Despite being unarmed against this new opponent, he knew there had to be a way to confront and defeat it, logically speaking.
While he refrained from physically touching her, he felt somehow his presence soothed her and she had fewer nightmares than she would have otherwise. Though he could prove neither point, some innate sense told him he was right, the very same that told him Vicky would fall for him in time. He only wished he could tell the duration they would both have to endure this agony; his being her discomfort and hers being her past and her unwillingness to trust males.
Vicky stirred and Mark's heart leapt in his chest. True, Vicky was beautiful in her sleep, but he could confer with her better awake. After all, just how many questions can you ask someone who's asleep, anyway?
"Good morning," he greeted her and anxiously awaited her reaction. Whatever he was expecting (perhaps a cheerful retort or possibly a hug), he was sorely disappointed. In fact, if he hadn't known the moves of a girl on the offense, he would have found himself in a great deal of pain in a short amount of time.
"Who the hell are you?" Vicky thundered and attempted to punch him in the crotch. "Where did you come from and why are you in my basement?!"
Deflecting her fist, he instead held it and tried his best to smile. This was extremely difficult given the current circumstances, but he knew if she calmed down for one second, he could escape her wrath. He was unsure of the capabilities of this body, however, so he didn't act his usual nonchalant (that and the human characteristics were beginning to take hold).
"My dear Vicky, it is I, Mark, the former warrior prince from Yugopotamia," Mark replied and read the expression on her face. You are a boy and you are in my house. What's happened and was I taken advantage of? Oh, my poor foul Vicky.
"You took off that stupid costume then," Vicky said and sat up, hugging her knees to her chest. Her heart raced a mile a minute and the room, well heated for December, felt far too warm. The acrid taste of her last meal, mac and cheese, hung in her mouth and she thought she might be sick. Nothing could be heard, not even the sound of her own breathing (for she had ceased breathing for a few moments as had Mark to appease her).
Gasping for breath (he'd held it for a good five minutes); Mark glanced over at her and longed to smooth her hair and hold her to him. She certainly looked as if she could use the comfort- a deer caught in the headlights couldn't have looked more terrified. Wow, she seemed convinced he'd hurt her or planned to in the near future. All he wanted to do was show her he loved her, never to wound her.
"It was not a costume, dearest Vicky, but my true form. I turned myself into a human to be with you," he reminded her. Does she not recall the events of last night? Perhaps they were so traumatic for her she wished to forget them…
"Oh, yeah, now I remember. What are you doing here? Why aren't you upstairs with the twerp?" Vicky said, biting her lip and feeling her old shield flare up. No vulnerability, I'm not going to fall for his cheap tricks and flattery. He can't hurt me, right? Not if I don't let him.
"I came merely to watch over you," Mark said, observing her facial expression with dismay. Although one part he was grateful for, the one slightly persuaded by his actions and arguments, the rest was full of anger and raw hatred (not to mention trepidation). No wonder she could scarcely recall him, being around him caused her great ambivalence.
"Yeah, well, you could have gotten some sorta telescope to do that!" Vicky retorted and crossed her arms over her chest. She was aware of her eyes belying her opinion on him, but she knew no other recourse than to avoid eye contact and pray she was terrifying enough to drive him away. It had worked in the past, so why not now?
"There is no telescope powerful enough to show your true beauty," Mark replied.
"Whatever, just leave me the hell alone!" She snapped, frustrated. "Or I'll leave your carcass as road kill!"
No.
"What?" She cried, more than a little alarmed. "What the hell?"
No, you won't.
"Get out of my head!" She screamed and shoved him off the bed. He, however, saw this coming and pulled her into his chest, twisting her arm behind her back. Of course, this wasn't enough to hurt, merely to give her pause.
We have fairies on our planet too. Mark sent and watched her struggle to express herself. No words would come but tears streamed down her face. Truth be told, he was almost sorry he'd done this, she was sure to believe he'd harm her now.
And true love as well.
Vicky gulped hard and wished she could stop crying. How embarrassing, to start bawling in front of him. But he'd cornered her and what was she to do? God, he reminded her of The Other with his attacks…
Do not cry, my beloved. I would never harm you. I am the first voice you have heard in your head, right? (Radical!) Lorenzo couldn't do this, could he? He isn't your true love. He thought whispered and released her arm. He'd no intention of holding it for that long but the touch of her skin on his made him shiver with pleasure.
"I don't believe you and…and…there are no such things as fairies!" Vicky snapped, not even knowing why she was defending Cosmo and Wanda. "Get out of my head, get out of my house and let go of me!"
I will not until you calm down. Don't pretend to know nothing of fairies, either. If you didn't, you couldn't hear me in your head because you wouldn't have exposed to them like we were. Mark sent and, unable to contain himself, caressed Vicky's cheek.
Vicky shuddered, remembering Lorenzo's touches always began so chaste. She was such a fool to think this guy was any different! Sure, he seemed that way, but all guys wanted was sex. It didn't matter how they got it, either, just so they enjoyed themselves and you didn't.
Sorry, but I will not let go until you I'm sure you mean me no harm. Closing his eyes, he felt her heartbeat against his own, but hers was far more frenzied and panicked. Perhaps it was too soon to endure tough love…
I…you just want to use me! Vicky accidentally sent and broke down completely into sobs. Only when Mark released her did she realize she'd sent her first telepathic message. The thought of it made her head reel. Telepathy was for Tootie and the twerp and possibly Cosmo and Wanda, but not her. What on earth was going on? He couldn't be her true love, could he?
For a few seconds, all he could do was stare at her. No one had warned her about leaking over emotions and she overwhelmed him. There were far too many for him to deal with at once and so many conflicting ones. He didn't know how she could stand all that raw emotion, he thought he'd go nuts.
"Give me a little recuperating time, will you?" He muttered and massaged his temples. "You're all over the place here."
Huh? She inadvertently sent and threw in more of her emotions. Mark felt like his head was going to explode between her feelings and his own. Whatever she did next, it had better be to put a cap on her feelings. It wasn't, however, and he wound up screaming at her.
"STOP!" He yelled and clutched his head. "Didn't you anyone warn you about sending your feelings through in telepathy? You're killing me!"
"No…" Vicky said in a small voice. "No one told me because I wouldn't listen. I didn't think it would happen to me and I didn't particularly care. As a matter of fact, I don't care now!"
"Yes, you do," he sighed and tried to clear his mind. "I can tell. All your opinions have made themselves known to me."
"They…have?"
"Yes, they have," He muttered, slammed a hand against his forehead, and winced. This movement hadn't hurt in his other form but now he hadn't a glass cover protecting him. The human body would take some getting used to.
"I…" Gulping hard, she flung off the sheets and tossed some clothes on over her pajamas. Naturally he figured out what she was trying to do, escape him somehow. If only he could find as easy a respite from her feelings as she could from him.
Unfortunately for her, as soon as she reached the door and began to turn the knob, her courage failed her and she sank to the floor in a miserable heap, sobbing. No, she couldn't take this, he knew what agony she was going through, everything. All the things she wanted locked away in her heart were his to see.
He realized abruptly standing there, watching her was useless. There was no way he could hope to shield himself properly and satiate her at the same time. He would have to attempt to mollify her and regain some sanity (the little he afforded himself, that is).
"Dearest Vicky," Mark whispered and, walking over to her, proceeded to hold her tightly. To his surprise, she didn't struggle but surrendered herself to his arms and buried her head in his chest again. In the blissful (for him) few moments that passed, he rocked her back and forth and she wailed out her misery.
Finally, she froze, rigid and terrified. Sensing her retreat into her shell, Mark kissed the crown of her head and withdrew. This was all he could really hope for anyway.
Furiously blinking away tears and suddenly infuriated with herself, Vicky jumped up and violently grabbed the remote, flicking on the TV set to drown her sorrows in a good cartoon. Mark sighed and began to prepare breakfast, only occasionally glancing at her and recalling her remorse, guilt, self-blame, distrust and general feeling of betrayal. He wondered how long the TV would act as her alcohol before it too failed her and she was left alone with only the memory of that night to be her companion.
(Under a slide, Dimmsdale Elementary, approx. 6:30 a.m. PST)
Under a slide, Gary huddled close to the blanket he'd conjured up for warmth. The wind picked up and he shivered. Okay, that did it- where was the nearest abandoned warehouse district?
At least there he would be sheltered from the elements. A particularly strong gust attempted to snatch his scratchy linen blanket (the best he could summon at his first real attempt at magic) and he rued it. No, he would not grovel in submission and beg Cosmo and Wanda to let him into Timmy's house even if this was what he really wanted, a chance to be close to Tootie.
'Sides, why would I wanna live with the creep who does all that to Cos and Wan? Not cool.
Still, Toot's there too. And Tim-Tim's just takin' advantage of her good nature. Hmm, maybe I should try.
Nah, then I might become hopelessly in love with him. Ugh, does that kid have some sort of aphrodisiac? Must be the pink hat and buckteeth.
Hmph, least he could do is try to be nice to Cos and Wan. They saved him from himself, ingrate.
Well, he'll get what's coming to him, as soon as I can feel my legs.
(Timmy's house, 7:48 a.m. PST)
Timmy awoke, utterly drained. Craning his neck to the right, he saw Cosmo fast asleep next to him. He muttered something about cheese and Timmy rolled his eyes. At least in his dreams he wasn't angry at him.
Still, the fact remained- why was Cosmo there in the first place? And he looked almost fatherly, like he'd been trying to protect him. Could he realize he wasn't lying?
Darn it. It's a weekday and that means I still have to go to school. Man, I need a break. I wish I could just wish to sleep for a hundred billion years. But there's no way Cosmo would ever listen to me.
Tootie stirred and yawned luxuriously. Attempting to stretch her legs, she discovered a ten pound weight in her lap. Said ten pound weight had a silly pink hat, buckteeth, and stared up at the ceiling.
"Could you please move? I think my legs fell asleep," Tootie muttered sheepishly and he blushed.
"Uh, yeah, sure. Sorry…"
They both glanced at the clock and she swore under her breath. With him finally out of her lap, she hobbled over to the corner and retrieved their bags (he noticed at long last the brace on her wrist but was at a loss to explain why it was there). There was no way she'd risk being tardy and having a lecture by The Other (who found it his sworn duty to lecture all late students).
Throwing his backpack at his chest, Tootie turned to a bleary eyed Cosmo (who'd awoke when she'd swore) and said, "I wish we were at school!"
She vanished but Timmy…didn't. Instead, Cosmo glared at him and floated a foot above his bed. What a fool he'd been to expect compassion or even pity.
"There are only fifteen seconds until first period! If I don't get there soon, I'll get a lecture from Lor- The Other! Why did you grant Tootie's wish anyway? She's not your godchild, I am!" Timmy shouldered his bag angrily.
"Yeah, well, maybe I like her better," Cosmo retorted and his godson's heart sank. Now, not only was it near impossible to avoid The Other, he'd learned Cosmo still detested and abhorred him.
"I'm still your godchild or have you forgotten?" Timmy snapped back.
"That's one hell of a way to act, trying to kill your godparents!" Cosmo countered.
"I said I was sorry!" Timmy cried.
"Sure you are," Cosmo snapped. "Why don't you just run to school? I'm not granting any wishes for you!"
"As if you could," Timmy snapped but regretted it and pleaded instead. "You're my godfather, you have to!"
"Who said I wanted to be? If you hurry, you can have a few extra minutes with 'Lorenzo'! I know you like him better!" Cosmo spat.
Turning away from Cosmo, he caught a glimpse of the hurt in Timmy's eyes. However, he was too proud to admit he might have done irreparable damage. This was why he needed Wanda- she kept him grounded.
"I guess you'd still like me dead, huh? Why were you lying next to me? Making sure I didn't kill Tootie too since you're so sure I killed Wanda?"
Leaping out of bed, he spurted to the door and slammed it. Cosmo was left staring, mouth agape.
"And maybe if you're lucky, a car will run me over!" Timmy's last words echoed down the corridor and Cosmo floated down to the bed, throwing his head into the pillow.
"Damn it, screwed up again. Wanda, where are you? I need you!"
(Dimmsdale Junior High, approx. 9:30 a.m. PST)
Out of breath, Timmy leaned on his knees and gasped. Well, the front corridor looked clear. Perhaps The Other was busy.
"Good morning, Timmy," The Other grinned and held the door open for him. What the? Where did he come from? He hadn't been there before…
"I think I'll open the door over here," Timmy panted and grabbed the handle. It was, predictably, locked. Well, actually, closer to broken because part of the metal bar had fallen off. Oh, the well funded middle schools and their well maintained building structures.
"Open, darn you!"
"Perhaps if you came back in a hundred years or so, you can enter through that door, but, unfortunately, I doubt you'll be alive that long. Humans rarely live to a hundred and twelve and broken doors rarely open," The Other teased and leaned against the door frame, his leg up and his arms crossed.
"It'll open!" Timmy grunted and shoved at it. Predictably, it failed to budge. No matter how hard he threw his weight against it, nothing happened.
"And the Tooth Fairy's running off with Cosmo's long lost father. Speaking of, how is the buffoon? Still hate you? That's a shame," The Other lied and smirked.
"It's your cruddy fault!" Timmy snapped and rammed his head into the door. The only thing he found was a sizable headache.
"Admirable though your efforts are, I would suggest you walk through the one I continue to hold open for you before you have head trauma."
"It'll open!" He snapped and kicked the metal lining. Now not only did he have a sizable headache and a foot ache, but there was a dent in the door as well.
Darting outside (and checking to see if they were being watched which they thankfully weren't), Lorenzo scooped Timmy up before he could protest and walked inside with him in his arms. Tenderly, he stroked his face until he punched him in the chest and The Other, taken aback, dropped him. Short and sweet, well, not really.
"What the heck do you think you're doing?" Timmy cried and rubbed his sore posterior.
A teacher in an azure suit (including a delightfully short mini-skirt) and dark blue heels clacked around and walked past them. She reminded Lorenzo he was the principal and besides, he could always force Timmy to spend time with him. Ah, it felt good to be so powerful.
"Giving you detention," The Other said silkily. "Not even you can escape punishment after being an hour and a half late to school."
"I won't go!" Timmy said defiantly. "What are you going to do, call Cosmo?"
"Why not? I could tell him his suspicions were right and you really are against him. You've been on my side the whole time."
Then, kneeling down, he whispered in his ear, "And you killed Wanda."
"He won't believe you!" Timmy snapped but his heart sank. Why wouldn't he? Cosmo didn't have any reason not to- everything Lorenzo said was exactly what he thought.
"And he'll believe you? Don't forget, he wants you dead. After all, you ruined his life. You ruined everyone's lives with your selfish wishes- everyone except me. I have you to thank for existing. And you have me to thank: say 'thank you for successfully destroying my godparents' trust in me' and for having your parents, Tootie's fairy, and her parents killed. Oh, and don't fret, we can talk this over in detention.
"Unless you want me to call him? You two can have a terrific argument and, if I'm lucky, you'll 'accidentally' kill him. Then you can finally admit I'm right. You don't need your fairies," (he spat the word as if poisoned him to say it), "you only need me."
"I don't need or want any part of you! And I would never kill Cosmo- I love him! You're sick," Timmy snapped and began to saunter off in the opposite direction.
Lorenzo laughed. "Of course I am. I'm the villain."
Trembling with anger, he stomped up the stairs. Doubtlessly he was processing all The Other had said and it pressed on every last nerve. Dammit, was it everyone's goal to remind of what he'd almost done?
"Have a good day!" The Other called after him. "See you eighth."
"Huh?" Timmy spun around and shot daggers at him. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm supervising Gifoalski's last class," Lorenzo said and added in a whisper. "I love you, I really do."
Shuddering deeply, Timmy paused on the last step. Okay, The Other was past 'sick' and venturing into 'creepy'. Ugh, who said he wanted to be loved by a guy, anyway? Gross!
Not only that, but he would have to spend two hours with him (the gym class was only forty-four minutes but the detention lasted nearly an hour). At least Lorenzo wouldn't call Cosmo, although he might. He'd better pray Cosmo didn't know how to work a telephone…
(Down near the track, 2:00 p.m. PST)
By the time eighth period rolled around, both Timmy and Tootie were practically dead on their feet. They trudged down to the track, dragging their feet and generally woozy while Chester and A.J. chattered animatedly over a new TV show. It seemed their exhaustion was only apparent to themselves.
"They dangle them over a lava pit and make them say the last person was who they slept with!" Chester grinned.
"And they kiss them and if they don't like it, they wind up on an island!" A.J. continued.
"I don't care!" Timmy snapped, on the verge of collapsing. "Could you guys just shut up?"
"Why? What's the matter, Timmy? I thought you liked reality TV?" A.J. said, frowning.
"I do but I'm not really in the mood right now. I sorta had a rough night," Timmy replied and nearly tripped over his own feet (Tootie had to rush and catch him).
Chester opened his mouth to respond when Lorenzo strode up the walkway. His hands trembled ever so slightly and one appeared to fidget with something in his pocket. Even though it was invisible to the naked eye, Timmy could see something had gone badly.
"Why, hello," The Other said, addressing all but really only looking at Timmy. He wished he could look away but a gleam in his eyes rooted him to the spot- desperation. The Other was falling apart at the seams.
"I thought perhaps it would be best if Mr. Gifoalski were, shall we say, 'watched' for a duration of time as to prevent any mishaps such as yesterday's from occurring again. I would not like anything to happen to Timmy or any other of my students because of one person's ineptitude," Lorenzo said smoothly and held Timmy's gaze. If he ever tries a stunt like that again, I'll kill him.
While the rest of the students welcomed this and darted ahead carefree, Timmy and Tootie were held back. He wanted to speak with them and this was the only way he could do so without being noticed. All he had to do was keep his voice low.
Or maybe he didn't have to. Grabbing him by both hands were two of his fan girls and they dragged him down, cooing over him. One opportunity shot to hell.
"Welcome to the world famous Gifoalski obstacle course complete with ball busters and cock conundrums. If you survive the 100 meter dash in 1.38 seconds, good luck. Now, my little wussies, shall we start?" Gifoalski roared and clenched his green whistle in his left hand.
He immensely disliked the intrusion on his class by this pansy. Well, true, he didn't have to be one to merit such hatred, but there was a peculiarity about how often he meddled in the boy's affairs. Many of Timmy's teachers complained of close scrutiny by Lorenzo for no apparent reason.
"Can Lorenzo run with us?" chorused a couple of his girl fans and tugged on his arms. Lorenzo refrained from rolling his eyes but sent a message to Timmy (and it bounced back because Timmy still blocked him) indicating his annoyance.
Can you run with us? Tootie thought angrily, her hand wrapped so tightly about Timmy's it was cutting off blood circulation. Don't ask your students to do something you can't do yourself.
You're hurting me! Timmy cried. Let go!.
She did, extremely reluctant to do so, and stood further away, about a foot distanced from him. Grand, now she was giving him attitude. Between her and Cosmo…
"Hmph," Gifoalski muttered. He didn't think much of Lorenzo and his groupies. In fact, to say he thought of them at all in any way flattering was an absolute lie, even by Lorenzo's standards. He completely and utterly abhorred him and his popularity.
"I don't need to run with you to be with you," Lorenzo said and grimaced. Dear Devil, had he said that? Beelzebub, if he weren't in public, he would have retched. Ugh, so banal.
Gary, twenty minutes late and worry free, sauntered causally down to the track and observed them. His arms were crossed over his chest and he glared down at Lorenzo and Timmy, wondering who was the lesser of the two evils. Then, of course, he spotted Tootie and his grimace twisted into a miniscule smile, turning her stomach.
"Speaking of 'being with you', nice of you to join us, Gary…" Gifoalski trailed off, realizing abruptly his transcript contained no surname. This irked him- he always referred to his male students by their last name as to preserve their masculinity. If Gary was simply "Gary" and had no family name, he might as well call him "Garia". As a matter of fact, he should.
"Have fun cutting the first few minutes of class, Garia?" Gifoalski crooned and Gary glared at him. Good, he fed off of hatred. Besides, he resembled the queer one with the pink hat far too much for his liking. They could almost be brothers or something.
"Garia, not cool. It's Gary," he shot back and continued to amble his way down to the track. "And you're just lucky I showed at all."
"Why? Do you think I enjoy your company so much to miss you?" Gifoalski retorted.
Do you really think we enjoy your company enough to miss you if you say, fell down a well or got jumped or…well, the possibilities are endless, Tootie thought.
"Whatever." Reaching the end of the trail, he slowly walked to Timmy and Tootie (still a foot away from her true love) and slung an arm around her. She pulled back with a grimace.
"Slippin' out, not cool," Gary whispered.
"Puttin' your arm around me, not cool," Tootie hissed back.
"Like he,' Gary motioned towards Timmy, "cares. All he wants to do is hurt Cos and Wan and ruin everyone's lives."
"That isn't true!" Both Timmy and Tootie hissed. They were about to launch some sort of counterattack in unison when they were interrupted by Lorenzo, who hadn't the foggiest idea what was going on, nor did he care because it involved Tootie.
"Let me make this clear. If the world were to stop on a dime and you two were to be flung into space, I wouldn't care. Hold your private conversations on someone else's time and no public displays of affection, you little whore," The Other whispered, making certain he was only heard by Tootie and Gary.
"I'm not a whore," Tootie snapped and glared at him. If she wished to add any more, however, and retain her dignity, she would have had to have frozen time because The Other had moved on to the beginning of the track, his eyes riveted to Timmy's face.
"Ready?" Gifoalski snapped, kicking and shoving a few reluctant students forward, sending them sprawling. Oh, how he adored maliciousness.
Just as he called "ready" (the very second it left his lips), Lorenzo's beeper and cell phone simultaneously emitted sharp shrieks. All pivoted around to fix him with an odd glance and he flushed. What a grand time for his electronics to make demands, right when his glorious Timmy was about to be saved by him! Now what was to become of them?
Shit and merde. I'm going to murder whoever was foolish enough to force their trembling fingers to dial my numbers. My poor Timmy…Lorenzo thought and, running madly up the slope, felt as though he would kill every bit of nature and humanity on his way back to the office.
As a matter of fact, in his stead dropped dead no less than twenty blue jays, fifteen squirrels, five raccoons, and a groundhog. All were severely charred and the putrid smell of burning flesh filled their nostrils. However, there was no sign of either smoke or fire; this perplexed them greatly.
"GO!" Gifoalski screamed, drawing the children's attention away from the phenomena and back to their impending doom. "Move!"
Obviously, this was fated to be a disaster. Three quarters of the class stumbled over their feet and careened into the nearest hurdle. This would have been quite amusing if it weren't for Gifoalski, eyes glittering dangerously, deciding to take out frustrations of an unknown nature on Timmy. Today had been rotten enough without some pink hatted queer standing there idly.
"So," Gifoalski purred and sent shivers down the boy's spine. Although his purring was different from The Other's and continued no lustful overtones, the meaning was clear- you'll make an excellent punching bag.
Tootie, about to spring to her beloved's defense, opened her mouth when Gary seized her by the elbow and dragged her, struggling with all her might, behind the dumpster. Her frustrated cries and ensuing slaps (they presumed she was the one on the offense) echoed through the trail and track. Somehow this seemed an ill omen, a harbinger of doom. Timmy had no one left to rely upon.
"Turner, I see your little friend and your boyfriend have left. That's a shame," Gifoalski crooned, a broad smile splitting his face.
Backing up steadily, Timmy found himself thinking, If he lays a hand on me, I can fight back. That's legal, right? But I can't hit him first…
"Tootie is my girlfriend and I'm not gay!" He proclaimed, tripping over a low hurdle and landing hard on his back. No, this was bad- the edge of the track began where he lay and it was another hill, one he could easily roll down. In his state, he'd be more like Timmy the average ball instead of Timmy, defending himself.
"Every year I have one kid who dares to be different. It's always a boy and they tend to be fags. Guess what, Turner? You're that kid!" Gifoalski snapped, not an inch away from the boy.
Pulling his leg back, he unleashed a powerhouse kick and Timmy tumbled downhill. Grass, freshly mown, imbedded itself in his hair and landed in his mouth. Mud splattered on his clothing and obscured his senses. Oh, was he in for it! But why? Why indeed…
"Catch!" Gifoalski spat and pulled out a baseball from his right side pocket. He toyed with it for a moment before throwing it hard at Timmy's head.
Timmy, who had begun to stand, collapsed again in a daze. If only there were someone here to stop this…someone, anyone. God, he'd even settle for Cosmo.
"I knew you'd never catch it, pansy. Your kind are all alike. You girly, pink hatted freak." Pulling his leg back, he kicked him into the baseball diamond. At this point, he was barely conscious.
"Cosmo…please…" Timmy whimpered. "Cosmo…I need you…anyone…"
"Is Cosmo your god or just your boyfriend?" Gifoalski mocked.
"Cosmo!" Timmy pleaded urgently. "Please don't ignore me…"
"Oh, dearest Cosmo," Gifoalski teased, "who gave me such excellent hea-"
A green bench appeared right next to Timmy's shoulder. One leg was draped protectively in front of his godchild and he growled when Gifoalski approached. No way was he going to hurt him, not when Timmy was too out of it to notice he was being defended.
"Cosmo…" Timmy slurred in a voice only audible by he and the fairy. "you came…" He promptly fainted.
Spinning around at the sound of a huge crack of thunder, Gifoalski failed to notice the green bench disappear and a student with green hair appear in its stead. He knelt at Timmy's side, pale and frightened. Still, he remained by him for even when he was leery of him, he couldn't ignore him when he really needed him.
"What the hell was…Where did you come from?" Then, remembering The Other's retort to this statement hastily added, "You weren't here before. And what happened to the green bench?"
"Uh, no, there wasn't one?" Cosmo replied, utterly clueless. "And, yes, I was?"
"No, you…" This looks bad. I should get the hell out of here before he calls the principal. But where did he come from? And where did the bench come from? Dammit, this is too freaky for me.
Gifoalski fled the scene without a second glance, leaving Cosmo and Timmy. Cosmo heard him say something about insufficient pay before falling completely out of earshot and sight as well. Why did that line seem familiar somehow? Oh, never mind.
"Hey, are you okay?" Cosmo whispered and examined his godson at length. No, he wasn't was the simple answer. Even an idiot could see that.
"I know you're not and I've been horrible to you. But you have to understand, I need Wanda…" he murmured and burst into tears. "Wanda!"
"Cosmo!" Tootie screamed and he looked up. She was rushing down the hill and dragging a reluctant Gary. Thunder boomed in the distance and she stopped dead in her tracks.
A thunderstorm in the middle of the winter? What the hell is going on? Tootie thought and tugged Gary towards Timmy. Gary too watched the lightning light up the sky and frowned.
Cosmo gasped and hugged himself. The inexplicable floating crown glowed brightly then dimmed repeatedly. He began to levitate above the ground and acquired a green aura.
Stunned, Tootie watched the sky clear and then it began to snow heavily despite the lack of clouds. The snow wasn't cold, either, it burned with the intensity of a thousand suns and then some. It reminded them of two things not meant to mix but that had done so and clashed horribly.
"Magical surge," the green fairy gasped, his body expanding and contracting as though he had magical build up. "Juandissimo!"
(A chateau in Marseilles, eleven o'clock in Parisian time)
Meanwhile, far from Dimmsdale, Juandissimo rewrote Wanda's past and tried to make love to her. She, however, was opposing both violently and thunder boomed in their ears, a result of Juandissimo stealing powers that weren't meant to be tampered with and attacking her sense of self. They wreaked havoc with Mother Nature and every time the sky cleared, Juandissimo was winning but when Wanda did, the storm ensued.
Must everything be a struggle with you? Juandissimo thought with a tinge of annoyance and created the final fake recollection of their honeymoon in Puerto Rico. This, he felt, was the sealing touch. Puerto Rico had to be more exotic than wherever Cosmo and Wanda had spent their honeymoon (in a cheap motel in Fairy World because they'd eloped virtually broke).
With the new falsehoods complete, the storm abated, Wanda ceased fidgeting, and collapsed, spent. He grinned and kissed her forehead. Moaning, Wanda's eyes fluttered and her hair turned a darker shade of pink.
Thinking nothing of this (nor would Anti-Cosmo think of why his wife's skin was turning a lighter blue), Juandissimo lay her down on the bed gently and played with her swirly hair which seemed to be getting slightly straighter. Never again would the buffoon meddle in his affairs or even think of touching her, Wanda Magnifico, his new wife.
(Principal's Office, Dimmsdale Junior High School, 2:30 p.m. PST)
Lorenzo, sipping scalding hot coffee and doing his best not to burn his tongue, scrutinized Crocker. Honestly, he couldn't believe the brass of this demented freak. Didn't he knew what he was capable of? Yet there he sat in the red cushioned visitor's chair and grinned like a fool. The Other thought he'd like very much to splash the stimulant into Crocker's emaciated face but he restrained himself under the pretense that if he played his cards right, he could cradle Timmy to him again soon. However, with Crocker's smug attitude, Lorenzo found himself close to unleashing his notorious temper.
"Let me see if I understand you correctly. You want to break it off to pursue fairies?" Lorenzo repeated, wondering why it was he had to suffer with such idiocy. To Crocker, the matter of acquiring a mythological creature was as simple as procuring a butterfly with a net. To The Other, who cared little, he wondered why he was about to lose another henchmen (one Remy, not even enough).
"When I catch a fairy godparent," Crocker snatched Lorenzo's cup and smashed it over his head, allowing The Other the satisfaction of part of his wish coming true, "-I will rule the world! Me and my shrimp puffs!"
You and your shrimp puffs can go fuck themselves for all I care. "Why would you want to catch an ordinary, run of the mill fairy godparent when you can have your old fairy godparents back?" Lorenzo said patiently while exercising his strong will to inflict random pain by "accidentally" shoving porcelain shards into Crocket's eyes. Dammit, though, how much was it worth to have this crackpot on his side?
"Really? Ow!" In an effort to remove said shards, Crocker had inadvertently dug them deeper into his eyelids.
"Yes." Sure, yeah, whatever. Anything to get out of my office!
"Now, if you don't mind, I have a gym class to-" Lorenzo broke off and Crocker waited with bated breath. Outside, the peals of thunder ceased and it began to hail, the hail crashing noisily into the walls and roof. Something had happened and he was going to find out what immediately.
"This has something to do with Turner!" Crocker cried gleefully and produced a fold up net from his pocket as well as his fairy detection machine. "And I'm going to investigate!"
"No, you are not," Lorenzo replied, in his anxiety slipping out of slang. "You will remain here and…and…administer to the children!"
"But he has fairies-" Crocker protested as Lorenzo slammed the door in his face and proceeded to lock him in. The less likely it was he would be followed, the better.
"Fairy, singular," The Other corrected through the wooden door and spurted off in a panic. "Cosmo, you moron, what have you done?"
(The baseball diamond/track, Dimmsdale Junior High, approx. 2:35 p.m. PST)
The track had iced over and the temperature dropped to well below freezing. A frigid wind had kicked up and Tootie, clad in a plaid turtleneck and a matching skirt, still shuddered, for the gust had a way of penetrating wool. If either of the humans awake had opened their mouths to taste the snow and ice (not to mention the hail!) plummeting to the ground tumultuously (and kept their tongues from being speared), they'd have found it to have a slightly salty quality to it, like tears. Cosmo's loss had hit home and he was rendering the world into a Winter Wonderland not dissimilar to the state of Wanda's heart.
Sputtering, Timmy regained consciousness on what felt like an ice slab. Lo and behold, a closer examination told him it was. And, if he didn't move soon, Cosmo was going to make him part of the scenery-frozen.
"Cosmo!" Timmy yelled and tried to move his limbs. He couldn't- they were frozen to the field. Well, someone had to get him to snap out of it.
"Cosmo, if you don't stop, you'll freeze Timmy to death!" Tootie cried, glancing up at the now pallor face of the fairy and his blanched hair. Floating above them, virtually oblivious, Cosmo cast a few dozen more freezing charms. No, she hadn't gotten through to him!
"Look, I know you need Wanda, but you need to concentrate on not killing me! If I knew I was going to die today, I wouldn't have done all that homework!"
"But you never do-" Tootie protested but Cosmo's laughter silenced her. Could it be he found him amusing? Well, at least he wasn't dead yet.
"Like you'd do homework! Hah!" Cosmo guffawed and with a wave of his wand, the temperature raised and everything melted. Gary, stuck to home plate, was freed and landed face first into a puddle, thoroughly splashing himself with mud so he began to resemble Timmy even more closely than before.
"Yeah, hah, hah." You almost got me killed, you idiot.
"Ha, hah! Homework!" Cosmo said, still laughing merrily. His hair returned to normal and he plunged from the sky (he was just barely caught by his godson).
Gary, standing up, muttered a characteristic "not cool" and vanished quicker than one could blink. It was rather obvious he was ticked about his outfit being ruined and not covering it well. Humph, though they could really give a hoot.
"I miss Wanda!" Cosmo sobbed, switching abruptly from laughter to tears and jabbing Timmy with his wand. "Let go of me."
"Uh, yeah, sure," He replied and passed him off to Tootie. "Whatever you say." Psycho much?
"Wanda!" The fairy blubbered and clung to Tootie. "I miss Wanda!"
So I see. Why's it thundering again?
This has got to be the weirdest weather in the history of Dimmsdale, aside from it hailing the size of mini-vans, a gigantic hole appearing in the park, an earthquake. Okay, so maybe it's not that weird.
Do you have a propensity to screw things up or what?
Huh?
Never mind.
Suddenly, a pink streak of lightning lit up the sky and, in Tootie's arms, Cosmo gasped fearfully. Clutching his wand to his chest tightly, his eyes widened as did his mouth.
"Wanda…isn't happy…"