Chapter 10; Examination.

—Timmy's POV—

"Look who's here!" A sweet, high-pitched voice sang out suddenly. He looked around, trying to pinpoint the origin of the voice, as Wanda's arms tightened around him. Jorgen's expression was one of annoyance, and he was audibly tapping his foot in a show of impatience.

" Does she really have to do this every time?"

Suddenly, darkness engulfed the room, and a dazzling disco light appeared from the ceiling, casting colorful patterns on the walls. The jukebox suddenly switched from folk music to a lively Celtic jig.

"Piper does love her flashy entrances." Nova chuckled.

"Come on, don't be shy, say hello! Sup godparent, kiddo, and muscle brain! Here I am, the woman you've all been waiting for, the one and only Pied Piper! Feel free to admire my adorableness!" Multi-colored spotlights from the spinning disco light highlighted the speaker, who seemed to appear out of nowhere right on top of the table they were sitting at.

She was a slender woman with a height that rivaled Jorgen's. Striking a ballet-like pose with one leg pointing to the ceiling, she leaned forward and waved a big bowl of candy under his nose.

"Everyone, meet the greatest kidnapper in aaaalll of Fey world! Oh, and a pretty good doc as well." She winked at him and pushed the bowl closer to him. "Here, have a sweet. Aw, look at you, you're adorable! You remind me of a guinea pig with those teeth."

He was so distracted by the woman that he didn't even notice what kind of candy he was holding. Her hair, that strikingly combined red and white, was braided and flowed down her back. Her hair, styled in red and white stripes, reminded him of candy canes, and he noticed that her entire outfit seemed to be inspired by candy. The gingerbread house exterior of the hospital apparently was a match to the doctor whom worked inside of it.

Despite appearing to be around Jorgen's age, her clothing and makeup gave off a youthful vibe. Her cheeks were painted with bright pink, sparkly blush, creating an eye-catching contrast against her dark skin. Her eye shadow consisted of a vibrant and colorful palette, while her lips were covered in a glittery cherry-red shade.
She wore earrings that were shaped like colorful jelly beans and a necklace that resembled a giant donut. Her glasses had a red frame that resembled the twists of licorice candy.
Her attire was colorful and whimsical, resembling that of a jester. With its vibrant red and white backdrop and playful candy pattern, the outfit was completed by the addition of bubble gum buttons. Her fluffy, short skirt was adorned with metallic cookie charms that clinked and jingled like wind chimes with every step she took.

"Timmy, don't." Wanda pulled back his hand. Timmy blinked his eyes twice, looking bewildered and unsure of what was happening. He became aware that his hand was suspended over the bowl. Without even realizing it, he had reached out for a piece of candy. His body seemed to have moved unconsciously.

The confection in the bowl, she held out like an offering, was sponge toffee. It smothered in smooth chocolate and garnished with a generous amount of sprinkles. It looked very delicious and was tempting him. He wondered if it was charmed, much like the fruits in the woods and the food at the feast, to make him desire it.

It's safe. Toffee is known as fairy food in some regions of the world. Similar to fairy bread, it cannot be enchanted." Jorgen confirmed. "Every single one child I brought here had some with no harm befalling them. Rather, Dr. Pied gets rather testy if her hospitality is refused."

If you snub my offer, don't be surprised if I refuse to treat ya. Nothing annoys me more than snobby godparents and ungrateful brats. Now, take a piece of candy and make your adorable doctor happy." Piper teased whilst Wanda eyed the bowl dubiously, relenting only because of the threat of refusing treatment if he did not take a piece.

It was clear to him that his godmother had formed an immediate aversion towards the woman who had unabashedly proclaimed herself to be a kidnapper. It was with reluctance he took a piece of the candy and did so only because he had a feeling she'd carry out her threat if he did not.

After he bit into the candy, Piper gave him a pat on the head and smiled warmly. Is it tasty, my adorable guinea pig? Yummy, yummy." She pinched his cheeks, making it difficult to chew. "Aww, how precious! Little kids who obey me are my faves."

"Are you the same Pied Piper from the story?" He asked, curiously. He had heard the story of the Pied Piper of Hamilton so many times, but in none of them was the Pied Piper ever depicted like her.

No way! I picked that name 'cause it felt right for everything I've done!" She proclaimed boastfully. "My achievements are known all across Fey world!"

Wanda growled fiercely and tugged him even closer. "And what achievements are those?"

" Duh, kidnapping!" Piper rolled her eyes, as if Wanda was some kind of brain dead idiot for even asking. "Oh yeah, if any annoying or rude fairy hunter showed up back in the day, their kids would disappear as payback!"

"You'd separate children from their parents as revenge?" Wanda was appalled, and her eyes widened in disbelief. A look of disgust crossed over her face as Piper answered with a smirk. "Are you sure this is the doctor you want to take Timmy to, Jorgen?"

"Oh yeah, there are plenty of doctors who would be thrilled to have him!" Piper chuckled and hopped gracefully into the seat next to Nova. "But I think you'd regret it and end up crying like a useless, blubbering little baby."

"Piper has never made any monsters, which is not the case with other doctors around here, who will also charge a considerable sum for their service." Nova explained, poofing up a milkshake for Piper, who gulped it down in one go. "That's the reason I'm supporting her instead of them. It is not in line with my principles to offer support to monster makers. Piper is the only doctor in Fey world who has never intentionally harmed a child."

"Monsters?" He tilted his head curiously

Do you recall our previous discussion on how the bond will impact the filter cycle?" Nova started to explain, but Jorgen struck his fist on the table.

" There is no need for him to know about… that?" Jorgen's angry shout got interrupted when his fist became encased in a glob of sticky taffy that effectively glued him to the table.

"Zip it, muscle brains." Piper made a zipping motion across her mouth, and Jorgen's mouth became zipped for real. "We're the boss of what we say in our own home."

The fact that such a small, delicate woman had overpowered Jorgen entirely was enough to leave him frightened. The realization hit him hard - there was no protection from the Fey if they truly wanted to do something.
Wanda wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tighter as she realized the same thing he did.

"The bond you share with your godmother is a powerful, positive one. Nonetheless, there are also potent negative bonds that exist." Nova resumed his explanation. "As an instance, a godchild may harbor resentment towards its godparents due to their perceived strictness. Another possible situation is one in which a godparent feels resentful towards their charge, due to their perception of them as being a spoiled brat."

He wouldn't be surprised if Cosmo and Wanda had felt that way during the morning Norm had posed as him and driven them away.

Carrying out the magic filter cycle in this case would result in the production of a monster." Nova grimaced. "Piper and I refused to handle cases of that nature. Mary Alice was the closest we ever came to creating a monster, a fact that we deeply regret."

"What happened to her?" He asked timidly.

"I have no desire to speak of her." Nova took off his glasses and began wiping them. "If I had things my way, then every child who comes here for treatment would become angels, like you will, who epitomize the complete antithesis of monsters."

He was going to become an angel? He wondered about it curiously, making a note to ask more later, but right now he was too unsettled by the talk of monsters to switch gears.

"Did they create monsters on purpose?" He stuttered, and Wanda immediately shook her head in response, signaling him to drop the topic. Nova, however, seemed glad to be given an opportunity to continue the discussion.

"Long ago, magical creatures engaged in constant warfare, seeking to gather mana. The fairies would stop at nothing to gain magical dominance. Our victory was achieved by an overwhelming margin. This is the reason why beings such as elves and leprechauns possess considerably less power in comparison to us fairy-folk." Nova spoke with unmasked pride. "We possess powers similar to those of gods. It may have come to your attention that deities such as Cupid, Mother Nature, and Father Time not only have a close association with fairies, but some even have a residency in the fairy realm."

He wanted to ask what that had to do with monsters but Wanda had asked him to be quiet, her eyes darting nervously around the room. It seemed she was well aware of the answer and would have not wanted him to know about it. Fortunately, Nova was a talkative person and kept on explaining.

" The fairies in those days abducted children to be used as disposable soldiers in the war. They were turned into creatures that could fight or heal. It was these pitiful children that played such a crucial role in our victory."

"A sin and shame we carry in our hearts to this day." Jorgen looked pained, and Wanda lowered her head, ashamed.

"I was not yet born during the time these wars took place." Nova sighed, looking as shame faced as Wanda did. "Nonetheless, the remorse we feel for the past is one of the reasons why fairies began to have an excessive fondness for human children. However, that unfortunately resulted in the Dark Days. Fairies stole children with impunity. Some even forgot past shame and began the atrocities anew."

"Yeah, yeah, to make the history lesson short. The most powerful of all Fey decided we needed to separate ourselves from our past darkness; this created fairies and anti-fairies and locked all of us who refused to separate or who rejoined with their other halves, into Fey world that has no access to Earth." Piper rolled her eyes. "Punishing the many for the deeds of the few, I'd say."

"Despite my presence in Fey world, I am inclined to concur with the Fairy Council's decision." In a consoling gesture, Nova patted Piper's arm. "I am fully prepared to remove children from abusive households, but witnessing the abduction of children from their loving environments for experimentation purposes pains me deeply."

Piper shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so," she said, twirling one of her candy cane braids. The M&M beads decorating the ends of her hair, clinking on the table. "When the war was going on, I was just a kid. I liked to help my mom make angels. It was nice and sweet work. We'd save children from harmful homes or swipe babies from struggling families and shower them with affection. They were brought up sweet as candy and became charming, gentle, pretty little things when we performed the magic filter cycle on them."

Piper's tone was wistful, as if she was remembering fond memories from her childhood. He sensed a mounting antipathy from Wanda towards the woman.

The opposite method was utilized in the creation of monsters." Nova slumped his shoulders, his eyes downcast. "Their upbringing was characterized by physical, verbal, and emotional abuse. They were deprived of any form of happiness. At times, they were granted something enjoyable with the intention of causing despair upon its withdrawal. They were raised on lies and broken promises."

"That's terrible..." Timmy felt pangs of sympathy. Wanda pulled him towards her, embracing him with a gentle hug and stroking his hair. She probably realized that a small part of him could empathize with what those children had endured.

"Don't tell him anymore." Wanda requested in a soft voice. "There's no reason for him to hear about such sad, horrible things."

"…. Related things?" Nova questioned suspiciously, but when neither Wanda nor him answered. Jorgen raised a brow, looking like he wanted to ask about it. Fortunately, he had more sense to do so in the presence of Nova, whose self given mission it was to save children from abusive families.

Timmy really just did not want to talk about his parents and their recent attitude towards him.

"Don't be so ungrateful; if not for the angels defending our back lines and the monsters fighting on our front lines, we wouldn't be the top dogs of the magical world." Piper scolded, casting a ridiculing look at Wanda who glared back at her. "It's sad to hear about, well, boo-hoo, it was harder for the Monster who had to endure all that suffering. The least you can do is hear their story."

"But maybe it ought to wait till the boy feels better." Nova added mercilessly, but he understood Piper's sentiments, so he nodded quietly.

He was going to be the opposite of a monster, an angel. It was all because he was lucky enough to have a godmother who loved him so much. But he wasn't pampered and coddled, protected from all misery like the other angels had been. From Vicky, his bullies, his unrequited crush, his friends and parents, he had a taste of what the children who had become Monsters had endured.

"Well, enough 'bout that." Piper kicked her feet up onto the table, the cupcake shaped bells that hung from licorice rope tassels jingling. Wanda quickly put her hand over his eyes as he was given a full view of her panties. Piper, with the swiftness and dexterity of a cat, bounded onto the table in a hunch, an even more embarrassing pose, and had seized his face in her hands.

"Very interesting. You can blush and yet no heat is generated. That should not be possible. Your body is as cold as ice as is normal for kids suffering your problem but blushes are generated by the warming of the blood. Is something perhaps mimicking natural bodily responses?" Piper unzipped Jorgen's mouth but left his fist glued to the table. "Any other complications besides the obvious fish eyes?"

"Fish eyes?" He asked Wanda, who shook her head.

"They are a little cloudy. Like... have you ever seen a blind person?"

"Ooh." He nodded. So that was why Poof had kept waving his little hands in front of his face. "I'm glad I'm not actually blind..."

Especially since it hadn't sounded like he'd be able to do much more than watch tv and play video games for a while.

"There is a burning sensation in his chest. Turner, would you explain in your own words?" Jorgen grunted as he continued to pry his hand free from the taffy.

"It sometimes burns really hot, like an open flame, and it hurts with every breath. I was scared when it first started that I was having a heart attack. Then when I took the medicine, the pain subsided to a dull ache, but then sometimes it would flare up again really bad. Sometimes it'll burn hot but not hurt...like right now."

"You can feel the heat." Wanda put a hand onto his chest, and Piper and Nova took turns doing the same, frowning.

"Mmm..." Piper nodded. "How do you feel when it's hot vs when it's dull?"

He thought about it. "Well... when the burning feeling is dull, I feel weak. Sometimes I take these fits of fatigue and it's always been when the burning feeling is dull. When it's burning hot, I actually feel more energetic. "

"You said sometimes it hurts and sometimes it doesn't?" Piper cupped her chin thoughtfully.

"The hotter it burns, the more painful... but right now it's the hottest it's been, but there is no pain "

"So, Fey world is the only place it hasn't hurt when it burned?" Piper mused.

"I guess so, yeah."

"Was his heart injured in the accident?" Nova asked, concerned.

"No." Jorgen shook his head.

"Hmmm, alrighty then! The moment of truth has come: it's examination time!" In an instant, Piper transported him to a space that combined the feel of a medicine hut from an RPG with the advanced technology of a science fiction lab. The shelves were a chaotic blend of high-tech devices and bottles of folk remedies. The room had an unorganized feel to it, with furniture that didn't seem to match or go together. Even the bed he was sitting on was a cross between a hospital gurney and old-fashioned straw mattress.

"But before we begin, there is the petty matter of payment." Nova spoke up. Wanda's head whipped around.

"Payment!?"

"Well, we could do it for free, but…" Piper let her voice trail off playfully. "Well, then we'd own him. We Fey give nothing for free, you know, and that includes medical treatment."

"But, well…I thought…" Wanda sputtered, looking to Jorgen for help. Jorgen, who was finally free from the taffy, gave Wanda a reassuring look. He must have already prepared the payment.

"We're Fey. We're not bleeding hearted fairies that'll do things out of the good of our hearts. There has to be something in it for us." Piper looked scornfully at Wanda.

"Yes, yes, the usual payment will be—" Jorgen began in a gruff voice, only to be cut off.

"Regrettably, we are not interested in the customary compensation. Piper, may I humbly request to be the one to receive the payment this time?"

"Go for it! You don't ask for much and you're a brilliant assistant." Piper responded with a thumbs up.

"What do you want, Nova?" Jorgen asked, his tone guarded. Wanda gave his hand a squeeze, looking afraid of what Nova might ask for.

"I want his dreams."

"My dreams?" He was left in shock while Wanda let out a gasp at the request. Nova, anticipating Jorgen's retaliation, quickly silenced him with a raised hand.

"Just until the time he loses his godparents. Due to my Fey status, I have been unable to lay eyes on my son Cosmo since his infancy, and regrettably, I have not had the chance to see my grandson." Nova looked so sad and lonely that it lessened the shock he felt about being asked to hand over his ability to dream as payment. "Both will be present in his dreams, even if they are not truly there. In his dreams, I will be capable of interacting with my family."

"You'll give him back his dreams, eventually?" Wanda checked suspiciously, obviously hating the very notion of him having to hand over his dreams as payment regardless of the reasons.

"Loosing his Godparents and the memories linked with them would result in their disappearance from his dreams. I'll have no interest in his dreams then, so I'll return them to him. Until such time, I shall dream his dreams in his stead."

"That's a steep payment, Nova." Jorgen growled. "Much more than any other child has paid."

"I acknowledge that." Nova looked apologetic. "Nevertheless, I would like to see Cosmo and my grandson. If I am lucky, he might even dream of my wife or Schnozmo. I wish to see them, even if they are only figments of his imagination.

"I understand why you want his dreams, but..." Wanda's voice trailed off, her expression pained. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, attempting to offer a reassuring smile.

"It's ok Wanda. I can understand…. it must be sad not be able to see your child and to have a grandson and never be able to meet him. He just wants to use my dreams so he can see his them…."

"But Timmy…you have such fun dreams…"

"I know, but…I have you and Poof, Cosmo too, to have fun with while I'm awake." He tried to reassure her, but he was honestly sad about it. As he faced the reality of a long period of being confined to bed, he had hoped his dreams would provide him with a much-needed escape and adventure.

…. But, he couldn't be angry about Nova's request either. Family was important. He once froze the universe in place for fifty years to stay with his fairy family…the family that felt more real than the one he had been born in. Nova asking for a few years of his dreams was not much at all in comparison.

"Ooh, Timmy…. you are such a kind little boy." Wanda stroked his bangs, a sad look on her face as she tried to console him despite his attempts to smile. She knew what he was feeling. She always knew without him having to say it.

"…" Jorgen looked torn, unhappy about the price being asked, but he had also dealt with the fey enough to realize that you did not negotiate with them. You paid the price, asked, or you left empty-handed. "Fine, I will write up the contract…."

He watched nervously as Jorgen's large wand glowed for a minute or two and a contract appeared; it looked like an ordinary paper, but he knew enough about magic to know that what was written on it was binding.

Timmy Turner will surrender his dreams to Nova Cosma in exchange for medical treatment from the Fey. Upon losing his fairies for any reason, his dreams will be returned to him—"

"Ah, ah, I want an amendment." Nova interrupted. "If he loses his fairies, but regains them, his dreams will be returned to me."

"Don't think we don't know your game, Jorgen. You'd happily take the boy's fairies and then give them back, all just to steal his dreams from Nova." Piper playfully scolded with a finger wag.

Jorgen gritted his teeth, and Timmy felt surprised that the large fairy had been intentionally trying to find a way out for him.

"Very well." Jorgen tsked and rewrote the contract with one strike of his wand against the floor. " — for as long as he has fairy godparents, his dreams will be the property of Nova Cosma. This payment covers any treatment, medicine, or items related to his recovery given to him by Nova Cosma or Candy Sweet aka Dr. Piper Pied. Any attempts to give him Fey Food or gifts in the guise of medicine or health related accessories will render any enchantments placed on them null and void."

"Candy Sweet?" He looked over at the doctor curiously.

"I told you, did I not? I borrowed the name Pied Piper from the fairy tale. My real name is Candy Sweet. Heh." She grinned, like a cheshire cat. "I once fooled Jorgen with our very first contract because he failed to include my birth name on it."

"—Please add that since he is overpaying, that I may gift him something once his dreams return to him." Nova added, and Jorgen scowled.

"What are you playing at now, Nova?"

"Not playing at all. My wife mentioned in one of her letters that this young lad wished my godson to exist. Through his dreams, I will experience my son and grandson.. I merely wish to show him a genuine kindness."

"Even if I want to believe your sentiments are genuine, your wording is too vague. The gift you give could be just about anything."

"How about you let Timmy decide what he wants when the time comes?" Wanda suggested and Nova made a repulsed face.

"When that time comes, he may be an adult; I have no desire to converse with such a creature."

Ouch…. he thought. It was as if Nova saw child humans and adult humans as a different species. The man seemed to know what he was thinking.

"Humans are like Gulabi Goats." A tiny little goat appeared in the room's corner. It was one of the cutest little animals he had ever seen. A white coat, narrow little face, pink nose, long delicate legs and unique ears that were tinged pink, hanging down its face like curly pigtails.

"It's so cute!"

"It is. That's the baby version, though. When it grows up, it looks like this!"

The dainty, adorable creature that looked like it belonged in a fairy tale suddenly changed into a bloated version of itself. The skin of its neck hung loose, its face so enlarged its eyes were just squinty little things.

"Geh…" Timmy did not know what else to say. "So I take it that adults are hideous to you, huh?"

"Quite." Nova snapped his fingers, and the goat was gone. "but back to the contract—when Timmy's dreams return to him, I would like to give him a gift. It's just a simple kindness, no plot involved."

"Says the former head of a trafficking ring." Jorgen glowered. "I'm not having anything so vague in the contract. For all I know, the gift you give could be a piece of fey fruit!"

"How about Wanda decides the gift?" He suggested. "She always knows what's best for me."

"Aww, sweetie…." His godmother's eyes glowed, and she gave him a cuddle and a kiss.

"Ah, such a heart warming bond. He will be a fine Angel." Nova smiled, watching them. "Very well. I agree with those terms."

"Alright then. Nova Cosma, in recognition of the overpayment, will upon returning Timmy's dreams to him, will give him a gift which will be determined by the boy's godmother; Wanda Venus Fairywinkle Cosma." Jorgen held up his finger. "However, the gift she chooses cannot be to restore Timmy Turner's memories of his fairies, or remain his fairy despite him reaching adulthood, or to return him to childhood."

He saw Wanda pull a disappointed face. Luckily, Jorgen was too engrossed in the contract to notice and scold her for it. It would have been nice if there had been a loophole that would have allowed…

No, stop. He took a deep breath. As much as he wanted it, every time he tried to find a way in order to make his fairies his 'forever family', he always ended up almost losing them instead. He promised himself after that Secret Wish disaster that he'd never try again. Knowing Poof could be affected changed everything…

He wouldn't have wished for it in the first place, if he had known Poof would be in danger. It was unfair to make someone pay the price for someone else's mistake.

Jorgen looked unhappy as the contract was passed around for signatures. Rather than read the contract, he looked over at his godmother, who had read it at least three times. When she smiled and nodded, he wrote his name, trusting her opinion that it was safe to do so, and the paper disappeared.

Nova smiled, looking very satisfied, and Piper giggled a little. Jorgen stiffened as if waiting for them to reveal some trick they had fallen for, but no such thing came as Nova simply went over to his side and stroked his head.

"Alright then, such a good, compassionate child. This will be painless. Close your eyes."

He did as told and waited for it to happen; for his ability to dream to be removed from him. Nova rubbed his head affectionately, which made him feel like he was one of the animals Nova had been tending to outside when they had arrived.

He felt a popping, tingly sensation in his brain like pop rocks candy. It felt funny, but it did not hurt at all. Then all at once the feeling stopped, leaving a slight buzzing sensation, like static in his head.

"Ok, all over now."

'Ah, it's too bad my last dream couldn't have been a better one…' He thought mournfully as the static sound subsided as he opened his eyes.

"Oh, sweetie…are you ok?" Wanda wiped tears from her eyes, feeling worse about the price he had paid than he did.

"I'm fine, Wanda. It did not hurt." He reassured her, as she hugged him tight.

"Well, now that's we've been paid, we'll start the examination." Piper stretched her arms, cracking her knuckles. "Is there anything else besides the odd burning that we should know about?"

She slinked over to him, running her long fingers over his chest, seemingly very interested in the heat his chest was generating.

"He has had seizures twice. Once shortly after his injury, and then another one a few hours ago." Wanda eyed the woman cautiously, not liking her hands on him.

"Seizures, hm? And he has no history of them?"

"None." Wanda confirmed. "I've only seen the most recent one…."

"Wanda dear, would you mind if we check the memory chip in your wand?" Nova inquired, already holding out his hand. He put his head down, feeling shame. He did not want everyone to see…. how he hurt his godparents…

"Of course." Wanda handed over her wand, noticed his expression and messed with his hair a bit. "Oh, Sport, I've already told you not to feel bad about that."

He knew that both she and Cosmo had forgiven him, but still….

He kept his head down as the memory chip played back his seizure, unable to bear watching the actions he had been unconscious of. The background noise of his screaming, and the sounds of his godparents pleading with him were enough to make him feel mortified. When he heard Wanda cry out as he must have hit her, he felt small and nasty. Poor Poof must have been so scared seeing all of that….

Nova and Piper allowed the memory chip to play past the point he woke up to watch him cry and apologize; the former looked like he was watching the equivalent of a cute cat video while the former was shaking her head, giving Wanda a skeptical look.

"Wow, you work with children and you don't know the right way to handle seizures? Really?"

The insolent tone Piper used towards Wanda made him bristle and he held onto his godmother a little tighter.

"Wanda always takes good care of me…."

"Yes, but she's right. I handled that poorly, but I've been reading all about them, so next time if you have a seizure, I'll know what to do."

"He's such a sweetheart; aren't you little guy, awww…you'd make such an adorable kinder, you sure you won't reconsider?" Nova gave Wanda a pleading look, and Jorgen cleared his throat.

"He's here for treatment, nothing else." The large fairy now looked at him and gave him a thumbs up. "Nice left hook you gave Cosmo."

"He certainly deserves at least that much." Wanda looked frustrated. He hoped his godparents weren't fighting again because of him….

"He apologized, Wanda…it's ok…."

"Did my son do something wrong?" Nova asked, curiously.

"Besides failing to save his godchild from getting maimed when the accident should have been easy to avoid if he had just been paying more attention?" Jorgen remarked critically.

"Or delaying Timmy's treatment by running off to his mother's and keeping us waiting for his return…." Wanda added with a huff.

"He said he was sorry…. the accident has been hard on him…he's feeling bad about it." He tried to justify his godfather, not wanting him spoken badly about in front of his father.

Wanda gave him a strained smile. "You are right that he's taking this whole thing very hard; still…he needs to be more responsible. If he had been watching you properly…."

"It's ok, I'm not mad at Cosmo. It was Vicky who threw me downstairs….and brought a chainsaw."

Nova and Piper exchanged baffled looks; apparently having not received the full details behind his accident. Of course, they had to tell them the complete story, or as much as they could, since Cosmo had altered his memory.

"—And your parents saw her bring the chainsaw in…?" Piper's mouth was agape.

"…Wanda, dear, dear, Wanda…please, please reconsider making him a Kinder." Nova looked like he was in pain.

"For the last time, he's here for treatment!" Jorgen snapped.

"Right, right, well, into some proper examination clothes, then." Piper snapped her fingers and his clothes changed from the pyjamas Wanda had dressed him in.

He blushed, awkwardly. It was a thin, almost transparent, white sleeveless tunic that did not even cover his knees. A slightly thicker piece of fabric strategically placed protected his modesty just barely. His face turned redder when he saw Wanda staring at him intently and gave her a questioning look.

"Earlier, Jorgen poofed up what points on your body that I have to do your injections. You can't see them, but there are little colored stars on you." She explained and began pointing them out to him. He could not see the stars, but when she touched them, he felt a little funny, though she only pointed out six of them.

"These clothes will make treatment time with your godmother a breeze." Piper stroked the flimsy material with the back of her hand, admiringly. "We used Fey Dust and moonlight to spin this material. When she injects the magic through the fabric, it will act as a sieve; purifying her magic so that when it enters you, it's clear."

"Purifying? Clear?" Wanda tilted her head, sounding mildly offended at the implications that her magic was impure or murky.

"Fairy magic is not like Fey magic. You fairies, separated from your other halves, need to rely on your wands, which rely on the Big Wand in Fairy world." Piper explained, without more than a little scorn, her belief that Fey were far superior to fairies clear. "This means that the magic you use comes from a collective whole. When you use your wand, it passes through you to draw on some of your own magic. Whenever you use your wand, it's half your own innate magic and half Big Wand magic. We don't want magic from the collective passing through him. If the magical current we have flow through his body is too murky or dense, it could be too complex his fragile mortal shell to withstand….it will overpower him."

"When fairies explode from magical build up, they're stuck as confetti for a few hours until you can gather up the magic energy needed to pull yourself back together. If a human explodes from it….well…." Nova cringed.

"I…don't think we need to hear about that in more detail…" Timmy gulped, suddenly very thankful for the embarrassing outfit.

Wanda shuddered. "He'll be ok as long as he wears that, right?"

"Just as long as you don't mess up the treatment." Piper corrected and went over to him with what looked like one of those big lollipops you got at the fair or the circus. But it was made of metal and had an electronic face in the center.

"Ok, little boy, stay still. We're going to measure your vital points to see how much magic we need to give you." The haughtiness and disdain that was in her voice whenever Piper spoke to Wanda or Jorgen had been replaced with a syrupy sweetness.

He jolted and felt his face turn red as she stuck the gadget against the base of his spine, close to his tailbone area.

"Mm, mm…" Nova was jotting something down on a notepad. "I see your root point operates at a low frequency normally. Do you have any problems with your bladder or with constipation?"

"No." He turned redder, ok, the latter, but only if he ate a lot of cheese.

"Ah, problems can also manifest emotionally. Let me guess—in your home environment, you don't feel very secure about your basic needs or well being do you?"

His blush deepened, but this time not because of embarrassment. Perhaps it was a feeling of shame. His parents' neglect of him was known by practically everyone in Dimsdale, but no one ever said anything about it. He preferred it that way. If no one said anything, then he could pretend that their treatment of him was normal.

"Moving on…" Piper moved in front of him and tried to put the lollipop shaped disk in its next location, but he ended up drawing back, mortified. It was the one star point Wanda had not pointed out to him.

"Ooh, can't Nova do that one? That's embarrassing for a boy his age." Wanda pleaded. Her own cheeks were red.

"Nonsense, I'm a doctor, it's fiiiinnnne." Piper laughed and tickled his ribs in order to make him release the guarded stance he had taken. She stuck the disk just above his pubic bone. He knew his cheeks must've been as red as a tomato, but it was odd how his face remained cold.

"Hmm, well, either you're super creative or…your a naughty little boy, hehe." Piper chuckled.

"Each of these points on the body governs different physical and emotional properties." Nova explained with a smirk. "This is the Sacral point. It governs creativity, feelings of pleasure and sexuality."

He put his hands over his face, wanting to hide.

"Oh, well, Timmy is a very creative boy." Wanda smiled, a little lopsided. "He's always drawing or coming up with crazy ideas…"

'Thanks for not mentioning Trixie…' He thanked his god mother inwardly.

"He once wished for a room full of super models when he was ten." Unfortunately, Jorgen couldn't resist the opportunity to poke fun at him.

"He only had the supermodels make cookies…and jump on the bed. "

"Heh heh…" He laughed nervously, feeling shy.

"He also wished he was a girl—on three separate occasions."

"Well, the first time was just me picking on him." Wanda defended, though she also looked like she was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

"The second time was because I had to sneak into the Cream Puff's camp…and the third…" he put his head down shy. "…. I wanted to go to Trixie's girls only sleep over party…n-not for any weird reasons…I just wanted to hear gossip, y-you know, about the kinda boy she likes…."

"Ah, how cute." Nova chuckled, and wrote some numbers onto his notepad while Piper mercifully removed the disk, but not before giving his cheek a playful pinch.

"Nova, don't you think he'd look so cute with some antechinus traits?"

"I'll make a note of that in the hopeful wish that my dear daughter-in-law changes her mind and stays in Fey world. This boy would make such an adorable kinder."

"Not happening, Nova…" Jorgen warned with a growl as Wanda rolled her eyes.

"What's an antechinus….?" He blinked, confused, while Wanda poofed up a dictionary.

"It's a type of marsupial…the males of which are known to—" Wanda stopped reading, her face reddening even as she covered her mouth to prevent a laugh. "Oh now, come on, he isn't that bad!"

"You know what? I don't wanna know." He deadpanned, but to be honest, even though the jokes were at his expense, he felt a little less stressed now.

"Moving along, my cute little rodent…" Piper placed the disk now on his abdomen. She frowned, shook it, and then placed it again. She gave Nova the side eye, whilst he raised his brow.

"…. This point relates to feelings of personal power…self esteem and—"

"Please, no commentary…" He hid his face shyly.

"Well, it's a little difficult to calculate negative numbers…"

"Ouch…critical strike…" He grimaced. Wanda consolingly patted his head. She'd likely give him a big hug later when they were alone or maybe—they'd paly a little of the baby game together. That game always made him feel better, like he was someone loveable and precious…. rather than a big, useless disappointment.

"Let's move on then…" Piper smiled, her eyes pitying yet still somehow playful. She placed the disk in the center of his chest, and then she tossed it away moments later as it exploded. Nova raised both of his brows, and Jorgen and Wanda ducked.

"What does that mean?" Wanda looked at the destroyed disk, bug eyed.

"…That I have a really big heart?" He suggested, hopefully.

"It means that I better do an in-depth check on what's behind that burning sensation before proceeding." Piper told him to lie down and placed both of her hands on his chest.

"I'm going to possess you for a few minutes." She told him. "It's a little intrusive, but it'll give me the complete picture of what's going on inside of you."

"Is this going to hurt…?" He asked timidly. The only possession he'd ever seen was in horror movies.

"Oh no, you're just going to go to sleep for a few minutes."

"Jorgen, is this safe?" He heard Wanda asking worriedly, but Jorgen just nodded.

"Yes, she's done this before. It does not hurt the child, though I would not allow her to do this without a contract signed first, of course. She'd steal the body and go to earth otherwise."

"I wouldn't get far in a body this weak." Piper dismissed and pointed to her eyes. "Ok little boy, stare into my pupils, that's it….yes…just keep looking…"

— Jorgen POV—

"That's right, look at me…" Piper's voice was singsong as she hummed a melody. This was one of her specialties, the ability to take over a human's body through prolonged eye contact and song.

Turner would be alright. He'd seen her do this many times before. Now that a contract was signed, she would have to give proper medical treatment, though he hated the steep price Nova had asked for.

"Ooh, Timmy…" Wanda fretted as her godson's disposition changed. He became still, quiet, and a dreamy look washed over his face as, hypnotised by the eyes and coaxed by the song, his soul's natural barriers dropped and allowed access into his body. Piper's own body went still, and several moments later Timmy's body sat up, wearing a baffled expression. The boy's eyes had turned red, showing that it was Piper in control.

"…" She opened her borrowed mouth, finger hanging in the air as she looked about to say something, but remained silent as if unable to find the words.

"What is it Piper? I don't believe I've ever seen you so flummoxed." Nova asked, curiously.

"Is Timmy ok?" Wanda was fretting.

"…." Piper opened and shut her mouth a few times as if the words were just not coming to her. Then she scratched her cheek, raising her eyes to the ceiling even as a huge grin spread across her face.

"Well! Who'd have thought I'd come across a NEW complication after soooo many years?"

"New complication?" He became alert, his throat tightening. That was bad. Wanda paled, hearing that it was something they had not encountered before, but she did not know how serious a disaster that was.

…A never before encountered complication would have no treatment. What on earth could have gone so wrong with Turner's revival?

"A new complication? To think we'd ever encounter that." Nova looked amazed. "How long before you pinpoint the problem?"

"Oh, that I've already done. I just haven't encountered it before to know how to fix it." Piper placed Timmy's hands over his chest, closing her eyes with a sigh. "This boy has a genetic heart condition. Did you know that?"

"WHAT!?" Wanda nearly screeched, looking ready to faint.

"Cardiomyopathy, it's a genetic disorder that ranges in severity. Some suffers don't even know they have it until they get older. From what I see, this boy would have lived his life not even knowing he had it until about his sixties, before dying before his seventies from sudden heart failure."

"Yes, but what does this have to do with his complication? He's a long way from being sixty—" He began, then gasped as realization struck him. He was not the only one who realized what had gone wrong. Wanda turned as white as milk, falling a few inches out of the air, before lowering herself on Timmy's bed, where she held her head, looking faint.

"Ah, yes…my wife wrote me a letter and told me about that secret wish—freezing time for fifty years to remain with his god parents…." Nova cringed as he realized what that entailed.

"But—everyone being aged up was reversed by the fairy council so, his heart condition should still be dormant!" He tried to reason, but Wanda shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes.

"But it was Cosmo who restored his youth, not the council! Timmy's time was not reset like everyone on earth's, he was just made young again!"

He slapped his forehead; damn oversight and—damn that idiot Cosmo! Did he really just restore youth to the outside and ignore the inside?

Overcome with emotion, Wanda's tears flowed freely as she struggled to catch her breath and calm down. "No, Timmy, no, no, no…."

"Wanda..." He felt a mix of emotions as he gazed at her - sadness for her despair, and shock at how completely broken she was. Although he knew her love for Timmy was strong, the despondency on her face made it seem like her heart had been crushed.

"Shhh, don't cry, Wanda dear, shhh…" Nova shushed, and it was a testament to her devastation that she did not even try to resist his hug. "We can fix it, can't we, Piper?"

"Oh, it's already been fixed. Don't worry, his heart condition is cured."

'R-really?" Wanda's face glowed with hope. Piper, however, avoided eye contact and instead tilted her head up towards the ceiling while placing a finger on Timmy's chin.

"Then what's the problem…?" He asked cautiously.

"….Well, yes, the revival magic you see noticed this ticking time bomb in his chest and…literally entered the heart." Piper sounded sheepish. "You know what resides in the human heart, right?"

"His soul!? Has magic contaminated his soul!?" He was filled with horror and watched as Wanda's hopeful expression turned to terror in an instant.

"Nah, that seizure he had right after coming back to life was probably because the magic pushed his soul right out of his body."

"Wait…are you saying that…?" He felt himself turn pale, and Piper, still in Timmy's body, nodded her head in solemn confirmation.

"This boy is missing one of his souls."