Author's Note: Thanks to all my reviewers!

Disclaimer: I don't own it and stop asking! Yeesh.

Chapter Sixteen: Lie to Me

Her breath was heavy, sodden with sweat, blood, and toil. On either side, her raven tresses dangled down her face, lined with pain. The sun shone overhead like an unrelenting dictator, whipping her mentally.

Suddenly, her knees gave way, forcing her to land hard on the pavement. A shock like being electrocuted coursed through and a spasm seized her. Damn it, this was supposed to be her dream world, not a world of nightmares and agony! If she wanted that, she could just wake up.

The temperature had to be at least a hundred degrees, with no wind to speak of. No cloud covering, either, so the sun beat upon her already weakened frame. Fire spread from her fingertips and she could feel herself catch fire.

"No…help me! Damn it, anyone! Don't let me die…" Tootie murmured, realizing instantly her subconscious was telling her something. She didn't want to die…but she didn't see a reason for life. Timmy!

Already, the heat consumed her soul; she watched, with an eerie sense of calm, her clothes catch fire and lick at her skin, blackening. So this was what it was like to die in pain. It wasn't terribly enjoyable.

However, again, there was no one to save her. She should have never placed her faith in the often absent and selfish boy she loved. It was not only foolish, it was suicidal. But then again, that was what she was doing, wasn't it? Finding the easy way out?

Her eyelids caught fire and she felt the flames begin to lick her eyeballs, making squelchy sounds as they turned to ash…

"Tootie!" Timmy screamed, brandishing a water bucket. In his arms was a magical healing balm, which immediately fixed her wounds. No…there was no magic solution to all of life's problems…

"Liar!" Tootie screamed, rubbing her eyes furiously. "Get out!"

"I just saved your life, damn it! Tootie, let me in!" Timmy snapped, enraged himself. He placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and drew her to him. If he maintained contact, she couldn't throw him out, could she?

"I want you out! If I want to die, then I'll do it myself, thank you!" Tootie hissed, but her resolve weakened. She could live to die only once in real life, or she could die here repeatedly, suspect to her subconscious's whims and follies. Vicky might hurt her with or without Timmy…but she stood a better chance outside, didn't she?

"Why do you have to be so difficult? I don't want you to die…I love you!" He blurted, causing her jaw to drop. Her knees collapsed entirely and she lurched into his arms. Man, it felt like she'd blown out a tire at ninety miles an hour.

"You what?" She inquired weakly, laying her head on his chest. His mental heartbeat probably had nothing on his real one…but did she dare find out?

"I love you, Tootie." She…she hasn't thrown me out yet. Does she believe me?

As much as she longed to hear him utter those words, she couldn't help but feel he was either trying to take advantage of her or trying to catch her on the rebound. Neither prospect pleased her in the slightest. Now she had another incentive to throw him out.

"Get away from me…" Tootie spat, pulling herself away only to fall flat on the hard pavement. She could feel it strike her face and cut it up badly. Good…she wanted a reminder of how much pain Timmy had already caused her.

"I'm not leaving," He retorted, sitting down and placing her head in his lap. Again, she struggled against him, this time literally striking him in the balls. Although this was a dream, by entering it, he'd licensed himself out to anything Tootie might do to him. Therefore, if he died here, he died in real life…as did Tootie. She didn't know that yet.

However, whereas his death would be brought about by magical means, hers would be a result of releasing the stress on her heart and giving in. Without her will to live, the doctors couldn't see how she would live more than a day…he had to work quickly.

"Get out!" Tootie screamed, fists balled. She struck at random, hoping to severely hinder him, but he blocked all her shots. True, she was a lover, not a fighter, but even then…

"Make me!" Timmy replied, recognizing as soon as he uttered those words how wrong they were. He might as well have told her to go kill herself…Damn it! Why didn't he think before he spoke?!

"I will!"

-----

Timmy lands, yet again, sprawled on his back. This time, Wanda and Cosmo are mysteriously missing, but a note taped to the window told him all he needed to know- Wanda is in Fairy Court for breaking Da Rules. He has to find a way to enact the spell by himself…

The barrier's gone, however, and Vicky and A.J. stroll in, the latter rubbing his head, perplexed. God, he has a humungous headache, but where did it come from? It's almost like someone tried to use him to open a door.

"Twerp, get out of the way!" Vicky snaps, shoving A.J. aside. He shoves her back, heedless of any past anxiety she might have caused him. This is Tootie, damn it, and her sister can go hang. After all, he doesn't trust Timmy around her. He might make her die sooner.

"You get out of the way!" Timmy retorts, and, between the two of them, they manage to shove her out the door. Well, that eliminates everyone intending her serious harm…unless they start fighting in front of Tootie. Which, mind you, might seriously happen.

"Oh, look, she's in a coma. Wonder how that happened?" A.J. hisses, folding his arms across his chest. He takes the seat next to Tootie and clasps her hand. There is little reaction, but he could swear her eyelids flickered. Tootie…

"Are you saying that I'm trying to kill her?!" Timmy snaps back, unable to sit and so begins to pace. Every step thunders in the otherwise silent room. The loudest noise, aside of the guilty's footsteps, are Tootie's machines, including an oxygen machine…breathing for her.

"Well, you certainly got to a good start! Leave her the hell alone for five years, then expect her to deal with that…but I'm not terribly surprised. You were always head over heels for Trixie, no matter how blatantly obvious it was to the rest of us that she wasn't attracted to you!" He can't help it, he's furious that Timmy arrived before he did and managed to secure at least three hours with her. What the hell was up with that barrier, anyway? Weird.

Timmy's fists clench and he longs to strike out at his friend. All's fair in love and war…right. And Cosmo's not an idiot.

"Then you waltz in here and think you have every right to her just because she's wrongly in love with you! I heard what she said before, about you taking her as a notch on your belt. I wouldn't be surprised if you tried that now, since you think you're her savior and it's your commission.

"Well, guess what? You're not getting Tootie without a fight!"

"Neither of us will have a chance to even see her smile if she doesn't wake up!" Timmy retorts, folding his arms across his chest and gazing down wistfully at her. She sleeps so peacefully, almost unnaturally. Every once in a while, she jerks, but, otherwise, she's still.

"And what exactly are you doing to remedy that, huh? Telling her what Vicky's going to do her when she wakes up or-" A.J. begins but it's his time to be escorted impolitely out. Vicky heaves him out, as well as Timmy. There's enough raw hatred in them to frighten a colicky baby into quieting.

-------

"Tootie…" Vicky breathes, gazing down at her handiwork. Years of abuse have ravaged her frame, causing her to be far thinner than she would be normally. Her face is emaciated, her breaths rasped.

Before she knows it, however, she whispers something she never thought she'd say in her life. "I'm so sorry…

"I'm sorry I…I mean, damn it! Fuck it, I don't know how to say this-"

Weakly, she could swear Tootie whispers, "Liar."

-------

"Do you admit to revealing yourself to a human that was not your godchild?" Jorgen says calmly, grinning despite himself. Finally, he can get rid of Cosmo as a godparent…okay, so he has to remove Wanda first, but still, it's all good.

"She was suicidal!" Wanda protests. "She still is! You have to let me go back and-"

"Silence! Your sentence is removal- your godson and the human you revealed yourself to will forget your and Cosmo's existence. You two will be exiled-"

"No," Wanda says simply. "You have no right to pass such a harsh judgment." Her words and form may be composed, but she is anything but. Cosmo gives her a look full of worry, but she merely glances astray. He can sense too much.

"You cannot challenge me!" Jorgen cries, torn between anger and astonishment.

"Watch me."