(no subject)

[soulfulsin]

Fandom: Fairly Oddparents
Canon or AU: AU of an AU

Fic: Briny Depths

A/N: I will continue Dark Ocean (and eventually, Back to Black.) I wanted something really dark this week because I’m not sure how much time my mother has left. Hence, my mood was unsuitable for the more hopeful Dark Ocean chapter.

This trend may continue, so be aware of that.

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The others kept trying to draw her into conversation. Wanda gave non-committal responses, usually short and uninformative. She hadn’t known she was pregnant. Clearly, Asmodeus hadn’t either, or he wouldn’t have subjected her to the rat poison. She had no idea what had become of the twins since they’d been whisked away after their birth. When she’d dared to ask once about them, Asmodeus had snarled and told her that she might as well think them dead because she’d never see them again.

At the time, she’d tried to pretend it didn’t hurt, but it’d been written all over her face. Maybe it was better that Cosmo had carried Poof. They hadn’t lost him like she had the twins and now probably this other child.

She hoped that if she continued to give unsatisfying responses, the others might leave her alone. It wouldn’t work for Cosmo and Timmy--Cosmo almost never took a hint unless it was slammed in his face. Her mother, conversely, looked more and more aggravated, like Wanda was being obtuse to spite her specifically. Big Daddy and Blonda knew her better, but her mother had always only been interested in superficial connections.

Blonda could be like their mother, though she had slightly more patience than Sabrina. Not as much as Wanda; Blonda would never have had children, godchildren or otherwise. Children irritated her (judging by Timmy’s glares, the feeling was mutual.)

After a half hour of evading questions (a skill she’d honed in the Unseelie Court), her mother left in a huff. Blonda followed.

“You were never a good liar,” Big Daddy said, scowling. She collapsed against the back of the bed. His eyes narrowed. “But you’re getting much better at lying by omission. Or did you think I didn’t catch that?”

She shrugged one shoulder. She felt exhausted and wanted to sleep. This time, if Cosmo tried to pull her out of the abyss, she wouldn’t let him.

As before, she couldn’t screen her thoughts from him. The barrier she usually maintained when she wanted to protect him or at least herself was gone. She suspected the iron poisoning might have tainted her magic. Whatever the case, Cosmo stared at her in horror.

Lying by omission only worked as well as she could keep her thoughts in order.

“I thought we were over that,” Cosmo whined, prompting Timmy and Big Daddy to stare in bewilderment. Timmy remained confused, but Big Daddy’s eyes narrowed. She resisted the urge to fidget like a naughty child; she also lacked the energy.

“Over what?” Timmy demanded.

“You may be, but I’m not,” she said tartly. Her eyes flashed, and, for the first time in a while, her temper flared. When she’d been horribly depressed in the hotel, it was hard to muster the energy for fury. Normally, she made allowances for Cosmo’s stupidity. She wasn’t sure whether it was the time they’d spent apart or her low tolerance for reality. While she was thankful Cosmo had returned her wand and its solidity against her palm was reassuring, it wasn’t a panacea.

“Over what?” Timmy repeated.

Wanda folded her arms across her chest. “Hon, I was abused almost every single day for six months. Why do you think I’d suddenly be over my feelings of worthlessness and despair? Because I’m here? That doesn’t make everything better.”

“I know, but…” Cosmo’s lower lip wobbled. “You’re safe. Asmodeus won’t touch you again while you’re in Fairy World. You don’t have to feel like that anymore. You don’t have to feel like the only out is…”

He faltered; she knew the prospect terrified him.

She didn’t answer. Cosmo wailed, flinging himself at her. He was weeping uncontrollably. It was odd, but the harder he cried, the less emotional she felt. The numbness was attractive; it’d probably be painful once she could feel her emotions again, but for now, it was a shield.

“Like the only way out is…?” Big Daddy pressed. She met his gaze; she expected to see frustration over her elusive responses. Instead, she saw heartbreak. It was too poignant, and she turned away to face the wall.

“As little as I want to agree with Cosmo, you are safe,” Big Daddy said. “Well, from Asmodeus.”

Frowning, she turned to face him.

“The Council’s pretty pissed,” Big Daddy said. He glanced at Cosmo and Timmy. “Especially with you two for breaking the Fairy World barrier by bringing Wanda here.”

“They wouldn’t do anything!” Timmy protested. “They were sitting on their butts for six months and didn’t lift a finger to help! They knew Wanda was going through hell, and their response was to wait. Wait until what? Until Asmodeus attacked? Until Wanda died? What?”

She blinked, taken aback by Timmy’s forceful response. She hadn’t expected anger on her behalf.

“He wouldn’t have let me die if he could prevent it, sport,” she said quietly. “Asmodeus would’ve done everything within his power to keep me alive just to torment me. There’d be no escape, especially since the Council doesn’t seem to give a damn about me.”

“I don’t get it,” Timmy said, balling his fists. “They were so quick to come down on us over Da Rules.”

Wanda smiled bitterly. “That’s because Jorgen is the Enforcer. Jorgen acts more quickly than the Council does. The Council…no, I can’t make excuses for them. I suppose they thought if I died, that’d mean one less problem to solve.”

“Then why would you let them win by taking yourself out of the picture?” Timmy demanded. She blinked and then touched her face. A warm tear slipped down her cheek.

Wanda had no response. He was right, and she ought to be more outraged. Somewhere along the line, she’d lost her ability to defend herself. She’d accepted her lot instead of fighting like hell against it.

“I don’t know,” she said after a minute of silence. “Because I’d given up?”

Cosmo wailed again and hugged her. His buttons pressed into her through her flimsy hospital gown. “You can’t give up! You can’t!”

He brushed his fingertips along where her wings should’ve been. She was disappointed but unsurprised to discover their continued absence.

“You have us,” Timmy said fiercely as Cosmo broke down weeping. “We’ll deal with the Council.”

“Are you sure about that?” Big Daddy said, and Timmy growled.

“Of course!” Timmy snapped. Big Daddy turned Timmy’s head; three Council members had poofed into the hospital room without sound or fairy dust. Wanda went cold inside and out. Without thinking, she latched onto Cosmo. The Council would separate them again and punish Cosmo and Timmy for thinking outside the box and rescuing her. She couldn’t let that happen.

“We need to talk,” one of the Councilmen said gruffly. “Not here.”

“You’re not taking them away,” Wanda snapped, surprising herself again with fervor. “They didn’t do anything wrong.”

“That is for us to decide,” the Councilman responded.

“No, it isn’t,” she snapped. “It wasn’t against Da Rules.”

“We checked,” Timmy added. He shifted his chair closer to Wanda and grabbed her hand. Cosmo turned to face their adversaries; he shifted to sit on her other side and wrapped an arm around her waist. She was painfully aware of how she’d wasted away from malnutrition and unintentional fasting. Asmodeus sometimes forgot she needed to eat, and she couldn’t always leave the room or conjure food.

“You knew nothing should leave or enter Fairy World,” the Councilor snapped.

“You knew Wanda was suffering and had been for half a year,” Timmy countered. “If it hadn’t been for my wish, she’d still be there. Or worse. You can’t keep sticking your fingers in your ears and acting like nothing was happening.”

His blue eyes blazed. “I care more about Wanda than you do, and you’re the ones who are supposed to be looking out for fairies. I’m just a kid.”

“I would prefer we held this conversation in our chambers,” the Councilor said.

“I’d prefer we didn’t hold it at all, and you apologized to my fairy godmother for putting her through hell,” Timmy shot back. Wanda winced.

“Sport, maybe tone it down,” she whispered. “They can take us away, you know.”

“You wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for me!” Timmy said, but he wasn’t directing his anger at her. He glared at the Councilors. “What were you waiting for? Her to die so you wouldn’t have to deal with Asmodeus?”

Cosmo wept, and Wanda flinched. That was, more than likely, exactly what the Council had been waiting for. An excuse. They’d probably been stalling, hoping the problem would resolve itself.

“Again, we would prefer to hold this conversation--” the Councilor started, but Wanda cut him off.

“You’re here,” she said. “The only reason you would prefer to hold it privately is because there are fewer witnesses. And probably so you can punish Cosmo and Timmy for doing the right thing.”

Big Daddy smirked. “That’s my girl.”

“We didn’t break a hole through the barrier,” Timmy said defensively. “We turned her into a wireless signal and bounced her to Fairy World’s antennae.”

Wanda smirked. “You have to admit that was clever.”

She squeezed Timmy’s hand, and when he faced her, she saw tears in his eyes. Faintly, she felt guilt stab her, and she wished the Councilors would depart so she could speak with her family frankly. She owed them better than the lies and half-truths she’d foisted on them earlier.

“If you can do it, so can Asmodeus,” the Councilor snapped.

“Unlikely,” Wanda said, though she shivered at the name. Cosmo had settled down, but he was watching her closely. Like the weak guilt she’d felt about Timmy, she sensed Cosmo’s worry in the distance. She knew he didn’t want to lose her.

She knew how to put on a show; the Unseelie Court was all about appearances.

“He doesn’t tend to think creatively,” she said. She glared. “I would know. Timmy and Cosmo were desperate to save me. Asmodeus also doesn’t get desperate very easily. Oh, he’ll be infuriated that I slipped through his fingers. Make no mistake. But he won’t know how I did it. That will take time for him to work out.”

Her eyes burned with resentment. “Time that you could spend either launching a pre-emptive strike or preparing for his attack. Instead of sitting on your hands and letting me bear the brunt of it.”

She shuddered, surprised at her audacity. Then again, she had nothing left to lose. Cosmo and Timmy could be taken away, but they’d already been taken once. If she was alone in Fairy World, it was a step up from being alone on Earth and surrounded by enemies.

They didn’t respond. She wasn’t sure if she’d flummoxed them or they’d been too startled by her presumptiveness to have a ready response.

“We’ll speak again later,” the lead Councilor said after a prolonged silence, and the trio vanished. Timmy and Cosmo heaved relieved sighs. She, on the other hand, discovered she was shaking. Unable to breathe deeply, she gasped and shuddered. Tears streaked her cheeks. She’d never stood up to the Council like that before. Standing up to Asmodeus, with the geas, was impossible.

She assumed Nathaniel had eradicated the geas somehow because she felt no compulsion to return to Earth.

“They wanted to take us away?” Cosmo said, and she nodded. Her throat constricted, and she hugged Cosmo with one arm and Timmy with the other.

Big Daddy smiled affectionately, tousled her hair, and kissed the crown of her head. “I’ll be back later, okay? I love you.”

“I love you, too, Daddy,” she said as he poofed off. She couldn’t stop trembling. Squeezing her wand, she checked on the infant in the NICU. Nothing had changed, so far as she could tell.

“Are you going to be okay?” Timmy said softly. She shook her head.

“I told you that no one’s going to hurt you, and I meant it,” Timmy said. She didn’t point out the absurdity because he’d already promised it once and hadn’t been able to follow through and because he was only a child. Instead, she closed her eyes and rested against Cosmo. Even with her eyes closed, she sensed Cosmo moving and brushing his lips against hers. She kissed him back briefly and wished she knew why she couldn’t raise her mental barrier against him. Maybe she was just too damn tired.

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Cosmo didn’t like how dark Wanda’s thoughts were. Rather than poof up food, he and Timmy had gone to the cafeteria and eaten there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t due to any consideration for Wanda’s mental state. It was because he was being a coward and afraid to face her suicidal ideation.

She wasn’t supposed to be like this. She’d never gotten this depressed before. At least, though she was alone in the room, she wasn’t alone in the hospital wing. He wondered if he should have told the staff about Wanda’s mood. It was probably fine. It wasn’t like she could do much from there.

He tried to think about something else, like The Council. The Council had a lot of nerve acting like that. Like…

No, it was no good. If he didn’t think about her and her bleakness, his mind went blank.

“Dude, are you okay? You didn’t even touch your churros,” Timmy said. “Or your nachos and cheese.”

To illustrate, Timmy stole a chip and dipped it in the melted cheese. Cosmo blinked. Wanda had caught him so off-guard that he’d forgotten he was hungry. His appetite was competing with nausea.

“I can still hear her thoughts,” Cosmo said. “They served lunch, but she won’t eat. It’s hard to make sense of her logic because it’s weird even by my standards.”

Timmy put down his cheeseburger and frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Something about not deserving to eat?” Cosmo said, frowning back. “And like it’s her fault what happened to the baby.

“She’s also kinda freaking out about not having wings.”

He pushed the plate away. The nausea had overtaken his hunger. “I don’t know how to handle this.”

“You could try talking to her?” Timmy suggested. He looked queasy, too. Standing, he grabbed the food and dumped it. Cosmo did likewise. Now that they’d decided against lunch, though, Cosmo didn’t know whether he should return to Wanda. It didn’t feel like she wanted their company, but her thoughts had spiraled downward once they left.

“I don’t know what to say!” Cosmo protested. “She’s replaying…”

His stomach flipped, and he vomited into the trash can. He almost wished the Bond hadn’t returned with such clarity because he could feel Asmodeus hurting her. Cosmo's fists balled.

Asmodeus had been delirious with joy. He’d broken bones, created fissures, and scarred her because he could-because he thought she “belonged to him.” It made Cosmo sick that Asmodeus considered Wanda his property and that, on some level, Wanda believed him. It wasn't right that Asmodeus had brought her so low.

“Replaying what?” Timmy said. “Your eyes had that weird glazed look for a minute.”

“Asmodeus attacking her this morning,” Cosmo said. His stomach threatened to heave again. “There’s a memory she's trying to avoid, but it’s not working.”

“It’s that bad?” Timmy asked, and Cosmo nodded. Wordlessly, he brought them to Wanda’s bedside. Wanda glanced up, but she was looking through them. The harder she tried to avoid the trigger, the worse it became. Her lips trembled, and she gulped. Her complexion, already white, blanched to a ghostly pallor.

Cold sweat beaded her forehead.

“I wish I could see what it was,” Timmy said. Cosmo knew that wasn’t a good idea, but he wasn’t the one who tried to talk Timmy out of stupid wishes. That was Wanda’s job. Wanda was out of commission.

He raised his wand and granted the wish.

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Wanda couldn’t breathe. One of the men attacking her had pressed her face into the cheap tan carpet. Another was kneeling beside her to carve “slut” into her cheek, which was bleeding profusely. The dagger burned as it sliced through her skin. She didn’t cry; even if she could draw enough breath for it, she felt too numb.

Someone slapped her backside, and she shuddered. In an effort to displace herself from her assailants, she thought about ways to escape. She’d already abandoned hope of rescue. Asmodeus had a point. Cosmo and Timmy would’ve saved her if they wanted to. If anyone had cared, they would have come already.

Satisfied with his work, the second assailant sat back and studied her. “Didn’t her eyes used to be bright pink? They’re almost gray now.”

Asmodeus paced beside her. She would’ve had to strain her neck to look at him, which wasn’t worth the bother. Her first assailant finished and flipped her over with a sneer. She didn’t see what the point was. Asmodeus gave her out as a “favor” and an incentive for “training.”

He’d promised his comrades a godmother of their own to abuse once they broke Fairy World’s barrier. Maybe his soldiers were getting antsy and needed an outlet. She felt a twinge of revulsion but nothing more.

“Her hair is gray, too,” the first assailant remarked. “Is the dark magic tainting her?”

“Maybe,” Asmodeus said. She shut her eyes and focused on breathing. If she didn’t draw further attention to herself, perhaps they’d get bored and leave. Then she could clean up if she had the stamina for it. Perhaps she’d just lie on the floor until a sprite came in to bother her.

“She used to have wings and a crown,” the first assailant persisted. “And be a little plump.”

I used to be happy, she thought sourly. What’s your point?

“She’s still plump,” Asmodeus said distractedly. “Her stomach is fat.”

And hard. She suspected the truth, but she preferred to think she had a magically resistant tumor that would eventually kill her.

A shudder passed through her, but it wasn’t hers. It felt like Cosmo. That wasn’t right. He hadn’t been here. Was she imagining things?

“Should we fuck her again or let her lie there?” the first assailant, whose name she didn’t recall and didn’t care about, said. The second, who’d only been interested in slicing and dicing her like a piece of meat, departed. A tear slipped down her cheek; sometimes, she cried but didn't know why. She couldn’t access her emotions. They were tucked away, preferable to feeling her misery in full force.

Maybe she’d be fortunate and die before she had to unveil the breadth of her sorrow and despair. She wasn’t pregnant; it was cancer. She preferred to remain in denial.

Maybe it was cancer, in a way. It sucked whatever nutrients she’d had and left her hungry, sick, and weak.

She hadn’t felt that way about the twins, and she knew Cosmo hadn’t felt like that with Poof. It didn’t matter. She was still bleeding, battered, and bruised on the floor.

“You can’t die! I’ll die, too! I don’t wanna die! Wanda!” Cosmo whined.

He hadn’t been there. Her first instinct was to reassure him, but his voice jarred with her flashback. She gasped, feeling like she was coming up for air after almost drowning.

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When she stared around her, Timmy and Cosmo were gawking with their mouths agape. She was disconnected again. Waving her wand, she sent them home. Since Timmy’s house wasn’t an option, she brought them to her and Cosmo’s house in Fairy World. No sooner had she poofed them away than they returned, Timmy sputtering indignantly.

“What the hell!” he snapped. “What did you do that for?”

Cosmo sat on the bed before her. He stared into her eyes, and she flinched, looking away. After a few seconds, she forced herself to meet his gaze.

“Your eyes are gray,” Cosmo said quietly. “That’s not right.”

She shrugged. “It is what it is, hon. I’ve gotten used to it. I suppose I’m fading away.”

Scowling, she pushed Cosmo off when he tried to embrace her. She was sick of his theatrics and wished he and Timmy had remained in the cafeteria. Or, better yet, refrained from seeing her at all. The Council was irritated that Timmy had exploited a loophole. She should be grateful, but if she was, she couldn’t feel it.

“You know you’re not his, right?” Cosmo said urgently. “You don’t belong to Asmodeus.”

“I certainly don’t belong to myself anymore,” she huffed. “Besides…”

She twisted her arm so they could see the underside near her armpit. Cosmo hadn’t noticed before because the mark blended in with her other scars, but this wasn’t made by an iron dagger. It had been excluded from Timmy’s wish to heal her; it must’ve been created by dark magic.

“He branded you?” Timmy said furiously. The symbol was of Ouroborus eating its tail. She’d spent far too much time staring at it; she could see it when she closed her eyes.

“You’re wrong, Cosmo. Again,” Wanda said, unable to keep the exhaustion out of her voice. “I belong to Asmodeus. I am his property.”

Cosmo, horrified, gawked, jaw agape. Then he raised his wand, and its tip lit up. Nathaniel materialized in the middle of eating his lunch.

“What just happened?” Nathaniel said, holding his hot dog in one hand and his soda bottle in the other. “I was in the cafeteria, and now I’m here. You know you can use the call button, right?”

Cosmo shook his head and pointed his wand at Wanda’s arm. Words failed him.

“He branded her,” Timmy said quietly. “It escaped my wish earlier.”

“Branded her with dark magic, it appears,” Nathaniel said as he scarfed down his hot dog. He pressed his fingers to her arm and hissed, pulling his hand back. Wanda tried to avoid touching it whenever possible. It was feverish and wept pus.

“It’s infected!” Nathaniel exclaimed. “Holy…why didn’t you say anything earlier? It’s been eating your magic and body from the inside out. That’s why your hair and eye color changed.”

She shrugged; it always pulled on the skin when she did, but she’d learned to deal with the pain.

“No wonder your son almost died,” Nathaniel breathed. He tossed the soda bottle in the recycling bin and glowered. “It ate his light magic too. This answers some questions, but it raises a whole hell of a lot more.”

He scowled. “It also explains your despair. Granted, the situation was bad enough, but the brand is devouring what little happiness you might’ve had. It may also numb your emotions.”

She nodded, unsurprised. The more she learned about what Asmodeus did, the less pleasant it was.

“Son?” she repeated.

“He’s still in NICU,” Nathaniel said absently. “He was two weeks premature, and his temperature isn’t regulating.

“Meanwhile, I wish you’d told me about this sooner. You and Magdalene ought to trade numbers,” Nathaniel said, shaking his head. “You’re both martyrs.”

He raised his wand. “I’m taking you to Abraxas. I can treat the infection, but that brand can’t be removed without his assistance.”

“What about us?” Timmy said. “You’re not leaving us behind.”

“No, I suppose not,” Nathaniel said. He sighed, pinching his nose bridge. “Tell me this is a woman thing.”

“It’s a trauma response,” Wanda said quietly. When Nathaniel glanced at her, she snorted. “What? Did you think I’d missed that?”

She rolled her eyes. “I also suspected that I was pregnant, but I was in denial. Is the baby dangerously underdeveloped?”

“I haven’t had a chance to consult with the doctors there…” Nathaniel said, frowning and shaking his head. He raised his wand to bring them to another section of the hospital. There, they found an older fairy looking under a microscope and muttering darkly. Nathaniel cleared his throat. The male fairy started on his stool; they’d entered a laboratory, which was cold and sterile. She shivered. The brand might be burning up, but she was chilled.

“You didn’t get all of the dark magic,” Nathaniel said, pointing to the brand. Abraxas cursed. He ran his fingers over the brand, which made her hiss, especially when he pressed down. The harder he pressed, the worse it got until she screamed. Yellow pus was leaking out.

“He cursed her twice,” Abraxas said, scowling. “He really has it out for her.”

“You need to fix that before I can fix…” Nathaniel pointed toward the yellow pus.

“Understood,” Abraxas said. “That’s a strong curse on your arm; my guess is your body tried to fight it and failed, hence the infection.”

She nodded. Another transport brought them to what looked more like a healer’s tent than a traditional hospital. Abraxas bade her lie down and found comfortable chairs for Timmy and Cosmo. She suspected she would be put under and that this would take a while.

Maybe when she woke up, things would be different. Or maybe she wouldn’t wake up.

Cosmo yelped at the second part of her thought.

Abraxas scowled. Wanda hadn’t communicated it aloud, but he must’ve guessed. Waving his wand, he put her into a deep sleep. She no longer had to worry about shielding Cosmo from the worst of it. That was worth whatever it cost her to have the curse removed.

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They were on thin ice with the Council. Though none of its representatives had reappeared, Timmy and Cosmo had received a warning not to do anything else behind their backs. Timmy resented it. The only reason the Council cared was because they’d forced them into action. That was too bad. He doubted Wanda would’ve been able to handle Asmodeus for much longer. Like Cosmo, Timmy was terrified by Wanda’s suicidal ideation.

He’d always been closer to his fairy godparents than his birth parents. They saw each other more often, and although Timmy wouldn’t admit it aloud, he knew Cosmo and Wanda cared a lot more about him than his birth parents ever would. During the six months he and Cosmo had been separated from Wanda, Timmy had ruminated on the times he’d taken Wanda for granted. It made his stomach churn.

Yes, she’d suffered far worse at the hotel, but that wasn’t an excuse. If they’d treated her better earlier, she wouldn’t have ended up in the hotel in the first place. They should have listened to her about the geas.

Tears slipped down Timmy’s face. Since this was such a delicate procedure, he and Cosmo had been banished from the room. Timmy had expected Cosmo to throw a stink about it, but his godfather was oddly quiet. Timmy didn’t know if Wanda was semi-conscious and transmitting her thoughts or if Cosmo was worried, too.

His godfather kept flitting back and forth. He checked on Wanda when he could, but he also looked in on the premature baby fairy. Timmy didn’t understand why he was doing that. The baby wasn’t his; it was Asmodeus’s son, and Wanda had been forced to carry him. It wasn’t like she’d had a choice.

Timmy had tried asking and received a tight-lipped response. From what he could gather, Cosmo thought Wanda’s son was his, too. Timmy didn’t see how, but he wasn’t about to argue. The straits were dire enough.

He didn’t know what Wanda had thought prior to passing out that had put Cosmo in a tizzy, but Timmy could guess. There was a TV in the waiting room that recorded Wanda’s vitals, including her magic levels. Nathaniel had warned them that Wanda could have gone into organ failure. If Timmy was reading the chart correctly, Nathaniel was right. Wanda’s low magical ebb was contributing to her overall decline. Dark magic had overwhelmed her system, and she only had a small amount of her magic left.

“I wish I could talk to her,” Timmy said, staring at the TV screen.

“You can,” Cosmo said, poofing behind him and showering him with green fairy dust.

“She’s not awake,” Timmy pointed out.

Cosmo shrugged. “So? You can talk to her in her dreams.”

“I thought sedated people didn’t have dreams,” Timmy said.

“Sedated humans don’t,” Cosmo corrected. “Fairies can; they usually choose not to. But that doesn’t mean we can’t twist the rules.”

“Then I wish we could speak with Wanda in her dreams!”

Cosmo raised his wand, and they reappeared in The Lotus Hotel. Thankfully for Timmy’s sanity, Wanda was alone. She was battered and bruised, bleeding and clearly in agony from brutal attacks. Before she could look up at them, Cosmo healed her and restored her normal clothing.

“What are you two doing here?” Wanda said. She tensed, reaching for her wand, but it was nowhere to be found. “How are you two here?”

“Surprise!” Cosmo said, and her eyes narrowed. “Timmy wished us here!”

“You’re dreaming,” Timmy added hastily before Cosmo screwed this up any further. “I wished for us to be able to speak with you.”

Cosmo squeezed his wand again, and the blood-soaked comforter was clean and fresh. He produced a mirror and handed it to her. Her jaw dropped.

“Your hair and eyes are pink again like they should be,” Cosmo said firmly. Tears formed in her eyes, and she threw herself at Cosmo in midair. He caught her, and, for a minute, they spun about. Timmy smiled. After worrying about her for six months, it warmed his heart that his godparents were acting lovey-dovey again. Cosmo stroked her cheek, and she kissed him on the lips passionately. He ran his fingers through her curls.

“Back to normal,” Cosmo said when he pulled away. “We’re together like we should be.”

“Are you sure this is a dream?” Wanda asked. She shivered in Cosmo’s arms, and her expression darkened. “And not a nightmare?”

Cosmo faltered. “What’s the difference?”

“In my nightmares…” she paused, glancing at Timmy, and then continued. “In my nightmares, Cosmo usually attacks me.”

The blood drained from Timmy’s face. “Like, how?”

“Oh, sport,” Wanda said despondently. “You know how.”

“No, we don’t,” Cosmo said, and Timmy didn’t know whether it was because he was an idiot or afraid to be right.

In response, Wanda ran his fingers over the tally marks. Cosmo shuddered, recoiling, and then kissed her harder on the lips to compensate. He slipped his tongue over her lips, and she gasped, pulling him closer. It would’ve been a sweet moment if Wanda weren’t shaking like a leaf.

“What happens in the nightmares?” Timmy pressed.

“Cosmo and Asmodeus team up,” Wanda said, gulping. “Cosmo betrays me; sometimes, he brings me to Asmodeus for that reason. So, he can join in…”

She gasped and dissolved into tears. Cosmo’s eyes filled with tears, too. His arms were tight and secure around her; he raised his wand to lock the door.

“No one’s coming in here, but us,” Cosmo said confidently. She sighed and rested against him.

“You have your wings and crown in the dream,” Timmy said, taken aback.

“I also have pink hair and eyes,” she pointed out with a small smile. "I don’t know why my wings aren’t back when I’m awake, though.”

“That’s because Nathaniel is trying to treat the iron and rat poison infections,” Timmy said, wincing. “It looks like Asmodeus stabbed them through where your wings were.”

“Oh,” she said softly. “That makes sense, I suppose.”

Her wings fluttered. “I miss them, though.”

“And I miss you,” Cosmo said. He held her at arm’s length. “You’re not going to leave us again, right?”

Wanda smiled; it was pained, which made Timmy’s heart twist. She stroked Cosmo’s cheek and then kissed him on the lips. Cosmo reciprocated, and she pulled away (he whined.)

“No,” she said. “Just don’t go anywhere, okay? Either of you.”

“I can do that!” Cosmo said brightly. Her smile brightened and turned genuine.

“I love you both so much,” she said.

“We love you too,” Timmy said. Cosmo held his wand and raised Timmy to their level so they could hug her. It was a sweet moment, and for a few seconds, Timmy feared Asmodeus would somehow interrupt. He didn’t want him to. He didn’t want to see his godmother brutalized again. Wanda ran her fingers through Timmy’s hair, too.

She kissed Timmy on the cheek.

“I suppose you two might consider listening to me more often,” she teased.

“Do we have to?” Cosmo complained, but he was grinning when he said it. She elbowed him in the ribs affectionately.

“You should,” she teased. She closed her eyes and relaxed against them. This was comforting, and it felt like the tension they’d been running on for so long had faded away. They swooped toward the bed and cuddled with Wanda in the middle.

Timmy hugged Wanda from behind while Cosmo sandwiched her in front. She kissed Cosmo again and ran her fingers through his hair.

“I love you,” she murmured. She smiled. “Did you know, for the first time in months, I feel safe? And loved?”

“That’s because you are,” Cosmo said. She shut her eyes and leaned against him.

“I hope so,” she said. She kissed his neck and then nipped at it. Cosmo yelped, and she grinned mischievously.

“Uh, hello? Kid here!” Timmy protested, and she laughed.

“Sorry, sport,” she said. She frowned. “Did you want to discuss anything in particular?”

“Maybe not right now,” Timmy said. He didn’t want to upset her when everything felt calm and tranquil. She smiled again.

“Is Poof okay?” she asked.

“They wouldn’t let him leave Spellementary again,” Timmy said, his expression darkening. "He’s been really worried about you, too.”

Wanda nodded.

“We’ve all been worried,” Cosmo corrected. “I love you.”

“I love you too, sugar,” she reassured him. She hissed, startling them.

“What is it?” Cosmo said, springing up.

“I can feel the dark magic unwinding in my arm,” she explained. “It’s so intertwined with my light magic that it’s twisted together. It’s like thorns in my skin.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Timmy said anxiously.

“As long as I know you two are here, I should be okay,” she reassured them. She squeezed Cosmo’s hand, then Timmy’s. “Just don’t go anywhere.”

“We promise!” Timmy and Cosmo chorused. Her smile broadened.

“Good,” she said, shutting her eyes again. "I could get used to this.”

--------------------------

Abraxas was surprised but pleased when Wanda relaxed and looked peaceful. That would make removing the dark magic, already a tricky proposition, slightly easier. Judging by the green aura surrounding her, Cosmo and Timmy were involved. That was good. They had their uses, after all.

“I’ll do my best,” Abraxas promised and then scowled. “Still wish I could get at Asmodeus directly, although I know I’d have to wait in line.”

His lips twisted toward a weak smile. “Cosmo has first dibs on that asshole.”

-----------------------------

When Timmy fell asleep in the dream, Wanda returned him to the house. She knew she should send Cosmo, too, so Timmy wasn’t alone and unsupervised, but she didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts. Cosmo watched her avidly, his green eyes huge, and she nuzzled him.

“I assume the Council’s still upset?” she said, and he nodded. He kissed her on the lips, and she reciprocated with gusto. It was odd. After Asmodeus’s initial attempts to win her over, he abandoned trying to please her. He almost never kissed her, and it was never with the same warmth and passion that Cosmo put into it. Then again, Cosmo loved her. She was positive Asmodeus was incapable of love.

“It was worth it,” Cosmo said, grinning as he pulled away. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, sugar,” she said, frowning. "As much as I hate to say it, you should keep an eye on Timmy. I’ll be okay by myself.”

That was a lie. Unless she fell into a dreamless sleep, Asmodeus was bound to break into the room and ravage her again. She shuddered, looking away. Dream Asmodeus was just as savage as the real one. Sometimes, it was worse because her subconscious threw in Cosmo betraying her. A lump rose in her throat.

She groaned. The barrier. Right. She couldn’t hide anything from Cosmo. Even if she’d been a better liar, her thoughts gave her away.

“What’s Timmy going to do while he’s sleeping?” Cosmo scoffed. He thumbed her cheek. She kissed him, and the color rushed to her cheeks. She wanted more than kisses, but she also knew it was prudent to send Cosmo on his way rather than give in to her selfish desires. No matter how reassuring they might’ve been.

“You’re sending me mixed signals,” Cosmo whined.

“I know,” she said. “I want you to stay, but one of us has to be responsible. Heaven knows it’s not you.”

“I don’t want to go,” he protested. "I want to stay with you. I haven’t seen you in six months.”

“I know, sweetie,” she soothed. “I want you to stay too.”

“Then what’s the problem?” he said, grinning widely.

“The problem is that someone needs to keep an eye on our godson in case he wakes up and wanders around Fairy World on his own,” she said pointedly. Sighing, she grabbed her wand, squeezed it, and sent Cosmo away. Then, she cast a barrier around her dream to prevent him from re-entering.

She didn’t want to do it. She would rather have kept Cosmo with her. However, they needed to look out for Timmy, too. Besides, if her experience in the hotel had taught her anything else, it was that she wasn’t important enough to become anyone’s first priority.

Her shoulders slumped, and tears trickled down her cheeks. That was wrong; she knew it was wrong, and she still couldn’t buck it. Hopefully, the barrier surrounding her dream would prevent any unpleasant visitors. Even though she’d just sent Cosmo away, her heart ached for him.

Somehow, the six months of separation felt longer than their entire marriage. Maybe because she’d been alone during the worst part of her life. Or maybe because she’d changed so radically in between. Pressing her face into the pillow, she shuddered.

She still had no idea what had become of the twins, and she was afraid to ask. She doubted anyone in Fairy World knew. Asmodeus hadn’t thought much of females, but she knew he wouldn’t toss away potential heirs. He’d be livid to discover a male heir had escaped his grasp.

Then again, if the baby died, he’d be impossible. She shuddered; while she didn’t want the baby to perish, she was afraid of mothering a child born from rape. Cosmo, if her intuition proved correct, considered the infant his, too. It made no sense, but then again, most of what Cosmo did or thought made no sense.

She sobbed, wishing she’d been a little weaker, and kept him by her side. Being alone was more terrifying than anything else she could think of. Hopefully, her subconscious would avoid meddling in the dream. Unfortunately, that didn’t prevent her thoughts and memories from haunting her.

--------------------

It was a warm June day when Timmy awoke, feeling no more refreshed than he’d been before he lay down the night before and looked for his fairy godparents. Cosmo and Wanda were floating over his bed and wore concerned frowns.

“I know this is a lot, hon,” Wanda said softly, sympathetically. Timmy glared at the tally marks on her left arm. Usually, she wore black gloves to conceal them, but she must have forgotten this morning.

“Yeah, and it’s Asmodeus’s fault, too,” Timmy snapped.

“You don’t know that for certain,” she said as she and Cosmo descended onto the bed. “It’s best not to jump to conclusions until we have more evidence.”

“It’s because of his stupid obsession with you that he did it,” Timmy snapped. Wanda blinked, at first startled and then incredibly hurt. The black gloves appeared, as did a veil over her face he’d never seen before. It concealed her features and made her vibrant hair less noticeable.

“That’s not true,” Wanda said quietly. Her tone had slipped from sympathetic to emotionless. This must’ve been a trick she’d acquired in the Unseelie Court. Her body language was stiff and likewise blank.

“Yes, it is,” Timmy snapped. “He wanted to hurt you through me. It’s to make you go back to him. I wish you would.”

Wanda gasped. He thought he glimpsed tears through the veil. “Timmy, no. You don’t mean that.”

“You can’t wish harm on someone else,” Cosmo said. “It’s against Da Rules. Besides…I don’t want her to go back. You don’t want it either. You’re lashing out because you’re upset.”

Timmy glared at his godmother. “I can’t wish for my parents back. For all I know, Asmodeus will keep striking at me because he wants Wanda.”

Cosmo and Wanda looked at him; he surmised that Wanda wore the same shocked and pained look Cosmo did. They often mirrored each other. Cosmo flipped Wanda’s veil over to reveal her face, and she tugged it out of his grip. It was like she’d become remote to Timmy and untouchable. Her wand hand shook.

“That may be true,” Wanda said slowly. “But that doesn’t mean you should send me back. I know you don’t want me to suffer again. You love me, sport.”

Her breath caught on a sob. “You can’t want me back there.”

“Why not?” Timmy snarled. “You’re about as much use to me there as you are here. You’re worthless.”

“If that’s how you really feel about it,” she said, “then we’ll go.”

Cosmo glanced from Timmy to Wanda and back.

“You don’t mean it,” Cosmo said, pleading now. “You love us.”

“I hate you,” Timmy snapped. The words and loathing didn’t feel like his own. They felt poisoned as if he’d become Asmodeus’s pawn. In his mind, he saw Asmodeus grasp Wanda, throw her down onto the bed, and force her into any number of compromising positions. His dream self thought she deserved it and more.

The revulsion that was produced was enough to wake him out of a sound sleep.

------------------------

Timmy gasped, choking, and then pulled a wastebasket close to him and vomited. Since he’d stayed with Cosmo in Fairy World, he knew the room well enough to navigate it in the dark. It wasn’t dark for too much longer--Cosmo appeared, and his wand illuminated the scene.

Cold sweat trickled down Timmy’s neck and plastered his pajama shirt to his chest.

“Are you okay?” Cosmo said, handing him a glass of water to rinse his mouth. Timmy shook his head. His chest ached, and he couldn’t throw off the nightmare’s disturbing vibes. While his parents were inaccessible on Earth, that didn’t mean Asmodeus had killed them. Even if Asmodeus did it to strike at Wanda, Timmy would never punish her, especially not like that.

Timmy sobbed, squeezing his silly pink hat to his chest. Cosmo drifted to the bed and hugged him. His godfather waited until Timmy could speak before pressing him for more details. Timmy swallowed past a hard lump in his throat.

“I dreamt that my parents were dead, Asmodeus killed them, and I was so angry at Wanda,” Timmy whispered. “I blamed her for their deaths and…and…it was like something took over me. Like something wanted her to suffer for escaping. Like…I wanted Wanda to return to the Hotel and Asmodeus so he could restart the process.”

Timmy clung to Cosmo’s nightshirt. “I wanted to hurt her like my parents’ deaths had done to me. I wished she’d return to the Hotel.”

The color drained from Cosmo’s face.

“I don’t,” Timmy clarified. “Ever. It’s against Da Rules besides, but…the thought of Wanda anywhere near Asmodeus makes me want to vomit. Why would I dream that? Why…”

Timmy gasped. “I don’t want to lose her again, much less destroy her. What is wrong with me?”

“Wanda told me she kept dreaming that I’d betray her,” Cosmo said in a slow, unsteady voice. “That Asmodeus would use me against her, and then I’d join in attacking her.

“I love her. So much…”

Cosmo broke down into tears. This was when they needed Wanda as a calming influence. They had no one, so they clung to each other. As it happened, Timmy’s ADHD focus shifted. Another part of the dream bothered him, too.

“My parents aren’t gone, are they?” Timmy said as Cosmo wept into his shirt.

“I don’t know,” Cosmo admitted. “We spent so much time ensuring that your wish to get Wanda here wasn’t against Da Rules that we kinda forgot about anything else on Earth.”

Timmy nodded. If he hadn’t had that nightmare, he wouldn’t have thought about his parents since he hadn’t for months. Something about him being in Fairy World as opposed to Earth felt right.

“I wish I knew what was going on with my parents,” Timmy said. Cosmo’s wand tip lit.

The result was fuzzy static on the wand’s “screen.” Perplexed, Cosmo shook his wand to straighten out the signal, but nothing happened.

“What the heck?” Timmy said.

“Either my magic can’t find them, or the Council is punishing us for bringing Wanda here,” Cosmo said.

“She was going to die without us!” Timmy objected, outraged. “What crawled up their asses and died?”

“Vicky’s mean bug?” Cosmo suggested. His mood turned somber. “You don’t really want Wanda to go away, right?”

“Of course not!” Timmy said. He’d be hurt that Cosmo had considered it, but he knew Cosmo wasn’t the only one haunted by nightmares.

“I can’t lose her again,” Cosmo whispered. “I can’t.”

“You two belong together,” Timmy said. “I wish we could check on her.”

The wish worked this time, and they arrived in the tent to discover Wanda awake and staring around her. Her eyes alighted upon them, and she floated to meet them. Her wings fluttered, and her crown was back. Timmy and Cosmo whooped and hugged her.

“Are you going to be okay?” Cosmo asked. Tears ran down his face.

“Not yet, sugar,” she said, pecking him on the lips. “Abraxas wants to observe me for a few hours to ensure that the dark magic didn’t taint my organs. He disentangled it from my light magic, but he’s worried about any lingering traces.”

“Do you feel better?” Timmy blurted. Her eyes were vibrant and pink again, which was reassuring.

“What’s the matter, sport?” she said, touching his wet cheek. “You’ve been crying.”

“I had a stupid nightmare,” he said, and they descended to the cots. She tousled his hair affectionately.

“About what, sweetie?” she said. “Anything I can help with?”

He felt a surge of affection and love for her. It only made the nightmare more disturbing.

“I dreamt that I wanted you gone…” Timmy said and swallowed back a sob. “I wished you back to the hotel. It was like Asmodeus was controlling me.”

He couldn’t breathe for a minute for the sobs that erupted. When he could speak, he whispered, “I don’t want that. I would never want that. It was like I hated you. And…”

He dissolved into sobs again. “I love you…”

“Oh, sweetie…” she said and squeezed Timmy. “I know you love me. You’re afraid of losing me again, and that’s understandable. I’m not going anywhere if I can help it.”

“I don’t want to lose you either!” Cosmo wailed.

Wanda smiled bitterly. “I don’t want to lose myself. I just hope I have a choice this time.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” Timmy said, confused.

She sighed. “Asmodeus did a lot of damage, sport. It’s hard to push away the negativity he brainwashed me into thinking.”

“We love you! Isn’t that enough?” Cosmo protested. She turned her head, and their lips met. Cosmo kissed her passionately; Timmy sensed his godfather’s terror. She ran her fingers through Cosmo’s hair affectionately.

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “Don’t leave me, either, okay?”

“Okay,” they promised, and she sighed.

“We’re a family,” Timmy said, and a small smile tugged at her lips.

“That we are, hon,” she said, resting against Cosmo and Timmy. She closed her eyes. “I wish I knew what happened to the twins and my other son. And if I have to start worrying again.”

--------------------------------

Losing Wanda had been hard enough; Asmodeus had no idea how she’d slipped through his fingers. Losing all three of his heirs was quite possibly the strangest and most infuriating thing he’d ever encountered. The day after Wanda’s disappearance, he’d sent his latest doxie to check on the twins. He’d thought he had her under strict control, and she was sufficiently cowed.

That was not the case. Not only had the doxie vanished, but she’d also abducted the twins. He needed more than ever to eradicate Fairy World’s pesky barrier and reclaim what was his. With the barrier in place, too, he had no idea where his doxie might have taken Lily and Matilda.

It probably would’ve been worse if they’d been attached to him. They had this insanely strong attachment to Wanda. The sight of him made them burst into tears and then magically shove him out the door. Despite never having spent any time in his company, they loathed him.

Due to their magical composition, they could speak a few words at three months old. He’d tried teaching them his name.

To the girls, he was, however, “Bad man! Hurt Mama!”

Asmodeus had no idea where they’d picked that up. According to the wet nurse, they’d hated him since they knew who he was. Also, according to her, they’d known about him almost since birth. They were miserable, squalling infants who longed for their mother. Asmodeus had no idea how to break them of that habit, but the point was moot until he reclaimed them.

He assumed they’d headed straight for their mother in Fairy World.

Otherwise, where else could they have gone?

--------------------------

Lily and Matilda couldn’t find their mother--they didn’t realize that Fairy World Hospital had placed a secrecy spell on Wanda to prevent someone from coming after her. They looked for the closest relative and wound up at Spellementary.

They’d ditched their guardian right after hitting Fairy World, and now they floated in front of Poof.

The trio of infants blinked at each other. The twins didn’t know what to make of Poof. The only reason they knew his name was because an anti-fairy had pointed them in the right direction. Poof looked nonplussed.

“Where's Mama?” Lily demanded, electing herself as spokeswoman.

Poof’s forehead creased in confusion. “Whose mama?”

“Our mama,” Matilda added. She and Lily exchanged a glance and then said in unison, “Wanda.”

Poof’s eyes narrowed. “My mama. Not yours.”

“Our mama,” Lily corrected him. She folded her arms across her chest and tried to look imposing. “Where’s Mama?”

“Who are you?” Poof said.

The teacher, who’d been trying to collect the students to end recess, stared at the twins. “Who are you two?”

“We want Mama,” Lily said. “Mama Wanda.”

The teacher looked baffled. “Wanda is Poof’s mother.”

Lily and Matilda formed fists and pounded the air. “Our mama.”

“I, uh, I’d better contact Cosmo about this…” the teacher said, frowning. “As far as I know, Poof has no siblings…”

The name “Cosmo” sounded vaguely familiar to them. He meant something to Wanda. They would wait until they found out more. Nonetheless, they eyed Poof warily. Something told them he might not appreciate their sudden appearance.