Chapter 47: Censorship

—Wanda's POV—

Frantically, she rushed through the long hallway, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. The cheerful yellow wallpaper, adorned with a print of chocolate chip cookies, seemed to mock the desperation she felt. Her wings flapped rapidly as she flew from door to door, each one appearing identical to her frantic state. It was difficult to remember which doors she had already opened, adding to her frustration.

As she opened and slammed each door, she cried out for Timmy, desperately trying to find her way back to the recovery room she had foolishly left him in, alone with Nova. The belief that "Timmy loves me too much to ever be swayed to leave me" echoed repeatedly in her mind. What had she been thinking? The weight of her frustration and regret bore down on her, creating a knot in her stomach that twisted and turned. Her mind tormented her with thoughts of what Nova might be doing to Timmy at that very moment.

Had Nova already fed Timmy a Fey Fruit? Perhaps he had tricked Timmy into giving him a strand of his hair, or something similar, to gain power over him. Or maybe Nova was persuading Timmy to stay in this world, promising an escape from his earthly suffering and offering eternal happiness and protection if he became one of their Kinders. Timmy had endured so much bullying, neglect, and abuse that, in his desperation to escape, he might agree to an offer without considering the consequences.

Thinking ahead was not Timmy's strong suit, especially when his back was against the wall like this. It would not be difficult for Nova, a kidnapper who had convinced nearly 200 children to give up their humanity with enticing promises, to lead Timmy astray.

With a frustrated shriek, she slammed the door of yet another examination room shut. Like a brain-dead ninny, she had wasted over an hour exploring these rooms like a careless child. The worst part was that she could clearly recall what she was thinking and feeling at the time. She was so assured that they wouldn't make Timmy a Kinder before his treatment was complete, that she had seen no point in worrying about what could happen.

Even when the Tooth Fairy had told her how Nova had convinced children to let themselves be taken away, she hadn't felt shock, alarm, or even a trace of concern. Instead, she had felt smug. Timmy had endured abuse and frozen time in place for fifty years just to remain with her, Cosmo, and Poof.

'Timmy loves me too much to ever be swayed to leave me.'

She felt sickened with herself for her arrogance and selfishness.

"TIMMY!"

Desperate to find Timmy, she called out for him at the top of her lungs until her voice grew hoarse, hoping he would hear her and make some noise so she could find the right door. But there was no response. She had no idea how long the treatment to stop her Linking had taken or how long she had been passed out afterward. If she had to hazard a guess, it must've been at least three hours.

That meant Timmy had been alone with Nova for hours. The thought made her bury her face in her hands, drawing in a shaky, shallow breath as tears of remorse stung her eyes. If Nova had done as he had in the café and slowed time down to 1 second vs the hour, then three hours would be 10,800 seconds. That would be 450 days, literally a year and nearly three months.

She shook her head, trying to force herself to calm down and think rationally. There was no way Nova would go so far as to stay within the confines of their recovery room for that long….

Right?

No one in their right mind would do something like that….but, could she honestly say that Nova was in his right mind?

Of course not!

The guy helped steal away 200 children and had them turned into living dolls and animals and now looked at his deeds as having saved them! The guy was a nutcase!

Besides, for an immortal being a year and three months wasn't really long at all, was it? Especially for one who had been bored and starved for family; an extended period of 'quality time' with his god-grandson would surely be appealing to Nova. He'd probably be more than willing to spend a year in a confined spot in order to have that time!

'…Of course….he might have talked Timmy into leaving the room. For all I know, they are somewhere in the forest right now….and Nova is watching him bite into a piece of Fey fruit! Or—he's at some feast being fed Fey flesh and blood that'll brainwash him into wanting to stay forever!'

She just screamed a wordless noise and slammed another wrong door as loud as she could, a physical release of the pent-up frustration that had consumed her. Alas, she couldn't slam them hard enough for the noise to be even a little satisfying.

"Wanda! Calm down, try to re—"

"Relax!?" She whirled on the Tooth Fairy, who rushed up behind her and grabbed her shoulder. "How can I possibly relax!? Timmy is—-!"

"I know, but you need to calm down!"

"Of course you know!" She pushed her hand from off her shoulder. "You were the one warning me of the danger this entire time and getting angry at how I was behaving like a careless moron! So don't try telling me to relax or calm down, not when you know the danger I put him in!"

"Wanda…."

Ignoring the Tooth Fairy, she rushed to yet another door and pulled it open; another examination room, one that earlier would've elected an enthusiastic response from her; as it seemed perfect for Timmy—a planetarium full of stars; but she had no care anymore for finding the 'perfect new room for Timmy's treatments.' The only care she had was in finding Timmy!

"Look, maybe if we go back to the entrance, you'll be able to retrace your steps to the right hallway or something?" The Tooth Fairy suggested; it was so unhelpful that it was almost aggravating.

"I've never once made my way to our recovery room on my own. Nova or Piper always just poofed us there after Timmy's treatments, and even for his treatments, we'd step into the hall and then be brought right to the treatment room."

"Oh…I see." The Tooth Fairy bit her lip, crossing her arms disappointed. She knew it was unfair, but a part of her was really furious with the other woman right now.

She hadn't been in her right mind due to Anti-Wanda's influence. It had messed her up in several ways, but she refused to use it as an excuse for her behavior though did reason that since she wasn't herself that her stupidity wasn't entirely her fault. However, she couldn't help but feel that the Tooth Fairy should have been more careful. There had been no need to take Nova's suggestion of using an examination room for her 'treatment'. She understood, not wanting Timmy to witness it and allowing him to rest, but they could have gone to the garden or brought Timmy to the soundproof Snuggle room while performing her treatment in the main room.

There was no reason for them to leave the recovery room at all. If only the Tooth Fairy had stayed in the room and not followed her out—! If she hadn't, then she wouldn't searching for her godchild and worrying about his safety right now as she wandered an endless hallway of doors!

"Piper brought me directly to the sitting room and then to your room, so I don't know how to get there either," the Tooth Fairy said, musing with further uselessness. "Though it seems they can willingly change where doors lead to in this place, so it might not matter even if we could retrace our steps."

"Piper! That's it! Piper!?" She urgently called out for Piper, hoping she could show them the way. When she had woken up, her memories hit her all at once, and she panicked, rushing out of the room to find Timmy. In hindsight, she should have just asked Piper to poof her back to the room.

"She left while you were passed out," the Tooth Fairy explained. "She said she had to send some Appapuffs to Nova for treatment, and apparently, she was excited about studying that...thing. From what I gathered, it's not native to their forest."

Disappointed, her shoulders sagged. She hadn't even noticed Piper's absence in her panicked state. When she woke up, every memory of her actions, words, thoughts, and feelings during the Linking overwhelmed her, causing a whirlwind of emotions—shame, horror, disgust, shock. It was too much to handle at once, leaving her brain and heart feeling like they were in a blender.

"Wanda, I'm sure we'll get back there soon enough."

"...They can make one second out here an hour in there. Who knows how long Timmy has been alone with Nova by now?" Her hand shook as she tried the next door, but still no Timmy.

As Tannfe had said, they could change where the doors led to at will in this place. She wouldn't find the room until Nova wanted her to, but she couldn't just stop looking. She would keep opening doors, even if she knew it was futile. With each wrong door she opened, the memories of her Linking replayed in her mind, how careless she had been, how reckless her behavior had hurt Timmy, the awful words and unkind thoughts she had uttered and harbored.

The vividness of her memories only intensified the shame consuming her. Each act of indiscretion seemed permanently inscribed in her essence. She felt as if the disgrace had been branded onto her very person; her shame visible to everyone who looked at her from now on.

She was trapped in an overpowering sense of self-disappointment, a profound sorrow infiltrating her very core. Her own disgust was palpable. Even though she was aware that she had been Linking, and her counterpart's personality had blended with hers, it did little to lessen the guilt she felt.

Using Timmy's distress to affirm her worth as a god mother was reprehensible. To consider his pain and affection as a barometer of her significance was not just egocentric but outright disgusting. Her distorted mindset had led her to take pride in his reliance on her instead of acknowledging his suffering. Now, in her usual state, she was appalled that she could have ever seen Timmy's ordeal as a validation of her value, even under her counterpart's influence. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, now flushed with embarrassment. The burden of her guilt sapped her strength, and she sat down with her back to the wall, burring her face in her hands as she apologized to Timmy over and over.

"Wanda, are you ok?" Tannfe reached out a hand, gently resting it on her trembling shoulder, offering a tiny gesture of support amidst the turmoil.

Her voice was barely a whisper as she finally responded, her words laden with regret and self-disgust. "I'm mortified," she confessed, her voice shaking with the weight of her emotions. The admission hung in the air, a painful acknowledgment of the depths of her shame.

The Tooth fairy did not look like she knew how to respond and frankly, she did not want her to say anything; at least not anything that would try to make her feel better. After the way she had thought and felt, she did not deserve comfort but an admonishment and anything less would be too painful for her to bare.

The door nearest to her opened on its own and, with a flash of hope, pulled herself from the floor and rushed into the room, only to be met with disappointment.

She was inside the soft blue room that Nova had taken her to calm down in after it was first discovered that Timmy was missing his Heart-Soul. Scented lavender candles were lit in fancy little lanterns that cast warm comforting glows in an otherwise dim room; comfortable sandalwood furniture with many plush pillows and soft armchairs gave many places to sit and be comfortable; on a little table were offerings of chamomile tea, along with chocolates, blueberries and almonds.

The window that looked out into a serene grove of the forest despite the clinic being no where near it was there, just like last time but unlike last time there were not one but two televisions that hung on the wall, and a small radio that was placed near the dish of snacks.

"Wanda, my dear, I am pleased to see that your Linking has concluded and you have returned to your normal state. Unfortunately, it appears that the ordeal has left you quite distressed. "Nova's voice came so clearly from the radio that she could swear he was in the room with her.

"Nova! Take me back to Timmy, right now!" She demanded, landing on her knees in front of the radio and shaking it, and yet his voice continued to calmly come from the speakers, showing no reaction to her words or actions.

"I bear no blame towards you for your behavior; I understand that it must have been an unsettling experience. It is understandable that you may be feeling upset, and although I regret having to take this action, I must insist that you resolve your personal matters before I can facilitate your reunion. Now that I am aware of Timmy's exceptional sensitivity and emotional fragility, I am committed to ensuring his mental health remains secure."

"You—w-what!?" She sputtered; she couldn't believe what she was hearing right now!

"In pursuit of that aim, I am of the opinion that exposing him to your current emotional state could pose a risk to his well-being. I have ensured a location with soothing ambiance for you to find relaxation and mental rejuvenation. I recognize your apprehension, yet there is no need to fear. There will be consistent communication between you both; however, I will need to exercise a certain level of censorship, which I sincerely hope you will not find offensive. I worry that witnessing your profound sadness could have a detrimental effect on his well-being due to his intense care for you."

It took every scrap of willpower she had not to throw the radio against the wall.

"I apologize for any distress this may cause, my dear, but it is important to note that his energy levels are severely diminished at this juncture of his treatment, and the potential ramifications of another panic attack could be quite tragic. I advise you to take a deep breath and allow yourself to unwind with some tea and snacks, while devoting the next two hours to calming your nerves and achieving a state of mental tranquility."

She growled through clenched teeth, hands gripping the radio, shaking.

"Wanda…?" The Tooth Fairy questioned tentatively, likely having heard everything.

"How dare that arrogant, self-righteous bastard patronize me like this?!" She exploded, throwing the radio onto the floor. It should have smashed, but perhaps foreseeing her anger, Nova had enchanted it to make it unbreakable. "Timmy needs me right now, and he has the nerve to lock me away, like I'm some sort of danger to him?!"

She couldn't even begin to describe how insulted she was by Nova's judgment; it not only undermined her role as Timmy's protector but—!

"After everything we've been through, after everything I've done for Timmy, now he thinks I'm the problem? Like I'd hurt him—like I haven't always put him first? How dare he act like he knows Timmy better than I do!"

"It is a heavy handed approach…." The Tooth fairy admitted, but it looked like she had something else to say, something she was holding back.

"Those things I said earlier—! It wasn't ME…! I'd never….!" She protested, feeling her eyes burn. "Timmy goes through so much pain….all this bullying has torn his heart to pieces….! I'd…never take satisfaction from that! As much as I do like being needed, I'd rather he be the happy-go-lucky boy he was at ten, the one who brushed off my warnings and recklessly did as he pleased—then the broken little boy who needs to cling to me just to survive each day!"

"Wanda, I know I don't know you well, but I know you well enough to know you're not that kind of person." Tannfe knelt down beside her, awkwardly patting her back. "I know it was just Anti-Wanda's personality messing around with your feelings. That's why I stopped you from saying anymore back then, because I knew once you got back to normal you'd be feeling terrible about it."

"…Even if I did not say it, I can still remember what my thoughts and feelings were like. They were a complete betrayal of my feelings for Timmy…."

"It still wasn't the real you thinking them; your a caring godmother, and you're very responsible and professional!" The Tooth fairy tried to reassure. "It's not your fault that Anti-Wanda's lack of responsibility, professionalism, and zero understanding of boundaries got swapped around with your usual traits. When you think about it, it was only natural your attitude would go over the top, what with your opposite influencing you so much! So shouldn't you take that to mean that your feelings are the exact opposite of your own, so I wouldn't feel so badly about things."

"Zero understanding of boundaries?" She questioned, not really listening to the rest; she understood where the other two came from, but that last one….she did not recall any parts where she had disrespected any boundaries.

The Tooth Fairy laughed lightly. "Maybe you don't remember because of the high stress of that panic attack; but you were actually calling yourself Timmy's mother. Not even rookie god parents make that mistake-well, aside from Bubbles of course!"

"….." She suddenly felt doused in ice water and couldn't respond; fortunately her condition went unnoticed as her companion continued to ramble words meant to reassure her; words that seemed to make invisible cuts with every syllable uttered.

"—But of course, that's to be expected with Anti-Wanda's persona at the helm. It's why Anti-fairies aren't the ones allowed to be godparents; they were made from splitting that innate desires to claim human kids from us. If they were to ever get god parenting rights—they wouldn't be letting any of those kids go. It's no surprise that Anti-Wanda's so-called 'affection' took on such a twisted form, but you're not like that at all Wanda." Tannfe gave her a big smile, that honestly felt like a dagger being twisted around in her heart. "You're a seasoned god mother who knows that your job isn't to claim children as your own; but to help a child get through the tough years of their life and leave behind the seeds of hope and happiness in their hearts that can be carried on into their adult years, and you've been doing a remarkable job of that with Timmy. You'll get him through this bullying and ready to stand on his own two feet soon, I'm sure."

She sat down wordlessly in a chair and took a cup of tea; not because she wanted it, but she feared if she said a single word, the Tooth Fairy would realize the truth—that feeling hadn't belonged to Anti-Wanda.

Timmy was her son; she loved him and she wanted to keep him as her own; she never wanted to let him go.

Those other feelings, that ugly selfishness; that arrogance, that controlling—! That wasn't her...but the desire to keep Timmy, that was all her-but those feelings weren't reflections of each other! They weren't!

'Timmy loves me too much to ever be swayed to leave me.'

She could still hear herself saying that with such confidence and all of the hideous feelings that had gone with it; the sense of self-importance, the joy in his dependency, the pride in knowing she was worth so much to someone that they'd be willing to endure hell for her.

She wasn't that type of person; even if she had 'zero understanding of boundaries' like the Tooth Fairy had said; she loved Timmy and only wanted him to be safe and happy….such poisonous thoughts had no place in their relationship.

"Look, I know you must be furious at the very idea Nova has the gall to control your communication with Timmy—" Tannfe sat down on a chair opposite of her, completely misunderstanding her silence.

"He thinks I can't handle seeing Timmy like this? Or worse, he thinks Timmy can't handle seeing me! I've been with him through his worst moments, and now, Nova wants to censor me like I'm some kind of toxic influence?" She used this misunderstanding to mask her real feelings; it wasn't hard considering how enraged she was at Nova right now.

"But that's how he's always been, even before becoming a Fey. Back when he and I were in theater club together in school he'd get an idea in his head about what was best for the performance and would become surprised when everyone else did not see it his way and would try to convince everyone that his way was best until we either saw his point or gave in just to shut him up."

"—This isn't a performance!"

"I know." The Tooth Fairy sighed. "…He only became this heavy-handed after an incident with two of his god kids. You see, he ignored his own judgment about a situation when everyone else around him insisted that he was over thinking things and went along with what everyone else said the 'right thing to do' was." She lowered her eyes, hesitating."…well, it was a tragedy in the making. Since then, he carries out what he thinks is best while ignoring all other opinions—that way he doesn't need to blame his own inaction if a tragedy unfolds."

"Well, then he can blame his actions when one does unfold thanks to his pig headedness!" She slammed her teacup down, crossing her arms stubbornly as she wondered if he had truly never once felt guilt after seeing what the children he had saved had been reduced to.

One of the televisions flickered to life, and she shot up in her seat, eyes widening. It was showing the recovery room; seeing the room she was so desperate to get back to on a screen right in front of her was pure mockery; but she couldn't really focus on how infuriating it was to be so near and yet so far from her destination because Timmy was also showing on the screen. He was in bed, propped up with pillows, with three bandaged creatures that looked like red, blue, and yellow versions of Ginny sitting on his head and shoulders. His hair was still slightly damp and his skin flushed, indicating he had recently bathed and he had been changed out of his usual pajamas and into a woolen variation.

Nova was there too, and she was glad to see that his smile was at least a little sheepish. In his arms was another injured Companion, this one similar to the ferret like creature that had greeted Timmy in the woods when they had first arrived in Fey world.

"Greetings, my dear. I trust you are beginning to feel somewhat improved and that you will soon find an opportunity to relax and recuperate following such a distressing ordeal. As you can observe, Timmy is in excellent health. The dear young lad has been assisting me with the care of our injured charges. Piper has informed us that the sight of the Kinderkin has profoundly unsettled you." His brows furrowed. "I myself was quite startled; it is no wonder poor Clara…" He rocked the ferret creature in his arms, "was so frightfully daunted that she ran headfirst into a thicket of thorns!"

The small creature in his arms released a distressing mew and burrowed her head against Nova's pyjama top; it looked like it was night time inside of the recovery room, even though the view of the forest window was still late afternoon.

"Piper showed her to us, when she brought these little guys up for treatment." Timmy's eyes were dancing. "She looks like she could have stepped out of a HP Lovecraft novel!"

"Now, now, she is still an innocent child, regardless of her appearance." Nova chided, but his wide smile said that he pretty much agreed with the statement. "She did not intend any harm towards these delicate beings; rather, she is simply unaware of the extent of her own strength.

"I know." Timmy admitted sheepishly and looked earnestly into the camera, his face full of genuine concern. "Piper told me that you were so afraid you passed out at the sight of her, and that, combined with the treatment you had to go through, made you go...um..." Timmy hesitated as he searched for the right words to use. "...feverish in the head. Are you feeling better? They said some 'quiet time' will make you all better. Are you feeling better? I hope so...when I heard how badly you were frightened I really wanted to go right to you, but they told me that you were really out of it and it would be safer for you if I let you calm down first."

The Tooth Fairy gasped while her face burned hotter than it ever had before in her long life.

Feverish in the head!?

Had they the nerve to tell Timmy that she was being kept separated from him….because the sight of that—thing—had made her mentally unstable!?

"We can hardly blame you for being so shocked." Nova's smile was such that he knew very well that, no matter how shocking the sight of that creature had been that it hadn't left her disturbed enough to need 'quiet time!' "Such an unexpected and unnatural sight would disturb anyone."

"I think if that Kinderkin had run into the room without me preparing for it, I'd have ended up the same way! It's just like with Dr. Armitage, Professor George Gammell Angel, Walter Gilman, and the main character of Shadow over Innsmouth!" Timmy added and she fumed as she realized just why Nova had gone with such a lie. Timmy's smile into the camera was gentle and compassionate. "But you're stronger than all those characters, Wanda. Take all the time you need to feel better, ok?"

"You have a two-hour window, though should you require additional time, I am capable of decelerating the passage of time in your location, just as I am doing here." Nova offered something he knew very well that she had no desire to accept and something he knew would distress her to know he was doing this very moment; and even though she had her suspicions he would, it was still awful to have her fears confirmed.

"At first he had it just like when we were in the café; but since your treatment is taking longer than expected, he quickened the pace a lot."

"By the conclusion of the two-hour period, we will have effectively shared a week together, rather than an entire year. While I would not have objected to the latter, I am mindful of the profound impact that such an extended separation would have had on young Timmy. His distress from your absence was considerable, and I feared his heart might have been irreparably wounded. Thus, I have opted for a mere week of quality time to compensate for the rather disheartening week he endured with my son before his injury."

Timmy blushed and gave her an apologetic look; knowing very well that she would hate to hear this, but with the helpless glance from Nova to the camera her poor boy indicated that he was as helpless as she was in this arrangement. In an obvious effort not to have her worry about him, Timmy gave her a great big smile.

"Don't worry; we haven't left the room at all; we've been playing video games and watching movies together. Grandpa told me the names and histories of my friends in the cuddle room, and he takes me out in a wheelchair in the garden every morning and evening for fresh air—and he's shown me this really neat function of the TV where I can make my own movies and cartoons just by pressing buttons and adding descriptions and such! It's really neat! I made a cartoon of us, and—" Timmy rambled for a time about how it worked, but she really did not care. Her mind was stuck on 'every morning and evening.' How many days has it been for him already?

"I imagine you have a lot to say, but since time is running so differently between our spaces, it's difficult to provide real time conversation, but not impossible." Nova winked, and the second television in her room turned on. It showed both her and the Tooth Fairy on the screen with a record button up on top.

"Timmy! Sweetie, are you alright!?" She burst into speech the moment she realized what it meant. "Don't listen to Nova! I did not lose my mind at the sight of that thing! I was shocked, but I'm fine! They're just trying to keep me from you because—because Nova just wants to convince you to stay in Fey world! I want to get to where you are! Tell Nova right now, demand him to bring me over there! Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry I put you through all this! Getting drunk and falling asleep in the tub, and then leaving you all alone—!I should have been more careful—!"

The record button turned off, and for a moment she feared that Nova had cut communication, but when the television screen flickered, she saw that he had done much worse.

"Timmy, sweetie, are you alright?" Her own face showed on the television as 'her recording' played back, and from the first television, she could see that this version was what Timmy was now watching. "Their exaggerating a teensy bit. I did not go 'mad' like your story book characters, but I do admit to being really shocked by it. I really don't like being kept from you, and I wished they'd let me come back, but they said that it's best for your upcoming treatment if I make sure to calm myself down first. Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry I put you through all of this. I'm so embarrassed about how I behaved, getting drunk and then falling asleep in the bath; I've made you fret and worry over me, I really should have been more careful."

The Tooth Fairy covered her mouth, her eyes widening while she stared in disbelief, her mind going blank as realization dawned on her; so this was the censorship Nova had alluded to.

""How dare he manipulate the truth like this!" She raged, her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She was so overwhelmed by the injustice of it all, by the cruelty of being kept from Timmy and being misrepresented as emotionally unstable when she was, in fact, in turmoil over her inability to be with him.

"It...does take putting words in someone's mouth to a whole new level..." The Tooth Fairy agreed while cringing.

Meanwhile the Timmy on the screen was getting teary-eyed with relief. The fake message having just enough of the 'real her' in it to trick him. "I'm so glad that you're ok! I was so worried about you! Please don't worry about a thing, Wanda! I'm perfectly fine, and promise I won't leave the room to go anywhere else! Grandpa hasn't said or done anything that you wouldn't be ok with—cross my heart!"

"He's so worried," She whispered, her voice trembling. "And he has no idea what's really going on."

"And fear not—" Nova held up a copy on the contract they had signed when agreeing to Timmy's treatment. "It is a breach of the contractual stipulations for me to introduce any Fey Fruit or enchant any consumables. Even if I were to attempt to infuse his food with my own essence, the constraints of this room would render such efforts ineffectual. Nevertheless, I have no intention of employing such measures. I am wholly committed to dedicating this week to an authentic and meaningful bond with Timmy."

"So don't worry about me, ok?" Timmy tried to reassure her with a delicate smile, his kindness and love for her shining through the fog of his dead-eyes. "You just focus on taking care of yourself, ok?"

With a furious yell she tossed the nearest object, her tea cup at the television, only for it to float back to her and refill its self. "I need to get back to him! I need to make him understand that I'm not being kept away because I'm 'unwell', but because someone thinks they know better than I do about how to help him! Nova! You don't understand ANYTHING! Are you LISTENING to me!?"

"Now, Wanda, dear, I fully comprehend the depth of your frustration and extend my sincerest apologies. However, it is imperative that Timmy remains undisturbed at this juncture." Nova's apologetic voice came from over the radio even as the image on the television smiled at her; an arm draped protectively over Timmy's shoulders. "He is exceptionally vulnerable, and I am genuinely concerned that witnessing you in such a distressed state could have deleterious effects on him. The stress of an additional panic attack might prove overwhelming for his already weakened condition. Therefore, I implore you to temper your anger. My actions are driven solely by the intent to prioritize Timmy's well-being."

She had never been as enraged in her life as she was right now, but at the heart of her anger was also a feeling of betrayal. Nova's intent may be to protect Timmy, but it came across as dismissing her pain and the bond she shared with her godson. While he might not have known everything they had been through together, he did know that their bond was strong and that they cared deeply for each other. Being treated this way-it was like being spit in the face, especially after how her fate in herself had been shaken with the thoughts and ideas Linking with Anti-Wanda had put in her head.

The worse of it was that Nova's actions were keeping her from doing the one thing that could possibly heal the wounds left behind from her Linking episode; and that was fulfilling her most important responsibility—caring for Timmy.