Linnie had just stumbled home after his lunch, wiping the tears off his face as she sank down on his couch, covering his face with his hands. He just didn't understand. Why did it seem like the kids always had it out for him? No matter the things he had done right over the years, constant reassurances that everything was an accident and he never intentionally meant to leave, and repetitive attempts to connect with them, Linnie's past had always seemed to haunt him somehow. He couldn't remember the last time his daughter, Chelsea, made an attempt to even call him, and Darren and Cosmo both had made their feelings very clear.

As he lied down in hopes to clear his head, Linnie also couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't even just the day he got turned into a fly that was the issue. Was all the resentment built up from years of his late wife's torture and abuse? If that were the case, Linnie couldn't say he blamed them. He knew he tried what he could to protect the kids after he had returned, but it seemed like no matter what he did, Nora kept coming back and making them all feel worthless.

Before he could flip on the TV to take his mind off things, Linnie felt his phone vibrate in his pants pocket, revealing Darren's caller ID and picking it up.

"Hello?"

"Well? What did Cosmo say? Have you talked to him yet?", Darren asked, somewhat anxious in his tone.

"Yes. He didn't believe me either. He thinks we're all just trying to get rid of Wanda.", Linnie choked, "I don't know Darren. Maybe it isn't our business to be handling. We've tried warning him, but I don't think he'll believe us unless we show him ourselves."

"Well, it became our business when Wanda decided to suck face with another man in public.", Darren said, defensively, "One of these days, Wanda's gonna slip up and Cosmo's gonna wonder why he didn't believe us. I don't see why we should stop. Did he say anything else."

"I uh…might have pried a little bit into there relationship. I asked if she was still at least treating him well at home, and the first thing he said was that she wasn't hitting him, as if that's all it takes to have a good relationship!", Linnie said, raising his voice a bit on the last part, "I don't know what to do, Darren. I want to give Cosmo the space to make his own judgement, but I don't want him to get hurt. I feel awful with this situation, and I don't want our relationships to be worse."

"Yeah, well this isn't really something we can just let go of. Wanda screwed up and needs to take accountability, and if Cosmo's too much of a stubborn ass to believe us, so be it. We'll just have to prove it to him."

"But how would we do that? I don't really want to spy on Wanda. Wouldn't that invade her privacy."

"Not if she's doing this shit in public."

"Darren!"

"Yeah yeah I know, language. Seriously old man, I'm an adult.", Darren groaned, receiving a slightly disgusted gasp from Linnie as he rolled his eyes, "This isn't Mister Rogers Neighborhood. Adults curse. You've cursed before. Get over it."

"Ugh..I really wish you wouldn't talk to me like that. I'm still your father, you know.", Linnie complained.

"I'm not wrong though, am I? If Wanda really wanted to be sneaky about it, she'd probably go over to that dude's place, not make her business everyone else's business.", Darren pointed out, "It's almost as if she WANTS to be caught."

"But why would she do that? Who in their right mind would want to be caught cheating? That doesn't make any sense, Darren."

"Dunno. Maybe to send Cosmo a message? I-I can't help but feel that she's resenting him for something. I think the last time I went to see them, something seemed off. Like they were just pretending to like each other", Darren said, "Not to mention all the snide comments they've spat at each other."

"Oh dear…any chance is has something to do with Cosmo's…you know, miscarriage? Did he ever mention any of that to you?"

"I didn't know Cosmo had a miscarriage. When was this?"

"About a year or two ago. I think you were still in prison when that happened, dear. I don't think I've ever seen him the same way since then. He's a lot more miserable, and he's gotten snippier and crankier than he used to be.", Linnie sighed sadly, "I feel awful for him. I really do. I-I don't want to invade anyone's privacy but I just….I just don't think Cosmo should keep living like this."

"Yeah. Seems like his relationship is slowly turning into the one you and Nora had.", Darren commented, his heart aching with guilt and misery, "When'll that bitch realize that it wasn't Cosmo's fault."

"I don't know Darren. I don't know.", Linnie whined, before taking a deep breath, "I think, maybe we both need to talk to him."

"But he doesn't believe us, and I seriously doubt he'd want to come near either one of us right now."

"I just think as his father and brother, we need to at least try. A-and you know what?", Linnie said, "I was looking through my new cell phone just in case I had any pictures. You know how I always seem to be opening the camera thing?"

"Yeah? Did you forget how to use it again, old man.", Darren said, half-jokingly. To his surprise, Linnie let out a small laugh.

"No sweetheart. I was contemplating on calling him earlier and had put my phone in my pocket after choosing not to bother him. I think my phone accidentally took a picture, because I saw a screenshot of Wanda and that guy when I was going through my pictures."

"Wait, seriously?", Darren said, "That's great! Why didn't you show that to him when you went to talk to him?"

"I didn't know I had the photo, dear. But I think you and I should meet up with him, and show him ourselves."

"Yeah, prob when that bitch is at 'work'", Darren mocked, "Where though? Do we just sit him down at his house, or we could take him to one of those bars down the street."

"No, I'm not comfortable at bars. I really don't like how people act there, and the smell of all the alcohol gives me such a headache.", Linnie explained, "His kids should be at school, so I think confronting him at his house should be fine. B-But let's be gentle about it. Cosmo's a lot more sensitive than he lets on sometimes."

"Yeah no shit."

"Darren…"

"Ugh…I mean, yeah no duh."

"Better.", Linnie affirmed, "It's a deal then. Tomorrow, we'll talk to him, and try to see if he'll listen. Again, I'm not sure what the outcome will be, but I do feel like we need to try, especially after all of what you said. I had always hoped that you kids would never make the mistake of staying in a relationship like I did. I don't think I can ever beg hard enough for your forgiveness."

"Yeah well..", Darren muttered, "As much as I hate to admit it, I guess it wasn't ALL your fault…We weren't exactly the best kids in the world, and Nora was obviously in control of her actions. She KNEW what she was doing, even if she was drunk most of the time."

"Darren, please don't blame yourself. You're much too young to have all that lingering over your shoulders. What happened wasn't your fault, or Chelsea's, or Cosmo's. Everything that happened was because your mother was a horrible person, and I was too blind to understand that.", Linnie said softly, "But I guess you did what you needed to survive. You know I will never condone stealing, but I guess in this circumstance, it wasn't entirely your fault. If I had just stayed, or found my way home faster, things would have been different."

The two males were silent for a while, Darren shifting uncomfortable in his spot. He wasn't exactly the type to talk sentimentally about other people; he was usually quite snarky and stand-offish to people he didn't exactly trust. But although Darren couldn't say he trusted Linnie 100%, he had to admit that he was at least trying, and that was something. If only if had been that way growing up…

"Dad?"

"Yes Darren?"

"Why'd you stay with her?", Darren asked, somewhat nervously, anticipating a nervous meltdown on his father's end, "Did you honestly feel like you deserved to be treated like that?"

Linnie was quiet for a moment as Darren listened intently, a guilty feeling rising as Linnie struggled to find an answer. But before Darren could take his question back, Linnie started speaking once more.

"I guess so, especially after the fly incident. I had always believe what your mother said was true when she would say what an awful father I was. Money was also tight, and I couldn't afford a good lawyer, even with all the fancy discounts and Daisy offering to help, but I just couldn't take something that Daisy worked so hard for.", Linnie said, "In hindsight, I do wish I did take her help though, because even though I will always feel guilty for what happened, you kids didn't deserve to go down with me. I'm so sorry Darren. You have every right to cut contact from me if you wish."

"No..", Darren started, "I've already lost one parent. I'm not going to lost another because of some unfortunate twist of fate. Cosmo…needs us right now, and it's obvious that we can't just do this by ourselves…You know, it'd be nice if Chelsea was here right now."

"Any chance you've talked to her?"

"Not since I've gotten out of jail. I don't even have her in my contacts list. You?"

"No, I haven't heard much from her either.", Linnie moaned, "Well, I guess I should let you get some rest. We have a pretty long day ahead of us, and I think we're both too emotionally drained to deal with much else right now. Please don't call Cosmo about our plan. If we warn him, he'll make himself unavailable to avoid the conversation."

"Wasn't planning to. I'm still kind of pissed off at him anyways.", Darren growled, "Well, I'll talk to you later."

"I love you, Darren."

"I…love you too, Dad."

Hours after Linnie had left, Cosmo sulked on the couch watching mindless TV, sipping on a glass of red wine as he kept a close eye on the front door, awaiting Wanda's return. He flicked through the channels, uninterested in anything that seemed to play, before dozing off to the news channel, taking more and more sips of his wine. Cassia and Poof meanwhile, kept to themselves in their room, crouching and sneaking past Cosmo if they wanted to get a snack. He would occasionally cast an icy glare at the two if they disturbed him, but left his speech rather short and stiff, trying to keep himself from lashing out at them.

As he got up towards the kitchen himself, he felt his body wobble around, barely able to keep balance. He poured the wine in his cup sloppily, bouncing off the glass' ridge and splashing around on the dining room table, barely keeping himself upright as he heard the front door squeak, Wanda floating in.

"Drinking already, hun? It's not even 8 yet. You know this.", Wanda said, hanging her wand and crown up where they kept them, "Whatever. What's for dinner? I'm starving."

"Wanda..", Cosmo slurred slightly, "We need to talk."

"About?"

"Dad was over.", he said softly, sitting down at the table where his mess rested, "He says you were with some other guy instead of going to work. Is he telling the truth?"

"What are you talking about? That man's probably hallucinating things. You know how fairies with dementia are."

"I don't think my dad has…whatever that is. A-and he's not even that only. Think he's only in his 60,000s", Cosmo mumbled, before snapping back up suddenly, "Wait! That's not the goddamn point!

"Oh come on Cosmo. I told you where I was.", Wanda said, getting close to Cosmo, rubbing his shoulders, "Besides, are you really going to believe him over your own wife?"

"Well…I-I don't think Dad would lie to me on purpose.", Cosmo stuttered, as Wanda inched her hands from his shoulders to his chest, fondling it a little. Cosmo struggled a little bit to pry her hands off, but to no avail.

"Cosmo, as your wife, I would never try to hurt you. If the last 15,000 years hadn't been clear to you already, I love you. I wouldn't even dream of cheating on you. Your father is probably just resentful that his own marriage failed."

"B-But…why would he do that? He's not that kind of man."

"People change Cosmo. You know how my mother went from being an alcoholic herself, to trying to clean herself up? Maybe all that jealousy he's had built up over the years is finally manifesting himself.", Wanda shrugged, as she poured herself some wine, "I will be honest with you. I never did trust him. I mean, he clearly doesn't have your best interests at heart if he had decided to stay with that bitch of a woman. Now, if that were me, I would have given her what she deserved long ago."

"B-but he's not a bad person, Wanda. He's just…"

"He's a coward, that's all there is. And are you really going to believe some coward over your own wife?', Wanda moved closer to Cosmo, rubbing his back and stroking his chest one more, "At our wedding, I vowed never to hurt you."

"Then why have you been so cold to me? And why does it always seem like you never make an effort to get along with my family? You always have something out with them. I don't understand Wanda.", Cosmo backed up, "Do you really love me, or at you just saying that?"

"Why don't you come to the bedroom and find out?", Wanda winked, stroking his chin, "Ugh, I just love how bright you eyes get when you're embarrassed."

"Me? N-No..Wanda…w-we're not done with this talk!", Cosmo stuttered, as Wanda moved down towards his legs, her other hand pushing him towards her face, kissing him passionately on the lips. Cosmo melted as Wanda wrapped her arms around him, allowing her to hold him upright. Suddenly, Wanda grabbed Cosmo by the lefts and lifted him bridal style, carrying him towards the bedroom as the two continued to interlock lips, gently shutting the door behind him.