Author's Note: This will probably be the last chapter in past tense. I found my muse and it's in present, apparently. J

And thank you for all the people who try to and continue to bring ObiOtaku16 to justice for stealing The Other Saga in her story, The Dark One. Report her, folks! Justice!

Disclaimer: Although I do not own the characters herein, I do own the plot. Don't steal, people. I'll bring you down.

Chapter Five: Slim Chance

Trixie stared at him for a few seconds, still clutching Timmy's hand. Her heart began to beat like a jackhammer in her chest and she found it difficult to breath. So this was what it was like to be caught…she didn't much relish it.

Timmy gazed at him as well, like a deer in the headlights. He gawked at her, gawked at him, and she wished to God he'd just shut his damn mouth and walk away. She was in enough danger as it was, she didn't need him to act like a moron and add to it.

"Trixie Elizabeth Tang," Mr. Tang continued, his voice maintaining a cool tone which told her she was in, if possible, far greater trouble than imagined, "Who is this?"

"Hi, I'm Timmy," Timmy said cheerfully, completely oblivious. Trixie smacked a hand to her face. Good Lord, if that boy were any denser, he'd sink in the water.

"I know who you are," Mr. Tang snapped, shoving him away from his daughter. He then took her by the arm, about to chew her out. Timmy attempted to follow but a nasty glance halted him in his tracks.

"Stay here."

And there was that.

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"I told you you'd get caught!" Cosmo cried gleefully, a green bag on his lap. He kept jumping up to examine what other people purchased- Timmy had to claim there were Mexican Jumping Beans in there. The lie fell flat though, when someone informed him those type of beans jump in the sunlight, and, not only was it cloudy, the sun wasn't visible from that part of the mall.

"And that's a good thing how?" Timmy retorted, throwing a penny into the water fountain directly adjacent to the bench he sat upon. He had to exercise great caution not to throw Cosmo in there too- stupid Mexican jumping beans.

Wanda stared blankly at Cosmo. "How much sugar did you have today?" (She, of course, was a sedate book beside Timmy. And, unlike her counterpart, she wasn't jumping about like a little kid on a sugar high).

"It's good because that means you can stop avoiding Tootie and finally get the nerve to ask her out instead of making her a one night stand," Cosmo answered, finally ceasing because he almost fell off the bench and got trampled.

"A one night stand isn't when you kiss someone, it's when you…" Wanda began but stopped, feeling Timmy's eyes on her. Yes, well, he was a bit too young to know what a one-night stand was, at any rate. And she didn't really fancy telling him, either.

"When you…" Timmy asked, momentarily forgetting that Cosmo had just suggested he dump Trixie and go with Tootie. "When you what, exactly?"

"When you have Barry Manilow on real soft and the girl's tipsy off the wine and-" Cosmo began but Wanda elbowed him, hard. This time, Cosmo really did fall off the bench, but she made no effort to help him when no less than twenty people stepped on him. She was staying away from wine for a while.

"What he means to say is that perhaps you treated Tootie a little unfairly and you should give her another chance. You-" Wanda began but, yet again, she was interrupted.

"You did the dine and dash!" Cosmo cheered.

"What the heck are you talking about? I didn't eat her!" Timmy said defensively, not understanding just why Cosmo started sniggering when he said that. Why wouldn't someone let him in? What was so funny about eating a girl? That was terrible! Only cannibals did that!

Under her breath, Wanda muttered, "I have two morons to deal with…" Fortunately, no one heard her.

Sighing heavily, Timmy grew morose. He hadn't realized Mr. Tang hated him so much and he really wasn't intending for Trixie to get into trouble. Maybe she could talk things through with him and they could try again. Mr. Tang couldn't be completely heartless….

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(Meanwhile, being chewed out over by the restrooms)

"I can't believe you agreed to go out on a date with him after we explicitly agreed that no such thing would occur! That boy is a menace to society and to our sanity!" Mr. Tang thundered, jabbing his fist in the air.

"I don't think he's that bad, Daddy…" Trixie murmured, casting a desperate glance at him. God, he looked so dejected…poor Timmy…

"I do. Since when do you tell me who you are and aren't dating? I am the parent in this household, not you, young lady!" Every anger word caused her to retreat, to the point where her back was against the wall. Patrons stared at them and she wished she could sink into the floor and just die.

"But, Daddy…he isn't really bad, just sort of…" Unattractive? Stupid? No, wait, she needed a positive adjective here. Darn, she knew she should have paid more attention in English class.

"Sort of a homicidal maniac that deliberately gave my daughter a flower that he knew would hurt her!"

By now, the tomatoes can't compete with the lovely shade of red she had; she prayed Timmy can't hear him from here. Actually, she also prayed her father will shut up and change his mind, but she knows he wasn't in the business of making miracles happen. Fairies did that, but there were no such things as fairies, everyone knew that.

"But he didn't know what the word 'seemingly' meant!" Trixie protested, aware of the crowd developing. Contrary to her normal opinion, she would very much like for them to disperse, instead of gawking at them.

"Because he's a moron and not fit to be accompanying my daughter five feet much less to the mall!" This, unfortunately, Timmy heard. His head sunk lower.

"Just because he isn't the smartest, best dressed, and richest boy doesn't mean that he isn't worth knowing! I happen to like him better than the popular boys, just because he isn't false like them! When he says he cares about something, he means it, which is more than I can say about you," Trixie screamed, precariously close to having a screaming match with her father.

"That's it! This date is over! You are grounded, young lady! You-" Mr. Tang's face was absolutely scarlet; his hands trembled in rage. Trixie wondered what stopped him.

"Excuse me," Timmy said, his hands on his hips; she winced- such a girly action. Another thing her father needed to see, pink coupled with a feminine response. She'd be lucky if she got to say goodbye to him at this rate.

"I happened to overhear everything (because you weren't terribly quiet when you reprimanded her) and, seeing as I'm her date, I think I'm entitled to defend myself," Timmy said slowly. If she didn't know better, she'd say a pink book fed him his lines, but that was preposterous. Nevertheless, she'd never known him to be particularly verbose.

"I think you lost your chance when you threatened my daughter's life with that 'seemingly harmless' plant you gave her. And, if you ever step foot near her again, I'll call the cops," Mr. Tang threatened, grabbing Trixie by the arm.

"Stop!" Timmy screamed, running after them. Mind you, he wasn't running very fast, given he was the slowest runner in his class, but he was still running.

Panting, he halted right in front of them. "Please…give me another chance…I'll do anything…I really like your daughter, Mr. Tang…"

Scowling, he gazed down at him. Trixie crossed her gloved fingers (newly purchased) and awaited his reaction. Would he allocate them another chance? Timmy was worth it, wasn't he? Well, he didn't see things the same way as she did….

"Fine," Mr. Tang spat, surprisingly even himself. "Tomorrow, he eats dinner with us and we'll see then."

Exhaling sharply, Trixie launched herself at her father and hugged him. By now, no one was watching and it was safe. She thanked him profusely but he waved her off. The dinner would tell…