Missing

Chapter Seven: A Misty Memory

Timmy could hardly judge the passage of time these days, so he didn't know exactly, but he felt they must have been walking side by side for half an hour. Vicky would bring up different subjects as they treaded across the smooth grass, such as new fashions and her favorite songs, but he couldn't really say much on these topics, what with being imprisoned in an inky black cave for the past three years. There was one thing that was bothering him though.

"Hey Vicky?" the youth raised gently, his escort allowed it, "Why is the forest floor so clear? It doesn't seem natural."

"Ahhh, so you've noticed," she purred, "Funny that, it was actually an accident. I had Cosmo and Wanda join me out here when preparing your holding pin and I tripped over a rock. I got so angry that I demanded the forest floor always be soft and clear of debris," she then laughed something supple to herself.

Besides feeling that her vocation of Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda by the names of his beloved fairies was an offense against goodness, Timmy felt that something new was out of place, "How long did you have this all planned out?"

She stopped laughing, stopped moving, and stared at him. He felt obscured suddenly, her gaze burning at his already charred courage. Eye contact was broken and he stammered apologies.

"I-I, um, I'm sorry! I won't ask it again!"

Vicky let loose a long slow breath, "Forget about it. It's not important. What's important is that we get to town and dress you. Oh, and I don't see you smiling."

He looked up at her, taking in her oddly warm expression. Not wanting to try his luck anymore, he copied her face as best he could and followed in her steps toward their destination.

Finally they reached a large red truck parked amidst a bundle of thick old trees. This must have been Vicky's transport, hell, who else could it belong to? Had she wished for this automobile? Or did she filch it perhaps? Timmy didn't think these very smart questions to pose, so he just hopped in when she opened the passenger door. After his usher took her place at the driver's wheel she reached around into the small storage space behind their seats. A few seconds later she withdrew a large black leather trench coat and tossed it at him, swatting the boy on the face rather roughly.

"Here, put that on," Vicky instructed him, "it's a whole lot less conspicuous than you running around in those old boxers."

He knew better than to raise his voice. There was plenty enough room for him to stand diagonally and slip his arms through the sleeves. It wasn't a perfect fit, but it was snug enough to not be uncomfortable. After they clicked their seatbelts into their locks Vicky started the truck with a monstrous roar, enticing the mechanical beast to life along with the wail of her stereo system, some aggressive guitar rift being its rampaging voice.

She flipped her mount about-face with quick fluid turns, amazing the boy with the agility she could wield such a gargantuan mechanism inside the confide space. Onward they sped, all the while Vicky humming the melody to whatever this unfamiliar song was that danced about his ears and rump. He marveled at how quick and reckless they were thrusting through the woods, now and then swerving to avoid a tree or gigantic rock. Vicky had to snap at him a few times to stop fogging up her window, least she pull over and tally him to the back of her truck.

At last the trees' clutches had been escaped from, allowing them to turn onto a road surrounded by forest. The songs kept changing, switching between energetic rhythms and tranquil melodies. Vicky had started up conversation again, which Timmy tried his best to contribute to, but never felt he had anything worth while to say. That is until the subject he was thinking about the most surfaced as they exited the shady forest.

"What'cha hungry for?" his baby sitter asked off handedly.

"Anything!" Timmy cried before he could help himself, not caring so much if she would find this annoying in the least.

Vicky laughed. She laughed long and hard before she could even form a coherent response, "Oh man, that's great! Anything, huh?! Fine, fine, we'll get some grub first. Heh, anything…"

Timmy knew he should feel offended by her mockery of him, but for some reason he just didn't have the compassion stirring inside to be upset about this. It was annoying, yes, but that was just Vicky being her usual uncaring self. Had he gotten used to her antics? He wondered.

Eventually they plowed out of the forest street completely and onto a four lane black asphalt road, nearly side swiping a much smaller car which honked it blaring horn at Vicky. The fiery woman wasted no time in flipping off the poor driver while scorching obscenities with the absurd quickness of any whip-tongued demon. Whenever they came across any other automobile on the road the young woman made it her burning mission to pass them up or cut them off, shrieking a blood boiling laughter as she did it, and every so often reminding Timmy that if he didn't enjoy himself, he wasn't going to be fed.

"There we go!" Vicky shouted after traveling a considerable stretch on the freeway, swerving her truck so suddenly Timmy barely had the time to brace himself.

It soon became apparent what had caused her enthusiasm. A large yellow arrow, crooked in an abrupt turnabout from its trailing body, surrounded white words brazen atop a red back drop: In-N-Out. Just seeing the familiar sign sent pains to his stomach and a tightening in his throat. Hunger, maddening hunger the likes he had never even came close to before enveloped every aspect of his self. By god they were so close now he could almost smell it! He was actually drooling.

Vicky chuckled while turning off the music as they pulled into line behind an already impressive strait of cars. It was intoxicating; every second was an agonized defeat of his senses, yet perpetuated his excited state all the more. He was getting restless, and the growling creature in his gut wasn't helping. After an awfully long wait they pulled up to the speaker, which spoke to them in an almost familiar voice.

"Welcome to In-N-Out," a young male said happily, "how may we help you?"

"Hey," Vicky said with a recognizable evil curl of her lips, "two orders of my usual, stat."

"V-Vicky?" the voice on the other end stammered in alarm, then began to whisper franticly, "Um, hey, my manager is evaluating us today, can you please pay this time?" all of a sudden his attitude spun about, "So that's two double-doubles with grilled onions, two orders of fries, and two chocolate shakes?"

"Yes, and also, tough luck," The red head responded, a powerful pride sparkling in her light cherry eyes.

"Your total will be ten twenty-seven at the first window," followed by the desperate whispering, "Please, I'm begging you! I'll pay you back double, have a heart!"

Vicky drove beyond the two-way with out any reassurances.

Timmy knew that this was wrong, someone's job could be on the line, but his old righteousness just wasn't what it used to be. To raise his objection hardly seemed worth its pointless meaning. Besides, what did he care if some shmuk who was blessed with freedom did get in trouble with his boss? It was a freaking fast food joint, not a life depending career.

"I'm proud of you, twerp," Vicky smiled his way, was it weird that he was already getting used to this?

"Umm, thanks?" he replied, though not having any idea why he was being praised.

Seeming to read his confused little mind, she went on, "You didn't try to fight with me once this entire drive, or even looked sad about anything. Your confidence is still shit, but we'll work on that," The young woman reached out towards the boy and stroked her fingers through his hair some, it made him shiver, "And I find it's a lot easier to feel strong on a full stomach, don't you agree?"

Despite all of his new uncaring Timmy was not prepared for what awaited him at the payment window. There, unmistakable before his eyes, was a teenage version of his long ago friend, Chester McMadbat. At first the brown haired youth was dumbfounded, but then realized his expression could not hope to compare against Chester's worry stricken face.

"Vicky, please," the blonde implored, looking over his shoulder constantly to be sure no one was watching, "If they catch me paying for another meal I'm going to get fired! And we need the money to keep our place."

"Like I give a flying fuck about you and your drunk ass dad!" Vicky retorted, holding back no ill will, "either you pay for it, or they all find out something much worse."

Chester's face drained, his light freckles becoming all the more apparent. This maddened Timmy, who was about to bark at Vicky for extorting favors out of one of his most beloved friends, when said friend's eyes landed on the prisoner. Timmy froze, why was this making him nervous all of a sudden? And now why was he becoming enraged when Chester's eyes moved away from his blue eyed childhood companion with out the slightest care in the world? Did he not recognize Timmy? But how?! He was sure as hell recognizable himself! Damn it! Now he was feeling just outright unpleasant.

"I… oh god, I understand…" The yellow haired teen gave in, hanging his head as he pulled out his wallet and paid the amount due directly into the cash register, he didn't even bother to break his twenty, "Please drive up to the next window to receive your order…" how dejected he sounded.

Timmy wanted to shout out to his lost friend, to scream truths only they knew and make him recognize! But alas Vicky's figure was leaning forward, and her presence snuffed out every simmering light of this possibility. What form of blackmail did she have over Chester? He could only wonder, and would probably never know. He found it funny then, seething in his useless rage, that even with an encounter like this he would still be so obedient to Vicky. How far the missing situation had progressed indeed, what a weakling he was.

Oh, but all worries over his free will instantly vanished when they received their smoldering food. Melted yellow cheese, sizzling slabs of beef, the sweet aroma of grilled onions, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, wet spread, and all crushed together between slightly toasted buns. He couldn't hold himself back. Immediately he shot out a greedy hand for his burger, which earned him a hard smack on the hand, jolting him back to his senses.

"You're going to wait for your placemat, or so help me all this food will be mine, got it?" His captor made plain.

"Uh, um, but-"

"Got it?!"

"Y-yes Vicky, I'm sorry!" Whatever! Just for the love of god he had to have that food!

"Good boy. Ah, and our shakes too, awesome. Okay here's your placemat," she passed to him a large rectangle of paper with the restaurant's logo on it along with some other assortment of relevant printed information he could give less a damn about. It went on his lap with out a complaint.

Then finally, after years of immeasurable craving, he was allowed to dine. Heaven, supreme glorious heaven! His suffering taste buds were now ablaze with life! Bite after bite after bite, savoring how the lettuce crunched and released faint moisture, relishing how smooth the cheese blended with the meat, and how the chopped tiny onions rolled all about the mix. And the tomatoes! Ye gods he used to hate these things, but now they were a wholly new and marvelous experience. He could feel tears falling down his cheeks as the food disappeared all too fast. He had to have more! That smell! Ah yes the fries, of course. Ignoring how much Vicky was laughing he began to shovel these delightful and salty morsels down too. And before long there was nothing but crumbs remaining. The chocolate shake was much harder to devour. It was so thick there was nothing he could do but suck it down slowly, which might as well be, because as a result from the speed at which he ate he had developed a slight case of the hiccups.

Vicky's driving had calmed down considerably now that she was eating as well. Part of him, well, more like all of him wondered over and over again if she was going to finish the entirety of her food, and if not, then if she would allow him to partake in the leftovers. He gazed at her every slow, delicate bite, no doubt so she could pay closer attention to the road. Now and then she would snatch up a few of the delectable fries and munch on these, or pick up her shake and inhale just as hard as he had to. Then her eye's caught his and she froze for a moment.

"That's really rude, twerp," Vicky let loose, not holding back any hint of annoyance, "If you want to say something then just say it."

"Oh, sorry," he genuinely was, "Um, well, I was just wondering…"

"About your old friend back there?" the way she said that made the situation seem as if they were not friends anymore.

"Huh? Oh, uh, no. Well, yes that too, but-"

"You two made eye contact, correct?"

"Yes…" he supposed she was going to make a point, which meant he had to wait to ask for her food. He kept his mouth shut for this spot of info more than any other, though he really did want to understand Chester's situation a bit further.

"He didn't seem to recognize you, hell, no one will. I did a kind of experiment a couple weeks ago. I demanded for Cosmo and Wanda to put a little side story with your current image on the front of every news paper in Dimmsdale. No one even noticed! I guess it was a good thing I fixed those damn teeth of yours, huh?" So it was her doing! He could care less about everyone not recognizing him, a little convincing could easily change that, but his teeth were a part of him! Still, Timmy just sat there smiling like Vicky wanted of him.

"Furthermore," the fire haired witch continued, "even if someone might of recognized your face, I doubt they would allow themselves to believe it. People are stupid like that. When someone thinks you're dead, that's the end of it. They will stay in their comfort zone and make reason work for their peace of mind. You should always remember that, we'll be using it to our advantage soon enough."

Timmy contemplated these words for all their meaning, the way she had said them felt almost haunting. It wasn't until they had pulled into the over packed parking lot of Dimmsdale Mall that he truly began to grasp what she had designed. She had said she would feed him and then clothe him. When they had picked up food there was a shock held in store for him, along with a lesson. And now he understood that this lesson was meant to be used for their next. She wasn't being nice to him on his birthday at all! She was just using it as an excuse to teach him something! His heart sank; would he ever be able to find a way into her trust? Just when there seemed to be a chance of this it had floated away.

Only after occupying a vacant spot and entering the building did Timmy really appreciate Vicky's mask of kindness. Even if it was all just pretend, then at least it was something, no, rather someone to hold onto when seeing happy friends, families, and couples smiling together in monotonous waves of bouncing sound. The sight of any one of these gleeful niches would pang his heart so. So it was good his guardian was around to hold his hand when he grasped for her own.

It was bearable in that bleak alternate future to see hordes of people meandering about; they were stiff and unhappy, well, at least not happy in his definition of the emotion. Therefore seeing creatures like that, like how he felt on the inside, he could cope with. But this! These things were an unfair pain to stomach! The teeth of their smiles might as well have been knives! His hand clamped more firmly around hers.

"You see them how I do now, don't you?" Vicky spoke gently, wielding a sour sureness only she could manage, "Bubbling about like the morons they are. Truly saints of the saying, 'Ignorance is Bliss,' while those of us who know what true pain and horror is like can't fathom their desire to stay put in their fake little lives. I hate them so much Timmy, I hate them more than anything else in this overrun and wasting world. I despise how easy it is for them to ignore us bearers of the truth. And I can tell you are starting to realize the truth about them, aren't you? I saved you from this, Timmy. I yanked you out of your parent's poisoning traditions and gave you a fresh start. Well? Why are you shivering?"

"I don't like this!" Timmy whispered harshly, "Please, Vicky, lets put this one off a little longer, I-"

"And how should I explain to every one of those idiots why you wear only that?" She plucked at his trench coat, managing to sting his arm slightly, "That I have a fetish for flashers? No way, we're getting you some damn cloths… and maybe a haircut too, but first we dress you."

She forcefully gripped his hand back and marched through the masses, up a crowded escalator, and toward a brightly lit apparel shop with the glittering title 'Mode Star.' It was as Vicky had promised earlier, fashionable and expensive. Women's and men's attire were both carried here, strewn about efficiently on high walls and blazing displays. In the center of the tide was a circular island of high tech cash registers and three richly attired youths, two of which Timmy recognized immediately: Trixie Tang and Veronica Star.

He froze, a crackling terror gripping his legs and neck. Her? Here? Now? Why? All questions to be unanswered, yet never ceasing to harass his thoughts. The boy's mind raced. Trixie, the one who stole his heart so many years ago, had if anything exponentially rose in her monopoly of beauty. Why, there wasn't any conceivable flaw about her! If it was her rather than Vicky, he would gladly have been her captive. How to tell her this? She had to… no. No, Vicky had walking into his line of sight, leaving him behind to talk with the unfamiliar face of the trio, a tall girl with short brown hair... Wait, that wasn't a girl at all! It was a man! A slender man whose visage appeared equate to a young woman!

Ah, but who cared about this? Not Timmy, he was falling in love all over again
with the Asian beauty, who was eyeing him so disgustedly. He realized why at once. His hair was a mess, all he wore was an old leather trench coat that he just managed to fit in snugly, and his feet were bare and dirty. He felt ashamed.

"Oh what a fabulous idea Vicky!" shouted the pretty man, excitement bubbling over in a raw fashion, "We haven't had a good make-over in awhile! Alright girls, chop-chop! We have a soul to save!"

Trixie alone rolled her eyes, making it easy to guess that this man was the one in charge and she didn't like it. But then why work here? Wait, why would they be working at all? If Timmy remembered correctly, and he sincerely hopped that he did, these two were supposed to be loaded! High class, the top of the top! Why would two rich girls in the heart of their high school years have jobs in such a middle class setting?

"Trixie, I'll need you to take his measurements. And Ver- Ah! Wait, I lied, Vicky already has them. Thank you my dear, are you sure I can't convince you to come work for me?"

"My dreams go much farther than retail, Drav, you couldn't persuade me off my path no matter what you offered," Drav? What the hell kind of name was Drav? And the way she just stuck his name in with her point, did she do that for Timmy's benefit? He could only speculate.

"Fair enough sweetie," Drav waved fluently with much more gusto than was necessary, "Trixie, come take these measurements and then grab anything you think would look fierce on the boy, I'll leave it up to your taste. And Veronica, you take his before picture. Which means young man, if you would step over to that side of the store please," Timmy obeyed this command, at least he was asked nicely, "Oh, I'm having a really special feeling about this one! If you excuse me Vicky, I'm going to go prepare the chair," and then the exuberant long legged man practically danced off into the back rooms, telling Trixie and Veronica to get their rears in gear or else their fathers would be hearing about it.

"Why do I always have to take the before picture?" Veronica muttered in a most peculiar way as she lined up the boy in the sights of her small digital camera. Only after the blinding flash did Timmy realize he might have smiled. Ah, but what did he care? The young Turner was too busy watching how Trixie moved about the shop, in care free yet fluid motions as she checked Vicky's notes and added to her ever growing pile of selections.

As the blonde reviewed the captured image a strange look misted her eyes. Something familiar swam around her face, perhaps realization, or understanding. Yet there was a mingling of disbelief and aghast as well. Her gaze quickly shot up to meet Timmy's eyes. They were locked, and it sent needle pointed droplets of ice sweat cascading down the back of his neck. Then, as if realizing the absurdity of their behavior, she scoffed at him.

"What are you, like, looking at?"

"…You tell me," Timmy responded calmly, chalking up this control of his outward appearance to Vicky's training of him… if you could call her torture training.

"Ughh, whatever weirdo," she exhaled with a roll of her light blue eyes, "just consider yourself, like, lucky my boss wants to give you a make-over, because I am so not cool with you," her valley-girl accent was somewhat soothing to the young captive, it brought him back to happier, simpler days.

"Alright, I will then," he confirmed, not with mockery, but instead a gentle presence of no ill will, fashioned with a warm smile. It didn't matter if they never got along well in the past, he was happy to be able to freely talk with someone other than Vicky for once.

A slight blush bloomed across the young woman's cheeks. She quickly turned her back on him, no doubt realizing this change in herself, and began to stammer, "I-I am, uhh, I mean y-you better be! Jeeze!" She then marched affronted all the way back to her station.

Timmy half thought to follow her, but came to an immediate halt when he felt Vicky's long fingers on his shoulder.

"You understand what's going on here, right?" the redhead whispered amusedly.

"They have to work here because their dads are making them, right?" he answered with a tinge of sorrow, taking in the scene a little more mathematically, all due to Vicky's company.

"Pretty much, but there is more to it. Their fathers wanting them to learn the value of dollar is just a front. This is actually all a plan to keep Veronica over there sane."

"Sane? What do you mean?"

"Can't you guess? Heh, I would have thought you to notice. Oh well, I'll lay it out flat for you then; Ms. Star over there was in love with you, Timmy. Even more than my sister was, and that's saying something. But you see, she was never allowed to admit these feelings, half the time not even to herself. She pinned for you, pinned that her circumstances were different, in that to date someone considered beneath her social status was acceptable. But it's not, not for her and her family, not definitely in her world of the rich.

"Do you know what she did when she first heard the news of your disappearance? She used all of her resources, anonymously of course, to organize search parties for you, to get your story on the news, whatever it would take to find you and bring you back to safety. I think she felt deep in her strained little heart to finally come out to the world after you were found; to use your return as an excuse to proclaim her love.

"But as time went on she became less and less careful with her spending, and eventually her father found out. Once he cut off her access to the family fortune she became belligerent. She would rage uncontrollably, attack house attendants with out warning and scream at her parents' door for all hours of the night. She threatened to even sell her own body to make the money necessary to continue your search. She never did this, not that I know of, but she did steal a mass amount of priceless treasures through out the house and sold them all.

"For her father that was the last straw. To quell her anger he did put more money into your search, at least for awhile. But as punishment for lashing out at her family, and dishonoring the Star name, she had to take up a normal, middle class job. To them, that's like being sent out to a third world country to watch its inhabitants waste away, all for nothing but a pittance. But the agreement was if she kept working here until her father lets her off, then the funding for Timmy's search party would continue.

"As for Trixie, well, who do you think Veronica was selling her family's possessions to? Only Trixie wasn't doing it for the sake of her friend's weird obsession, she was doing it for a good laugh. You can imagine it wasn't long before Mr. Tang caught on though, and decided to punish his daughter as well. So she had to work here with Veronica too, which embitters her even to this day."

Timmy was quiet for a moment, and then spoke up, "So… there are people still looking for me?"

"Hm? Oh, good heavens no. You were declared dead not too long ago. Your father issued the deceased plea so that your mother would start recovering, and the Star family pulled the right strings to make it so. I'm sure they were happy to do it too, any excuse to stop wasting any more money pointlessly.

"When Veronica heard of your deceased status she retreated into her room for a week. And when she emerged she seemed to be her old self again. She didn't complain or anything. Her grades were at an all time high, and she went to work eagerly. It was when her father said she could quit her job did he realize just how fucked up his daughter had become.

"Get this, with out work to distract her from her own world, Veronica would begin reciting all the conversations she ever had with you aloud as she walked naked through the house in the dead of night. Some say she looked more frightening than any ghost. The girl doesn't get outside much since I snatched you up, you know, so she is just about as white as one. She never slept, she hardly ate, and she was fast becoming a wraith with long tangled hair and deep dark bags under her wild staring eyes.

"Well, her dad isn't an idiot, and he figured out pretty quickly that when she had school and work to distract her, she would pretty much behave normally. She still wanders the house aimless from time to time, but it's more subdued… though from what I can tell it's starting to get worse again. It's kinda sad though, because in my world none of this would have happened. You know, social status means nothing, if two young people love each other I encourage them to be together, despite their upbringings."

It took Timmy a moment to realize that he wasn't staring at Trixie anymore. It was Veronica that demanded his attention now. He always knew she had some interest in him, but for it to have grown to that extent? A fixation which dwarfed the one Tootie had had? He didn't know if he could believe this. Yet at the same time he was. This did not mean he all of a sudden had feelings for the poor girl, but rather he felt guilty. A guilt which lingers in all people when they know their love is not mutual with another's.

The young blonde was purposefully ignoring Timmy now, and the boy felt he knew why. It was what Vicky had taught him earlier in the day, wasn't it? That when people think you're dead, then that's all you can ever be to them; even to Veronica, who now definitely would be the sort of person to wish beyond hope for Timmy still to exist some where, could not admit to herself that he was standing right in front her. It occurred to the captive that he should go try and convince the suffering poor thing before his eyes that he was in fact himself. But seeming to understand his demeanor all too well, Vicky gripped his shoulder tighter.

"Hold it, twerp," she commanded coolly, "Now I don't give half a damn about this girl, be assured, but I can't have you bringing her to madness just yet. You will wait until after your make-over to tell her, if you mean to. Is that clear?"

Before he answered, it occurred to Timmy that Vicky had completely forgot to act about in her fake happy-go-lucky mask, and even to warn him to keep smiling. Ah, but it might just be she wanted them to act that way only when they were alone. He would have to find out the details later though. "Yeah, crystal…" besides, he didn't want to bring the girl into madness at all… but it still felt wrong to leave with out at least consoling her in some way.

Drav had made an overly sweet summons for, "The nice young man," to come into the back rooms of the store. Vicky led Timmy by the shoulder after the call. Veronica was doing her best not to look up from her camera, though every so often she would lift her tilted gaze toward them as they walked. The pair entered just as Trixie was leaving, not even bothering to acknowledge Timmy or Vicky's existence.

"I'll leave the fate of his head in your hands then," Vicky told her flamboyant associate, "And remember; he's off limits. I know how hungry you get around high school boys."

"I swear Vicky, you must think of me as a common deviant!"

"I don't think, Drav, I know. Timmy? I'll be just outside, so if he lays a finger on you just call for me, alright?"

"Uhh," Timmy tried to look to her, but as he was being seated in quite a comfortable barber's chair, the task was rather difficult, "S-sure Vicky…"

"It touches my soul to see how this nice young gentleman has warmed your sheer-cold heart, Vicky," Drav proclaimed dramatically.

"Sure, let's go with that," Vicky waved as she exited the back room.

With a clock in the vicinity Timmy now possessed the ability to gauge time. His hair dresser shredded through the boy's locks with the speed and accuracy of any well trained frenetic artist. This was quite possibly the most bizarre hair cut he had ever experienced, not only because of the absolute astonishing alacrity Drav worked at, but also because it did feel fairly enjoyable. The entire ordeal had occurred in less than half an hour.

"By the Mother of Heaven!" Drav decreed with the unveiling turn about, "I have created beauty!"

In his reflection Timmy beheld something altogether alien. It was not the self he had with in his mind. This was a teenager, someone in their mid teens, the beginning of the prime of their life! Where did his boyish features go? What where those cheekbones doing there? Dear lord, he looked, dare he say, handsome? His eyes were still large, just like they had always been; and his teeth, why, they were strait and normal. His chin was just defined enough, not too brawny and square, but not as pointed as a woman's either. These were features worth cherishing; thank god he took after his mother.

"I'll take that speechlessness as approval, yes?" Drav purred musically.

What? Oh! His haircut! He had hardly noticed, ah, but he could tell why. The style had a slight reminiscent shape to his hair of old, only now it was more of two rolling waves rather than sharp spikes. He could also tell there was very little length in the back, and what remained had somehow been layered. Ah, and from his temples fell two mandible length dragon locks. Yes, he approved alright, for this hairdo if anything enhanced his looks.

"I doubt very much that stone-cold Vicky will approve of my dressing your darling body, hun," the ever masculine Drav stated, "So why don't you take that magnificent selection of Trixie's over there into that dressing room and give us a show? Hm?" he then turned his head toward the door, Vicky entering through it and beaming at Timmy all the while, "Veronica! Get in here with that camera! And Trixie! You man the store sweetheart! Well young man? Get to it! Chop-chop!"

He didn't need Vicky's amused face to tell him to follow Drav's orders. Before Veronica could join the background dwellers Timmy gathered up all of the rich cloths into his arms and tumbled clumsily into a private curtained dressing just to the right of the entrance. As he shed the trench coat off of his skin he took notice of his new teenage physic. It was nothing like Gah's looks, but it wasn't horrible either. There was a little tone to his muscles, though probably only because he was searching for such cuts, and there was hardly and excess fat on him, save his ass. This rear he was ashamed to say was quite cute to his eyes.

Timmy shook his head at his vanity before dawning some of Trixie's carefully chosen articles. His first choice were a pair of skinny jeans with a deep purple jacket-shirt hybrid, cut specifically to lengthen his torso and tighten his arms. Though before slipping into this he made sure to pull over his head a dark and cool colored shirt with faint water mark patterns imprinted all over it. What else? Ah, tight black socks to slip into a pair of black and blue shoes. His image now looked sharp, smart, and as Drav wanted earlier, fierce.

Opening the curtain caused gasps to arise. Veronica was blinking stupidly with her mouth opened slightly, Drav had covered his mouth and seemed on the verge of tears, and Vicky looked positively ecstatic!

"Veronica, you silly girl!" Drav cracked hoarsely, "Don't just stand there gawking, take the after picture!"

"R-right!" the blonde shouted more than she had to. She held the camera up to her face and stepped back a few paces to get his entire body in the shot. Timmy smiled meekly before he knew what else to do. A flash confirmed his digital immortality. When the camera lowered Timmy could tell she was blushing feverously, and even though it was kind of sweet, though he knew there was a much darker tone behind this.

"You must tell me where I find one of these, sweetie," Drav demanded of Vicky, "Why, wherever did you get him?"

"Oh you know, out in the woods like any wild beast," they both shared a good laugh, though Timmy knew well enough that Vicky was faking it, "I trust the rest of the selections, so twerp, go bring your new cloths to the register and I'll be up there to pay in a second."

Trixie appeared to be bored out of her mind as she worked the charges into the cash register, and after remembering to add in the cloths on Timmy's back, the grand total she announced to be, "Two-thousand nine-hundred dollars and fifty-four cents."

Timmy gawked, which Trixie rolled her eyes about and berated him, "Like, what do you care? You just got a totally free make-over and new cloths for nothing! And should, like, be grateful to have a sugar momma to clean you up like that."

"Hey…" He noticed Veronica take her station again, who only looked away from him after their eyes met; but he was speaking to Trixie so what did her care? "What's wrong? Having a bad day or someth-"

"Cut the small talk," Trixie interrupted with a dismissive hand, "I am, like, so not in the mood to be hit on by average boys today. Veronica? I'm gonna totally take my break right now, so like, tell the slave driver when he gets back, 'kay?"

"Yeah…" Veronica sighed.

Trixie did not show any amount of care for her friend's blatant troubles as she left the awkward pair to their own irrelevant devices. Timmy wanted to chase after the Asian princess, but knew if he did Vicky would be furious. He was thinking how powerful the redhead had become in his mind that she could even snuff out chances of love by simple prospect, when he turned back to face Veronica, who had quickly turned her head away from his. A pang in his heart again, guilt overflowing. He breathed deeply and prayed for strength.

"Veronica?" he asked in a soothing voice, which caused her to shudder, though he could barely see it, "Do you know who I am?"

She bit her plump lower lip before answering in a huff of annoyance; still refusing to look directly at him, "How the hell should I know?"

There didn't seem to be any other way, he had to take the plunge, "It's me," her sapphire eyes widened slightly, "you know Ti-"

"TWERP!" Vicky let loose over the store, causing some passers by to peer in curiously, "Ah! There you are," who was she fooling, random strangers? He knew damn well she had intended to cut his conversation short, "That much, huh?" the controlling loudmouth referred to the sum total displayed on the cash register as she came to be by Timmy's side, "Here, put it all to credit," Vicky handed a plastic gold card to Veronica, who slid the electronic slip and processed the payment in a horrid zombie-like fashion before bagging their purchases.

Timmy's hand brushed against Veronica's when exchanging the goods, they felt pleasantly warm to him. She stared intently at his face now, some fascinated transfixion seizing her once bright eyes. Vicky plucked the card out of Veronica's soft fingers, pocketed it, and practically had to push the boy out of the shop. It didn't take two seconds before Timmy finally fumed enough to speak his mind.

"What was that all about?! I thought you said I could tell her after the haircut?!"

"I said after the make-over, dumb ass," she swatted him upside the back of his head, "and that isn't done until after the cloths are bought! Use your fucking brain next time!"

It didn't seem to matter to her that people were staring at them as she shouted. Some whispered behind crooked hands in disgust, others passed them by trying their best to ignore the feuding pair, but ultimately no one did a thing to stop her. Timmy hated them all. He didn't know who he despised more just then, his tyrant of caretaker or the people who allowed her to get away with everything, not wanting their peaceful lives to be bothered.

"Timmy!" he heard his name being shouted across the buzzing crowd, this made his heart sink. Vicky's arm snaked around his back and pulled him close to her smiling form, not seeming to notice or care much that her breast squashed against his arm. "Timmy! Wait!" the voice called out again.

"You will deny your name is Timmy to her, you understand me?" Vicky was hurting the arm she crushed in her claw.

"Why?" Timmy shot back as Veronica screamed his name out and pleaded for him to wait once more.

"Don't question me! Just do it!" she hissed beneath her breath, a far worse pain now coursing through his arm under her vice grip, "And make it convincing!"

"Fine!" he launched and turned out of Vicky's release just to see Veronica pushing her way through the crowd, not ten feet away.

"Timmy!" she yelled as she leaped into him, wrapping her arms around his body and burying her face into his chest. She was shivering, she was crying, "I… I knew you were alive! I just knew it…"

The boy was shocked. He frantically looked toward Vicky for help, but all she would give him was an I-told-you-so look spiced with amusement, so he knew he had to diffuse this situation on his own.

"Veronica… was it?" he asked softly while placing his hands on her arms, she wouldn't budge though.

"See?! You remember me," she was speaking between sobs, "Oh god, Timmy, I… I missed you so much… I'm… I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for the way I treated you! Pl-… please forgive me…" he could feel her tears soak through his new cloths. This was so heartbreaking he almost felt like crying himself. But he had to obey Vicky; there was no other choice for him.

"Listen, Veronica, I'm not who you think I am… My name isn't Timmy."

"What are you talking about?" he was able to pull her off of his chest now; her eyes were tinged pink with tear flow, "Don't say that! I so know it's you!"

"No! I'm not Timmy!" he was staring directly into her, he wanted so badly for her to believe him.

"Then what was all that back there?! In the shop! You were, like, about to tell me your name was Timmy! You can't lie to me!"

"I wasn't going to say my name was Timmy, I…" he had to come up with something on the spot, and hoped to god that it was convincing, "I… damn it, I feel like such a dick now…"

"What?" her eyes were searching his face in a crazed back and forth motion, "What do you mean by that?!"

He sighed, hoping she would buy it, "I was going to tell you my name was Thomas and ask you to put a good word in with your friend Trixie…"

Her eyes narrowed, she shook her head, "I so don't believe you… no! You're lying!"

"I'm not… listen, Veronica, I'm really sorry that you think I'm this Timmy guy, but I'm no-"

"Prove it!"

"What?"

"Prove to me that you're, like, not him! Your hair is the same! Your eyes are the same! You even have the same sent! So prove to me that you aren't my Timmy Turner!"

"… How am I supposed to do that? I just met you for the first time, so I have no idea what you could want as proof."

Her hurting blue eyes fell to the ground. She seemed utterly defeated. Her arms left his body and dropped to her sides as she slumped, "I don't know… I barely even knew him… I'm sorry, you can't be him, I was being, like, a complete idiot…" she managed to lift her face just enough to take in Timmy's taller figure, "He's dead. I don't want to know that but I do… I just, well, I mean you so look like him! No, just, like, forget about it… I'll go put in a good word for Trixie, god knows I've done it enough…"

She turned to walk away, ashamed of her crazed behavior and drenched with a clammy humiliation. Timmy was about to go after her and try to make things right, when Vicky once again clasped his shoulder.

"Let her go, we have other things to worry about," the cruel slave owner said.

He knew there was no point in arguing with her. Hell, he might even get beat later for his acting up, and part of him felt he deserved as much. Besides, he knew that Veronica's own logic had proven to her mind that Timmy was gone and all this boy could be was nothing more than a look-alike. Back to the red truck they leisurely traveled, and then out to the freeway once more.

"Well?" Vicky asked coolly, her slim smile radiant, "What did you learn?"

"You mean with Veronica and Trixie?" he was trying his hardest to seem friendly, though knowing full well it was a pathetic attempt.

"What else? Come on, cough it up!"

"I… well, I see what you meant when you said that when people think you are dead, that's pretty much the end of it."

"And?"

"'And?'" Timmy repeated dumbfounded, "There was more to it than that?"

"No shit," Vicky spread disrespectfully, "Come on, use your damn brain kid."

He tried to relive the entire ordeal. Trixie being heartless to her suffering friend, Drav acting overly friendly, Veronica coming in second place to her only friend… friends… Friends! "Something to do with friendship, right?"

"Getting warmer!" Vicky proclaimed cheerfully.

"That wasn't it?"

"Keep at it, something more than friendship, twerp."

"Umm… More than friendship… Love?" that didn't feel right though.

"Try love lost."

"Alright… what about it?"

Vicky sighed before spilling the meaning, "Veronica is madly in love with you, right? Well, because of that she wasn't coming to terms with your death like she should have. Even Toots accepts that you're dead and has moved on."

"Toots?" Timmy inquired respectfully; though he had a strong feeling he knew who was being referred to.

"Tootie; I call her Toots now on account of her not being a little kid. She's fifteen now too, you know. Anyway, Veronica just wouldn't accept that you bit the dust, and kept falling deeper and deeper into madness. This made her pump overdoses of her family's fortune away into your pointless search. This all ringing a bell?

"It was such a pain in the ass for me. Not only did I have Fairy World to worry about, but also the human world. Love is the key point here, because if these people didn't love you so much they would not have lasted as long as they did. The fairies and humans both had their eyes on me for some time, but with my Cosmo's help all they could amount to was an annoyance. Still, I want you to remember the power of love, twerp, because it took me a lifetime and then some to realize its true potential. My power when I had the world in my hand didn't come from the weapons I wielded; it came from all the idiots out there who loved me!"

Timmy was wide eyed. So now her madness had taken a whole new height. She recognized that power existed in love and friendship, but only for its power! What a twisted mind she possessed to see only this much, it frightened him.

"Heh," Vicky sneered, "You look shocked, surely you knew about the potentials of love and war? Hell, the ancient Greeks had a Goddess who represented both, for both are so close to one another. Her name was Athena. Why do we go to war, Timmy? To fight for something we love, and because deep down inside we crave it, we love it. You know I brought back the old worship in the new world, made it the one true religion. To hell with a single male god who contradicted himself all the damn time, I wanted Athena worshiped again! And I had it done too.

"Oh, that's right; we didn't visit her temple on our trip. Well, it'll all come back soon enough, you'll see. She was my patron Goddess, her image and seal were all over my city, along with my own of course. Ah, but I'm getting off course for my love of Athena. It is Veronica who our lesson concerns. So the little bitch really got on my nerves after awhile and I knew she had to be stopped. I put the idea in you Father's mind to have you declared dead and lo and behold the Star family put their full support behind the matter. I was half hoping they would silence their own daughter for good, if you know what I mean, but they didn't. That's where you come in."

"Me?!" Timmy shouted with surprised rage, though Vicky obviously wanted this, on account of her vicious smile, "I'm not going to kill Veronica! You can forget-"

"Idiot!" the demon sliced him off, "you already have! Don't you see?"

"What?!"

"I wanted the absolution of your demise to drive her over the edge and consume her with grief! But no, she had to hold onto a diluted sense of reality, one where you somehow are still alive! So I brought you to her, and had you tell her you were dead! Now she believes it! And with any luck she will take her own life as soon as she gets back home!" Vicky then screamed with a blood curdling laughter.

Timmy was aghast. Had Vicky planned this from the very start? That couldn't be true! She had to be lying! Veronica wouldn't kill herself because she thought he was dead, she just couldn't! He had to get back there, back to the mall and tell the heart broken girl that he was alive. He had to fix this!

"Stop the truck!" the anxious boy shouted above Vicky's wicked cackle, "Turn around! We have to go back! Vicky, please! I can't be part of another death!" He was crying now; the flash of stones through flesh, a grown man's face falling apart, his actions, no, no, no, no more! "STOP THE FUCKING TRUCK!"

Vicky swerved to the side of the road, screeched to a halt, parked, unbuckled her seatbelt, and proceeded to pound the blood out of his face. Blow after blow after blow, stinging and cracking and pulsing. It was so sudden, so unexpected. There were stars filling his vision, but they were blurred in red. Timmy was vaguely aware that he was trying to defend himself, but she was overpowering, she was truly a monster.

Suddenly her onslaught ceased, creating an eerie pause as the pain began to swell in his injuries as his vision swam. Then came a strike to the side of his head, much harder and stronger than any before it; his skull bashed into the window, he heard it crack, and then all went dark.