Thanks for the observation, tootierulez. I'll keep it in mind.

Fairly Oddparents copyright Viacom

Chapter 24: Wanda's Fate

Written: 30 Sep 2005-3 Oct 2005

Posted: 3 Oct 2005

Johnny couldn't believe his eyes. He had never seen a statue of Timmy before. Let alone a marble life-sized one. He wondered where it came from? And what was it doing in his living room?

"Where did you get this?" he asked Heather.

She shook her head. "It was already here when I got here."

"That's strange. Why would leave a statue of Timmy Turner in our living room?"

His sister eyed him with suspicion. "You actually know this Turner kid?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"The one who Vicky Spain baby-sits?"

"Ye-es."

Instead of continuing the conversation, she stared thoughtfully at the white statue. She seemed awfully interested about it, Johnny judged. What did she see in it?

"Heather?"

"Mmm?"

"I said that Vicky was the one that baby-sits him."

"That poor boy," Heather shook her head sadly without taking her eyes off of the statue. "That Vicky's such a shrew."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

Heather turned toward her little brother. "From where did know her?"

"We've, uh, met."

"Is that during the last time you disappeared for awhile?"

Johnny nodded.

I've been wondering. Where exactly do you go during these excursions of yours?"

Johnny shifted his gaze. "You know? Places." He suddenly faced the kitchen, where their mother was cooking, totally oblivious to their conversation. "What's that, mom? You want to stop by the store and pick up some Parmesan cheese? No problem, mom." Before his sister could object, he was out of the door.

-OOO-

"But we have been to this spot five times already, Mr. Turner," A.J. moaned.

"Nonsense! That's just your imagination."

A.J. looked uncertainly over their immediate surroundings. "I don't think so." They were at an intersection, where a now familiar skeleton laid guarding both sterile white passageways. A.J. could only surmise that the man, he tell the sex of the deceased from just looking at the bones, had died while trying to find a whole out of this labyrinth.

There had to be a way to avoid that man's fate.

Sally nodded. "He's an adult, A.J. He knows what he's doing."

A.J. sighed. No one ever seemed to listen to him. He watched Sally and Mr. Turner take the hall to the right, before he resigned himself to his fault and followed after.

Many twists and turns later, they came upon yet another dead end. "Oh, sure. He's an adult," A.J. said in a mocking manner. "He knows what he's doing."

"Shut up," Sally snapped. Clearly she wasn't in the mood.

"Now you two," Mr. Turner admonished. "Now isn't time for pointing fingers. Now is the time for finding a way out of this heck-hole."

"But how we are going to do that?" A.J. asked. "This is the fifteenth time we been here."

"Oh how can you tell?"

"I recognize that Mary-shaped stain over there."

Mr. Turner looked closer. "Oh."

"I can see where Timmy gets his smarts from," Sally muttered.

Suddenly, Mr. Turner turned around. "I know the way!" He started marching away from the wall. And A.J. started to follow, but Sally sat right down and hugged her knees to her chest. "This is stupid! We're aren't getting anywhere."

Mr. Turner stopped and faced her. "Don't be silly, Lucy,-"

"It's Sally."

"Right, Sally," he corrected himself. "Anyway, we won't get anywhere if he just sat around sucking our thumbs."

Blushing, Sally removed her thumb from her mouth. "Maybe if we took a break," she suggested.

"Don't be silly," Mr. Turner said. "I have to find Timmy and my wife."

"But what about us?" A.J. asked.

"You signed up to help me, and that's exactly what you're doing."

-OOO-

Cosmo relaxed in the hot tub that his mother had so lovingly provided for him. She hadn't even minded when he had got in without putting on shorts first. In fact, she wasn't even with her baby boy. She was out doing something, but Cosmo didn't know what it was. No matter, she had said she would be back soon, and believed her.

"I'm sure whatever it is, it must important," he shrugged.

Satisfied, he laid back and let the bubbles send him off to Dreamland.

-OOO-

Wanda sat on the bed, watching Mama Cosma stroll into the room carrying a strange-looking baton in her arms and a smirk on her face. "Are we ready for your next assignment?"

Wanda eyed the baton uncomfortablely. "Assignment? What are you talking about? And what's that baton for?"

Mama Cosma smiled indulgently. "A couple of Timmy's friends and his father are now lost in the Maze of Confusion. They-"

"The Maze of Confusion?" Wanda giggled.

"Yes. And don't interrupt."

"Sorry." Wanda waved her to continue.

"As I was saying they are lost in the Maze of Confusion. And they have no way of getting out on their own, and they will wander around until they starve to death. I don't want that to happen as well as you."

"Won't they die of thirst first?"

"No," Mama Cosma dismissed Wanda's question with a wave of her hand, "there's puddles everywhere down there. It's been quite a chore to maintain you know. We don't even bother to remove the remains," she added ominously.

Wanda wilted. "What do you want?"

"It's quite simple, Wanda. I want you to take Mrs. Turner's place."

"What?"

"She's missing, and she's the reason why they are in the maze."

"That can't be the sole reason."

"He's also looking for his son."

"But why in this maze of yours?"

"The way was laid out for them."

"Oh. I see." Wanda studied her hands. "Is there any chance of rescue?"

"None," Mama Cosma assured her.

"So I don't have any choice, do I?"

"No. You don't."

"But I don't look anything like Mrs. Turner."

Mama Cosma displayed the baton she was carrying more predominately. It was narrow handle with a loop at the end, a sleeve on the main shaft and a heart-shaped tip. "Oh this is the magical baton I will use to transform you into Mrs. Turner."

"Transform me? Wouldn't a magical disguise work better?"

When she saw Mama Cosma's grin, Wanda felt a chill go up her spine. "It wouldn't keep you away from my Cosmo."

Wanda lost her breath for a second. "The answer is no," she said when she got it back.

"What?"

Wanda crossed her arms. "I said no. There is has some way to rescue Timmy and others. You wouldn't have motivation to share with me how."

"I suppose not," Mama Cosma shrugged. "But still there is no way to rescue."

"But you can get them out?"

"Yes, but that's different."

"I'm still not agreeing."

"Actually, it's going to happen anyway and they are to be released no matter what you say. But it will hurt a lot less if you agree."

Wanda glanced toward the open door behind Mama Cosma. "I still don't care. You aren't turning into Mr. Turner."

Mama Cosma sighed. "As you wish." She raised the baton toward Wanda.

-OOO-

The bush pssted at him as he passed it. That's funny. Must be my imagination. He stopped when the bush did it again. "Were just talking to me?" he asked it.

A poof later, and that bush became Juandissimo. "Johnny. It's me."

"I can see that. But where were you?"

"We have to hurry. Wanda's in danger."