It'd been months since the rainy day at Single's Ward, and Rae often found herself waking up in the middle of the night, confused as to where she was and why the thunder had suddenly stopped. Dreams of that man, the stranger at the bus stop who seemed so impossible, haunted her dreams and waking thoughts, until the line between dreams and reality blurred, and she was no longer sure of the man's existence. It was a confusing chaos, to not be sure of something you thought you'd lived, something that held so much meaning for you.
It was that small slip of slick paper, worn and crease by folding and unfolding it so many times, that she kept in a small locket around her neck – a constant reminder that she had not imagined the man who had calmed her so thoroughly and bared his soul, his secret to her, a human.
It had made so much sense the night she found the note. He was a collector, he hadn't said of what, though, but his visit that night, his taking Jamie's baby tooth from beneath his pillow, it made everything fall into place, and Rae was struck into awe at the man – was that even the proper term? He wasn't a mere man. He was a fairy.
This, too, provided conflict in her mind. How willing was she to accept that he was a fairy? At a height of six-nine, he challenged everything people believed about fairies, their tiny frames no bigger than your finger and their pixie language. No, he'd fully passed for a human, rain soaked and bothered, that night, and the image, the paradigm shift had burned its way into her mind, made the possibility truth.
Indeed, she often felt mad for believing that Tracy was a fairy. It was a fanciful idea that sounded ludicrous out loud, and she found herself lying awake at night, simultaneously trying to convince herself that she wasn't mad and berating herself for ever believing in such a childish thing as fairies.
Still, the thought remained lodged in her mind, or perhaps her heart, whichever was more of the dreamer, and she could feel those same dizzying butterflies in her chest every time she woke from one of her dreams.
Rae would have gladly spent the rest of her life pretending, but reality got in the way.
School was more than grueling, but add the stress of being turned down at almost every place of employment in Mesa, having to choose classes for next year, and the constant stress of feeling like one of the most important parts of your life didn't exist, and she hardly got any sleep as it was. Her only reprise in the week was Wednesday nights, when Jamie's naivety and youth was enough to take her mind off more pressing matters.
Every week she'd babysit him while his mother worked the night shift at the office. They'd sit together and watch Disney movies, the old ones that most kids his age have never heard of, let alone seen. She'd cook diner for the two of them and then send him off to bed at eight – a whole half an hour past his bedtime! He was never ill-tempered or rebellious, and he loved when she didn't make him do things he didn't want to, like finish spaghetti or wear pants to bed, and that kept him docile. It was an agreement that Rae and his mother had worked out ages ago, but she'd never let on. As far as he knew, she was the fun babysitter.
It was one of those Wednesday nights that Rae remembered best, even through the thin fog of sleep and time that makes the fantastic seem impossible, when Jamie came out of the bathroom, already clad head-to-toe in his pajamas, and mouth flecked with toothpaste foam. "I lost another toof, Rae." He called down the hall, wiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve. She would have laughed; she thought it was adorable how he couldn't speak correctly with so many missing teeth. She usually did laugh, but this…
She tried to contain her excitement, she tried to make it seem routine and that nothing was out of place, but when she ushered him upstairs to put his tooth under the pillow in a hushed frenzy, he asked her if she was okay. She smiled and lifted him onto the bed. "You lost a tooth," she said. "That means the tooth fairy comes. Isn't that something to be happy about?" she asked, to a wide grin. He let his feet fly out from under him and landed on the bed with a bounce, checking once to make sure the tooth was still there before Rae, hands shaking, flicked the light switch and left him to sleep by the light of the night lamp.
She sat in the living room, stunned at her luck. Jamie had lost most of his baby teeth already, and she'd never expected him to lose one on a Wednesday night with her in the house. She kept the room dark, with just enough light for her to draw by. The television remained off and the only sound was the quiet scratching of her pencil against the paper, and the pounding of her own heart in her ears. She was nervous, for some unspeakable reason. Perhaps it was because tonight was the night she faced reality, whatever it may be: he was real or he wasn't – the only way to tell was currently tucked snugly away under Jamie's pillow.
She passed the time slowly, the knot in her chest tightening and her stomach squirming unpleasantly with every minute that passed. She was jittery and didn't want to sit still, but moving around too much, pacing and busying herself the way she wanted to, would wake Jamie, and it was already early in the morning.
Her breath caught and her ears strained, the utter silence of the house almost painful. She thought back to months ago, when she'd found the note. It had been around midnight that he'd come, if not before. She feared a glance at the clock, knowing that it was well past three in the morning. Had she missed him? Had he been to the house, collected Jamie's tooth and she didn't even know it?
She slipped from her spot on the couch, grabbing a dollar bill from her purse, knowing that there was all too real a possibility of the tooth still being there, and crept up the stairs.
She cracked his door open, the gentle squeak making her cringe. He rarely closed his door, as he liked the extra bit of light that flooded in from downstairs, but it must have shut in the night, when the air kicked on. The doors in her own home did that frequently, and she refused to get her hopes up on something that was so common an occurrence.
His room had changed in the few months since that night, as little boys were apt to do. In place of the tiny town area play rug that had covered the soft carpeting was now a giant baseball. It was an unpleasant reminder that Jamie was growing up fast, phasing out of some of childhood's simpler aspects, maturing in interest and execution. This rug was softer under her bare feet, but the feeling was lost along with most sensation in her extremities. She was concentrating so hard on making as little noise as possible, many things didn't register with her, like the soft glow of the new lamp light that made it harder to see, or the dull, hollow chiming from downstairs, marking the arrival of four o clock in the morning. Her hand slipped under his pillow, groping blindly – not for a tooth. She hoped against hope that she didn't find a tooth. She focused on the feeling, the memory of the soft, time-worn dollar bill brushing her fingers, the slick paper that still hung around her neck, the reminder that maybe, just maybe, she was right.
Her heart pounded against her rib cage as she swore silently to herself, nearly elbow deep in the pillow.
Her fingers brushed something and closed around it immediately, and she withdrew her hand slowly as to not wake Jamie.
It sat neatly in the palm of her hand, the small ivory-colored tooth. She felt a lump rising in the back of her throat and a stinging heat behind her eyes. She placed the dollar under the pillow, numb, and clutched the tooth hard, reaching behind her neck as she made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. When she reached the foot of the stairs she bowed her hear and undid the clasp to the small locket, removing it from her person and wanting to chuck it in her bag the moment she got into the living room. She didn't know why she was so disappointed that he hadn't come – that he didn't exist, that he was a dream. A very real dream, by the way she remembered it, and there was still the slip of paper that she couldn't explain. Her chest hurt and she sighed heavily, looking up to place the locket in her bag. The chain slipped from her fingers.
"Perfect timing!"
She nearly screamed, startled by the sudden presence of the man, smiling and looking much happier than he had last time they'd met. She stared wide eyed at him and his smile gradually fell, a look of genuine concern dominating his features. He leaned forward slightly and tilted his head at her. "Are you alright?
Her expression changed slowly, brow creasing upward and her lips pressed into a hard line before she pitched forward, throwing her arms around his middle. He began to stagger away from her but found solid footing, quite taken aback. After a moment she drew back, wearing the biggest grin he'd ever seen on her. She held a fist out and dropped something in his palm, the tooth. He laughed.
"So you figured it out." He said. "Didn't think you'd let yourself believe I was a Tooth Fairy, really, but… nicely done!" he placed Jamie's tooth in a small clear plastic case that looked like it was made for jewelry and placed it back in his pants pocket. "Well. Now that that's done, guess I ought to get back to Fairy. Hand in the tooth," he said, as if it were the most exciting thing in the world. To him, she realized, it probably was. Still, she couldn't help but feel another pang of somber loneliness shoot through her, something that happened frequently in these last few months.
"Wa-" she stopped herself, immediately regretting opening her mouth. Tracy turned back to her, curious.
"Wa- what, luv?" he asked.
She hesitated for a moment. "Wait." She answered. "Don't go."
Tracy smiled thinly. "Have to. Got to get this back to the office, processed and labeled and all. It's all a big job, those who do it don't like to be kept."
She swallowed hard and nodded slightly, almost imperceptibly. She didn't want him to go, but she wouldn't argue with him. A sad smile crept onto her lips. "Thank you," she said, softly, his eyebrows arcing up on his forehead, "For letting me… know. For letting me know you're here. A Tooth Fairy." She laughed. "Not exactly normal for you to…" she stopped, lowering her head and letting her hair fall in front of her face to hide the water that collected in droplets on her eyelashes. "Bye, Tracy," she said, softly.
He laughed, a loud, full noise that startled her, and took her by the wrist. "Oh-ho no! Not getting off that easily! Saying "bye," like you expect me to leave without you! Come on, Fairy's a big place! Lots to show you!" And the look on her face only made his smile widen. "Should warn you though. Taking you with me, travel's not going to be as quiet as it usually is. I suggest you, ah, get a good grip, there. Allright." With her firmly attached to his arm, her looked up, dragging her gaze with his, and she gasped at the swirling yellows and pinks and blues that seemed to cyclone into oblivion, falling from the ceiling and producing the most unearthly wind that howled in her ears, that stole her breath and she felt Tracy hold her closer, keeping her safe from the chaotic magic swirling around them, engulfing them and transporting them to – well, she didn't right know. His home, she supposed. Fairy.
She closed her eyes against the barrage of color and light that grew in intensity with every passing moment. Solid ground left her feet and she clung tighter to him, burying her face in his shoulder and unwilling to look up for fear of the beautiful, terrible force whisking her away from her world.
The wind soon died down, the ground solid beneath her feet, and she could feel Tracy's arms around her, his quiet voice asking her if she was okay, did she need to sit down? She peeked from against his arm, unsure of her surroundings or what to expect when she looked, but when she did, a tiny gasp escaped her lips.
They stood in a hallway, at the end of which was a bustling lobby, with probably hundreds of fairies going about their day. Her eyes widened at the sight, at the sheer impossibility of it all, and Tracy laughed, taking her by the hand and leading her into the lobby. She was hesitant to follow, at first, but curiosity and wonder got the better of her and she allowed him to guide her carefully through the sea of wings.
Despite her amazement at the place, she couldn't help but notice, just as he did, the strange looks that were exchanged, the whispers behind hands and the surprised gasps when she walked by.
She stepped forward, closer to him, and he held her, whispering quietly that she needn't worry, to pay them no mind. "It's not unusual for them to see a human. We bring them in all the time, when they owe service. It's just, by the time they get here they're usually in uniform. They're just a little startled to see you here, that's all." He explained, giving her hand a squeeze as two fairies in blue walked across their path, frowning at her and muttering beneath their breaths.
She nodded at Tracy, telling him she understood, that she was okay and that she was still very much excited about being in Fairy Land with him.
She was wide eyed as he brought her through the building, showing her room after room, sometimes lingering in the areas he knew better himself, ignoring any offhanded comments made about his companion. When confronted once about her presence, by a dour looking fairy with silvery blue wings, wearing a similar uniform as Tracy's, he merely smiled and held Rae closer, telling his fellow fairy that she was here on account of her sheer belief. "Anyone who so readily believes in fairies, like she did, deserves a little confirmation, a nod of the head. A tour."
The fairy, whose hair was pulled back in a tight bun, frowned deeper in response, grabbed a clipboard and a stack of papers from the receptionist and stalked off.
Other parts of the building were off limits, with only so few allowed access. Not many fairies knew what lay beyond the west wing, and even fewer dared to break rank to find out. But he took her everywhere he could, showing her how Fairy ran and what was done with all the teeth. He told her that she was the first human to be told these things, how Fairy is kept alive by the magic, the belief of the children who place their teeth under the pillow at night. "That magic latches onto the tooth, and we use them to keep this world alive."
"What happens if children stop believing?" she asked quietly, fearful of the answer as they gazed down at the cesspool of magic below. Occasionally, a tooth would be added to the brew, disintegrating immediately to be assimilated into the mass of magic, a mesmerizing sight.
"Then Fairy Land stops existing." He said, the cheerful edge to his voice lessened, but still present.
Rae vowed to teach her children, to make them believe as long as possible and, if they lost faith, to try to convince them that the wonderful stories she told them before bed were not fanciful myths, but memories.
He thanked her, pulling her into a hug and feeling her shake beneath him.
"It's allright, though," he reassured her. "Some departments weren't so lucky, because it's harder to believe. Things like Dragons, things we never see because they don't visit the human plane any more, they're gone. But you're not supposed to see Tooth Fairies. That's what will keep us here. Not seeing us only makes us more real, to children."
They left the chamber, with its acrid magic-heavy air and bad thoughts, and he led her to the other side of the building, back to where the fairies gathered.
He unbuttoned his cuffs as he held the door open for her, and she took a look around. "This, this would be the break room. Best way to tell would be the words 'break room' on the glass of the door, there." He said, and she smiled and gave a little laugh, a pleasant change in demeanor from their previous stop.
They sat down on the lounge, and she took a deep breath, closing her eyes and exhaling slowly. He rubbed a hand up and down the curve of her back as she yawned. He felt a pang of guilt as he realized he hadn't thought this through: Because he was a fairy, the magic in the air alone could keep him awake for days at a time, and often did. But she was unaffected by it, and he'd plucked her from the home at nearly four in the morning. It hadn't crossed his mind that she hadn't slept at all, hadn't crossed his mind that she was probably exhausted.
The room as warm, if not a little bright, but she could feel her shoulders slump and her muscles relax. The room was comfortable and smelled of baked goods. She let her head fall to the side, her body arcing with it until she found something sturdy to support her.
Tracy froze, unsure of what to do with her leaning against him. She was so small, and leaning rather uncomfortably against his shoulder, a feat only possibly by the fact that he was slouched over with his elbows at his knees. He shuffled underneath her and she shot up immediately, eyes flying open and a faint pink blossoming across her cheeks.
"I'm sorry, sorry, I-" she laughed nervously, the blush deepening before another yawn broke the awkward silence.
Tracy felt sorry for the poor girl. He hadn't had the intention of whisking her away and denying her the rest that her body needed. Sleep was often something that slipped his mind, and she hadn't seemed tired when he'd greeted her in the house. He tripped around his words, but figured they were both entitled a little embarrassment. "N-no, no, not at all, you – are you tired? You look tired. Why – why don't you… come here?" The words were out, and they hung heavily between the two as Rae stopped fidgeting and cast a worried glance his way. He gave a gentle tug on her arm. "C'mere," he urged, and she eased herself back to rest against him once more. He used to corner of the seat as support and lay back as well, offering a more horizontal rest for her. "There," he said, her weight on his chest unusual and pleasant at the same time. "Right. You just have yourself a little nap, and then… then we'll go on when you're feeling better, yeah?"
She hummed in approval, already half asleep, one hand clutching at his vest and the other brushing against his neck, her cheek nuzzled into his chest. He could feel the heat creeping up his back and neck, burning its way to his cheeks and turning them a similar shade of pink. He smiled uncertainly at her affection and moved underneath her, placing a hand at the small of her back to keep her still. He closed his eyes after a moment, a strange smile creeping across his lips.
It all ended very abruptly.
Rae woke suddenly when Tracy jumped underneath her. Not having been asleep to begin with, he was well aware of who had entered the break room with the express purpose of finding him and him alone. She sputtered and choked back cries of surprise when he pushed her off of him, dazed and confused and before she could even wake up properly, he was prattling away to another woman who was standing before them.
Had she been awake enough to care, she would have turned every shade of red for having been found lying atop him asleep, but as she was greeted with a stern voice, one that sounded absolutely livid, and Tracy's stuttering voice, her mind was pulled away from such matters as she began listening.
"Was she issued a summons?" the woman asked, thought it was evident from her tone that she already knew the answer. Rae looked up at her, an older woman who was looking down at Tracy with the utmost contempt; her wings, cream with white feathers whisping the edges, were a pink at the base, a show of the anger that she hid so well in her features.
"W-well, well, no, not – not exactly, a – a uhm, a proper summons."
"Then she has no business being here." She scolded, "What's more is that she's been exposed to our existence twice before. Who am I to assume is responsible for not following protocol? Humans who witness Fairies must be given a dose of Amnesia Dust, Tracy, you know that. And frankly I'm disappointed that you, of all people, would so blatantly disregard our rules."
"She – I know this sounds absurd but I figured I owed her, you see – she helped me, a while back, and-"
"We do not owe the humans anything, Tracy." The woman spared her a quick glance, as if simultaneously embarrassed and irritated that she was now awake to witness the conversation. Rae placed a hand on his arm, and he looked over at her in a stupor.
"But I did." He protested. "I was in a rut about how Main keeps messing up my assignments – they wouldn't let me out on a job, they kept cancelling them and handing them off to a – a winged fairy, like they kept second guessing my capability, even after I earned my wings," he said hotly, becoming more and more defensive. Rae kept a sturdy grip on his arm, trying to ground him and bring him out of his passion. "She was the only one who showed me any bloody respect since Thompson left, and she helped me. I just wanted to thank her."
"For what?" the woman asked.
Tracy seemed at a loss for words. He sat there in front of his superior for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. "For… for letting me know that I didn't have to be a second-rate Tooth Fairy," he said, confidently. Rae smiled up at him.
The woman's frown only deepened. "Please elaborate."
"They kept taking me off my assignments and handing them off to other fairies. I was already halfway to the house by the time they'd call me off, so I just… I went and got the tooth anyway. And you know what? I got them, each and every one of them!"
The woman took a deep breath and tilted her chin up, looking at Tracy over the bridge of her nose. "So you're responsible for the hiccups in the team quotas?"
Tracy's confident smile fell and the color left his face. "Sorry. What?"
"Dispatch has informed me that several teams have not been able to meet their quotas due to assignment misunderstandings. Are you responsible for this?" The man blanched at her words, stuttering around his own. "It's a simple 'yes' or 'no.' Are you responsible for the failed quotas?" With her hands folded neatly in front of her, even Rae could tell that she was getting irritated quickly, if the deepening hue of her wings was no indication.
"Y-yes." He choked out. "I don't know how… but I suppose I…"
"Tracy, you don't seem to comprehend the severity of your actions. Failing to administer Amnesia Dust on two separate occasions, bringing a human to FairyLand without a summons – you're jeopardizing everything we have by exposing us. And to top it off, you've been disobeying Dispatch and have caused an auxiliary loss. These fairies were not on your Team, Tracy. They were collecting teeth for auxiliary magic. What are we to do now, in the face of catastrophe?"
Her companion was at a loss for words, unable to process how he'd messed up, unable to articulate that there must be some misunderstanding.
"Your wings, Tracy."
He looked up at Lily as she held her hand out.
His fingers trembled as he undid the pin, looking down to watch his own movements in disbelief. The muscles in his slender neck tensed as he fought the urge to react, to cry out in defense. Lily had the power to grant him the wings, and she held equal power to revoke them at a moment's notice. There was no question, no debate. Not with her.
He rested the pin carefully in the palm of his superior's hand, watching her delicate fingers close around it.
"I suggest you take her home," Lily said sternly, casting a pointed glance at Rae. "And begin rectifying your mistakes."
Tracy's shoulders slumped and he stared blankly ahead as she left. His hands shook and his lips were pressed into a hard line, and it broke her heart to see him like this. She placed a tentative hand on his arm, and he barely responded, giving a startled jump, but otherwise paying no attention.
"Tracy," she said softly, hearing the crack in her own voice. "Tracy, I'm so sorry, I-"
He stood suddenly, pulling her up with him and wrapping his arms around her. "Think we ought to go home." He said, and hearing his voice, dull and monotonous and it hurt because she knew he was hurt.
She felt tear welling up behind her eyes, "Tracy, I'm sorry, I never-"
He hushed her, running a hand through her hair. "S'not your fault." He said gently. "Now, c'mon, before Lily gets mad at you, too."
In the month between visits, Rae often found herself just wanting to be held, by him. The feeling of him holding her close was so comfortable, but so wrong. She let out a muffled cry and extended her arms, pushing away from him. He seemed to be in a stupor as she staggered back, free of his grip. "What're you—Rae, Rae!"
She didn't listen. Her feet pounding the cool marble of the floor as she ran. She didn't hear him calling for her, and she wouldn't have turned back if she had.
Other fairies in the halls stared as she ran through their ranks, whispering behind their hands and batting their wings in agitation. Another fairy caught her, clad in the same gray and blue uniform that Tracy wore, and she could feel the hot tears stinging her eyes as he grabbed her around the waist and she struggled. He was dark-haired and much shorter that Tracy, and he spoke first, calm despite her erratic movement. "Calm down, now. Are you lost? How did you get here?" he asked.
She stopped moving, panting hard in his grip. "Lily," she said, choking back tears. "I need to talk to Lily."
He seemed confused for a moment, and one of the other fairies gave him a hard jab in the ribs that set him back on track. "Yeah. Okay." he said, guiding her through the sea of gossamer wings. "I'm sure Lily will be interested to meet you. You're not a fairy, are you?" She shook her head 'no' as they continued walking, silently memorizing the path from the break room to their destination. "Didn't think so." He said thoughtfully. "Don't look like one."
Indeed she didn't. Despite the anatomy similarities, the ability for a human to pass as a wingless fairy and vice versa, her dress alone was enough to convince everyone in the room of her otherworldly origins. She wore a simple deep purple tee and a pair of gray jeans, whereas normal fairy garb consisted of a silk pajama-like outfit. Even to the wingless fairies, ones like Tracy and this man, who were dressed in the blue-gray suits, she looked as out of place as she was.
She let him lead her through the halls, knowing she'd be hopelessly lost without a fairy guide. She only wished it were Tracy, and began regretting running from him, knowing that he was going to take her home and leave himself to clean up the mess she'd gotten him into.
The entryway was large, much larger than any of the other doors in the building, an great arc that swept far above their heads and let out into a great office that was decorated with bookshelves, tables, chairs and a great glimmering desk in the middle of it all, facing the door.
The woman, Lily sat at attention and watched the man escort her into the room, detaching and leaning over the desk to whisper to his superior about the situation, the girl's state and Lily just nodded, thanked him warmly and dismissed him, leaving Rae alone in the room with her.
She stood there, cheeks burning with a feverish tinge from suppressing herself, her anxiety for Tracy and the intimidation of this fairy godmother, looking over her knowingly, knowing who she was, what she was, why she was there in the first place, and – undoubtedly – why Rae stood before her now. Lily offered the girl a seat, and she hovered awkwardly over it for a moment before accepting, folding her hands in her lap and sniffling. Both waited for the other to speak first.
Lily took the initiative. "I assume you're here on behalf of Tracy."
She swallowed hard. "Well…he doesn't know where I am, actually. Sort of…"
"Ran off?" Lily asked, and the girl nodded stiffly. "Well, you're here now. Let me be the first to apologize for this whole ordeal," she said. This confused Rae, but she went on. "Often, it takes your people a bit of time to adjust to us, to Fairy Land, and I'm sure you're more than flustered."
Rae shook her head. "It doesn't matter about me, just…please don't do this," she said, much to the woman's surprise. When she inquired what, Rae felt that familiar painful heat rising in the back of her throat; goading the feeling on was the memory of the despondent look on Tracy's face, that devastating shock and how hurt he was by what, to Lily, was the simple action of revoking his wings. "Please, ma'am. He didn't know. It was… it was my fault, I told him to go… to go for it, knock'em dead and ignore the cancelled assignments, he just… he didn't know. And it doesn't make sense, because they were his assignments to begin with, and they were taken away before he could do anything because the people – fairies – the fairies at dispatch they – they didn't want him to be out there. They were his assignments…" Rae choked on her words and stopped short, feeling a pinpoint of heat roll down her cheek. Lily's eyes widened. "Please don't take his wings." She breathed. "They're everything. He worked so hard. Please."
Lily watched as Rae wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her sleeves. This young human girl was so concerned for Tracy, who, for all intents and purposes, was nothing short of a stranger. A stranger that had taken her from her home in the middle of the night, to boot. And yet here she was, broken over what had happened to him and convinced it was her doing. Lily ran a hand along the edge of the desk in thought, coming to a rest on the tray of small boxes.
Rae paused for a beat and then continued. "Do you know what it's like to be a wingless fairy?" she asked, her voice low and dull. She stared at a blank spot at the front of Lily's desk. The woman stopped, taken aback by the question.
"Do you?"
Rae nodded and fought the pain in her throat. "It's lonely." She managed. "It's lonely and it's worse because people tell that you're not really but even the people like you – even the other wingless fairies, even they're different." Lily came to a stand still on the other side of the desk and folded her hands in front of her, listening at attention. "And you just don't know what to do with yourself anymore because everything you do isn't good enough. Everything except what they want you to do. And he's – he's…" she swallowed and pressed her lips together. "He just doesn't deserve this."
Lily stood, and beckoned for Rae to follow her, back through the halls and Rae held her breath, recognizing this as the path back to the break room. She wanted to run ahead of Lily and find Tracy and just hold him and tell him that everything would be okay, but she held her place, trailing faithfully behind the woman with the grand wings, Her heart was lodged in her throat at the thought that she, the maternal figure, the queen of the empire built, could easily break him further. She almost wanted to cry out, beg Lily to leave him be, but she didn't dare. She wrung her hands together and sniffled, stifling her tears as she'd learned to over the years.
They came to the door, unmistakable for the words plastered across the glass in a fine print, and Lily held the door open. "After you, I think," she said, and Rae wasted no time, rushing into the room to find Tracy still sitting there, bewildered. Seeing her, he rose and allowed her to throw her arms around his middle and hold him tightly, and he returned the gesture. "Where…?"
Lily followed after, and when she entered the room, the man saw her and froze, drawing Rae in protectively. "I – I was just taking her home, Lily. She-"
"Ran off. So I've heard. She paid me a visit, as it happens, and we had a little chat." Rae took his trembling hands and he looked down, seeing her sympathetic smile. Lily went on. "She's quite concerned for you, Tracy. Seems to think that it's her fault that I've taken your wings."
Those words were salt in an open wound to him, and he suppressed the rising pain in his chest. "It's not," he said solemnly, and he wanted her to know he meant it. He held her close and smoothed down her hair, kissing the crown of her head. "It's not your fault." He said softly. She closed her eyes and leaned into him.
They were given a moment before Lily continued. "It's not hard to see that she cares about you, but this – the pure emotion for you, for what's happened. Somehow, she understands better than any of us, I think, how you feel." She reached into her blazer pocket and removed a small silver object, holding it tightly in her fist. "Perhaps she doesn't quite understand magic as you and I do, Tracy, but she certainly has as much of it in her heart. She was quite literally moved to tears when your greatest achievement was taken from you, and her argument asides was convincing. Please accept my apologies for this misunderstanding. I'll talk to the dispatch team as soon as possible, because she's right: You have those wings for a reason. You're a Tooth Fairy, and they shouldn't be able to take that away from you." Lily looked down at Rae and smiled. "I think, perhaps, you two ought to continue this conversation back on the human plane."
Tracy's eyebrows arced up his forehead. "You mean that?"
Lily merely smiles and turned to leave, looking back over her shoulder at the pair. "Certain types of magic are not to be tampered with, Tracy. You never know." And with that, she left them.
Tracy eased them back onto the couch, both needing a little time to collect themselves before heading back. She leaned against him and he held her, side by side, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek, holding her close, and she returned the gesture.
"Thank you," he whispered, letting her settle more comfortably against him.
"They're your wings." She mumbled into his chest. "You earned them."