Author's Note: Another longer chapter- enjoy! And, in case you forgot, please read and review.

Disclaimer: I don't own it, you won't sue me.

Chapter Twenty Eight- Repercussions

By the time he's arrived back at Tootie's floor, his head pounds. There may be (he thinks there is) a sizeable lump on his forehead from slamming it against elevator wall so many times. In fact, lightheadedness occurs.

Damn it, how could I have been so stupid? Why did I let her get the best of me? Tootie needs a lawyer and there I go, ruining her only chance.

How on earth is a seventeen year old supposed to get a lawyer all by himself, when no one else knows what he's doing and, without money, everyone questions his motives? Everyone's going to wonder why a minor would require a lawyer and, what's worse, I can't hire one at my age. I don't think they'll take me seriously.

And even if they did, I don't have the money to pay for one. It's not as though money grows on trees…(except in Trixie's case, it probably does). There's no one else that'll take the case pro bono…

I can't believe what an idiot I am! I'm probably as stupid as Cosmo, running my mouth off…

Wait, that's it! Cosmo and Wanda can fix this! They can fix anything!

Holding the elevator closed, now that he's reached a 'reasonable' conclusion, he calls for his fairy godparents. Giddiness, coupled with the lightheadedness, surges through him. Of course his fairy godparents will fix everything, that's what they're here for.

"Cosmo? Wanda?" Timmy calls, a grin spreading across his face despite himself. Who needs money when he has magic on his side? Trixie be hanged, he has his own mojo.

With a flourish, the two fairies arrive, noting unpleasantly the large bump on his head. Leave it to Timmy to smack the hell out of himself or something else if he's frustrated. Most of the time, it's the latter, but you never know, without a video game system around. It almost makes them wonder how he's going to cope later in life, when video games are supposed to be for children (and he won't be).

"Trixie walloped you, didn't she?" Cosmo grins, causing Wanda to jab him painfully in the ribs. Now, least of all, is not the time for stupidity. Then again, stupidity was what summoned them there in the first place.

Turning towards them, a cockeyed look in his eyes, Timmy says, "But you can fix it, can't you?"

Perplexed, Wanda stares at him. Fix what, exactly? The bump on his head, sure, that's easy. But somehow, she doesn't quite think that's what he's getting at.

He's looking at me like a person in a desert for a fortnight would look at a water bottle and I don't like it at all. He always gets that look in his eyes when he wants to wish for something huge…

"Sure!" Cosmo chirps, oblivious to Wanda's suspicions. Waving his wand, he quickly heals his forehead. In his small (miniscule) mind, he supposes this is all Timmy wants. His wife, of course, knows better.

"Not exactly what I was thinking of," Timmy mutters, rubbing his forehead. Whenever he's magically healed, it itches for a little while.

"You're welcome," Wanda snaps, clearly not referring to the impromptu healing. Folding her arms across her chest, she glares at him. Sometimes, when he acts surprisingly selfish, she finds herself inexorably peeved. Wish, wish, wish- is that all they're good for?

All right, so he relies on them for a magic quick fix. She acknowledges this (with a scowl), but is it wrong to desire a 'thank you'? His wishes have grown seldom and far between, yet he still forgets that, essentially, they're doing him a favor.

That's why his many attempts at popularity (including a wish at fourteen that superceded his wish at ten with its amount of stupidity and selfishness), irked her. The aforementioned wish had landed him two weeks without godparents and six weeks probation, also known as wish restriction. It had only been thanks to Wanda he'd retained his godparents at all.

Even during the probation, the fact he was constrained mattered little- Wanda didn't speak to him, much less grant wishes. (He was forced to rely on Cosmo, who, without Wanda's support, generally botched). It was just the sheer selfishness of his wishing that grated on her nerves that time, as he always ignored the ramifications before he acted.

This time, however, it wasn't just him who suffered; it's Cosmo and Wanda who bear the brunt of it. Well, truthfully, it's more Wanda, since she started the revolution, but Cosmo's unwavering loyalty puts him in hot water as well. They both might have very well lost their powers, and not a word of gratitude.

She senses, at the helm, another wish of great magnitude is about to occur. If only there were a loophole for refusing to grant a wish, then she'd be set. Alas, there is none and fairies all over are screwed.

"Uh…thank you?" Timmy replies, utterly befuddled. What on earth is he thanking them for? What have they done for him lately, other than the wish for Tootie?

Glancing at her hair, he shudders. Fire again, that can only mean one thing- beware the wrath of Wanda. What'd he do this time?

"I almost lost my privilege as a fairy godmother as well as my powers because you were too preoccupied with your girlfriend to possibly see someone might need you. I could almost forgive you for ignoring Tootie, almost, because you've done it before. It irritates me how you delegated her to a minor priority in the past and used her purely for your own gain, but I can overlook it, for the moment.

"What I can't overlook is that, even though I risked myself and the only life I knew just for you, you failed to thank me. We gave you a chance to resuscitate your true love, and you clearly did, but we receive no thanks. Do you think we're your slaves? That we exist just for you?

"And, after all this, you start making more demands! Excuse my language, but who the hell do you think you are?" Wanda snaps, finishing. Her body trembles in anger and Cosmo, quivering, hides in a corner. Sure, Timmy deserves a lecture of some sort, but does she have to be so cruel about it? She's frightening him.

Taken aback (even more so by her choice of language than anything), Timmy murmurs sheepishly, "I…I didn't realize. I'm really sorry…"

The floor seems very inviting at the moment and he slides down, feeling very much like a chastised child. Wanda certainly has a sharp tongue and, when she cares to use it, especially when she's right, it can evoke the fear of God. Her eyes are still upon him and he winces.

"Thank you…I mean, I'm always grateful for what you guys do, even if I don't show it. I know Tootie wouldn't be here if it weren't for you guys and I'm sorry that you got in trouble with Jorgen, but…"

Here he halts, gazing up at her with pleading eyes. Damn Timmy and his one-track mind. Here comes the wish to end all wishes…another stupid one. She almost pities Cosmo, for being so naïve and moronic not to realize it.

"I need a favor." Forcing himself back up again, he tries his best to appear as mature as possible before he acts petulant.

"I wish we had a lawyer for Tootie-" Timmy begins, but Wanda silences him. Cosmo, confused, glances over at her.

"First of all, I thought you understood that as you got older, bigger wishes became taboo. Besides the fact lawyers don't work pro bono except under very special circumstances, we also can't grant such a huge wish. This wish would require mind control, or at least mind bending and at your age, we're not permitted to do it.

"Secondly," Wanda continues, her arms still folded across her chest, "what on earth happened to Trixie? Did you start another argument with her?"

Ashamed, Timmy sinks low again. "But it's not my fault!"

"Yes," Wanda snaps, "it is. You knew Tootie needed this lawyer and you couldn't have gotten a better deal, but you let your pride get in the way. You hurt her only chance of one, retribution and two, preventing this from occurring again!"

"I'm sorry, but can't you just bend the rules?" He pleads, extending his words now not to Wanda, but to Cosmo. If he can't get a logical reason, perhaps he can appeal to Cosmo and his sense of illogical, random wish granting. Perhaps.

"Don't try to override me!" Wanda hisses, floating in front of her husband. "If I'm not going to grant a wish, he can't either!"

"Yeah, but…" He stammers, glancing back and forth urgently.

"Absolutely not. Find someone else to get you a lawyer…or let Tootie get hurt again. We can't help you."

With that, she poofs off, Cosmo in her stead. Utter silence descends upon the elevator, proceeded only by someone screaming. Apparently, he'd delayed an elevator someone, oddly enough, wants to use. Heh, oops.

Sighing, he glares at a wall. He'd shot down two already…he's out of ideas. What now?

----------

"Murder is illegal, right?" Trixie snarls, slamming a plate down on her cafeteria tray. Despite the row with Timmy, she and Veronica remain, visiting Tootie like they'd stated. Well, they will visit her soon, after lunch.

They'd like nourishment before dealing with Timmy again. They have no doubt they'll have to deal with him again, loath though they are to do it. Even if he doesn't mean half of what he said, it really irks them.

Perhaps irks is too gentle a word, considering Veronica nearly broke her plastic spork. She'd endured entirely too much verbal abuse in the past few months and the next time anyone sasses her, they're going to get it. She'll drive the plastic spork through their throat!

Okay, perhaps not because she's not a mental patient, but she longs to. How dare he call her a slut! What does he think he knows about her?

"I think I know why he called you that," Trixie murmurs, squeezing her girlfriend's hand. Veronica scowls in response and she backs off. Apparently, hell hath no fury like an artist scorned.

"Because he's a dick?" Veronica replies, not bothering to keep her voice down. Unlike Trixie, she doesn't particularly care if she starts a scene; she's angry and she doesn't care who knows it. And, at the moment, she also doesn't care if people know she's gay…despite the fact her girlfriend is renowned in Dimmsdale and she might suffer the consequences.

"No and keep your voice down!" Trixie hisses, grabbing her by the wrist and tugging her, after they pay hastily, to the corner of the room. A tall fern hides them from view and their remoteness ought to ensure no eavesdropping. She can't deny her the right to vent, but if she can pick the place, it'll prevent anyone else from overhearing.

Fixing her a nasty look, Veronica slams into the booth. Plate head in front of her, she slides it down to the wall and continues to leer across the table. Scapegoating her girlfriend will work, at least, for the meanwhile.

"Ver…he thinks you seduced me. He only saw us in the car; he didn't hear anything we said before, in the house," Trixie begins, but Veronica interrupts her before she further explains anything.

"Well, that's his own damn fault! If he was going to spy on you, he should have expected half information! What kind of loser follows his girlfriend, anyway?!" Veronica retorts, stabbing a fork into her meatball.

"Ver, he wouldn't have followed me if I hadn't lied in the first place. Both of us are to blame for not coming out sooner-" Trixie restarts, leaning across the table and clamping a hand over her lover's mouth. In the court of law, the defense must present its argument without being interrupted by the prosecution. They have a right…as does Trixie to defend her ex-lover.

"And don't lie to me and tell me you came out soon enough. If both of us had come out of our own choosing before I slept with him and before he vested so much in me, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't hate both of us and-" Trixie continues, but, again, she's forced to stop.

Angrily, the blonde girl shoves her hand aside and interjects, "And if you two hadn't been a couple, he wouldn't have needed a lawyer for Tootie, would he?"

Sighing, Trixie twiddles with a strand of spaghetti and gazes down at her tray. The truth is, she's correct. By playing Timmy as she had, it's also indirectly her fault Tootie's in this condition. It takes two to tango…

"Ver, Tootie still needs a lawyer. Even if we ignore the fact they both despise us (rightfully, I might add), Tootie's condition's partly my fault. (It's mostly Vicky and Ricky's, not to mention Timmy's, but I share the blame as well). If I hadn't taken him along for the ride, he might have noticed her sooner."

No longer hungry, Veronica shoves her plate away and gazes up at her. "Then we have to help him, don't we?"

"Not we," Trixie corrects. "It's not your fault, Ver."

"A couple stands together, no matter what. There are no secrets, same as they cannot remain divided on anything, including preferences," Veronica murmurs and her girlfriend squirms. She's applying it to them, but it's also applicable to her and Timmy. Loath though she might be to admit it, she still owes him big.

Pushing aside her plate, Trixie slides out of the booth, much to her lover's bewilderment.

"I think it's time we started taking some responsibility for our actions."