Note: Squee, this is just…yay! I'm sorry. I'm a broken record, I know, but I love writing this. I do, I do. xD Many thanks to all reviewers, and thank you to other nameless readers. You all are amazing. It's official.

Chapter Three: Just Desserts

"Riven's always had a bad temperament, you know?"

Musa smiled at me weakly from my now-party-of-two couch as she helped herself to a brownie. "I guess I should've seen it coming, though," she continued through a mouthful of chocolate, and the fact that I could actually understand her while eating said more about our friendship than any villain-bashing could. "I mean, I threw the stereo at him."

"You…you what?" I stammered out. Timmy could be a frustrating fellow, but I'd never toss that birthday present of his at his head. For one thing, I've been eating more brownies than working out lately. For another, I'd probably apologize like mad afterwards.

"He was asking for it, Tec!" Musa insisted, cramming in another brownie. "We've been having stupid arguments off-and-on for a while…and with my tour, we haven't been able to hang out as much. Which bites, but whenever we do have time together, he acts all weird. Like, he starts bashing on my job, saying it's no big deal, when he knows it means the world to me!"

She blinked her blue eyes, wet with tears, and I realized with a sinking feeling I'd need more brownies.

"So I told him to back off, that I didn't get on to him about his dream job as an Elite." Musa sniffled, my eyes longingly following the last brownie as she brought it to her mouth. Drat. "And then he got really mad, and he started…insulting me, Tecna, complaining about the dumbest things, like my growing out my hair to get more male fans (which is so not true) or being just another cookie-cutter pop star (when you know I totally dance to my own beat) and saying my job was all about making people like me and nothing that actually mattered in life. So after listening to him trash me for a good ten minutes, I bite back, and tell him if he won't shut up, I'll make him."

"So the stereo…?"

"Mhm." She hugged her arms close around herself and nodded. "I just…I couldn't take it anymore, Tecna. It was cute at first, but now it's getting personal. And I need space."

Well, things rarely got more personal than tossing appliances at people's faces, so I nodded in agreement. The only troubling thing was the space Musa needed was…well…my space. Which normally wouldn't be an issue, except the guest couch was currently occupado. Plus, after hearing her go on about a legitimate reason to fight with her spouse, I didn't feel quite so keen on complaining about my pointless birthday blues.

"I knew you'd let me in, Tec," my friend beamed, refusing to let her sadness show as she dabbed her cheeks. "I mean, I thought about asking Layla, but…we've been friends since freshman year, Tecna. We're practically sisters. I couldn't ask anyone but you to take me in. It wouldn't feel right."

"Er…I mean…" Oh, great. Lovely. My best friend came to me to find a shoulder to cry on, and all I could think about was how the heck I was going to kick her out nicely. What was I supposed to say?: "Certainly, stay here as long as you like! And don't mind the senseless bickering you might hear from time-to-time; it's just me and my husband arguing over whether or not arcades are romantic. Oh, and I hope you don't mind sleeping on the floor. Ever since stupid argument number two, I've taken the couch."

"Something wrong, Tecna?" Musa inquired, sitting up abruptly. "Am I…is something up I don't know about? If I'm imposing, I'll totally leave—"

"No, you're not imposing, no!" I protested (that stupid reverse psychology of hers was getting to me, darn it). "I'm just…well…unsure as to how…Timmy…will take this." Aha! Loophole! Pointing to the husband was always an easy route out of the blame game.

The singer laughed and shook her head. "Tecna, you can be hilarious sometimes, you know? Timmy, turning down anyone who needs help? Yeah. Sure."

Of all the husbands I could've had, I just had to choose the one who built high-tech shelters for stray puppies and kitty cats, didn't I?

"Erm…well…" I cleared my throat as my brain went on overdrive, trying to process all the logical responses that could best convey my bizarre position to my best friend. "Musa?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you like some more brownies?"

After setting Musa in front of an entire season's worth of So You Think You Can Invent with brownies to keep her busy, I paced my kitchen in desperate thought. Logically, there were three options. One: I told her the truth, she became disgusted with my shallow problems, and ran off to Layla in a huff. Two: I made up with Timmy in a miraculous two hours by showing up at work and singing his praises like a complete and total kiss-up. Three was currently my favorite: improvisation. Logical, no. Convenient, yes.

"Hey, I know that guy!" Musa exclaimed from the other room. "That guy. From Melody. He went to school with me." She pointed a chocolaty finger at the screen, and I poked in my head to see it aimed at my choice contestant.

"Ah! You knew him?" I exclaimed, slightly pleased I wasn't the only one with a good judge of character. Timmy's pick may have won, but I had more people on my side.

"Yeah." Her pigtails bounced as she nodded. "He was a total creep. Weird as all get out. I hope he loses. Does he, Tec?"

My shoulders slumped. "It's just a show, Musa," I mumbled as I turned back to pace and ponder once more. "It's not as if it matters."

I leaned against the wall and sighed, letting all my disappointment out. What a mess. What a horrid, horrid mess one little disagreement had set in motion! Or two, if you thought about it. Maybe three. I wasn't quite sure anymore. But if Timmy would just grow up and start acting his age—

Ba-da, ba-dum! Ring ring ring! Ba-da, ba-dum! Ring ring ring!

"Oh my—!" My whole body jumped about a foot as the cell phone in my pocket began to sound off in quick vibrations and jerks. Pulling it out hurriedly and dodging curious glances from Musa, I crept into the back room. "Who is it?" I hissed. Don't be Timmy, don't be Timmy, don't be Timmy…

"It's Flora, Tecna. Helia and I have been talking, and we have an idea."

Praise be to Linpheans. "That's wonderful news," I replied, genuinely grateful. "I haven't a clue what to do, myself."

"Oh, it's stressful, I'm sure. Fights are never fun."

"That they are not." Some rustling outside the room distracted me, and I shooed away Musa as she glanced inside the doorway. "On the phone—one moment, Musa."

"Musa's at your place?"

I sighed; way to go, Tecna. Great subtlety, right here. "Well, er, yes."

"Riven's been looking for her, you know. Layla told me he called for her, and that I ought to be on the lookout for him coming. You know Layla; she suspects something's up. And naturally, she's taken Musa's side."

"There are sides?" I began, before shaking my head. "Wait, no. The solution. We were talking about the solution to my problem."

"Well, of course there are sides. Apparently, Riven's been in a tough spot lately, what with the Elitists falling apart… Financially, I'm sure he and Musa will be fine due to her job, but I suspect poor Riven's lost more pride than pay."

I raised an eyebrow; Riven had been fired? That explained his nasty mood towards my singing friend all too well. Poor Musa had wound up his punching bag…metaphorically, anyway. After all, I suspected Riven had more bruises than she did after their little fight. "Oh, that's dreadful. But—wait, Flora, the solution. The solution you and Helia had come up with for me and Timmy?"

"Ah! Yes, yes, of course…sorry, sweetie. Now, we were talking, and Helia said maybe you needed more time together."

"Time?"

"Mhm. Alone time, with no outside distractions. I agree, actually. You're always so stressed, Tecna—your work takes its toll on you. Bloom's a dear, but a job like that could drive anyone over the edge, including you and Timmy. So you need…a vacation."

I let the thought soak for a moment before replying. "A vacation…just the two of us?"

It made sense. If my job was what made me so crabby, then a vacation could cure that. If we didn't spend enough time together, well, this could fix that, too. If I suspected Timmy was having more fun playing videogames than playing husband, where would he get a GameStation 360 all the way in the middle of a resort?

"The Resort Realm would be ideal…" I murmured, the plan already spinning in my mind. "Yes, no magic, no technology, just us. Flora, dare I say it, you may be the actual genius of the Winx Club."

A giggle crackled through the static. "Tecna, it's enough to know that you're going to do something about this. I worry for you, being upset. It's not like you. Just try to patch things up as best as you can, okay?"

"Oh, fine." I smiled. "Thank you again, Flora. So much."

"Anytime. Bye, Tecna."

The call ended. With a spring in my step, I started towards the living room again to see Musa, her brownies gone and the TV off. She turned slowly and smiled awkwardly at me. "So." She cleared her throat. "I, uh, decided to check my phone, too."

In offering, she held a tiny pink phone towards me, and I heard a familiar voice speak through the answering machine: "Musa? I hope you get this message soon, because I am simply beside myself at the moment…I've done something stupid, and now Timmy and I are fighting, and I need your advice. I'd be grateful for your help. Bye, Tecna."

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "Uh. I suppose I did say that, didn't I?"

"You kinda did." Musa patted the space beside her on the couch and bit her lip. "I think…we need to talk, Tec. Like, now."

"Men are just spoiled, you know?" Musa sighed, curled up under a blanket with me just as if this were a slumber party. "They always expect you to be sitting there, smiling as always, and putting dinner on their plate. The moment you aren't happy with something, it's immediately your fault…and when they're not happy with something, it's your fault, too. Such hypocrites."

Her support had been an unexpected gem, sparkling just a bit too brightly to convince me it was genuine. I'd been expecting something a bit more cynical, more along the lines of, "Tecna, you idiot, why would you fight with Timmy over something as stupid as that?"

But no, here we were: two women swapping discontent and stories as if they were childhood crushes and gossip. "What frustrates me is how one thing can drive you absolutely bonkers, and it can roll off their back like nothing," I added. "Like forgetting to replace toilet paper rolls—"

"Oh, I hate that!" Musa agreed. "Or when they forget to restock the fridge when they have the last soda—no, no, that's not the worst of it. How many days can you get through life without hearing, 'Honey, where's my…?' Honestly."

"It's ridiculous the things we do for them." I ducked my head and began to fiddle with fringes of the blanket, Timmy's funny smile coming to mind. "Whoops, did I do that?" he'd apologize with that grin each and every time. "I'll fix it right away, Tecna." I smiled despite myself. "Maybe it's because, well, we love them."

A strange silence settled between us, and Musa nodded, squeezing my hand. "Yeah. It's pretty unfair that we do. But hey, you can fix this up, right? Me and Riven…oh, Tec, I don't know anymore about us. But you're in the stage where you can, Tecna. So just promise me you're going to do something about it, before you chuck a stereo at poor Timmy's head?"

"Despite your influence, Musa, I highly doubt that will happen," I laughed. "And if this vacation goes well, then—"

"What's this about a vacation?"

Silence descended over the room like an ominous cloud as my husband entered the room, the door shutting soundlessly behind him. His beautiful topaz eyes darted from Musa to myself then back to Musa as he bit back a thousand questions, waiting for his first one to be answered.

"Uh." I crossed my arms. "Well."

"Oh, it's really no big deal," Musa piped up, and I turned to her in either surprise or gratitude—maybe both. "See, Flora just won a vacation for two, but her schedule's all filled up, so she's dropped it on you and Tec. Isn't that something?"

Just go with it, she mouthed. I didn't have to be told twice.

"The Resort Realm," I added. "It'll, um, be a nice way to get away from it all. Don't you think?" My voice cracked.

"Wow, really? But—wait, then why is Musa here?" Timmy inquired. I turned towards my friend again desperately.

"Why are you here?" I whispered urgently.

"O-oh, I'm here to…house-sit. Yeah. That's it." Musa grinned. "To make sure nobody breaks in or whatever while you're gone."

I always knew befriending a group of girls prone to lying would someday merit some good. Thank you, Griselda, for keeping us on our toes!

"That's awfully nice of you, Musa," Timmy exclaimed, and I practically melted at his innocent demeanor. This was too easy; it felt almost criminal. "But won't Riven mind?"

"Riven?" The name came out in a laugh, a guffaw of surprise. "Well." She smirked, leaning back on the couch, and commented, "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

"Honey, are you sure about this?"

"Mhm. I know bikinis aren't my traditional form of swimwear, but I figure I'll have to wear this Spella McCartney from Stella sometime," I replied, folding my clothes. I could feel Timmy's stare burn through my back, and I shut my eyes, forcing myself to ignore it.

"No, not the swimsuit. I mean, Tecna, are you sure about going on vacation?" He placed his arm around me and frowned, worry creasing his forehead in five perfect lines. "I mean, lately, you and I…well, it's my fault, I guess…haven't exactly been on the same wavelength. If…if you want…" He swallowed, and I stared at him wide-eyed, a little shocked by his change in mood. "If you want," he continued, "you can go on this vacation yourself. Last night…I know you wanted to be alone. Nothing's really changed since then, has it? I don't want to force you to be with me if you don't want to."

I, my mind thought in horror, must be the most ungrateful and selfish woman in the world.

"Oh, Timmy…" I sighed, placing my hand upon his cheek. "Oh, Timmy, don't say that. It's not all that bad. I mean…we could…this could be good for us. More time together to sort everything out. It's fate, darling." In reassurance, I planted a kiss on his cheek and added, "And you know what?"

"What?"

I grinned. "I've been thinking about it, and I think we don't need two sleeping bags, now do we?"

Who says we don't think on the same wavelength?