(AN: I have writer's block again. So sorry if this chapter sounds like crap.:) )

The big surly guys—all three of them—were trembling with fear.

Commander didn't look particularly strong, but she had them all hoisted up in the air by the collars of their shirts.

"You talk first," Commander hissed to the boss big surly guy. "You're the boss big surly guy."

"We sent the kids in there!" he cried, pointing at the small door covering the tunnel. "Both of them are in there…"

"We know that," hissed Commander. "We just wanna know who you're working for."

The big bossy surly guy pointed frantically at Lupe. "It's her boss! I swear! He told us that he had a hidden treasure and that whoever could find it could have it!"

Commander blinked and dropped them. "Hmm, that's… weird."

"Why would he just give it away?" asked Luden.

The big boss surly guy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he just thinks it funny for nearly everyone in this town to scramble looking for some treasure that probably doesn't exist. We've looked nearly everywhere. I'm surprised you haven't heard about it, Lupe."

"I… am surprised too," Lupe managed to say, apparently shaken out of a deep thought.

"Well, at least we learned something," sighed Commander. Abruptly, she swung the big surly guys in the air again, causing them to yelp with fear. "Now then… I'm sure the sheriff will have something to say to people who force small children to do their bidding. Especially small children who will grow up to be president and first lady of the United States!"

She nodded towards the disguised fairies. "You guys come with me… except Lupe, you guard the entrance." Commander winked secretively.

Wanda, Cosmo, Juandissimo, and Luden looked perplexed, but Guadalupe's eyes brightened in understanding. "Yes, that is a good idea," she said, giving Commander a nod back.

Commander drug the big surly guys—now crying in fear—out the door. Cosmo, Juandissimo, and Luden were about to follow. Wanda, however, had other ideas.

"What was that all about?" she snapped.

Guadalupe pushed the other fairies to the door. "Shh. It will look suspicious if we all stay. But I know what Commander wants me to do. She wants me to go in there and get them myself. And that I will do. You go with the commander. She will need witnesses."

"I don't think so," said Wanda. "That's my godchild in there. You go with Commander, and I'll stay here."

Lupe shook her head. "Wanda, I am not… one of the more highly-regarded citizens here. Most people know me, and I have a bad reputation. You four, on the other hand, will pass for just random travelers, and your word will be worth much more than mine. No, you four must go. I shall retrieve your godson and his companion."

Wanda nodded, and for the first time gave Guadalupe a genuine smile. "Good luck."

And grabbing her husband, nephew, and ex-boyfriend, Wanda rushed out the door after Commander.

Once the door was shut, Lupe reached under her dress and pulled out her wand. "It has been a long time since I have had to use you," she said quietly. "Ojala que yo recuerdo…"

It had been ages… and as she had indicated in Spanish, Lupe wasn't quite sure that she even remembered how to use her wand. "Well, here goes nothing…" Guadalupe waved her wand around her head…

And to her delight, she shrunk down, and two wings popped out of her back. She grinned. "Fantastico."

Now there was just the problem of getting in. Guadalupe pulled open the small door and saw a narrow cave. "I cannot imagine sending two small children down this place!" she marveled. Waving her wand again, she transformed herself into a large dragonfly, easily flying through the cramped passagee.

…………

Teedie woke up first, and he did so suddenly. Snapping awake, he shot his eyes around the "room", thinking that maybe he had been dreaming everything and that he was still at his New York City house.

Fat chance. He was greeted with nothing but white.

"Jeez, I all wanted was a bully adventure," Teedie sighed. "Now I just get to die of thirst and starvation in this never-ending room."

He looked down at Edith. With her head rested on Teedie's lap, Edith was still asleep, fitfully as it may be. Teedie shook his head in gentle exasperation. "I can't believe you've been in love with me this whole time," he said quietly. "I mean, I can understand why someone would want someone like me—you can't get much better—but you were always Conie's friend, and you never paid that much attention to me…"

He stopped. A dragonfly had just zipped out of the tunnel. A very large dragonfly. With purple eyes.

It pulled out a wand and transformed into a fairy. Teedie jumped. "You're… you're Guadalupe! I saw you on that poster! You're my temp Juandissimo's sister!"

"I know, I know," said Lupe in an annoyed voice. "And you are… Teedie, right? And the girl is Edith?"

"Yes! Have you come to rescue us?"

"I have," said Lupe with a nod. She pointed to Edith. "Wake her up so I can get us out of here."

Teedie grabbed Edith's shoulder and shook her. "Edie, wake up! We're being rescued!"

"…huh…what?" Edith's eyes fluttered open drowsily. Upon seeing Guadalupe, however, her eyes snapped open. "Wow… a fairy!"

"So, are you just going to poof us out of here?" Teedie asked.

Guadalupe hesitated. "Well… I will try. I do not use my magic much, however, so it may not work. You had better take my hand." She reached out her free hand. Teedie grabbed. Somewhat fearfully, Edith grabbed Teedie's other hand.

Lupe raised her wand. "Pray to God this works…"

POOF!

The three were suddenly back in Guadalupe's boss's office.

"You did it!" cried Edith, hugging both Lupe and Teedie. In fact, she even planted a kiss on Teedie's cheek.

"Ugh!" cried Teedie, wiping off his cheek.

Lupe waved her wand again, transforming herself back into a human. "Come with me," she said quickly, grabbing the children's hands. "We must find my brother, your godparents, their nephew, and that strange commander. I have a hunch about my boss that I must tell them."

"Where did they go?" Teedie asked.

"To the sheriff's office. At least, that is what Commander says. I wonder if she even knows where it is, though."

As if on cue, a husky voice that was unmistakably Commander's could be heard coming closer. "…well, that showed those outlaws! Now, what to do about this whole treasure business…"

"Perhaps you would care to ask me!" Lupe hollered over to the other five.

"You found them!" cried Cosmo happily. "Look, Wanda, she found Teedie and Edith!"

Guadalupe jumped out the way quickly, as Cosmo, Wanda, and Commander all rushed up to Teedie and nearly strangled him in a fierce bear hug.

"Hooray! You're alive!" cried Cosmo.

"Oh, Teedie, Cosmo and I were so worried about you!" cried Wanda.

"TR! Thank God! I'll never let you out of my sight again!" blubbered Commander.

Luden smiled at Lupe. "See? You never really forget magic."

Lupe nodded awkwardly, trying to avoid looking at his gorgeous brown eyes. "No… you do not… ever forget…"

Juandissimo grabbed Lupe by the shoulders, shaking her off of her strange infatuation. "Lupe, mi hermana, you said something about knowing about the treasure?"

Fully back in the moment, Guadalupe nodded. "Well, sort of. I think we should go find my boss and talk to him."

"You said you had a hunch about him," pointed out Edith.

"I am not for sure," said Guadalupe quickly. "However… I just need to find him and talk to him. Come on."

"Wow… how boring! All this, and we just wind up going to talk to this guy?" Commander scoffed. "Some action/adventure this is. Am I really writing this slop?"

That was the final straw.

"Oh, Commander, shut up!" I cried. Everyone froze and spun around.

"Who said that?" cried Wanda.

"Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned!" cried Cosmo.

"That's not the voice of God!" Commander hissed, recognizing my voice right away, of course. "That's…"

"Who?" Juandissimo prodded.

"She's my alter-ego," Commander finally admitted. "Some dork named Katie—"

"Whoa, hold on there, girl!" I shouted, dropping in on our little group here. "You're my alter-ego! How many times do we have to go through with this?"

"Butt out of this story!" Commander shouted rudely, pushing me backwards. "It's mine! See up there? Written by Commander. That's me."

Despite myself, I grinned. "Oh really? Then how come my lines are written in first person and your lines are in third person?"

Commander blinked. She raised her hand up, about to say something… then let it fall down.

"I've been writing this whole 'slop', miss Commander, and I've known all the plot twists. Unlike you, who didn't even know where TR went off to." I spun around to TR—I'm just as obsessed with him as Commander is. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. President—"

"Oh God, not you too!" cried Teedie.

"This is my story!" Commander hollered. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide, staring at something behind me. "Oh my God, it's Groucho Marx!"

"Where?" I cried, spinning around. Nothing there, of course, Commander burst out laughing.

"You are such a dork, Katie!"

"That wasn't very nice!" I cried. And, suddenly, I shouted, "Look! Marvin the Martian!"

"Where?" cried Commander, falling for that exact same trick. I could hear a chuckle escape from the mouths of Cosmo, Wanda, Teedie, Edith, Luden, Juandissimo, and Guadalupe.

"Alright, alright, so I deserved that," she said, trying to sound calm. "But the point is… GET OUT OF HERE!"

"I was going to. This is making this story very awkward." I jumped back into my computer chair and resumed typing.

"Now what?" Luden asked.

Commander sighed. "Well, let's go find this boss of yours, Lupe. This seems as good of place to end the chapter as any… hit the lights, Katie!"

(AN: Sorry about that. Commander needed to shut up. Uh, anyway… see you next chapter, for those of you still reading. (If you are, I commend you.))