(AN: I'm back! I was in DC from July 2-11. And I actually wrote part of this chapter, which is weird, because I never write out my fanfics, I just go straight to the computer and type it! Anyway… here it is! And I'm aware that some parts are historically inaccurate. Teedie didn't get his glasses until he was thirteen, and he's only a little younger than ten in this story. And it's true that Teedie was tutored at home, but I believe that his siblings were also. And so on and so on. But I don't think you knew all that, or care. So here's chapter two!)
"All this exercise equipment doesn't seem to be working," muttered Teedie, looking at all the exercise equipment he had wished for in the last month. "I mean, I'm still scrawny."
Wanda bit her lip. "Well, Teedie… first off, results don't always come quick anyway."
Teedie eyed her impatiently. "Go on…"
"Also, you're only nine years old. You're not expecting to actually become muscular, are you?"
"Hey, I'm nearly ten!" cried Teedie. "And this stuff SHOULD work. It all came with warranties! As a paying customer, I expect—"
"Paying!" laughed Cosmo. "You wished for it all! You didn't pay at all!"
Teedie growled. "Look, I just want a body to match my mind, that's all."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Wanda.
"I'm smart. And I'm capable. And—" Teedie flashed a dashing grin, smoothing his hair back, "as far as facial features go, I'm not too bad looking, if I do say so myself. But this darn scrawny body… this darn asthma… my YOUNGER brother is bigger than I am! It's embarrassing! If I were only stronger, I'd be nearly perfect."
"Thank you, Mr. Ego," muttered Wanda. She was used to his ego, though. It had been a month since Cosmo and Wanda had arrived in sickly, scrawny, intelligent, and egotistical Theodore Roosevelt's life, and they had gotten to know their godson rather well.
"It's August," said Teedie sadly, looking out the window. "School will be starting soon… and my siblings will be going to school, but I'm still too weak. I'll be tutored at home again."
"Look on the bright side, Teedie!" said Cosmo happily. "You can run to the kitchen and get snacks any time you want!"
"I know that," said Teedie, flashing a toothy grin. "Ellie and Conie are actually jealous of me, believe it or not. And there's no bullies to deal with, either. Still, I really like learning, and being with other kids my age… It would be nice, that's all."
"I understand, Teedie," said Wanda encouragingly. She opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut short by a large BOOM!
"Puny fairies!" bellowed Jorgen von Strangle.
"Who are you?" asked Teedie. "Wow, what muscles! Bet you get into a lot of bully fights, don't you?"
"Go away, puny Earth-child," said Jorgen distractedly. "You two—" he pointed at Cosmo and Wanda, "need to go to a little town named Las Vegas, Nevada, right now!"
"A western town?" asked Wanda. "Sounds seedy…why do we need to go?"
Jorgen pulled out a picture of a fairy with short mahogany hair and mahogany eyes, wearing, of all things, a cowboy outfit. "Your nephew, Luden! He needs to be focusing on his godparenting duties, but he's run off to this little gambling and prostitution filled lawless western town, and no one can get through to him!"
Wanda sighed. Her nephew, Luden, was really a nice guy, but ever since his parents—Wanda's sister and her husband—had died, he became sort of distant, doing crazy stunts and becoming rather irresponsible. And it seemed that the only one who could ever talk sense into him was Wanda. "Alright, Cosmo and I will go find him and try to get him back. It might take us a while, though. Could you arrange for a temp to come and take care of Teedie?"
"Alright, puny fairy, it shall be done!" said Jorgen. "I shall arrange for a temp to come. And if you two don't bring your nephew back, all three of you shall PAY!" And with a BOOM!, Jorgen was gone.
"What was that all about?" asked Teedie. "Where are you going? What's a temp?"
"You heard him," said Wanda with a sigh. "My nephew is dodging his godparenting duties, and Cosmo and I need to get him back. I'm the only one he ever listens to anymore… Jorgen's getting another fairy to be your temporary godparent while we're gone, because I don't know how long this will take."
"Oh no, I'm not sitting around here while you're out on an adventure," said Teedie. "I'm coming with you!"
"You are most certainly NOT!" said Wanda, pulling Cosmo towards her. "I wouldn't bring any child to some seedy mining town, especially not a weak, asthmatic child!" And before Teedie could protest any more, his godparents poofed away.
"I can't believe it!" cried Teedie in vain, as there was no one there to hear him. "They go off on a bully adventure… okay, so it isn't necessarily an adventure, but it could be! And I'm stuck here, where it's boring!" He sat and sulked on his bed. "My asthma's much better now than it was before, and Cosmo and Wanda could protect me from the 'evils' of a lawless western town. But they leave me with a temp!" A smile suddenly crept upon his face. "…A temp who has to grant my every wish."
It was perfect! He could just wish that he was with Cosmo and Wanda, and his temp would have to grant it!
Wherever his temp was…
"He sure is taking his sweet time," muttered Teedie.
And then, with a "MACHO POOF", his temp appeared. Teedie stared in shock. Long black hair that flowed in the wind, deep purple eyes filled with emotion, the muscular sexy body…
"Hola, young child who does not deserve to be in my awesome and sexy presence--"
"Jeez, you're even more egotistical than me!" cried Teedie.
"You have the pleasure of meeting your temp, JUANDISSIMO MAGNIFICO!" cried Juandissimo, his shirt ripping on and off.
"Yeah, pleasure," muttered Teedie. "I have a wish—"
"So, who are your godparents?" interrupted Juandissimo.
"Cosmo and Wanda, but—"
"Wanda?!" Juandissimo struck a dramatic pose. "The one true love of my life? The one whom that despicable Cosmo stole from me?"
"HEY!" yelled Teedie. "Did you not hear me? I said I have a wish, and as I am your temporary godchild, it is required that you grant it!"
"Patience, patience," said Juandissimo annoyingly. "Why did Wanda—and Cosmo," he added icily, "leave, and where?"
Teedie shrugged. "They went to some place called Las Vegas, to help their nephew."
"Help their nephew how?"
"I don't know," admitted Teedie. "Which is why I'm trying to wish that you send me there!"
"You can't go by yourself!" cried Juandissimo. "As your temp, I must watch after you!" He grinned roguishly and sexily. "Besides, being in Wanda's presence…"
Teedie rolled his eyes. "You're even more annoying than Edith. Alright, alright. I wish that you and I were with Cosmo and Wanda!"
With a "POOF", they were gone.
…………
Mittie Roosevelt looked up from her knitting and saw that little Edith Carow was there. "Hello, Edie. Do you want something?"
Edith shuffled her feet. "Yes ma'am… is Conie here?"
"I'm afraid not," said Mrs. Roosevelt. "Her father took her and Bamie out shopping."
"Well… is Ellie here?"
"No, he's visiting a friend."
"Well then… is Teedie here?'
Mrs. Roosevelt smiled. "Yes, Teedie is at home. I believe he is in his bedroom."
"Thank you," said Edith, curtsying politely and turning up the stairs.
Right outside Teedie's room, Edith stopped and self-consciously pulled back her dark red hair. In truth, she hadn't come to the Roosevelt home to see Corinne or Elliott. She had come to see Theodore.
Her dark blue eyes filled with excitement and nervousness. Teedie, oh Teedie! How she loved him inner strength, his humor, his admittedly inflated ego… along with his heart of gold. Her shyness had prevented her from saying anything of her hidden feelings, but they were there, always there, oh Lord were they there!
She raised her hand to knock on the door… then froze.
"Come on, Edith, snap out of it," she muttered, finally and meekly knocking.
No answer.
"He's not here."
Edith spun around in shock. "Who are you?" she asked fearfully.
The woman who spoke grinned, pushing her smooth, orange-red hair behind her face, moving so fluidly it was as if her hair was not separate strands, but one unit. Her shapely yellow eyes sparkled mischievously. "I'm the author of this story, of course."
Edith looked bewildered. "Huh?"
"I'm Commander, and I'm the author of this story. And you, Edith Kermit Carow, you are looking for Theodore Roosevelt, are you not?" Commander asked in her husky voice.
"Yes… how did you know that?"
"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm the author of this story, and thus I know everything!" She hesitated. "Well, almost everything. "Grinning at Edith, she added, "And I do know your secret."
Edith tried to look innocent. "…I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You came here to see TR! Uh, I mean Teedie. And you came to see him because you loooove him!"
"But—I—"
"Come now." Commander put her arm around Edith's shoulder affectionately. "There's nothing wrong with being in love."
"I'm aware…" said Edith slowly. "But… it makes me very sad when he does not love me back!"
"Unrequited love," nodded Commander. "Trust me, I feel your pain…"
"What do I do?" asked Edith.
Commander shrugged. "All you can do is wait for him to come around. Sometimes he will, sometimes he won't. In your case, however, he'll come around, eventually. Trust me."
"Really?" said Edith. She then frowned. "Wait a minute, how do you know? I know, I know you're the author of this 'story', but does this 'story' go up to when I'm an adult?"
"Of course not, but I do come from the future, and you and Theodore will one day be President and First Lady of the United States!"
Edith blinked.
"It's true!" cried Commander.
Edith smiled in realization. "Then that means we'll be married!"
Commander smiled.
"I knew that someday he'd return my love!" Edith stopped. "Hey… where is Teedie, anyway?"
"Well…" Commander hesitated. "I'm not sure if I can tell you this…but I'm the author, and I can suspend the rules. Okay. TR has two fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda. They are currently in Las Vegas, Nevada, to pull their nephew out of being hopelessly in love with a prostitute. TR was left with Wanda's ex-boyfriend as a temp, and both of them went to Nevada also."
Silence.
Finally, Edith quietly said, "…fairies?"
Commander sighed. "Yes, fairies. They exist and are assigned godchildren, and no one else is supposed to know, but I thought I'd make an exception for you."
"Why?" asked Edith.
"Because…" Commander grinned devilishly. "Because we're going to join them."
(AN: Since you're all curious, you can see the movie "poster" I drew for this if you look at my profile. The link is there! And… that's it. See you next chapter! I'm having a blast writing this!)
