(Whoo, I'm back from vacation! Thus, here is chapter 2!)

O.o.O

"From that day on, Wanda and me were always together!" said Cosmo with a smile, clearly remembering some of the best days of his life. "We were like cheese and pudding! Always together!"

The man sitting next to Cosmo gave him an incredulous look. "Cheese and… pudding?"

"Uh-huh!" nodded Cosmo. "There was this big tree close to my house, and we went there all the time. I taught her how to climb it, and how to fall off it, and how to scream at the top of your lungs as you fell off it! And she…" Cosmo's eyes filled to the brink, not with tears, but with pure, passionate love for his Wanda. "She taught me how to read, and how to add and subtract… she really helped me get through school." His voice faded off, remembering. "A lot of times, we'd stay in that tree even when it got dark."

O.o.O

The streaks of red and yellow from the setting sun had nearly left the dark blue sky, but in a tree in the countryside, two small children, a boy and a girl, were still sitting on one of the branches, their legs dangling.

An owl hooted, reminding them of how late it was.

Cosmo turned to Wanda, looking almost apologetic. "I need to go… Mama might get worried about me," he said.

"Your mama's always worried about you," said Wanda. She suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand, resting both their hands on Cosmo's leg. "Just stay here… a little longer…"

Cosmo was stunned; and there was no way he could refuse Wanda, especially after taking his hand like that. "Okay, Wanda, I'll stay here with you!" said Cosmo with a smile.

O.o.O

Remembering the incident, Cosmo sounded a bit mystified. "For some reason, Wanda didn't ever want to go home," he said softly. "So I stayed with her, because… I needed her, but I think she needed me too… isn't that weird? But I couldn't help it." Cosmo sighed. "If she asked me to jump off a cliff I would have… not like she ever did, but still… she was my most special friend." Cosmo considered that. "My only friend," he corrected himself.

He turned to his companion, who, apparently to all but Cosmo, had no interest in hearing more. "Because I didn't have any other friends, you know," said Cosmo.

The man sighed. "Allow me to get out my violin…"

"In fact, everyone else teased me."

"Can't imagine why," mumbled the man sarcastically.

"But if they did when Wanda was there, boy, were they in for it!" laughed Cosmo.

O.o.O

Cosmo and Wanda were walking slowly down a dirt road, Cosmo jabbering on about anything and everything, and Wanda merely listening.

Sometimes the young girl wondered why, of all the friends she could have, why she chose Cosmo. It wasn't like she had an unlimited choice of friends, but still, she definitely wasn't the social outcast that Cosmo was. A smile spread across her sweet face as she realized the answer—her Cosmo was so funny and caring, that it was really hard to fathom why other people made fun of him. Sure, he was a bit stupid. But so what? That was part of his charm.

"…and then Mama swatted the raccoon with a broom!" said Cosmo, telling his tale with such flourish that Wanda giggled.

"What did the raccoon do?" she asked. "Did it run away?"

"Of course it did," said Cosmo, giving her a strange smile. "Wouldn't you?"

Wanda's smile dimmed. "I probably would… but sometimes it's better to stand and fight."

Cosmo laughed so vigorously that Wanda's gloom, temporarily at least, vanished. "Oh, but anyone who fights with my mama is even stupider than me!"

"You're not stupid," said Wanda suddenly, without thinking.

Cosmo sighed and gazed at her sadly, with the strangest expression that Wanda had ever seen on him. "Please, Wanda… don't lie to me. I know I am."

"You're not as stupid as most people think," said Wanda softly.

Cosmo opened his mouth to say something—and a large rock suddenly slammed against his head. "Ouch!" he cried, rubbing the spot where it hit.

Wanda spun around and glared at the culprits—three boys in their class, who, when they weren't pulling pranks on their teacher, were mercilessly teasing Cosmo, by both words and actions. "You creeps!" she snarled. "Can't you leave him alone, just for once?"

The boys responded by pelting Cosmo with more rocks. The dazed boy fell over.

Wanda ran to Cosmo's side and helped him up. "Run, Cosmo! Run away!"

"But I thought you said that sometimes it's better to stay and fight!" said Cosmo, the side of his head bleeding by one of the more nasty hits he had received.

"Not this time! Run!" Wanda pushed Cosmo to a start, just barely ducking for another airborne rock. Cosmo took off, slow at first, but slowly getting faster… and faster… remembering the urgency with which Wanda had commanded him to run…

The bullies, laughing, jumped on their bikes and pedaled off after Cosmo, still clutching rocks in their hands. Before Wanda could grab the wheels in a feeble attempt to stop them, they had shot past, at a speed that Wanda had never seen anyone ride.

"Run, Cosmo, run!" she screamed, hoping to God—if there even was a God—that Cosmo could hear her.

But Cosmo could hear her, and as if just the sound of her voice was a jolt to his battery, his run suddenly bolted into a sprint.

How on earth…

Yet, despite the sudden speed that Cosmo found, the bullies were still getting closer and closer. Wanda's hands were clenched so tight, her knuckles were dead white; her face was locked in the grimace of a young girl about to burst into tears; and she was biting her lip so tightly that she drew blood; but she managed to release her tensions for one moment, just enough time to yell again, "Run, Cosmo, ruuuunnnnn!"

And suddenly Cosmo was running even faster, dust was literally trailing behind him. He leapt a fence and tore off into a field, leaving the bewildered bullies to gape open mouthed as Cosmo sped out of sight.

Wanda was open mouthed with shock as well.

"It's kinda funny," laughed Cosmo, "but after that every one expected me to be some sort of really fast runner, but the only time I ever ran that fast was when Wanda told me to… or when I was going to go visit her." His laugh abruptly stopped. "Now, remember when I said that Wanda never seemed to want to go home? Well, she lived out on the edge of town with her uncle… you see, her mama and daddy went up to heaven just after she was born. I went and visited her all the time, of course. Her uncle was really nice, always kissing and touching Wanda…"

It was a bright, sunny day, and young Cosmo Uhsmith was on a typical mission of his—he was running to Wanda's house. It was a Saturday… no school, but still, Cosmo made every effort to see Wanda every day, even though his mama didn't seem to like that much.

But how could he spend the day with anyone else? Everyone else teased him on what a moron he was. Well, everyone except his mama, whose expectations of her son were so high that even a smart person might have trouble fulfilling.

No, Wanda—whom Cosmo was still convinced was an angel—was the only person who knew how stupid he was, but didn't seem to care. She never made fun of him, and she never tried to make him change.

She was perfect.

Sometimes Cosmo wondered why someone as glorious as her would let an idiot like him even stand in her presence. But such was the mystery of Wanda… the mystery, and the wonderful thing about her…

Cosmo rounded the corner and there was Wanda's house—a ramshackle, run down old building. He was at the door in no time.

"Wanda!" he called out, banging on the door. There was no answer. Cosmo thought for a moment—maybe she was out in the back, where the cornfield was.

There she was, in her worn checkered dress, her pink hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. She was picking dryly at a corn leaf, her eyes downcast. Cosmo stopped immediately and drew in a long, shaky breath—something about her today made her look so hauntingly beautiful—more beautiful than usual, even—that it was all he could do to breathe in her presence.

She slowly lifted her face and her large, round, sad pink eyes rested on Cosmo. Cosmo could feel himself shiver. "Hi, Cosmo," she said quietly.

Somehow, Cosmo was able to talk. "Wanda, why weren't you at school yesterday?" he asked. "I needed you there—like I do everyday," he said suddenly, his voice shaking.

His hand flew to his mouth—although he knew for himself just how much he needed Wanda, he had never wanted her to know. Wanda even looked a little surprised, but her head suddenly jerked back towards the house. "Shh. Uncle's taking a nap."

Suddenly, a door slammed inside the house. "WANDA!" a loud, terrible voice suddenly yelled. Cosmo jumped; it sounded like Wanda's uncle, but he had never heard him sound so frightening before.

Wanda's wide eyes grew even wider with fright. "Come on!" she whispered urgently, grabbing Cosmo's wrist and pulling him into the cornfield, deeper and deeper.

It was all Cosmo could do to keep up with her, and yet he knew he had to—something was wrong, Wanda was scared, he had to be there with her!

"You'd better get back here, girl!" Wanda's uncle's voice carried through the air with a sickening clarity. Wanda ran faster, Cosmo almost skip-stepping to keep up with her. The corn leaves slapped against the face faster and faster, and Cosmo had no clue of where Wanda was leading them—or if Wanda knew where they were going, even.

Finally, Wanda sank to her knees, almost horror-stricken, but she managed to speak as soon as Cosmo knelt beside her. "Pray with me, Cosmo, pray with me!" she whispered. Cosmo, just as wide-eyed as Wanda, nodded dumbly.

Wanda's small palms pushed up against themselves and her prayer tumbled breathlessly out of her mouth. "Dear God, make me a bird so I can fly far, far far away from here. Dear God, make me a bird so I can fly far, far far away from here. Dear God…"

Cosmo's lips tried to move, but didn't. He knew that he should be helping her pray, but as he looked at Wanda, he could only think of one thing, one single thought blocking out everything else, for nothing else mattered.

Wanda was scared.

He reached out a hand to touch her. Wanda jumped back, almost yelping. Tears welled up in her eyes and leaked out on her face, which was starting to tighten from terror. "Sorry," she whispered. "It's just that when my uncle touches me…" And finally, after holding it in for so long, Wanda's face crinkled and she began to sob. Cosmo began to cry too—he might not be able to touch her, but he could be there for her and cry with her.

Yes, he could love her.

O.o.O

"God works in mysterious ways," said Cosmo thoughtfully. "Because he didn't answer Wanda's prayer that day. Instead, he had the police come and say that Wanda didn't have to live in that house anymore. She moved in with her grandma, who lived just down the road from me. Which was great, because now she lived so close to me! She'd even come and visit me… at night." Cosmo's eyes burned softly with the love that had filled them before, remembering. "She'd come to my room a lot at night, saying she was scared. Maybe she was scared of her grandma's dog. He was a mean dog! He stole my cheese once!" Cosmo stopped. "Or maybe… maybe she was remembering her uncle's house…"

O.o.O

It was late, very late. Cosmo's mama had already read him his bedtime story, turned out the light, and left the room. Cosmo was almost asleep when he heard the slight rustling of a nightgown open the door from his balcony and step in the room.

Cosmo sat up. "Wanda…" he said, almost wonderingly.

"I'm scared," said Wanda simply, although she didn't need to. That was what she always said when she came into Cosmo's room late at night. Wordlessly, Cosmo scooted back on his bed, leaving room for Wanda to slide in. The young girl sank gratefully down on his bed, and Cosmo drew in his breath slowly—although this was becoming an almost nightly occurrence, he could still never get over the fact that his beautiful, precious best friend was sleeping so close to him.

Yet Wanda wasn't sleeping… she wasn't even close to falling asleep. She had thought that, once out of her uncle's terrible house, she would be able to forget about him, but not so… no, every night when she tried to sleep, she could hear his rough voice, she could feel him hitting and slapping her for no particular reason… but what was worse, she could feel him touching her in places that felt wrong… some that even hurt…

She let out a breath with a strangled sob, and she could feel Cosmo jerk involuntarily next to her. Wanda turned around to face him, knowing that he heard her cry, and feeling rather ashamed about it.

Cosmo's green eyes bore into her with such tenderness that Wanda was almost taken aback. "Why are you crying?" he whispered, tears filling his own eyes as he asked.

"Why are you crying?" she whispered back.

"Because you are," was the simple, gentle reply.

"But you don't even know why I'm crying," said Wanda quietly. "And it's nothing that you've ever had to deal with…"

"It doesn't matter," said Cosmo quietly.

Wanda's face scrunched up and her crying became audible. "Cosmo, I… I wish so much that my parents were still alive… maybe they would have loved me." Her voice became almost harsh. "Because no one else ever has. Definitely not my uncle… and I think my grandma wishes that she didn't have to take care of me…" Her mouth dried up as her eyes watered more, and Wanda buried her face into her hands, bawling.

"But Wanda…" Cosmo himself was having trouble talking also, as the sight of Wanda's breakdown had almost triggered one of his own. "Wanda, I love you!"

He had said it without thinking, and almost gasped in horror—it was one thing telling her that he needed her, but now she knew the whole truth! Strangely, part of him relaxed with the relief of letting out this long-kept secret, but it was quickly overshadowed with fear—what if she laughed at him, what if she didn't want his love, what if she told him he was too young and stupid to know anything about love, what if, what if, what if!

Wanda's arms slid around Cosmo's neck. "I'm glad you do," she whispered into his ear, sending goose bumps down Cosmo's spine. She nestled her face in his shoulder, no longer crying audibly, but tears were still running down her face, and now down Cosmo's arm.

Cosmo could hardly breathe. "Wanda—" his voice was less than a whisper "—Wanda, may I touch you?"

Wanda lifted her face up to look in his. Her mind swirled—what if he would hurt her, like her uncle had? She had never trusted anyone before…

…but finally, she realized that there was one, only one person on the entire planet who she could trust not to hurt her. "Yes," she whispered.

Slowly, almost fearfully, Cosmo's arms glided across Wanda's waist. It was Wanda's turn to tremble at his touch. She had never, ever imagined that a touch could feel so good. The only person who had ever touched her like that before was her uncle, and that had terrified and hurt her. But Cosmo's arms around her calmed her; he made her feel safe and… yes, loved!

Cosmo pulled Wanda closer to him, finally able to touch her, to somehow comfort her against all those terrible things that haunted her… but how could it ever be enough to help her, to protect her?

Wanda laid her head down on Cosmo's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered gently.

"You're welcome," whispered Cosmo automatically. Wanda, despite herself, giggled.

And safe in each other's arms, the two children fell into a grateful slumber.

O.o.O

(AN: Another chapter down, go me! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, and see you at chapter three!)