(no subject)
Fandom: Fairly Oddparents
Canon or AU: AU
Fic: Blank Space
A/N: About half of this was written on the train to DC.
I hope Grammarly works on the iPad, but I doubt it.
EDIT: Grammarly does not work well on the iPad, especially since this chapter was 8k. It didn’t like the length. I’m not bothering to proofread this and fix whatever Grammarly objected to stylistically. Deal with it. XD
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He’d locked his door, and Vicky had burned it down with a flamethrower. Timmy was at Vicky’s whims without his fairies, and she’d managed to create the filthiest bathroom known to man while he’d been hiding in his room. Looking at it made him gag, and he had to clean it from top to bottom until it sparkled.
He knew the fairies had left him to check on Chloe and Tootie, which only stoked his resentment. He had difficulty sympathizing with anyone, especially someone who had supposedly as bad a situation as him, if not worse. While he knew that Tootie needed someone to help her, he loathed that it was Wanda. Wanda was his godmother, not hers.
As for Chloe, he’d seen no evidence she needed fairies, especially not Cosmo. Timmy growled, kicking over the dirty soap water. He cursed inwardly; he’d have to clean that up, too. If he didn’t, Vicky would probably tell his parents he was slacking, and they’d find another reason to argue about him. His shoulders sank.
Cosmo and Wanda might be splitting up; his parents definitely were, and he was alone in a rank bathroom and stuck in the house with his worst enemy. Timmy kicked the toilet, yelped in pain, and then swore loudly. What was the point in having fairy godparents if he had to share them? This was bullcrap.
Creeping up the stairs to the first floor, he glanced at Vicky, watching TV and laughing at other people’s misery. With his godparents around, this would’ve been tolerable. Without them, Timmy wanted to pick a fight. It wasn’t wise to pit himself against Vicky, especially when she had at least a foot and a half on him, not to mention significantly more sway with his parents. Wanda would’ve told him to take a few deep breaths and think about it.
Wanda wasn’t here. Timmy’s chest was tight, and tears burned his eyes. Jorgen might as well have wiped his memories if he was going to screw Timmy over this badly.
Advancing up the stairs with the dirty, wet sponge, he pushed open the basement door.
“What are you doing up here?” Vicky snapped. She sneered at his sodden clothes, covered in grime. “There’s no way you’re finished.”
”What did you do?” Timmy retorted. “Dump an entire porta-potty into the basement bathroom?”
“It doesn’t matter what I did,” she said with a saccharine smile. “You have to clean it up, twerp. Get back to work!”
The doorbell rang, and the two glanced at each other. Sneering, Vicky indicated that Timmy should answer. He was tempted to flip her off, but he feared the repercussions. Plus, despite her absence, he didn’t want to do anything Wanda might disapprove of. Her influence hung over him, and his chest ached. He missed her and Cosmo fiercely.
Timmy opened the door to discover Chloe standing on the other side. Magdalene, Nathaniel, and Cosmo were disguised as pins on her backpack. If the fairies hadn’t been present, Timmy would’ve slammed the door in her face without a second thought. Cosmo winked, and Timmy glared, torn between ignoring Chloe and letting her in, if only for Cosmo’s companionship.
“Oh, look, it’s one of your ‘friends,’” Vicky said, smirking. “Gonna help him clean out the bathroom, twerpette?”
”I was going to help him with his homework,” Chloe said. She glanced at Timmy. “Can I come in?”
”He’s not touching his homework until the bathroom is spotless,” Vicky said, cackling. “Get back to it, twerp!”
”I wish the bathroom were spotless,” Chloe muttered. The fairies granted the wish, and Timmy grimaced. Great, now he owed Chloe a favor; being indebted to her was not how he’d planned on spending the afternoon. Plus, he was suspicious that she wanted to help him with anything. She was trying to ingratiate herself with him, and it wouldn’t work. He wasn’t about to forget that she was the enemy, too.
Vicky scoffed, waving her hand. “Whatever. Do your homework, see if I care. Ooh, there was an apartment fire. No survivors!”
She cackled and turned away to watch TV again. Timmy glared at Vicky and then Chloe before stomping upstairs. When he reached the second floor, he said over his shoulder, “You might as well come in now that I owe you one.”
”That’s not why I did it,” Chloe protested, closing the front door and then hastening up the stairs after him. Timmy stopped in the doorway and then facepalmed. He’d forgotten that his door was gone.
”I wish the door was back,” Timmy grumbled, and it returned after he and Chloe settled themselves in his bedroom.
“What do you want?” Timmy snapped. Chloe sat on the bed near him, and Timmy shifted away so there was at least a foot between them. As far as he was concerned, she had no right to Cosmo.
“I thought we could be friends,” Chloe said. “Just because we’re sharing fairies doesn’t mean we have to be enemies.”
”It wouldn’t if you deserved them,” Timmy countered. He folded his arms across his chest. “It’s not my fault Jorgen felt sorry for you.”
”Uh…that’s not what happened,” Cosmo said, wincing. The fairies had shifted back into their normal forms. “She deserves us.”
”No, she doesn’t,” Timmy snarled, infuriated that Cosmo was taking Chloe’s side. “She’s ’practically perfect in every way.’ Straight As, pretty, and probably popular in her last school. She’s also probably ‘the best at everything she does’ and obnoxious. I don’t need her pity wishes.”
“You think I'm pretty?” Chloe said, surprised. Timmy ignored her.
“Maybe you should tell him,” Magdalene said, wincing. “It might be the only way he’ll understand.”
Timmy folded his arms across his chest. “You stole Cosmo, and Tootie stole Wanda. I don’t care why Jorgen thinks you deserve godparents. You don’t.”
”You don’t know the whole story,” Cosmo protested.
“I can’t wish for her to tell me,” Timmy snapped. “Gimme back my godfather and get lost.”
”Chloe,” Magdalene said quietly but firmly. “Tell him.”
Chloe visibly steeled herself and looked Timmy in the eye. She glanced at the fairies, who nodded supportively. Timmy glared, prepared to be underwhelmed. It was on the tip of his tongue to berate her for stalling, except, as self-absorbed as he could be, he could still see that Chloe was struggling. Against his better judgment, his anger faded.
”What?” Timmy said gently. Chloe gulped, rubbing her arms. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and Timmy hated himself for feeling sympathetic. She was the enemy, and he’d already established that he’d never pity her. No matter what had happened, she didn’t deserve fairy godparents.
“Does it matter?” Chloe asked, sounding despondent.
“Of course!” Magdalene said.
“He’ll understand if you tell him,” Cosmo added.
“Understand what?” Timmy said sourly.
“You know that I moved here from the East Coast, right?” she said, and he nodded. Her face crumpled, and she hugged her knees. Cosmo frowned, floating beside her, and Magdalene stroked her hair.
“We couldn’t afford to live in Boston anymore,” Chloe said. “My parents are-were-global activists who do-did-charity work. My mom still does, but my dad-“
She choked, and the fairies hugged her.
When she’d recovered, her voice trembled. “When my dad died, my mom’s relatives offered to help us if we moved to California. There were strings attached, but…it was our best option, so we took it.”
Chloe stared at the wooden floor. “Mom still does a lot of humanitarian work, so she’s not at home most of the time.”
”Then you must have a babysitter, too,” Timmy said. Chloe shook her head.
”I’ve never had a babysitter,” Chloe said, smiling sadly. “I take care of myself.”
Timmy frowned. “What do you mean? Your mom can’t just, like, leave you home alone 24/7.”
”It’s not all the time…” Chloe hedged and sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It’s most of the time, though. That’s partly why Jorgen gave me Cosmo. It was supposed to be Cosmo and Wanda, but then…”
She shrugged. He frowned; there was something else that she wasn’t telling him. Her expression was haunted.
“All of it,” Magdalene said gently. “He needs to know the whole story.”
Tears slipped down Chloe’s cheeks, and she gasped. Sobs erupted, and Timmy was lost. It felt like he’d shattered something within Chloe, and he didn’t understand why Magdalene was so insistent. Feeling awkward, Timmy shifted closer toward the towheaded girl. Chloe was sobbing, and Timmy’s stomach twisted. Even when Tootie cried, she didn’t sound that miserable. Chloe sounded like a shell of a person.
”It’s okay,” Timmy said weakly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’ve heard enough.”
”No,” Chloe said, rubbing at her face. Magdalene conjured a handkerchief, which Chloe used to dry her tears.
“There’s more to it,” Chloe said, stiffening her upper lip. “Dad was-Dad called me during a-a weekly check-up via FaceTime.”
Chloe dissolved into sobs, rocking back and forth. A hard ball dropped into Timmy’s stomach. Cosmo wouldn’t meet his gaze, and Magdalene and Nathaniel worked on calming Chloe down enough to continue.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. I get it,” Timmy said weakly. Chloe ignored him.
”I was talking-was talking-to him on the phone,” Chloe said, struggling to push the words out. “When he was-he was-“
Magdalene squeezed Chloe’s hand. Chloe turned to face Timmy and lifted her head so their eyes met.
”A snake snuck up behind him,” she whispered. “I saw it happen, but it was too late to warn him. The snake was venomous. It-he died before-before I could get help.”
Her words trailed off, and she hung her head. Tears choked her, and Timmy felt like crap. Wanda had often warned him about being quick to jump to conclusions and compare himself to others, but he hadn’t listened. If anyone in this room deserved fairy godparents, it was Chloe. He felt sick thinking about how quickly he’d misjudged her.
”I’m sorry,” he whispered, though it felt grossly inadequate. Magdalene and Nathaniel cradled Chloe and rocked her back and forth.
”I told you he’d understand,” Cosmo said quietly, subdued. “Timmy’s a good kid.”
Timmy sat there awkwardly until Chloe calmed down enough to speak again.
”I wanted to be friends,” Chloe said softly, sounding dejected. “I thought if we were friends, we could share the fairies. Then you wouldn’t hate me for having Cosmo, too.”
”I don’t-“ Timmy faltered. He had no idea how to react. This was so far beyond his depth he was floundering.
“You guys knew?” Timmy asked, and the fairies shook their heads.
”We didn’t know the extent,” Magdalene said. She produced a large folder and pulled out a single sheet of paper. “All her file says is that she has a busy mother who has almost no time for her and that her father died recently. That’s it.
“I don’t know why the file has two sentences that barely cover the scope of the problem, but with the fairy godparent shortage and the pay backlog, they may have had too many potential godchildren and not enough time to generate these backgrounds.”
”I’m sorry,” Timmy said. “It’s just that with my parents divorcing and arguing, and Cosmo and Wanda arguing…”
Cosmo grimaced, looking guilty. Wordlessly, he poofed away, possibly to check on Wanda. Timmy was too disgusted with himself over how he’d misjudged Chloe to be upset that Cosmo was gone.
“Would you like to be cleaned up?” Magdalene said, and Timmy started. He’d forgotten how disgusting his clothes were. He nodded, and she swapped him into a fresh set. Timmy glanced at Chloe; an apology felt inadequate. Now he knew how Cosmo felt when trying to grapple with what he’d done to Wanda, except Cosmo’s behavior had gone on much longer, not to mention being meaner.
And he was encouraged by Timmy, whose shoulders sank. He owed Wanda an apology, too.
“Why don’t we try opening up the books and see what Crocker stuck you two with,” Magdalene said brightly. “You were studying the post-WWII era in history class.”
Timmy’s lips twitched toward a weak smile. That was what he was supposed to have cared about. It’d slipped his mind.
“We can do our homework together,” Chloe proposed, and Timmy nodded.
“I’m really sorry,” he said, grimacing.
“It’s okay,” Chloe said, though they both knew it wasn’t. She squeezed his hand. “Thanks for letting me in.”
”I only let you in ‘cuz you had Cosmo and the other two,” Timmy said, chagrined.
”It’s better than nothing,” Chloe said, shrugging. “I’ll take what I can get.”
”You shouldn’t have to,” Timmy protested. Chloe smiled sadly.
”I shouldn’t have to do a lot of things,” she said. Though her features were childlike, her gaze was haunted, and she looked far beyond her years. “That doesn’t mean I can avoid them.”
She swung her backpack around. “We might as well get started.”
”Or we could play the not-study game!” Timmy said. Homework wasn’t the best way to blow off steam, and Chloe looked like she could use a stress reliever. Besides, homework could always wait.
”What’s that?” she said.
”Oh, no,” Magdalene muttered, facepalming. “I know what he’s about to say.”
Timmy sprang to his feet and raced toward the video game console. “We’re already playing!”
Magdalene facepalmed, and Timmy grinned at Chloe.
”It’s educational and violent, but mostly violent! Yay, violence!” he called.
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Juandissimo shouldn’t have been in the running. She’d dismissed him thousands of years ago after the tape and meeting Cosmo. Juandissimo was a self-aggrandizing, narcissistic jerk, and she deserved better. Or, at least, that had been the argument she’d posed when she’d dumped him. At the time, Cosmo seemed to be over the moon and in love with her. It felt like nothing could go wrong.
Wanda laughed bitterly. Lately, it felt like everything was going wrong. Tootie had a godparent, and maybe her situation would improve. Wanda had to keep that silver lining in mind, or she might lose her sanity. She was perilously close to it as it was.
It wasn’t just that Mama Cosma had taken advantage of a schism in Cosmo and Wanda’s relationship. It was that it existed, to begin with. Fairies didn’t mate for life like certain animals, and supernatural creatures did (like unicorns and dragons), but divorce was unlikely after such a long marriage. Then again, maybe Wanda looked at the situation through rose-colored glasses and was hip-deep in denial of how Timmy was about his parents.
Tootie was doing her homework with headphones in case Vicky returned in a bad mood. It gave Wanda too much time to think, which led to her ruminating again. Serving Cosmo divorce papers would solve the immediate problem, but it wouldn’t get to the root of it. Plus, the thought of living the rest of her life without him was excruciating.
Her lips twisted sourly. It sounded like Cosmo had already contemplated that option; from his nasty remarks, he might endorse it. She choked back a sob, and Tootie removed her headphones to look at her.
“Are you okay?” Tootie said. “You can talk to me, you know.”
Wanda feigned a smile. “Oh, hon, it wouldn’t be right. I’ll work it out on my own, or I won’t. But it wouldn’t be fair to put it on a child.”
“Put what on a child?” Cosmo said, poofing beside Wanda. He frowned, studying her. “Are you crying?”
Tootie closed the laptop. “Cosmo’s right--wow, that’s a sentence I thought I’d never say.”
“You and Timmy both,” Cosmo said, smiling brightly. Wanda huffed, rolling her eyes. She’d preferred it when Tootie was doing her homework and ignoring her. The sudden attention was uncomfortable after being ignored for so long. It felt like she was being put on the spot.
“Anyway,” Tootie said, rolling her eyes. “You need to talk to someone. You can’t keep it bottled up.”
“Why are you crying?” Cosmo said. “Do you miss me and Timmy?”
She gritted her teeth. “I miss how things used to be before you hit on everyone under the sun and insulted me. And Timmy joined in.”
Tootie hissed. “You didn’t tell me he joined in.”
“Sweetie…” Wanda grimaced and then grabbed Cosmo by the arm. Her grip was punishing and bound to leave a bruise. “This isn’t the type of conversation to have in front of a child. You should know better.”
“We’ve been arguing in front of Timmy,” Cosmo pointed out. Growling, she poofed them to the living room. Tootie didn’t need to hear them air their dirty laundry.
“We shouldn’t have done that either,” she snapped. She released him and glowered. “Besides, I’m surprised you weren’t too busy eyeing Magdalene or hitting on someone else to show up.”
“I said I was sorry!” Cosmo protested.
“What makes you think ‘sorry’ is good enough for what you put me through?” she retorted. “Besides, ‘sorry’ means nothing if you’re going to keep flirting with everyone else, and acting like being married to me is some sort of punishment.”
“I…I thought…” Cosmo faltered, looking at the floor instead of her.
“You thought what? That it was funny? Or that you wanted someone else?” Wanda snapped. “Because if you really want someone else--”
“I don’t!” Cosmo said. His green eyes widened in alarm. “You’re the only one I’ve ever really wanted. I swear.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Or maybe I’m just the only one who said ‘yes.’ Maybe I should’ve expected you to eventually get cold feet when I was your first and only girlfriend.”
Part of her knew that she wasn’t being fair. She was lashing out at Cosmo to hurt him and try to inflict the same pain he’d given her. That didn’t mean it wasn’t true. It also didn’t mean she could trust him again after everything he’d put her through.
“And maybe I should’ve expected you to return to Juandissimo!” he shot back. She facepalmed.
“Cosmo,” she said, at the end of her rope, “Juandissimo is only involved in this because he’s Tootie’s father. It has nothing to do with me. I’ve never cheated on you. I would never cheat on you.”
She glared. “But it says a lot about your trust in me that you think I would. Or maybe that’s your guilty conscience talking. I don’t know, hon. Maybe you’re so full of it, you don’t know which end is up.”
Cosmo’s jaw dropped. “Juandissimo is Tootie’s father? How did that happen?”
Wanda’s eyes narrowed. “How do you think it happened, moron? That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?” he said, and she growled.
“You don’t trust me, and I can’t trust you after you’ve put me through the wringer. If you think so little of me that you think I’d run back to Juandissimo, or if you’re using that as an excuse for your poor behavior, then maybe I should file those papers.”
“What papers?” Cosmo said, and then the color drained from his face. “No! Wanda, please.”
Tears slipped down his cheeks, and he latched onto her. He buried his face in her back below her wings. “Please. I love you. Please don’t leave me. I’ll do whatever it takes to win you back. I swear.”
She sighed, pinching her nose bridge. “I need to stop giving in to you. I keep excusing your mistreatment for the sake of our marriage. It’s not worth it anymore if this is how you see me.”
Cosmo was ugly crying now, and his trembling was so violent that it made her shake. It was almost impossible to hold out against him when he was this miserable. Their lives were intertwined, and she’d given him far too much leeway.
He was soaking her shirt, and he kissed her lower back. Color rushed to her cheeks, and her breathing grew shallow. She needed to get a hold of herself. It’d been too long since he’d shown her much affection, and she felt touch starved. She trembled like a junkie in need of a fix.
“Forgive me…” he wept. “I love you. Please don’t leave me. I swear, I’ll do better. I’ll be better. I love you so much.”
She sighed and tried to push him away. He held her so tightly that she had lost feeling in the lower half of her body. She had to hold firm and not waver, even as he pressed kiss after kiss into her back. Her throat tightened. Cosmo released her only to kiss her on the lips.
She couldn’t give in. She couldn’t let him off the hook.
Tears slipped down her cheeks, too. She caught herself before kissing him back and used her wand to push him away. Tears choked her, and she wanted to vanish. However, she doubted there was anywhere she could go that Cosmo wouldn’t follow.
Damn him and his effect on her. He didn’t deserve her forgiveness, especially since he hadn’t proved that he would change his behavior.
Clenching her eyes shut, she said, “I love you, too, sugar. That’s why this is killing me. Because you’re not the same man I married or the one I fell in love with.”
She shook her head. “I should check on Tootie. You should go back to Timmy.”
“We should go back to Timmy,” he corrected. “We’re a team.”
She smiled bitterly. “Not anymore, we’re not. Go back to Timmy, hon. I’m sure he’s probably pestering Vicky.”
“Not until you tell me we’re okay!” he pleaded.
“We’re not okay,” she said and swallowed a lump in her throat. “I don’t know if we’ll ever be okay again. I can’t deal with this right now.”
He clasped her to his chest, and despite her wand between them, which was burning his chest, he still held her. Their lips met, and she dropped her wand before it seriously hurt him. She couldn’t get a grip on herself. This relationship was toxic right now, and she couldn’t walk away.
((I love you, I love you, I love you…)) he whispered in her mind. She gasped back a sob, and when she pushed him away, he let her. He wasn’t the type to force her into anything, which she appreciated.
It was impossible to lie mind to mind, which bothered her because it made the issue so much murkier. He honestly meant what he said, and she wanted to give in so badly that she was aching with need. They’d never had a problem like this before. They’d always kissed and made up before things had escalated so far.
“I love you, too, hon,” she whispered, feeling utterly bereft. “Please, go back to Timmy.”
Cosmo gazed at her and then thumbed her cheek. “I’m going to fix this. I swear.”
She barked a humorless laugh. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“I will,” he said fiercely. “You’ll see.”
His eyes welled with tears. “I love you so much.”
Wanda thought unwillingly of Timmy and his parents. Love wasn’t always enough. The recollection was enough to drive her into hysterical sobbing, and she didn’t know what to do with herself. Nearly ten thousand years was a long time, even by fairy standards.
“I love you, too,” she whispered. She wanted to be with him again more than anything in the universe, but there was no relationship without trust. She hugged herself; in the distance, she heard Timmy calling Cosmo. That was odd--she shouldn’t be able to hear Timmy’s summons when she wasn’t his godparent anymore. Maybe it was a residual effect.
“I’m gonna fix this,” he swore again. He kissed her passionately on the lips, and she opened her mouth to him without thinking. She had to resist him, but she wasn’t sure how long she could hold out.
With a great effort, she wrenched herself away from him. Cosmo’s lower lip quivered, and he kissed her hand before poofing back to Timmy. She covered her mouth with her hand and sobbed. Tootie was calling her, too.
She wasn’t in any shape to be a decent godmother, not in this state. She hated herself for giving in, even a little, and hated herself even more for fighting it in the first place. Gods, she was a mess.
Her throat tightened, and she shook her head at herself. She was being foolish in the extreme. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to stop.
If Tootie hadn’t called her, Wanda would’ve followed Cosmo back to Timmy. The knowledge made her feel even more wretched.
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By the time Big Daddy had brought Juandissimo up to speed about Wanda’s marriage difficulties, Juandissimo was incensed. Like Big Daddy, he believed Cosmo didn’t deserve to be anywhere near Wanda, much less remain married to her. It wasn’t enough that Cosmo had made Wanda cry once-this was a pattern.
That meant Cosmo had made Wanda miserable for six months. Juandissimo was a lover, not a fighter, but he had to suppress his rage. He would win her back. He would prove to her, once and for all, that he was a far superior fairy.
First, he had to figure out how Cosmo had charmed his way into her heart thousands of years ago. Then he had to unearth what gave him staying power, when anyone with any sense would’ve dumped him at the curb months ago. His fists balled as he waited for Cupid to finish reviewing files about impending love matches. Cupid would know how to help.
Juandissimo also had a crush on Cupid (much like Tootie had one on Wanda). If he ever gave up on Wanda, he might consider chasing Cupid. Or perhaps not chasing-Cupid had given every indication that he reciprocated Juandissimo’s feelings. If Big Daddy hadn’t told him the truth about Wanda’s marriage, Juandissimo would probably have tried to get over Wanda and pursue someone who wanted him back.
After almost ten thousand years, that would’ve been a novel concept.
Cupid groaned, putting his tablet in sleep mode, and turned to Juandissimo. They were at an exclusive Fairy World restaurant, and Juandissimo couldn’t help but feel they were on a date. He reminded himself not to get distracted; he finally had a chance to win Wanda over again. He shouldn’t squander it by letting other feelings interfere.
”You know,” Cupid said, grimacing, “there’s every chance they’ll work it out.”
”He does not deserve her,” Juandissimo growled. “He has treated her badly, and now he thinks he can worm his way back into her heart?”
”He never left it,” Cupid pointed out, sipping a martini. “Fairies don’t normally stay married as long as they have, not unless they’re soulmates.”
”They cannot be soulmates,” he snapped.
“Juan,” Cupid said, and Juandissimo coloured at the nickname. “You’re fighting a losing battle. You know that. Give up the ghost.”
”I cannot, not while I know that I could treat her better.”
”You had your chance,” Cupid reminded him. “She chose Cosmo. While I applaud your dedication, there has to be a point when you admit defeat.”
Cupid squeezed Juandissimo’s hand on the table.
“There’s also no guarantee that she’d be receptive to your advances after Cosmo’s burned her.”
”I cannot sit back and watch this,” Juandissimo said, outraged. Cupid thumbed his palm, and Juandissimo’s heart skipped a beat. This wasn’t fair. Being pansexual had never led him into so much trouble before. It was awful to have feelings for two people simultaneously, especially when one had come out of nowhere.
“It’s also none of your business,” Cupid said delicately. ”You’ve tried unsuccessfully for millennia to break them up.”
Juandissimo wanted to be angrier and refute Cupid’s statements, but he knew the love god was right. Cupid shifted from sitting across the table to slide closer to him in the booth. Juandissimo’s heart skipped several beats.
”I never had a chance before,” Juandissimo said, though he felt like he was arguing for the sake of it.
Cupid raised his eyebrows. “You and I both know what the odds are.”
Juandissimo huffed. Blonde had said something similar-when Wanda had her mind set on something, she would have it, one way or another. It was one of the many ways she and Big Daddy were similar and also why Big Daddy favored Wanda over Blonda.
“Si, but…”
“You don’t have a leg to stand on,” Cupid said, smiling sympathetically. “Why don’t you chase after someone who wants it for a change?”
Juandissimo went bright red. He turned to face Cupid and ignored how his heart pounded.
”And who would that be?” he said, feeling like a teenager again. Hormones were rushing around like mad.
“Oh, I think you know,” Cupid said, grinning. He stroked Juandissimo’s cheek. “Don’t insert yourself into their affairs. You’ll be happier.”
Juandissimo sighed. He felt like he was being torn in two different directions.
“I cannot simply give up on her,” he protested.
”Don’t expect me to help you win her over,” Cupid warned. He pulled away, and Juandissimo grimaced. He couldn’t have it both ways. If he wanted Wanda, then he had to accept Cupid’s rejection. Conversely, if he wanted Cupid, then he needed to accept that he’d never have another chance at Wanda.
“I will not,” Juandissimo said, but he drooped in his seat. Cupid pecked him on the cheek.
”It’s not all that bad,” he said. “Come back to me when you’ve finally figured things out.”
Cupid vanished into a cloud of fairy dust, and Juandissimo groaned. The love god had left him with the bill.
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It was a good thing that Timmy had “backup” godparents, because Cosmo was useless after visiting Wanda. He wouldn’t tell them what had happened, but he’d gone into the fish bowl hours ago and hadn’t returned. The last Timmy’s had seen of him, Cosmo had been sobbing hysterically and begging Wanda to forgive him. Timmy’s throat was tight.
No wonder Wanda was having difficulty resisting him. Timmy was, too. Part of him was tempted to give in just to make the pleading stop. He was also tempted because he knew both godparents were miserable. Seeing his parents morose and belligerent was painful enough. Seeing his godparents, who should’ve been relationship goals, fighting was more than he could bear.
But “true love blah blah blah.” Magdalene and Nathaniel were trying to distract him, but it wasn’t working. Chloe, who seemed more attuned to his moods than hers, poked Timmy after he’d lost another boss fight by doing something stupid again.
”Maybe you should talk to her,” Chloe suggested. “Without Cosmo.”
Timmy put down the controller. At least he didn’t fling it aside like he had last time. Folding his arms across his chest, he snapped, “But that means I have to deal with Tootie.”
”So, deal with Tootie,” Chloe said. Her expression softened. “You and Cosmo are miserable. Maybe talking to Wanda will help.”
”Maybe,” Timmy said, though he wasn’t sold on the idea. “I hate seeing my parents argue; I know that adults divorce all the time. But Cosmo and Wanda aren’t like that. They’re…”
His throat tightened, and he swallowed hard. “They’re supposed to be together. They’re a literal fairy tale romance.”
Chloe shifted on the bed to face him. “What prompted her to leave? Maybe you should start with that.”
Timmy frowned. “Cosmo and I were making stupid cracks about her, like about her weight, and her nagging, and her stupid lectures, and…”
He faltered. “You don’t think she left because of that, do you?”
Magdalene frowned, swooping down toward them. “It sounds to me like she felt unappreciated and unwanted. Tootie is probably so desperate for any attention that Wanda’s arrival probably felt heaven sent.”
”But she’s not, because she’s my godmother,” Timmy said stubbornly.
”Ah, but did she feel like that? Or did she feel like you were just using her and then tossing her to the side when you lost interest or didn’t need her for wishes?” Magdalene said.
”That’s ridiculous,” Timmy scoffed. “That’s what fairies are meant for. Granting wishes. And…”
He looked uneasy.
“How long have you had Cosmo and Wanda for?” Magdalene pressed.
”Over a year now,” Timmy said, folding his arms across his chest. “That’s why it’s ridiculous. They know what the job is.”
”And you don’t think, in that time, you might’ve gotten attached to them? Or vice versa? I don’t mean ‘attached to what they can do for you.’ I mean, attached to them emotionally. They’re here for you when your parents aren’t or can’t be.”
Timmy couldn’t meet her gaze. “Maybe.”
He sighed, staring at the game over screen rather than meet anyone’s gaze. “Yes. But Wanda kept getting in the way. She kept warning me about stupid stuff and prevented me and Cosmo from having fun.”
”Was that it? Or was it because she was worried your wishes would have consequences that you didn’t consider?” Magdalene said.
”Whose side are you on?” Timmy snapped. “Kids want to have fun. That’s what we do. I don’t need someone lecturing me about how not to do things.”
“Wanda said that Vicky’s onto you,” Magdalene reminded him gently. “Wanda’s trying to protect you from your bad decisions, even while you keep making them.”
Magdalene snorted humorlessly. “I’m familiar with Vicky. You must’ve pulled off a doozy of a wish to make her suspicious. That girl has the common sense of a bag of rocks.”
“How do you know Vicky?” Timmy said, temporarily derailed. “You were living in Fairy World for the past six hundred years, weren’t you?”
”I was living on Earth,” Magdalene said; it was her turn to look away. Her expression was pained. “In exile, as Jorgen said. I had lost almost all of my magic, and I was keeping an eye on my family.”
”Huh?” Timmy said.
”It’s a long story,” Magdalene said, grimacing. “We don’t have to rehash it now.”
”How exactly were you living on Earth?” Nathaniel said, frowning. “Jorgen wouldn’t say. He only said that you put yourself through unnecessary hardship and punishment. When I questioned him about how you returned to Fairy World, he shut me down.”
”I don’t want to talk about it,” Magdalene said, her voice tight. “It’s not important.”
”You said you were ‘keeping an eye on your family,’” Timmy said, complete with air quotes. “What does that have to do with Vicky?”
Magdalene sighed, massaging her temples. “Do you ask Cosmo and Wanda this many personal questions?”
”Yes,” Timmy said, obstinate. “They’re my godparents. They’re my family.”
He swallowed past a lump in his throat. “They’re my family, and I’ve been treating them badly.”
Tears slipped down his cheeks. Chloe patted him on the shoulder and looked sympathetic, which he didn’t want. He didn’t deserve her sympathy when this was something he’d encouraged.
“Maybe you should tell Wanda that,” Magdalene said gently, guiding the conversation back onto safe ground. Nathaniel was giving her a sharp look that warned the topic might’ve been tabled, but it wasn’t finished.
“Only if you tell me how Vicky is somehow part of your family,” Timmy countered. Magdalene groaned.
“We’re not closely related,” Magdalene said. “Generations removed. I’m her great-grandmother many times over. I’ve been keeping an eye on what’s left of my family as a way to feel connected to someone.”
”And Vicky knows about you?” Timmy asked skeptically.
”Oh, no,” Magdalene said, looking somber. “Until Jorgen brought me back to Fairy World, everyone thought I was dead. I had no close friends or relationships.”
”That sounds lonely,” Chloe said.
Magdalene’s expression was pained. “You could say that.”
”You were cut off from Fairy World, right?” Nathaniel said, to which Magdalene nodded. “How did you get your magic? You need to have your wand tuned up every so often and replaced when it wears out.”
”I didn’t,” Magdalene said. She shook her head. “That isn’t the point. We’ve strayed too far. Timmy, talk to Wanda. I’ll send you over to Tootie, and we’ll figure out how to handle things if Vicky ever becomes suspicious.”
Timmy knew Wanda was the more pressing issue, but Magdalene had piqued his curiosity.
“I thought fairies died without magic,” he said.
An odd, cold look swept across Magdalene’s face. She toyed with her wand’s tip and didn’t look at anyone. “Go talk to Wanda.”
”You’re not dead,” Timmy said.
”Obviously,” Magdalene snapped. Timmy’s eyes widened. Somehow, he’d hit a sore point.
“Did you almost die?” Chloe pressed. She added hastily, “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to. But if Timmy’s right, and fairies die without magic, how did you survive so long cut off from Fairy World?”
”I didn’t,” Magdalene said, a shuttered look coming over her face. “Jorgen found me because I was at death’s door. Apparently, when fairies approach dying, they send out one last powerful signal from their wand, regardless of how old the wand is. A sort of SOS.”
Magdalene lapsed into silence reminiscent of Cosmo’s misery. She didn’t cry, but she seemed to be emotionally shutting down. Timmy understood that Jorgen and the Fairy World Council had had no choice about assigning Magdalene and Nathaniel as godparents, but it sounded like Magdalene might’ve needed therapy. Or at least not kept it all to herself for what sounded like six hundred years. That was a long time to be alone.
He felt sorry for her, but he didn’t know how to help her. He wasn’t sure she knew, either.
Nathaniel reached out toward Magdalene, and she flinched as if expecting abuse instead of affection. Timmy was disturbed. He saw it occasionally with kids who wound up with “mysterious bruises.” Technically, teachers were supposed to report that, but the kids tried to prevent the adults from seeing them.
One problem at a time.
“I wish I could talk to Wanda,” Timmy said. Magdalene sighed, looking profoundly relieved the attention was off her. She raised her wand and transported Timmy. Magdalene probably could have brought Wanda to Timmy, but it was clear she wanted a break.
To Timmy’s surprise, Wanda wasn’t in Tootie’s house. Instead, she was in an unfamiliar house in Fairy World. Though he didn’t recognize the place, he knew immediately to whom it belonged. Pink and green covered everything. If there’d been any other shade in the house, he would’ve been shocked.
He was in what must’ve been the bedroom, judging by the familiar four poster canopy bed draped with pink silks. Cosmo’s race car bed was missing, and the bed was large enough for two people. Half of the comforter was green and the other half was pink.
Aside from the bed, everything was dust covered. Timmy sneezed, and Wanda, who’d been curled in a ball, looked up. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her face was blotchy. She sighed, cleaning herself up. While he probably wasn’t the last person she expected, he seemed to be close to it. She didn’t look happy to see him.
”Hi,” she said, forcing herself into a sitting position. “I assume Cosmo sent you.”
”No, Cosmo’s in the fish bowl and inside of the castle. He hasn’t come out in hours. The last time I saw him, he was sobbing hysterically and begging you to forgive him.
”Magdalene sent me.”
”I see,” she said. She held her hands in her lap and looked at the pink and green plush carpeting beneath their feet.
“You’ve been crying, too,” Timmy said unhelpfully.
”Yes,” she said. Her tone was clipped, and he winced.
Timmy joined her on the bed, and she shuffled over to put space between them. It was reminiscent of how he’d treated Chloe, and his stomach flip-flopped. The reminder was unwelcome.
”You and Cosmo are both miserable,” Timmy said. “Why can’t you be miserable together?”
”We already were miserable together,” she said tersely. “That’s why I’m Tootie’s godparent now.”
”That’s not what I meant,” he said, scowling. “I mean, why can’t you come back with me and talk to him? You know he loves you, and that he’s sorry.”
”’Sorry’ doesn’t cover it this time, sport,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and she raised her eyebrows.
“Are you?”
He blinked, not expecting her to throw his apology back at him.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said. “I love you guys. You know that.”
”Yes,” she said, but she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she sighed, twisting the silk at one of the posts.
“Cosmo and I have been married almost ten thousand years. Mama Cosmo had no idea, though she must’ve suspected it if she didn’t know outright.
”She has always had this strange attachment to him. More than a mother should feel for her son.”
Timmy frowned, confused. “Like, what?”
”Don’t repeat this to Cosmo,” Wanda warned, and Timmy nodded. She continued. “When Cosmo’s father left, when Cosmo was a baby, Mama Cosmo latched onto Cosmo as someone she could manipulate and prevent from leaving her, too. She smothered him with love and affection and also treated him like he was incapable of even the most basic things. We know he’s an idiot, but this went beyond that.
”She treated him like he was…”
She frowned. “There are some people whose IQs are so low, they can’t be measured. It’s more than not sitting still for an IQ test. They’re incapable of speech or comprehension. They can’t walk or move without assistance.
“Cosmo’s mother treated him like that. Like he was utterly dependent on her. She wanted him that way because then he could (one), never leave her, and (two), never think for himself or want anything more than her. The only reason she let him work at that diner was because he snuck out of the house one day and applied.”
Wanda snorted. “By the time Mama Cosmo discovered what he was up to, it was too late to stop him. She only let him keep it and attend fairy godparent school to humor him. She never thought he’d make anything of himself.
”Jorgen also warned her that with Cosmo’s magic, it’d be too dangerous to leave him untrained. You’ve seen what he’s done trained with a wand and without trying. Imagine Poof as an adult without guidance and with absolutely no idea of what he’s capable of. That was Cosmo.”
Timmy nodded, wondering where she was going with this.
”I was one of the few people who saw Cosmo as something other than a glorified talking puppet,” she said. “Juandissimo was treating me like an afterthought-he’s chased after me for millennia-but back then, he reminded me that the ladies loved him. He was more in love with his physique than me, if he even loved me.
”Meeting Cosmo, despite his intellectual limitations, was like a miracle. We clicked instantly, despite what he put me through-though that was accidental.”
Wanda sighed. “For almost ten thousand years, we’ve weathered every storm together. Yes, we’ve had fights. What couple hasn’t? But we always kissed and made up afterward.
”Except this time.
”This is the longest we’ve ever had difficulties consistently. As you well know, it’s hard for me to resist him. That’s partly why I’m in Fairy World right now and not on Earth. It’s further from temptation.”
“But you still love him, and he loves you. I don’t see the problem,” Timmy said.
”The problem is that he says that, and he seems to mean it, but my trust in him has been severely damaged. I don’t…” her voice caught. “I don’t believe him anymore. I believe he believes it, which isn’t the same thing.”
Timmy hugged her impulsively. After a breath, she sighed and hugged him back.
“Love doesn’t conquer everything, hon,” she said. “Your parents’ issues are a lot more complicated than that-my issues with Cosmo can be narrowed down to one thing-trust. How can I be with someone I can’t trust not to hurt me? How can I be with someone who’s taking the advice of a cruel, manipulative shrew over me?”
”He must love you,” Timmy protested. “He wouldn’t have fought this hard if he wasn’t terrified of losing you.”
Wanda smiled bitterly. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you, sport? But he may not be terrified of losing me for the reason you think he is. Sometimes change is too scary for people to handle. It may not be that he doesn’t want a divorce so much as he’s afraid of what it means if he does.”
”That’s not it!” Timmy said. He knew, in his gut, that it wasn’t. He sprang to his feet and looked at her accusingly. “How can you think that? He loves you. He’d do anything to win you back. He doesn’t want a divorce. You saw how pathetic he was.”
”Yes,” she said. “I just wish I could believe it.
“Maybe I should file the papers and give Cosmo time to process it. He’d have…”
She burst into tears and shook her head. It took squeezing her wand to calm down enough to speak again. “He’d be able to adjust and figure out what he really wanted. Because I know it’s not me.”
Without a word, she swept out of the room and sent Timmy back to his house. He didn’t know how, but he’d managed to make things worse, not better. Tears slipped down his cheeks, and he flung himself facedown on the bed. Before he knew it, he was sobbing hysterically.
“What happened?!” Chloe exclaimed. She rubbed his back.
With an effort, Timmy rolled over to stare at the ceiling. “I fu-I screwed up. Wanda’s closer to divorcing him than she was before. She doesn’t believe that he loves or wants her anymore.”
He pounded a fist on his thigh in frustration. “I don’t know how to get through to her.”
A pair of eyes pinned him from the side of the room. Cosmo was watching them, and Timmy’s heart clenched.
”How much of that did you hear?” Timmy said, wincing.
”All of it,” Cosmo said. He sounded broken-hearted. “There has to be something I can do. Some way I can prove to her that I mean it.”
”She didn’t tell me any,” Timmy said, despondent. “She said that she should file the papers and figure out what you wanted, because she knows it’s not her.”
Cosmo burst into tears, too. Timmy sighed.
He thought he heard his parents arriving home. When he looked out the window, he saw it was true. The tears intensified.
“I wish I knew what to do,” he said hopelessly.
”Destroy the bust,” a disembodied voice rang out. Magdalene and Nathaniel were nowhere to be seen-Timmy assumed they’d gone to discuss what Magdalene had been determined to stay silent about. Timmy and Chloe sprang to their feet and looked around.
“Okay…and how do I do that?” he said, feeling odd for addressing a disembodied voice. Then again, strange things happened around Timmy frequently. One would think he’d be used to it by now.
“I want her,” Cosmo said fiercely. “I only want her. I wish she believed me.”
“Destroy the bust,” the voice repeated.
“I can’t!” Cosmo protested. “Every time I look at it, it makes me feel safe and warm.”
”And losing Wanda is better than that?” Timmy countered.
”No…” Cosmo admitted.
Magdalene appeared, folding her arms across her chest. “Destroy the bust. I’m telling you. If you want to prove you still love and care about her, you need to do something about that damn jinxed bust. Because as long as that’s around, she won’t believe a word you say.”
”Okay, but how?” Timmy said.
Magdalene smiled sadly. “That’s up to Cosmo. I doubt anyone else’s magic will do it. Cosmo’s going to have to figure out how to choose Wanda over his mother again. It might’ve been easy before…but I have a feeling that’s not the case now.”
Canon or AU: AU
Fic: Blank Space
A/N: About half of this was written on the train to DC.
I hope Grammarly works on the iPad, but I doubt it.
EDIT: Grammarly does not work well on the iPad, especially since this chapter was 8k. It didn’t like the length. I’m not bothering to proofread this and fix whatever Grammarly objected to stylistically. Deal with it. XD
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He’d locked his door, and Vicky had burned it down with a flamethrower. Timmy was at Vicky’s whims without his fairies, and she’d managed to create the filthiest bathroom known to man while he’d been hiding in his room. Looking at it made him gag, and he had to clean it from top to bottom until it sparkled.
He knew the fairies had left him to check on Chloe and Tootie, which only stoked his resentment. He had difficulty sympathizing with anyone, especially someone who had supposedly as bad a situation as him, if not worse. While he knew that Tootie needed someone to help her, he loathed that it was Wanda. Wanda was his godmother, not hers.
As for Chloe, he’d seen no evidence she needed fairies, especially not Cosmo. Timmy growled, kicking over the dirty soap water. He cursed inwardly; he’d have to clean that up, too. If he didn’t, Vicky would probably tell his parents he was slacking, and they’d find another reason to argue about him. His shoulders sank.
Cosmo and Wanda might be splitting up; his parents definitely were, and he was alone in a rank bathroom and stuck in the house with his worst enemy. Timmy kicked the toilet, yelped in pain, and then swore loudly. What was the point in having fairy godparents if he had to share them? This was bullcrap.
Creeping up the stairs to the first floor, he glanced at Vicky, watching TV and laughing at other people’s misery. With his godparents around, this would’ve been tolerable. Without them, Timmy wanted to pick a fight. It wasn’t wise to pit himself against Vicky, especially when she had at least a foot and a half on him, not to mention significantly more sway with his parents. Wanda would’ve told him to take a few deep breaths and think about it.
Wanda wasn’t here. Timmy’s chest was tight, and tears burned his eyes. Jorgen might as well have wiped his memories if he was going to screw Timmy over this badly.
Advancing up the stairs with the dirty, wet sponge, he pushed open the basement door.
“What are you doing up here?” Vicky snapped. She sneered at his sodden clothes, covered in grime. “There’s no way you’re finished.”
”What did you do?” Timmy retorted. “Dump an entire porta-potty into the basement bathroom?”
“It doesn’t matter what I did,” she said with a saccharine smile. “You have to clean it up, twerp. Get back to work!”
The doorbell rang, and the two glanced at each other. Sneering, Vicky indicated that Timmy should answer. He was tempted to flip her off, but he feared the repercussions. Plus, despite her absence, he didn’t want to do anything Wanda might disapprove of. Her influence hung over him, and his chest ached. He missed her and Cosmo fiercely.
Timmy opened the door to discover Chloe standing on the other side. Magdalene, Nathaniel, and Cosmo were disguised as pins on her backpack. If the fairies hadn’t been present, Timmy would’ve slammed the door in her face without a second thought. Cosmo winked, and Timmy glared, torn between ignoring Chloe and letting her in, if only for Cosmo’s companionship.
“Oh, look, it’s one of your ‘friends,’” Vicky said, smirking. “Gonna help him clean out the bathroom, twerpette?”
”I was going to help him with his homework,” Chloe said. She glanced at Timmy. “Can I come in?”
”He’s not touching his homework until the bathroom is spotless,” Vicky said, cackling. “Get back to it, twerp!”
”I wish the bathroom were spotless,” Chloe muttered. The fairies granted the wish, and Timmy grimaced. Great, now he owed Chloe a favor; being indebted to her was not how he’d planned on spending the afternoon. Plus, he was suspicious that she wanted to help him with anything. She was trying to ingratiate herself with him, and it wouldn’t work. He wasn’t about to forget that she was the enemy, too.
Vicky scoffed, waving her hand. “Whatever. Do your homework, see if I care. Ooh, there was an apartment fire. No survivors!”
She cackled and turned away to watch TV again. Timmy glared at Vicky and then Chloe before stomping upstairs. When he reached the second floor, he said over his shoulder, “You might as well come in now that I owe you one.”
”That’s not why I did it,” Chloe protested, closing the front door and then hastening up the stairs after him. Timmy stopped in the doorway and then facepalmed. He’d forgotten that his door was gone.
”I wish the door was back,” Timmy grumbled, and it returned after he and Chloe settled themselves in his bedroom.
“What do you want?” Timmy snapped. Chloe sat on the bed near him, and Timmy shifted away so there was at least a foot between them. As far as he was concerned, she had no right to Cosmo.
“I thought we could be friends,” Chloe said. “Just because we’re sharing fairies doesn’t mean we have to be enemies.”
”It wouldn’t if you deserved them,” Timmy countered. He folded his arms across his chest. “It’s not my fault Jorgen felt sorry for you.”
”Uh…that’s not what happened,” Cosmo said, wincing. The fairies had shifted back into their normal forms. “She deserves us.”
”No, she doesn’t,” Timmy snarled, infuriated that Cosmo was taking Chloe’s side. “She’s ’practically perfect in every way.’ Straight As, pretty, and probably popular in her last school. She’s also probably ‘the best at everything she does’ and obnoxious. I don’t need her pity wishes.”
“You think I'm pretty?” Chloe said, surprised. Timmy ignored her.
“Maybe you should tell him,” Magdalene said, wincing. “It might be the only way he’ll understand.”
Timmy folded his arms across his chest. “You stole Cosmo, and Tootie stole Wanda. I don’t care why Jorgen thinks you deserve godparents. You don’t.”
”You don’t know the whole story,” Cosmo protested.
“I can’t wish for her to tell me,” Timmy snapped. “Gimme back my godfather and get lost.”
”Chloe,” Magdalene said quietly but firmly. “Tell him.”
Chloe visibly steeled herself and looked Timmy in the eye. She glanced at the fairies, who nodded supportively. Timmy glared, prepared to be underwhelmed. It was on the tip of his tongue to berate her for stalling, except, as self-absorbed as he could be, he could still see that Chloe was struggling. Against his better judgment, his anger faded.
”What?” Timmy said gently. Chloe gulped, rubbing her arms. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and Timmy hated himself for feeling sympathetic. She was the enemy, and he’d already established that he’d never pity her. No matter what had happened, she didn’t deserve fairy godparents.
“Does it matter?” Chloe asked, sounding despondent.
“Of course!” Magdalene said.
“He’ll understand if you tell him,” Cosmo added.
“Understand what?” Timmy said sourly.
“You know that I moved here from the East Coast, right?” she said, and he nodded. Her face crumpled, and she hugged her knees. Cosmo frowned, floating beside her, and Magdalene stroked her hair.
“We couldn’t afford to live in Boston anymore,” Chloe said. “My parents are-were-global activists who do-did-charity work. My mom still does, but my dad-“
She choked, and the fairies hugged her.
When she’d recovered, her voice trembled. “When my dad died, my mom’s relatives offered to help us if we moved to California. There were strings attached, but…it was our best option, so we took it.”
Chloe stared at the wooden floor. “Mom still does a lot of humanitarian work, so she’s not at home most of the time.”
”Then you must have a babysitter, too,” Timmy said. Chloe shook her head.
”I’ve never had a babysitter,” Chloe said, smiling sadly. “I take care of myself.”
Timmy frowned. “What do you mean? Your mom can’t just, like, leave you home alone 24/7.”
”It’s not all the time…” Chloe hedged and sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It’s most of the time, though. That’s partly why Jorgen gave me Cosmo. It was supposed to be Cosmo and Wanda, but then…”
She shrugged. He frowned; there was something else that she wasn’t telling him. Her expression was haunted.
“All of it,” Magdalene said gently. “He needs to know the whole story.”
Tears slipped down Chloe’s cheeks, and she gasped. Sobs erupted, and Timmy was lost. It felt like he’d shattered something within Chloe, and he didn’t understand why Magdalene was so insistent. Feeling awkward, Timmy shifted closer toward the towheaded girl. Chloe was sobbing, and Timmy’s stomach twisted. Even when Tootie cried, she didn’t sound that miserable. Chloe sounded like a shell of a person.
”It’s okay,” Timmy said weakly. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I’ve heard enough.”
”No,” Chloe said, rubbing at her face. Magdalene conjured a handkerchief, which Chloe used to dry her tears.
“There’s more to it,” Chloe said, stiffening her upper lip. “Dad was-Dad called me during a-a weekly check-up via FaceTime.”
Chloe dissolved into sobs, rocking back and forth. A hard ball dropped into Timmy’s stomach. Cosmo wouldn’t meet his gaze, and Magdalene and Nathaniel worked on calming Chloe down enough to continue.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. I get it,” Timmy said weakly. Chloe ignored him.
”I was talking-was talking-to him on the phone,” Chloe said, struggling to push the words out. “When he was-he was-“
Magdalene squeezed Chloe’s hand. Chloe turned to face Timmy and lifted her head so their eyes met.
”A snake snuck up behind him,” she whispered. “I saw it happen, but it was too late to warn him. The snake was venomous. It-he died before-before I could get help.”
Her words trailed off, and she hung her head. Tears choked her, and Timmy felt like crap. Wanda had often warned him about being quick to jump to conclusions and compare himself to others, but he hadn’t listened. If anyone in this room deserved fairy godparents, it was Chloe. He felt sick thinking about how quickly he’d misjudged her.
”I’m sorry,” he whispered, though it felt grossly inadequate. Magdalene and Nathaniel cradled Chloe and rocked her back and forth.
”I told you he’d understand,” Cosmo said quietly, subdued. “Timmy’s a good kid.”
Timmy sat there awkwardly until Chloe calmed down enough to speak again.
”I wanted to be friends,” Chloe said softly, sounding dejected. “I thought if we were friends, we could share the fairies. Then you wouldn’t hate me for having Cosmo, too.”
”I don’t-“ Timmy faltered. He had no idea how to react. This was so far beyond his depth he was floundering.
“You guys knew?” Timmy asked, and the fairies shook their heads.
”We didn’t know the extent,” Magdalene said. She produced a large folder and pulled out a single sheet of paper. “All her file says is that she has a busy mother who has almost no time for her and that her father died recently. That’s it.
“I don’t know why the file has two sentences that barely cover the scope of the problem, but with the fairy godparent shortage and the pay backlog, they may have had too many potential godchildren and not enough time to generate these backgrounds.”
”I’m sorry,” Timmy said. “It’s just that with my parents divorcing and arguing, and Cosmo and Wanda arguing…”
Cosmo grimaced, looking guilty. Wordlessly, he poofed away, possibly to check on Wanda. Timmy was too disgusted with himself over how he’d misjudged Chloe to be upset that Cosmo was gone.
“Would you like to be cleaned up?” Magdalene said, and Timmy started. He’d forgotten how disgusting his clothes were. He nodded, and she swapped him into a fresh set. Timmy glanced at Chloe; an apology felt inadequate. Now he knew how Cosmo felt when trying to grapple with what he’d done to Wanda, except Cosmo’s behavior had gone on much longer, not to mention being meaner.
And he was encouraged by Timmy, whose shoulders sank. He owed Wanda an apology, too.
“Why don’t we try opening up the books and see what Crocker stuck you two with,” Magdalene said brightly. “You were studying the post-WWII era in history class.”
Timmy’s lips twitched toward a weak smile. That was what he was supposed to have cared about. It’d slipped his mind.
“We can do our homework together,” Chloe proposed, and Timmy nodded.
“I’m really sorry,” he said, grimacing.
“It’s okay,” Chloe said, though they both knew it wasn’t. She squeezed his hand. “Thanks for letting me in.”
”I only let you in ‘cuz you had Cosmo and the other two,” Timmy said, chagrined.
”It’s better than nothing,” Chloe said, shrugging. “I’ll take what I can get.”
”You shouldn’t have to,” Timmy protested. Chloe smiled sadly.
”I shouldn’t have to do a lot of things,” she said. Though her features were childlike, her gaze was haunted, and she looked far beyond her years. “That doesn’t mean I can avoid them.”
She swung her backpack around. “We might as well get started.”
”Or we could play the not-study game!” Timmy said. Homework wasn’t the best way to blow off steam, and Chloe looked like she could use a stress reliever. Besides, homework could always wait.
”What’s that?” she said.
”Oh, no,” Magdalene muttered, facepalming. “I know what he’s about to say.”
Timmy sprang to his feet and raced toward the video game console. “We’re already playing!”
Magdalene facepalmed, and Timmy grinned at Chloe.
”It’s educational and violent, but mostly violent! Yay, violence!” he called.
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Juandissimo shouldn’t have been in the running. She’d dismissed him thousands of years ago after the tape and meeting Cosmo. Juandissimo was a self-aggrandizing, narcissistic jerk, and she deserved better. Or, at least, that had been the argument she’d posed when she’d dumped him. At the time, Cosmo seemed to be over the moon and in love with her. It felt like nothing could go wrong.
Wanda laughed bitterly. Lately, it felt like everything was going wrong. Tootie had a godparent, and maybe her situation would improve. Wanda had to keep that silver lining in mind, or she might lose her sanity. She was perilously close to it as it was.
It wasn’t just that Mama Cosma had taken advantage of a schism in Cosmo and Wanda’s relationship. It was that it existed, to begin with. Fairies didn’t mate for life like certain animals, and supernatural creatures did (like unicorns and dragons), but divorce was unlikely after such a long marriage. Then again, maybe Wanda looked at the situation through rose-colored glasses and was hip-deep in denial of how Timmy was about his parents.
Tootie was doing her homework with headphones in case Vicky returned in a bad mood. It gave Wanda too much time to think, which led to her ruminating again. Serving Cosmo divorce papers would solve the immediate problem, but it wouldn’t get to the root of it. Plus, the thought of living the rest of her life without him was excruciating.
Her lips twisted sourly. It sounded like Cosmo had already contemplated that option; from his nasty remarks, he might endorse it. She choked back a sob, and Tootie removed her headphones to look at her.
“Are you okay?” Tootie said. “You can talk to me, you know.”
Wanda feigned a smile. “Oh, hon, it wouldn’t be right. I’ll work it out on my own, or I won’t. But it wouldn’t be fair to put it on a child.”
“Put what on a child?” Cosmo said, poofing beside Wanda. He frowned, studying her. “Are you crying?”
Tootie closed the laptop. “Cosmo’s right--wow, that’s a sentence I thought I’d never say.”
“You and Timmy both,” Cosmo said, smiling brightly. Wanda huffed, rolling her eyes. She’d preferred it when Tootie was doing her homework and ignoring her. The sudden attention was uncomfortable after being ignored for so long. It felt like she was being put on the spot.
“Anyway,” Tootie said, rolling her eyes. “You need to talk to someone. You can’t keep it bottled up.”
“Why are you crying?” Cosmo said. “Do you miss me and Timmy?”
She gritted her teeth. “I miss how things used to be before you hit on everyone under the sun and insulted me. And Timmy joined in.”
Tootie hissed. “You didn’t tell me he joined in.”
“Sweetie…” Wanda grimaced and then grabbed Cosmo by the arm. Her grip was punishing and bound to leave a bruise. “This isn’t the type of conversation to have in front of a child. You should know better.”
“We’ve been arguing in front of Timmy,” Cosmo pointed out. Growling, she poofed them to the living room. Tootie didn’t need to hear them air their dirty laundry.
“We shouldn’t have done that either,” she snapped. She released him and glowered. “Besides, I’m surprised you weren’t too busy eyeing Magdalene or hitting on someone else to show up.”
“I said I was sorry!” Cosmo protested.
“What makes you think ‘sorry’ is good enough for what you put me through?” she retorted. “Besides, ‘sorry’ means nothing if you’re going to keep flirting with everyone else, and acting like being married to me is some sort of punishment.”
“I…I thought…” Cosmo faltered, looking at the floor instead of her.
“You thought what? That it was funny? Or that you wanted someone else?” Wanda snapped. “Because if you really want someone else--”
“I don’t!” Cosmo said. His green eyes widened in alarm. “You’re the only one I’ve ever really wanted. I swear.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “Or maybe I’m just the only one who said ‘yes.’ Maybe I should’ve expected you to eventually get cold feet when I was your first and only girlfriend.”
Part of her knew that she wasn’t being fair. She was lashing out at Cosmo to hurt him and try to inflict the same pain he’d given her. That didn’t mean it wasn’t true. It also didn’t mean she could trust him again after everything he’d put her through.
“And maybe I should’ve expected you to return to Juandissimo!” he shot back. She facepalmed.
“Cosmo,” she said, at the end of her rope, “Juandissimo is only involved in this because he’s Tootie’s father. It has nothing to do with me. I’ve never cheated on you. I would never cheat on you.”
She glared. “But it says a lot about your trust in me that you think I would. Or maybe that’s your guilty conscience talking. I don’t know, hon. Maybe you’re so full of it, you don’t know which end is up.”
Cosmo’s jaw dropped. “Juandissimo is Tootie’s father? How did that happen?”
Wanda’s eyes narrowed. “How do you think it happened, moron? That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?” he said, and she growled.
“You don’t trust me, and I can’t trust you after you’ve put me through the wringer. If you think so little of me that you think I’d run back to Juandissimo, or if you’re using that as an excuse for your poor behavior, then maybe I should file those papers.”
“What papers?” Cosmo said, and then the color drained from his face. “No! Wanda, please.”
Tears slipped down his cheeks, and he latched onto her. He buried his face in her back below her wings. “Please. I love you. Please don’t leave me. I’ll do whatever it takes to win you back. I swear.”
She sighed, pinching her nose bridge. “I need to stop giving in to you. I keep excusing your mistreatment for the sake of our marriage. It’s not worth it anymore if this is how you see me.”
Cosmo was ugly crying now, and his trembling was so violent that it made her shake. It was almost impossible to hold out against him when he was this miserable. Their lives were intertwined, and she’d given him far too much leeway.
He was soaking her shirt, and he kissed her lower back. Color rushed to her cheeks, and her breathing grew shallow. She needed to get a hold of herself. It’d been too long since he’d shown her much affection, and she felt touch starved. She trembled like a junkie in need of a fix.
“Forgive me…” he wept. “I love you. Please don’t leave me. I swear, I’ll do better. I’ll be better. I love you so much.”
She sighed and tried to push him away. He held her so tightly that she had lost feeling in the lower half of her body. She had to hold firm and not waver, even as he pressed kiss after kiss into her back. Her throat tightened. Cosmo released her only to kiss her on the lips.
She couldn’t give in. She couldn’t let him off the hook.
Tears slipped down her cheeks, too. She caught herself before kissing him back and used her wand to push him away. Tears choked her, and she wanted to vanish. However, she doubted there was anywhere she could go that Cosmo wouldn’t follow.
Damn him and his effect on her. He didn’t deserve her forgiveness, especially since he hadn’t proved that he would change his behavior.
Clenching her eyes shut, she said, “I love you, too, sugar. That’s why this is killing me. Because you’re not the same man I married or the one I fell in love with.”
She shook her head. “I should check on Tootie. You should go back to Timmy.”
“We should go back to Timmy,” he corrected. “We’re a team.”
She smiled bitterly. “Not anymore, we’re not. Go back to Timmy, hon. I’m sure he’s probably pestering Vicky.”
“Not until you tell me we’re okay!” he pleaded.
“We’re not okay,” she said and swallowed a lump in her throat. “I don’t know if we’ll ever be okay again. I can’t deal with this right now.”
He clasped her to his chest, and despite her wand between them, which was burning his chest, he still held her. Their lips met, and she dropped her wand before it seriously hurt him. She couldn’t get a grip on herself. This relationship was toxic right now, and she couldn’t walk away.
((I love you, I love you, I love you…)) he whispered in her mind. She gasped back a sob, and when she pushed him away, he let her. He wasn’t the type to force her into anything, which she appreciated.
It was impossible to lie mind to mind, which bothered her because it made the issue so much murkier. He honestly meant what he said, and she wanted to give in so badly that she was aching with need. They’d never had a problem like this before. They’d always kissed and made up before things had escalated so far.
“I love you, too, hon,” she whispered, feeling utterly bereft. “Please, go back to Timmy.”
Cosmo gazed at her and then thumbed her cheek. “I’m going to fix this. I swear.”
She barked a humorless laugh. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“I will,” he said fiercely. “You’ll see.”
His eyes welled with tears. “I love you so much.”
Wanda thought unwillingly of Timmy and his parents. Love wasn’t always enough. The recollection was enough to drive her into hysterical sobbing, and she didn’t know what to do with herself. Nearly ten thousand years was a long time, even by fairy standards.
“I love you, too,” she whispered. She wanted to be with him again more than anything in the universe, but there was no relationship without trust. She hugged herself; in the distance, she heard Timmy calling Cosmo. That was odd--she shouldn’t be able to hear Timmy’s summons when she wasn’t his godparent anymore. Maybe it was a residual effect.
“I’m gonna fix this,” he swore again. He kissed her passionately on the lips, and she opened her mouth to him without thinking. She had to resist him, but she wasn’t sure how long she could hold out.
With a great effort, she wrenched herself away from him. Cosmo’s lower lip quivered, and he kissed her hand before poofing back to Timmy. She covered her mouth with her hand and sobbed. Tootie was calling her, too.
She wasn’t in any shape to be a decent godmother, not in this state. She hated herself for giving in, even a little, and hated herself even more for fighting it in the first place. Gods, she was a mess.
Her throat tightened, and she shook her head at herself. She was being foolish in the extreme. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to stop.
If Tootie hadn’t called her, Wanda would’ve followed Cosmo back to Timmy. The knowledge made her feel even more wretched.
------------------------------
By the time Big Daddy had brought Juandissimo up to speed about Wanda’s marriage difficulties, Juandissimo was incensed. Like Big Daddy, he believed Cosmo didn’t deserve to be anywhere near Wanda, much less remain married to her. It wasn’t enough that Cosmo had made Wanda cry once-this was a pattern.
That meant Cosmo had made Wanda miserable for six months. Juandissimo was a lover, not a fighter, but he had to suppress his rage. He would win her back. He would prove to her, once and for all, that he was a far superior fairy.
First, he had to figure out how Cosmo had charmed his way into her heart thousands of years ago. Then he had to unearth what gave him staying power, when anyone with any sense would’ve dumped him at the curb months ago. His fists balled as he waited for Cupid to finish reviewing files about impending love matches. Cupid would know how to help.
Juandissimo also had a crush on Cupid (much like Tootie had one on Wanda). If he ever gave up on Wanda, he might consider chasing Cupid. Or perhaps not chasing-Cupid had given every indication that he reciprocated Juandissimo’s feelings. If Big Daddy hadn’t told him the truth about Wanda’s marriage, Juandissimo would probably have tried to get over Wanda and pursue someone who wanted him back.
After almost ten thousand years, that would’ve been a novel concept.
Cupid groaned, putting his tablet in sleep mode, and turned to Juandissimo. They were at an exclusive Fairy World restaurant, and Juandissimo couldn’t help but feel they were on a date. He reminded himself not to get distracted; he finally had a chance to win Wanda over again. He shouldn’t squander it by letting other feelings interfere.
”You know,” Cupid said, grimacing, “there’s every chance they’ll work it out.”
”He does not deserve her,” Juandissimo growled. “He has treated her badly, and now he thinks he can worm his way back into her heart?”
”He never left it,” Cupid pointed out, sipping a martini. “Fairies don’t normally stay married as long as they have, not unless they’re soulmates.”
”They cannot be soulmates,” he snapped.
“Juan,” Cupid said, and Juandissimo coloured at the nickname. “You’re fighting a losing battle. You know that. Give up the ghost.”
”I cannot, not while I know that I could treat her better.”
”You had your chance,” Cupid reminded him. “She chose Cosmo. While I applaud your dedication, there has to be a point when you admit defeat.”
Cupid squeezed Juandissimo’s hand on the table.
“There’s also no guarantee that she’d be receptive to your advances after Cosmo’s burned her.”
”I cannot sit back and watch this,” Juandissimo said, outraged. Cupid thumbed his palm, and Juandissimo’s heart skipped a beat. This wasn’t fair. Being pansexual had never led him into so much trouble before. It was awful to have feelings for two people simultaneously, especially when one had come out of nowhere.
“It’s also none of your business,” Cupid said delicately. ”You’ve tried unsuccessfully for millennia to break them up.”
Juandissimo wanted to be angrier and refute Cupid’s statements, but he knew the love god was right. Cupid shifted from sitting across the table to slide closer to him in the booth. Juandissimo’s heart skipped several beats.
”I never had a chance before,” Juandissimo said, though he felt like he was arguing for the sake of it.
Cupid raised his eyebrows. “You and I both know what the odds are.”
Juandissimo huffed. Blonde had said something similar-when Wanda had her mind set on something, she would have it, one way or another. It was one of the many ways she and Big Daddy were similar and also why Big Daddy favored Wanda over Blonda.
“Si, but…”
“You don’t have a leg to stand on,” Cupid said, smiling sympathetically. “Why don’t you chase after someone who wants it for a change?”
Juandissimo went bright red. He turned to face Cupid and ignored how his heart pounded.
”And who would that be?” he said, feeling like a teenager again. Hormones were rushing around like mad.
“Oh, I think you know,” Cupid said, grinning. He stroked Juandissimo’s cheek. “Don’t insert yourself into their affairs. You’ll be happier.”
Juandissimo sighed. He felt like he was being torn in two different directions.
“I cannot simply give up on her,” he protested.
”Don’t expect me to help you win her over,” Cupid warned. He pulled away, and Juandissimo grimaced. He couldn’t have it both ways. If he wanted Wanda, then he had to accept Cupid’s rejection. Conversely, if he wanted Cupid, then he needed to accept that he’d never have another chance at Wanda.
“I will not,” Juandissimo said, but he drooped in his seat. Cupid pecked him on the cheek.
”It’s not all that bad,” he said. “Come back to me when you’ve finally figured things out.”
Cupid vanished into a cloud of fairy dust, and Juandissimo groaned. The love god had left him with the bill.
--------------
It was a good thing that Timmy had “backup” godparents, because Cosmo was useless after visiting Wanda. He wouldn’t tell them what had happened, but he’d gone into the fish bowl hours ago and hadn’t returned. The last Timmy’s had seen of him, Cosmo had been sobbing hysterically and begging Wanda to forgive him. Timmy’s throat was tight.
No wonder Wanda was having difficulty resisting him. Timmy was, too. Part of him was tempted to give in just to make the pleading stop. He was also tempted because he knew both godparents were miserable. Seeing his parents morose and belligerent was painful enough. Seeing his godparents, who should’ve been relationship goals, fighting was more than he could bear.
But “true love blah blah blah.” Magdalene and Nathaniel were trying to distract him, but it wasn’t working. Chloe, who seemed more attuned to his moods than hers, poked Timmy after he’d lost another boss fight by doing something stupid again.
”Maybe you should talk to her,” Chloe suggested. “Without Cosmo.”
Timmy put down the controller. At least he didn’t fling it aside like he had last time. Folding his arms across his chest, he snapped, “But that means I have to deal with Tootie.”
”So, deal with Tootie,” Chloe said. Her expression softened. “You and Cosmo are miserable. Maybe talking to Wanda will help.”
”Maybe,” Timmy said, though he wasn’t sold on the idea. “I hate seeing my parents argue; I know that adults divorce all the time. But Cosmo and Wanda aren’t like that. They’re…”
His throat tightened, and he swallowed hard. “They’re supposed to be together. They’re a literal fairy tale romance.”
Chloe shifted on the bed to face him. “What prompted her to leave? Maybe you should start with that.”
Timmy frowned. “Cosmo and I were making stupid cracks about her, like about her weight, and her nagging, and her stupid lectures, and…”
He faltered. “You don’t think she left because of that, do you?”
Magdalene frowned, swooping down toward them. “It sounds to me like she felt unappreciated and unwanted. Tootie is probably so desperate for any attention that Wanda’s arrival probably felt heaven sent.”
”But she’s not, because she’s my godmother,” Timmy said stubbornly.
”Ah, but did she feel like that? Or did she feel like you were just using her and then tossing her to the side when you lost interest or didn’t need her for wishes?” Magdalene said.
”That’s ridiculous,” Timmy scoffed. “That’s what fairies are meant for. Granting wishes. And…”
He looked uneasy.
“How long have you had Cosmo and Wanda for?” Magdalene pressed.
”Over a year now,” Timmy said, folding his arms across his chest. “That’s why it’s ridiculous. They know what the job is.”
”And you don’t think, in that time, you might’ve gotten attached to them? Or vice versa? I don’t mean ‘attached to what they can do for you.’ I mean, attached to them emotionally. They’re here for you when your parents aren’t or can’t be.”
Timmy couldn’t meet her gaze. “Maybe.”
He sighed, staring at the game over screen rather than meet anyone’s gaze. “Yes. But Wanda kept getting in the way. She kept warning me about stupid stuff and prevented me and Cosmo from having fun.”
”Was that it? Or was it because she was worried your wishes would have consequences that you didn’t consider?” Magdalene said.
”Whose side are you on?” Timmy snapped. “Kids want to have fun. That’s what we do. I don’t need someone lecturing me about how not to do things.”
“Wanda said that Vicky’s onto you,” Magdalene reminded him gently. “Wanda’s trying to protect you from your bad decisions, even while you keep making them.”
Magdalene snorted humorlessly. “I’m familiar with Vicky. You must’ve pulled off a doozy of a wish to make her suspicious. That girl has the common sense of a bag of rocks.”
“How do you know Vicky?” Timmy said, temporarily derailed. “You were living in Fairy World for the past six hundred years, weren’t you?”
”I was living on Earth,” Magdalene said; it was her turn to look away. Her expression was pained. “In exile, as Jorgen said. I had lost almost all of my magic, and I was keeping an eye on my family.”
”Huh?” Timmy said.
”It’s a long story,” Magdalene said, grimacing. “We don’t have to rehash it now.”
”How exactly were you living on Earth?” Nathaniel said, frowning. “Jorgen wouldn’t say. He only said that you put yourself through unnecessary hardship and punishment. When I questioned him about how you returned to Fairy World, he shut me down.”
”I don’t want to talk about it,” Magdalene said, her voice tight. “It’s not important.”
”You said you were ‘keeping an eye on your family,’” Timmy said, complete with air quotes. “What does that have to do with Vicky?”
Magdalene sighed, massaging her temples. “Do you ask Cosmo and Wanda this many personal questions?”
”Yes,” Timmy said, obstinate. “They’re my godparents. They’re my family.”
He swallowed past a lump in his throat. “They’re my family, and I’ve been treating them badly.”
Tears slipped down his cheeks. Chloe patted him on the shoulder and looked sympathetic, which he didn’t want. He didn’t deserve her sympathy when this was something he’d encouraged.
“Maybe you should tell Wanda that,” Magdalene said gently, guiding the conversation back onto safe ground. Nathaniel was giving her a sharp look that warned the topic might’ve been tabled, but it wasn’t finished.
“Only if you tell me how Vicky is somehow part of your family,” Timmy countered. Magdalene groaned.
“We’re not closely related,” Magdalene said. “Generations removed. I’m her great-grandmother many times over. I’ve been keeping an eye on what’s left of my family as a way to feel connected to someone.”
”And Vicky knows about you?” Timmy asked skeptically.
”Oh, no,” Magdalene said, looking somber. “Until Jorgen brought me back to Fairy World, everyone thought I was dead. I had no close friends or relationships.”
”That sounds lonely,” Chloe said.
Magdalene’s expression was pained. “You could say that.”
”You were cut off from Fairy World, right?” Nathaniel said, to which Magdalene nodded. “How did you get your magic? You need to have your wand tuned up every so often and replaced when it wears out.”
”I didn’t,” Magdalene said. She shook her head. “That isn’t the point. We’ve strayed too far. Timmy, talk to Wanda. I’ll send you over to Tootie, and we’ll figure out how to handle things if Vicky ever becomes suspicious.”
Timmy knew Wanda was the more pressing issue, but Magdalene had piqued his curiosity.
“I thought fairies died without magic,” he said.
An odd, cold look swept across Magdalene’s face. She toyed with her wand’s tip and didn’t look at anyone. “Go talk to Wanda.”
”You’re not dead,” Timmy said.
”Obviously,” Magdalene snapped. Timmy’s eyes widened. Somehow, he’d hit a sore point.
“Did you almost die?” Chloe pressed. She added hastily, “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to. But if Timmy’s right, and fairies die without magic, how did you survive so long cut off from Fairy World?”
”I didn’t,” Magdalene said, a shuttered look coming over her face. “Jorgen found me because I was at death’s door. Apparently, when fairies approach dying, they send out one last powerful signal from their wand, regardless of how old the wand is. A sort of SOS.”
Magdalene lapsed into silence reminiscent of Cosmo’s misery. She didn’t cry, but she seemed to be emotionally shutting down. Timmy understood that Jorgen and the Fairy World Council had had no choice about assigning Magdalene and Nathaniel as godparents, but it sounded like Magdalene might’ve needed therapy. Or at least not kept it all to herself for what sounded like six hundred years. That was a long time to be alone.
He felt sorry for her, but he didn’t know how to help her. He wasn’t sure she knew, either.
Nathaniel reached out toward Magdalene, and she flinched as if expecting abuse instead of affection. Timmy was disturbed. He saw it occasionally with kids who wound up with “mysterious bruises.” Technically, teachers were supposed to report that, but the kids tried to prevent the adults from seeing them.
One problem at a time.
“I wish I could talk to Wanda,” Timmy said. Magdalene sighed, looking profoundly relieved the attention was off her. She raised her wand and transported Timmy. Magdalene probably could have brought Wanda to Timmy, but it was clear she wanted a break.
To Timmy’s surprise, Wanda wasn’t in Tootie’s house. Instead, she was in an unfamiliar house in Fairy World. Though he didn’t recognize the place, he knew immediately to whom it belonged. Pink and green covered everything. If there’d been any other shade in the house, he would’ve been shocked.
He was in what must’ve been the bedroom, judging by the familiar four poster canopy bed draped with pink silks. Cosmo’s race car bed was missing, and the bed was large enough for two people. Half of the comforter was green and the other half was pink.
Aside from the bed, everything was dust covered. Timmy sneezed, and Wanda, who’d been curled in a ball, looked up. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her face was blotchy. She sighed, cleaning herself up. While he probably wasn’t the last person she expected, he seemed to be close to it. She didn’t look happy to see him.
”Hi,” she said, forcing herself into a sitting position. “I assume Cosmo sent you.”
”No, Cosmo’s in the fish bowl and inside of the castle. He hasn’t come out in hours. The last time I saw him, he was sobbing hysterically and begging you to forgive him.
”Magdalene sent me.”
”I see,” she said. She held her hands in her lap and looked at the pink and green plush carpeting beneath their feet.
“You’ve been crying, too,” Timmy said unhelpfully.
”Yes,” she said. Her tone was clipped, and he winced.
Timmy joined her on the bed, and she shuffled over to put space between them. It was reminiscent of how he’d treated Chloe, and his stomach flip-flopped. The reminder was unwelcome.
”You and Cosmo are both miserable,” Timmy said. “Why can’t you be miserable together?”
”We already were miserable together,” she said tersely. “That’s why I’m Tootie’s godparent now.”
”That’s not what I meant,” he said, scowling. “I mean, why can’t you come back with me and talk to him? You know he loves you, and that he’s sorry.”
”’Sorry’ doesn’t cover it this time, sport,” she said.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and she raised her eyebrows.
“Are you?”
He blinked, not expecting her to throw his apology back at him.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said. “I love you guys. You know that.”
”Yes,” she said, but she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she sighed, twisting the silk at one of the posts.
“Cosmo and I have been married almost ten thousand years. Mama Cosmo had no idea, though she must’ve suspected it if she didn’t know outright.
”She has always had this strange attachment to him. More than a mother should feel for her son.”
Timmy frowned, confused. “Like, what?”
”Don’t repeat this to Cosmo,” Wanda warned, and Timmy nodded. She continued. “When Cosmo’s father left, when Cosmo was a baby, Mama Cosmo latched onto Cosmo as someone she could manipulate and prevent from leaving her, too. She smothered him with love and affection and also treated him like he was incapable of even the most basic things. We know he’s an idiot, but this went beyond that.
”She treated him like he was…”
She frowned. “There are some people whose IQs are so low, they can’t be measured. It’s more than not sitting still for an IQ test. They’re incapable of speech or comprehension. They can’t walk or move without assistance.
“Cosmo’s mother treated him like that. Like he was utterly dependent on her. She wanted him that way because then he could (one), never leave her, and (two), never think for himself or want anything more than her. The only reason she let him work at that diner was because he snuck out of the house one day and applied.”
Wanda snorted. “By the time Mama Cosmo discovered what he was up to, it was too late to stop him. She only let him keep it and attend fairy godparent school to humor him. She never thought he’d make anything of himself.
”Jorgen also warned her that with Cosmo’s magic, it’d be too dangerous to leave him untrained. You’ve seen what he’s done trained with a wand and without trying. Imagine Poof as an adult without guidance and with absolutely no idea of what he’s capable of. That was Cosmo.”
Timmy nodded, wondering where she was going with this.
”I was one of the few people who saw Cosmo as something other than a glorified talking puppet,” she said. “Juandissimo was treating me like an afterthought-he’s chased after me for millennia-but back then, he reminded me that the ladies loved him. He was more in love with his physique than me, if he even loved me.
”Meeting Cosmo, despite his intellectual limitations, was like a miracle. We clicked instantly, despite what he put me through-though that was accidental.”
Wanda sighed. “For almost ten thousand years, we’ve weathered every storm together. Yes, we’ve had fights. What couple hasn’t? But we always kissed and made up afterward.
”Except this time.
”This is the longest we’ve ever had difficulties consistently. As you well know, it’s hard for me to resist him. That’s partly why I’m in Fairy World right now and not on Earth. It’s further from temptation.”
“But you still love him, and he loves you. I don’t see the problem,” Timmy said.
”The problem is that he says that, and he seems to mean it, but my trust in him has been severely damaged. I don’t…” her voice caught. “I don’t believe him anymore. I believe he believes it, which isn’t the same thing.”
Timmy hugged her impulsively. After a breath, she sighed and hugged him back.
“Love doesn’t conquer everything, hon,” she said. “Your parents’ issues are a lot more complicated than that-my issues with Cosmo can be narrowed down to one thing-trust. How can I be with someone I can’t trust not to hurt me? How can I be with someone who’s taking the advice of a cruel, manipulative shrew over me?”
”He must love you,” Timmy protested. “He wouldn’t have fought this hard if he wasn’t terrified of losing you.”
Wanda smiled bitterly. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you, sport? But he may not be terrified of losing me for the reason you think he is. Sometimes change is too scary for people to handle. It may not be that he doesn’t want a divorce so much as he’s afraid of what it means if he does.”
”That’s not it!” Timmy said. He knew, in his gut, that it wasn’t. He sprang to his feet and looked at her accusingly. “How can you think that? He loves you. He’d do anything to win you back. He doesn’t want a divorce. You saw how pathetic he was.”
”Yes,” she said. “I just wish I could believe it.
“Maybe I should file the papers and give Cosmo time to process it. He’d have…”
She burst into tears and shook her head. It took squeezing her wand to calm down enough to speak again. “He’d be able to adjust and figure out what he really wanted. Because I know it’s not me.”
Without a word, she swept out of the room and sent Timmy back to his house. He didn’t know how, but he’d managed to make things worse, not better. Tears slipped down his cheeks, and he flung himself facedown on the bed. Before he knew it, he was sobbing hysterically.
“What happened?!” Chloe exclaimed. She rubbed his back.
With an effort, Timmy rolled over to stare at the ceiling. “I fu-I screwed up. Wanda’s closer to divorcing him than she was before. She doesn’t believe that he loves or wants her anymore.”
He pounded a fist on his thigh in frustration. “I don’t know how to get through to her.”
A pair of eyes pinned him from the side of the room. Cosmo was watching them, and Timmy’s heart clenched.
”How much of that did you hear?” Timmy said, wincing.
”All of it,” Cosmo said. He sounded broken-hearted. “There has to be something I can do. Some way I can prove to her that I mean it.”
”She didn’t tell me any,” Timmy said, despondent. “She said that she should file the papers and figure out what you wanted, because she knows it’s not her.”
Cosmo burst into tears, too. Timmy sighed.
He thought he heard his parents arriving home. When he looked out the window, he saw it was true. The tears intensified.
“I wish I knew what to do,” he said hopelessly.
”Destroy the bust,” a disembodied voice rang out. Magdalene and Nathaniel were nowhere to be seen-Timmy assumed they’d gone to discuss what Magdalene had been determined to stay silent about. Timmy and Chloe sprang to their feet and looked around.
“Okay…and how do I do that?” he said, feeling odd for addressing a disembodied voice. Then again, strange things happened around Timmy frequently. One would think he’d be used to it by now.
“I want her,” Cosmo said fiercely. “I only want her. I wish she believed me.”
“Destroy the bust,” the voice repeated.
“I can’t!” Cosmo protested. “Every time I look at it, it makes me feel safe and warm.”
”And losing Wanda is better than that?” Timmy countered.
”No…” Cosmo admitted.
Magdalene appeared, folding her arms across her chest. “Destroy the bust. I’m telling you. If you want to prove you still love and care about her, you need to do something about that damn jinxed bust. Because as long as that’s around, she won’t believe a word you say.”
”Okay, but how?” Timmy said.
Magdalene smiled sadly. “That’s up to Cosmo. I doubt anyone else’s magic will do it. Cosmo’s going to have to figure out how to choose Wanda over his mother again. It might’ve been easy before…but I have a feeling that’s not the case now.”