Disclaimer: I don't own Fairly Odd Parents. And in case you were under the delusion I owned Scrabble or Monopoly, let me tell you now that I don't. I have not and will not during the course of this story. There, I'm not saying it again.
Authors Note: I'm sorry I made you wait so long for a new chapter. This chapter has taken me ages to get right. Plus I got so many great reviews for the last chapter. I have standards now! Aggghhhh! Plus I started work on a brand spanking new story, which I think you're going to like. I'll publish it after this one ends. Whenever that is!
Much later that morning Juandissimo was the last thing on Wandas' mind. She sat by Cosmo's bedside, with Timmy and Mama Cosma. Timmy was telling Cosmo about all the things that had been happening while he was in his coma.
"I made this really cool wish that I had a huge swimming pool filled with custard, and I pushed Vicky in! You should have been there Cosmo, it was so funny!" said Timmy, cackling with laughter.
"Coo-el!" chirruped Cosmo. "But who was your temp? Wanda never told me."
Timmy and Wanda looked awkwardly at each other.
"Well sweetie, he really wanted the job…" Wanda began carefully.
"And there wasn't much choice…" continued Timmy.
"And he is a responsible godparent…" she added.
"Who is it?" shouted Cosmo.
Wanda half coughed, half muttered something under her breath.
"Pardon?"
"It's Big Daddy, Cosmo," she repeated. "Big Daddy is Timmy's Temp."
Cosmo went very pale very quickly. "So…so he'll be living with us, then?" he stammered.
"When I have the baby, yes."
"Oh," he said quietly. "Oh."
"Don't worry sweetie, you'll hardly even know he's there," assured Wanda, trying to sound convincing. "Oh look, here's lunch!"
Wanda's distraction worked, and Cosmo looked with interest at the meal being brought in.
"Here we are, cheese sandwiches and pudding!" said the lunch fairy cheerfully. Cosmo looked almost deliriously happy, so Timmy, Wanda and Mama Cosma decided to leave him and get there own lunch. They said goodbye to Cosmo (though he didn't really notice) and left to the hospital cafeteria.
When they had finished eating, Wanda asked, "Would you two mind leaving Cosmo and I alone together for a while? I want to talk to him privately."
"No, he's my son and I won't leave him, especially not with you, you little…"
"Sure Wanda, we'll leave you two alone," interrupted Timmy quickly. Mama Cosma looked like she wanted to protest some more, so Wanda poofed away before she could begin her rant properly.
She reappeared in his room, and was thankful to see he had finished eating. She couldn't help but grin when she saw Cosmo so full life, even if he was still pale and weak. She flew over to his bed and sat down next to him.
"Where are the others?" he asked.
"I asked them to stay outside. I wanted to be with you. Alone." She sighed. "So we can talk."
Cosmo flinched and looked uncomfortable. The last time Wanda had wanted to talk, it had ended very badly for him, but he nodded that he was willing to talk to her.
"Why did you do it, Cosmo?" she asked quietly. Cosmo sighed. The one question he'd hoped she'd avoid… His small brain tried to sort his thoughts and feelings into an answer. Eventually, he was ready to speak.
"I did it for a lot of reasons, Wanda. When you first told me we were having a baby, I wasn't lying when I said it was happy. But I wasn't telling you the whole truth either. I felt scared; scared I wouldn't be a good father. Scared I would disappoint you. And I also…I also…" He took a deep shuddering breath. He was going to tell Wanda everything, and that included his dark, shameful secret. "I also felt jealous of the baby. Part of me didn't want it to come and change everything. I just wanted it to be you, me and Timmy. I still sort of do." He stopped, ashamed. Would Wanda hate him for feeling this? He closed his eyes, not wanting to see her look of anger and disappointment. But instead of feeling a slap, which he believed he deserved, he felt Wanda holding his hand and stroking it. He opened his eyes to see Wanda looking understandingly at him.
"Oh, Cosmo sweetie, it's okay. Just know that whatever happens, I'll always be here for you. And this baby will only bring us closer together, not drive us apart. Not if we really love each other. And believe me, I know we do."
Cosmo smiled at her, his eyes filling with tears. Her words were so comforting, and he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. But there was still more he wanted to say.
"At the party we had, I felt I wanted to prove myself to you. That I could be a dad and a husband. I started to feel funny after I said 'pregnant', sort of different. Like I hadn't really realised the responsibility before then. It swamped me, and I felt kind of scared, but it also made me more determined to change. It got stronger after I stood up to Mama. Then when I saw you with Juandissimo…how he held you close and stuff, I felt so jealous. Way more than I normally do. I felt…I felt that I should be like Juandissimo. He was so strong and manly, I was sure he'd make the perfect husband."
Wanda nodded. What he was telling her fitted exactly with the symptoms Dr Rip Studwell had described.
"I was so jealous," continued Cosmo. "That night I had a dream. I dreamt that you'd had our baby, but that it looked exactly like Juandissimo."
"Oh Cosmo, that was just a dream!" cried Wanda. "A very insulting dream, but a dream all the same."
"I know that," said Cosmo. "But when I woke up, all I could think about was that if you had gone to Juandissimo, it was my fault for not being good enough for you. After that, I became obsessed with becoming Juandissimo." Cosmo blushed. "Remember that morning after the party, when I kissed you differently and stuff?"
Wanda nodded, smiling at his coyness.
"That was when I first started my act as him. It left me completely exhausted…" he blushed again. "But I felt it would be worth it if it stopped you leaving me for him. The more I acted like Juandissimo, the more tired I became, but I also became more determined to never give you a reason to leave. I felt like I wanted to be a…a…"
"A Juandissimo away from Juandissimo?" supplied Wanda with a smile.
"Yeah! But the harder I tried, the more I felt you were drifting away."
Wanda nodded, and said sadly, "I felt like I'd lost the fairy I'd fallen in love with."
They held hands tightly for several minutes before they felt ready to go on.
Cosmo took a deep breath and continued. "Then one night, the night before…well, the night before I collapsed, I had a horrible nightmare. I dreamt that all I had done wasn't good enough, and that you were leaving me anyway. You and Juandissimo laughed at me, and then he kissed you, and then you both disappeared…" Cosmo shuddered, the memory of the dream bringing back all his doubts and fears.
"Oh my gosh Cosmo, no wonder you collapsed the next morning!" gasped Wanda, shocked at the thought of what she had done. Cosmo nodded.
"I thought my nightmare was coming true, and that you were leaving me for him. I remember us fighting and then… well, I don't remember much after that until I woke up yesterday."
Wanda felt like she wanted to cry, knowing she was partly responsible for putting Cosmo into his coma. She couldn't think of anything to say that would reassure him, or make him feel better. But then she smiled, remembering their connection last night. Maybe they didn't need words. She leant forward, knowing what she had to do. Wanda kissed Cosmo lovingly. But it was more than just a kiss. "I love you more than I can ever say," it told him. "I'll never leave you, not for anyone at any time. You're perfect just the way you are. I dumped Juandissimo for you. I married you. And now I'm having your baby. I love you so much Cosmo, and I'll always be here for you."
Cosmo felt all his worries melt away, and the nasty little voice that had made him doubt himself and Wanda finally died. When he kissed her back, he returned all her love and commitment. Wanda knew her Cosmo had finally returned.
After a few minutes of sitting quietly together, there was a tentative knock on the door. "Uh, guys?" said a small voice.
"It's okay Timmy, you can come in now," called Wanda. Timmy entered the room, followed by Mama Cosma. She frowned when she saw Cosmo and Wanda holding hands. She could sense something special had passed between them that somehow made them even closer. She knew that no amount of her meddling would break them up now.
"Cosmo, how are you feeling," she asked, pulling his hands from Wanda. Old habits died hard, and she'd never give up entirely.
"Great Mama!" said Cosmo enthusiastically. "The pudding here is fantastic!"
Timmy glanced at Wanda. He had been afraid that her private talk with Cosmo would be about something bad, but when Timmy saw Wanda's wide smile, his fears were laid to rest. His godparents were a team again, and nothing could break it.
Dr Rip Studwell chose then to float into the room, a serious expression on his handsome face. Cosmo started to panic. "I don't wanna go in a coma again!" he wailed.
Doctor Studwell allowed himself a small smile. "You won't be going back into a coma, Cosmo." He addressed the rest of the group. "But it is a delicate of the recovery. The last thing we want is a relapse. So I'm afraid Wanda can't see Cosmo until we are sure his condition is stable."
"What? No!" cried Cosmo, flinging his arms around Wanda in a hold that normally would have choked her, but in his weakened state just made her fairly uncomfortable.
"Why, doctor?" she asked, struggling to pull free of Cosmo's grip.
"Because his seeing you could cause old thoughts to reoccur which would result in a relapse that this time, he wouldn't survive," he said bluntly.
Cosmo began to cry. This wasn't fair! A choice between Wanda or his life? But Wanda was his life!
Wanda looked at him, and stroked his cheek. "It won't be forever sweetie. I'll see you when you get out. And when you do, I'll be right there waiting for you." She went to kiss him again, but felt herself being pulled away from behind.
"Yes, well, let's not dilly-dally, you heard the doctor, out you go!" said Mama Cosma cheerfully as she steered Wanda over to the door and pushed her out.
"Don't worry Cosmo," said Timmy, making him tear his eyes from the door Wanda had just left through. "I'll still come and visit you, even if Wanda can't. Wait, Wanda! She just left! How am I going to get home?"
"Don't worry, she'll remember you're here. She remembers everything," said Cosmo, a dreamy look on his face.
Oh great, thought Mama Cosma. He's even more in love with her now than he was before.
"I'll visit you too, Cosmo lo-lo," she said loudly, trying to prise his thoughts towards her.
"Sorry Mama, did you say something? I was just thinking about Wanda…"
Wanda poofed back into Timmy's room. She was sad and disappointed she wouldn't see Cosmo for weeks, perhaps months. But she also felt happy that they had had their long talk. A fear she had kept for all of Cosmo's long coma had finally vanished. She knew that when he came back, they would be closer than ever.
"What are you doing back so soon?" Big Daddy asked her, interrupting her thoughts. "I thought you'd spend all day with Cosmo."
Wanda looked at her father, and noticed him sitting in front of a recently vacated poker table. He seemed to notice it too, and quickly poofed it away. "Just some buddies…harmless fun… so, why are you home?"
"They asked me not to see Cosmo anymore," explained Wanda with a sigh.
"I asked you that once before, and you didn't pay any attention to me," complained Big Daddy. "So why can't you see him?"
"They said he could die if I saw him before he was fully recovered."
"I said something like that, too," he reminded. "So who's there with the moron now?"
"It's Cosmo, Daddy," said Wanda, frowning at him. "And he's there with his mother and Timmy. Oh my gosh, Timmy! I left him there! I hope he doesn't think I've forgotten him!"
"Don't worry sweetie, I'll go and get him. I might even see Cosmo myself. Oh, now don't look like that," he said, seeing the look of horror on Wanda's face. "I'll just see if he's okay. We might even have a bit of a chat."
"Oh, Daddy, please be nice," she implored, not really reassured.
"Wanda, when am I ever not nice?" he said as he poofed out of the room, leaving a worried Wanda behind.
---
"I've got to go now, Cosmo," said Mama Cosma, holding his hand protectively. "But I'll be back tomorrow, I promise."
"Okay Mama," replied Cosmo, his mind still on Wanda. When would he see her again?
Mama Cosma gritted her teeth in frustration. It annoyed her to see her son's thoughts fixed so firmly on his horrible wife. She poofed away angrily, leaving Cosmo and Timmy alone.
"I'll come back as well, Cosmo," said Timmy, trying to capture his attention. It was great that Cosmo and Wanda loved each other again, but he just wished Cosmo would think of something else for five minutes. "I hope I don't have to spend all night here. I hope Wan…I mean, someone, will come and get me."
"Hmm," agreed Cosmo, not paying attention. But then something happened that made him stop daydreaming very quickly. Standing in the door to his room was a fairy with a large hat that made Cosmo freeze with terror. He tried to say something but all he could do was make a squeaking, gurgling noise.
"Now, now, Cosmo, don't act like that," said Big Daddy, floating over to his bed and clapping a firm hand on his shoulder.
Cosmo was confused, unsure if he was in danger or not. Big Daddy was acting nice enough, but still…
"Timmy, would you leave us for a minute? I want to have a little talk with my son-in-law."
Cosmo gulped. Was Big Daddy clearing the room of witnesses? He tried to use his eyes to beg Timmy not to go, but Timmy left anyway, glancing over his shoulder.
When Timmy was gone, Cosmo nervously turned his fear-filled eyes to Big Daddy. He pulled the blankets up to his chin. That would protect him, right?
Big Daddy felt a certain amount of satisfaction at seeing Cosmo so afraid. But he wasn't here on an intimidation errand. He was going to do something he thought he would never, ever do. It made him feel slightly sick, but he clenched his fists with determination.
"Cosmo, I've spent a lot of time with Wanda over the past month, and I learnt something I hadn't thought was possible. I learnt that Wanda loves you very, very much. Wether I like it or not, you're her husband and her soul mate, and I'd like to…I'd like to…" Here Big Daddy faltered a little. The words were very hard for him to say, and he seemed to be choking on them slightly. Cosmo, sensing he wasn't about to be injured, lowered his blanket and looked curiously at Big Daddy. Wanda's father took a deep breath and said quickly "I'dliketoacceptyouaspartofmyfamily."
"Huh?" said Cosmo, not having understood a word.
"I…I'd like to accept you as part of my family," said Big Daddy again, this time more slowly.
Cosmo lay stunned for a while until Big Daddy's words sunk in. Then his face broke into a huge grin. "Daddy!" he cried gleefully, pulling him into a suffocating hug.
"Don't push it, Cosmo: growled Big Daddy dangerously. Cosmo let him go, grinning sheepishly.
"I'd better get the Turner kid now," said Big Daddy gruffly.
"Okay…Daddy!" Cosmo pulled the blankets over his head for safety, giggling as he heard Big Daddy storm out of the room.
Authors Note 2: Now, on to replying to your fantastic reviews. So…much…positive…energy…
Soneka The Hedgehog: Yes, he's finally gone! Or is he…
Faye Lunacorn: I love that the chapter made you so happy. Your review made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
WLiiAfanatic: I'm so glad that you thought the chapter was well written. That gives me so much confidence, you have no idea.
Trixie 21: I thought it just fitted that Juandissimo was chasing after her because he kept on fantasising about the 'what-ifs' and the 'could-have-beens'. It practically wrote itself. I loved the 'fat' bit too. And I decided to have Wanda call Cosmo an idiot just to show that things were back to normal. And besides, it was meant affectionately.
Commander: No, Juandissimo won't be coming back for revenge. But a new love interest? Maybe…
Danny'sGhostGirl: Yes, it would have been horrid. It's a simply spiffing thing I let him live, wot wot? ; )
thesupernugget:No I could not!
SashaJay: I liked the calling of each others names too. Corny, yes, but it fitted well. I love that you like my writing! Your review made me feel the same way as FayeLunacorn's.
Blue Eyes Shining Dragon: See, your review is the one that made me read over the rest of what I've written and think "I can't post this! It's terrible!". Everyone blame Blue Eyes Shining Dragon for the lateness of this chapter! Aw, I'm just kidding. I loved your review. So much feedback and constructive comments, it's awesome! But just wondering, if I've reached 5.0 out of 5.0 already, will I just go downhill from here? Have I peaked too soon? Hmmm…
Fairly-Odd-Parents: Another perfect score! What do I have left to achieve? I promise I will finish this story. I won't promise that it will be soon.
Kira6: Good. Very good.
Fred The Mutant Pickle: Awesome, a new reviewer! Yay! Hope you stick with it. I have been trying to get the different point's of view, make the readers understand them, and at the same time keep everyone in character. It's not easy, but from your review I seem to be doing an okay job.
That's it from me, so until next time, keep reviewing!