(no subject)

[soulfulsin]

Fandom: Fairly Oddparents

Canon or AU: AU

Fic: Blank Space

A/N: I managed to thwart one attempt on Timmy’s part to make a potentially disastrous wish.

Then, Tootie decided to assume that role instead. *groans*

Also, it is tough to focus in a library where two children are playing video games loudly. I’ll probably relocate once I post this on LJ after it’s been run through Grammarly.

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It was the first time she could recall that she’d been derelict in her duties. Wanda had cried herself to sleep; her depression had swept her under, and she hadn’t fought it. She didn’t see the point. Maybe Jorgen could find someone better for Tootie, as Cosmo had already found someone better than Wanda. That might've brought her to tears again if she hadn’t cried herself out earlier.

Sighing, she straightened up. Tootie hadn’t been able to summon her; Wanda felt guilty that she’d ignored her. Technically, she could be written up for that. She wished she cared about losing her job. Her life was in shambles. The rock-hard marriage she had spent almost her entire life in was over or close to it.

She wanted to believe that Cosmo meant what he said and hadn’t just said it because he’d wanted it to be true. Once she’d sent Timmy away, she returned to slump on the bed. She wasn’t sure which color she hated more now-her own or Cosmo’s. Painting the house in black would be too goth, but it matched her dark mood.

She knew Timmy meant well in trying to reconcile his godparents; unfortunately, Wanda had no more faith in Cosmo. With her luck, Juandissimo would see the wreckage and swoop in like a vulture. Wanda wanted no part of him. If she couldn’t have Cosmo, she wanted to be left alone.

Maybe for the foreseeable future.

She wouldn’t get away with this for much longer. Someone would wish her to their side, or Jorgen would pluck her up and fling her back at Earth. Possibly literally. Wanda smiled bitterly. Maybe she’d be lucky and burn up on re-entry.

Sighing, she straightened up. Her thoughts were bleaker than she’d expected. Hugging her knees, she closed her eyes. She’d built her life around someone who had seen her as she was, not as a mafioso’s daughter. Or the less impressive, less attractive twin. She sniffed. Cosmo had changed his mind on the latter. He’d proved time and time again he wanted someone younger and more voluptuous than her.

It didn’t matter if Mama Cosma had driven the wedge deeper. It shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

Wanda grimaced. She was throwing a pity party but thought she was entitled. Timmy wanted her to return-but she doubted his intentions, too. Maybe he just wanted a return to normalcy. She couldn’t expect him to change, either.

”I can’t believe I had to stoop to this,” Timmy snapped. Wanda froze as three fairies left dust on the now black carpet. Everything in their bedroom was black, and her visitors took in their surroundings with frowns.

”Wow, who died?” Cosmo said. Wanda growled, raising her wand and pointing it at him.

”Uh, dude? This is your house,” Timmy said, nonplussed. "Seriously, though, who died?"

”Stoop to what?” Wanda snapped. Timmy moved, and Tootie was behind him. Wanda groaned, facepalming. Nathaniel and Magdalene brought up the rear. Wanda folded her arms across her chest. This felt suspiciously like an intervention.

”I had to beg Tootie to help me come to Fairy World since we couldn’t get Cosmo to agree without her help, too,” Timmy said, rolling his eyes. “Cosmo wouldn’t come out of the fish bowl.”

“If I wanted you to return, I would’ve said so,” Wanda snapped. She sighed, realizing she looked horrible again. Crying yourself to sleep will do wonders for your complexion. Cosmo cleaned her up before she could, and she frowned.

”You haven’t filed the papers yet, have you?” Cosmo said desperately.

”No,” she said flatly. “I haven’t done anything.”

Except that she had cried herself to sleep and then refused to leave the bed, but they didn’t need to know that.

“Then there’s still time,” Cosmo said. He reached for her hands, and she poofed away. Clenching her jaw, she tried not to think about his earlier affection and how badly she’d craved it. Or how much she wanted it now despite everything.

He was no good for her. He was only panicking because he didn’t want things to change. It was nothing personal. The last six months had shown his true intentions.

”No!” Cosmo said. Wanda’s jaw dropped. That was impossible. Their mental link was so battered and broken that he should only be able to detect distant emotions and nothing more substantial than that. He was reacting like he’d heard her thoughts.

“No to what?” Timmy said, confused.

“I don’t want things to change, that’s true,” Cosmo said in a rush. “But that’s not why I don’t want a divorce! I never meant to hurt you. I swear!”

He threw himself at her feet. She gawked, stunned and taken aback by his display and words.

She sighed. “Get up, hon. You’re making a fool of yourself.”

Her heart twisted. The more he begged and pleaded, the worse things would get. She didn’t want to give in again. For all she knew, he’d repeat his behavior, possibly worse than before. By forgiving him, she was tacitly approving of his mistreatment. She had to draw the line somewhere.

“Magdalene said that if I destroyed the bust, it’d help,” Cosmo said. Wanda was startled.

”I…” she faltered. “I…I mean…maybe…but I didn’t think you were going to do that.”

She swallowed a sob. “I know you prefer that bust to me. She never nags you or degrades you or-“

Cosmo tackled her to the bed. She’d almost forgotten how effusive his physical displays of affection could be. His heart pounded against hers, and she tried to steel herself against him. Their eyes met, and she prayed he didn’t kiss her again. She wouldn’t be able to hold back this time.

”I’ll destroy the bust,” he swore. “Will that help?”

”Yes…” she said slowly. “I mean, it’s a start. The gap between us started before then, though. This should prevent it from spreading further if it’s not too late.”

”It’s not too late!” Cosmo cried, squeezing her tightly. He kissed her on the lips, a brief flurry of kisses that left her light-headed. It might’ve been good that he wasn’t allowing her to reciprocate. It was also growing more challenging to fight how pathetic he was.

He’d told her that he loved her mind to mind. You can’t lie in telepathy. He’d meant it. She gasped back a sob; he kissed her on the lips again, a lingering kiss, and she melted into him. She hadn’t meant to. Cosmo ran his fingers through her curls, and she sighed, wanting him so badly that she was back to aching with desire.

Cosmo pulled back; he stroked her cheek with his hand, and she stopped herself before grabbing his lapels.

He raised his wand and brought them to that horrible storage room. Timmy, Magdalene, Nathaniel, Chloe, and Tootie accompanied them. Wanda’s stomach cramped when her gaze met Mama Cosma’s marble one. She retreated unthinkingly. Mama Cosma’s malice and hostility nauseated her. She remembered seeing her mother-in-law assault her, and she tasted blood-Wanda had bitten the inside of her cheek.

She tried to shake off the fear. Two other fairies and three children were here. She’d be okay. The bust might be keyed into her magic, but it couldn’t hurt her again.

”Hi, Mama,” Cosmo said quietly. Timmy hissed; Wanda jumped when Timmy and Tootie latched onto her. She had expected it from Tootie; Tootie felt protective over her. Timmy, on the other hand…she was still nursing doubts about how much he cared. Or maybe that, too, was the depression talking.

“Cosmo-lolo…you’ve brought company,” Mama Cosma said. Though her features didn’t alter, disapproval radiated from her. “I thought you wanted private time with me.”

”I want you to stop hurting Wanda,” Cosmo snapped. He balled his fists. “And I want you to stop making me hurt her. I love her. When you try to push her away from me, you hurt me too.”

”I know what’s best for you,” Mama Cosma countered. “Far better than you do. I knew Wanda was no good for you from the start.”

”Why?” Wanda snapped before she could help herself. “Because I didn’t treat him like he was completely incompetent?”

“Because I knew Wanda would eventually hurt you,” Mama Cosma said. It was infuriating how she maintained such an air of superiority despite being in the wrong. Wanda wished she could strangle the bust or, better yet, the fairy behind it. She was shaking in rage, and Cosmo grabbed her hand. He intertwined their fingers.

”I hurt her first,” Cosmo pointed out quietly. “I want to be with her. Why can’t you respect that?”

((Because she doesn’t respect you,)) Wanda sent to Cosmo, though she didn’t know if he heard her. Then again, he’d caught her thoughts earlier when she hadn’t consciously transmitted them. She had no idea what was going on with their magical connection.

”You wouldn’t have snuck around behind my back if she was a good person,” Mama Cosma retorted. “You eloped with her because you knew I’d disapprove because you knew what I’d say.”

”I told you before, Mama,” Cosmo said. His expression was pained. “I don’t care what happened with her and Juandissimo.”

Shocked, Wanda tried to pull her hand away. Her heart thundered in her ears. “Cosmo, hon, what are you talking about?”

There was no way that Mama Cosma knew about that recording. So what on earth was her mother-in-law going on about? What had she told Cosmo to split them up before they eloped? Whatever it was, Cosmo had never brought it up before. That was an eternity to keep a secret, especially for him.

“You weren’t her first,” Mama Cosma said tartly.

Wanda flushed. “Could we not have this conversation in front of the children?”

“First for what?” Cosmo said, and Wanda groaned, facepalming. Of all the times for Cosmo’s stupidity to rear its ugly head…

”She slept with Juandissimo before you,” Mama Cosma snapped, ignoring Wanda’s protest. “And probably a whole string of other fairies, if I’m right.”

Wanda went scarlet. Cosmo wasn’t releasing her. The children’s eyes widened. Magdalene and Nathaniel absented themselves and the kids from the castle. It was slightly easier to breathe with them gone, but it also meant she was back to being alone with Mama Cosma and Cosmo. She couldn’t trust Cosmo to defend her.

”No, she didn’t,” Cosmo snapped. “She would’ve told me, and I told you before that I don’t care. She’s faithful to me. That’s all that matters.”

Wanda was simultaneously touched and worried. Cosmo's reactions to his mother's concern were hard to gauge.

“To you, that’s all that matters,” Mama Cosma snapped. “Not to me. I’m your mother. I know what’s best for you, especially when you don’t.”

“No…” Cosmo said slowly. He released Wanda’s hand only to wrap his arm around her waist. “You don’t know what’s best for me. I do. Wanda’s best for me. You’re not.”

Wanda’s breath caught. This wouldn’t end well for one of them. For the first time in a long while, she was hopeful that things might turn around.

She prayed she wasn’t about to be proved wrong.

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Cosmo felt Wanda’s tension, and it ignited his own. He knew how precarious their relationship was, and it terrified him. His hand tightened on hers to the point where he was probably restricting blood flow. As long as he held onto her, she couldn’t leave him.

Mama Cosma sniffed. “She brainwashed you.”

”No, I didn’t,” Wanda snapped.

”I wasn’t talking to you,” Mama Cosma spat. “You’ve corrupted him.”

”Mama, I love her,” he protested. “I don’t know what I’d do without her. She’s my soulmate.”

”I thought your father was my soulmate, but he left me,” Mama Cosma retorted. “That’s the lesson you need to remember, Cosmo. No one will love you the way I do.

”No one will care about you the way I do. I am doing this for your own good.”

”No,” Cosmo said, surprising himself. “You’re doing it for your own good. Why do you think we eloped? Wanda’s the only thing I’ve ever been sure about, and you kept knocking her whenever I brought her up.”

Mama Cosma’s bust glowered, but Cosmo was more aware of Wanda’s keen gaze upon him. Her lower lip quivered, and his heart ached. He’d caused her so much misery in the last six months. He couldn’t believe it’d almost reached the point of no return before he realized how badly he’d ruined their relationship.

“It’s because you can’t control me,” Wanda said quietly. “You can’t make me dance to your tune like those robots, and you damn well know it.”

Her eyes blazed. “For the record, I’m not a harlot. I only slept with Juandissimo before Cosmo, and that was also none of your business.”

”I bet you didn’t tell him that,” Mama Cosma said.

”Yes, she did,” Cosmo said. He glowered. “I told you before I didn’t care, and I meant it.”

Mama Cosma appeared in person, and Wanda hissed, drawing her wand with her free hand. Cosmo released her, only to pull an arm around her waist. Though their link was ragged, he felt her throat tighten in fear.

“You’re being foolish, Cosmo,” Mama Cosma scolded. “You know that ploy wouldn’t have worked as well if you hadn’t subconsciously wanted to reject her. You just needed an additional incentive.”

Wanda pulled away and clenched her jaw tightly. She turned her head, but not before Cosmo saw the pain in her eyes. Cosmo’s heart ached like it’d been stabbed, and he felt sick. Wanda believed Mama Cosma over him. It was a testament to how badly he’d destroyed her trust that she thought Mama Cosma was telling the truth.

One problem at a time, though. He didn’t know if he could bring himself to destroy the bust. However, if he didn’t, he knew Wanda wasn’t making idle threats. She’d file the paperwork and push him out of her life forever if she could.

Terrified, Cosmo focused on his resentment of Mama Cosma instead of his fear of losing Wanda. He tried to ignore the tears sliding down Wanda’s face, too, because he understood better than before that it was possible to die of heartbreak. The pain he faced right now was the worst he’d ever experienced, and Wanda was deliberately facing away from them to conceal how much he’d hurt her.

He needed Mama Cosma out of their lives now.

“No,” Cosmo said slowly, feeling like he was finding his footing along unstable ground. “I need you to leave us alone. For good.”

Mama Cosma cocked her head curiously. “Cosmo-lolo, you’re not saying what I think you’re saying. You’re not in your right mind. You’ve let her put a spell on you.”

“Mama,” Cosmo said; he was rapidly losing control over the situation. If he didn’t remedy it quickly, Wanda would leave and possibly never return. It was just a gut feeling he had. Cosmo didn’t always trust his intuition, but it was usually correct regarding Wanda.

“I chose Wanda over you. If you can’t respect that and her, then…” Cosmo swallowed past a lump in his throat. “Then you need to go and leave us alone.”

Wanda was watching him out of the corner of her eye.

In a firmer voice, Cosmo said, “Leave. Us. Alone.”

This was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. He still didn’t know whether he could destroy the bust. He had to try, though, or things would only snowball further downhill. His hands shook.

Mama Cosma floated closer to him and interposed herself between Cosmo and Wanda.

“You need to come home,” Mama Cosma said quietly. She held out her hand to him. “Trust me. I’m your mother.”

Cosmo’s thoughts pinged off each other, which was the closest he came to them racing. His heart was in his throat. It didn’t take much for him to imagine Wanda poofing off. The way she watched him, he knew their relationship was balanced on a razor blade and swayed dangerously.

“No,” Cosmo said, floating backward. “No, I don’t. You’re the reason Wanda doesn’t trust me anymore. You’re why Wanda doesn’t believe me when I tell her I love her. You need to stay in Fairy World and stop butting into our marriage.”

His chest was tight, and a metallic taste filled his mouth. It was dread and apprehension. He was going to lose her; he couldn’t lose her. Tears pricked his eyes, and he ignored them.

His wand arm shifted, and he raised his wand at the bust. Mama Cosma watched, smirking.

“You can’t do it, can you?” she said smugly. “You can’t abandon me after everything I’ve done for you. You know I love you far more than that shrew can.”

Cosmo glanced at Wanda, whose arms were folded across her chest. She had her back to them, and her shoulders shook; she was crying quietly, something he feared she had great experience with over the past six months. Cosmo poofed to Wanda’s side; tears streaked her cheeks.

“I won’t beg you to stay,” she said roughly. “As far as I’m concerned, you’ve already decided.

“And it’s not me.”

Mama Cosma’s eyes gleamed triumphantly, and Cosmo’s stomach roiled. He could feel his mother’s schadenfreude and how thin his link to Wanda had grown. It was one step away from snapping entirely. Cosmo swallowed back his panic.

He would lose her and had no one to blame but himself. Not Mama Cosma. He had to take responsibility for his actions.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I know that’s not enough. I know it’ll never be enough. I know--”

His throat tightened, and he swallowed until he could speak again. “I know I’ll probably spend the rest of my life regretting the past six months if you even decide to give me another chance.”

She was listening, but her wand was in her right hand. Cosmo gulped back bile. He wanted nothing more than to touch and draw her into his arms. Mama Cosma stood between them; she had enlarged the gap, but Cosmo had started it.

“I love you,” Cosmo said desperately. “You told Timmy that love isn’t enough without trust.”

Wanda inclined her head. He didn’t like that she’d stopped talking to him; his heart pounded.

Mama Cosma joined them and rested a hand on his shoulder.

“Your separation was inevitable,” Mama Cosma said. “It was only a matter of time before Cosmo pushed you aside.”

Wanda glanced at him, and her eyes filled with tears. She shook her head, and she raised her wand. Cosmo grabbed her hand.

((Don’t go. Please. I can change. I love you,)) he blurted via telepathy. ((Don’t leave me. I swear, I’ll do better. I’ll be better.))

Wanda shook her head. She said in a quiet voice that cut him to the quick, “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t bounce back and forth. I love you, too. But…love isn’t enough.”

As Jorgen could attest, Cosmo’s magic did strange things when he was overly emotional. He couldn’t control it, and he didn’t want to try. Wanda shrugged off Cosmo’s hand and raised her wand again.

“Don’t try and stop me, hon,” she said.

His wand exploded with magic that corruscated around the room. It was like he’d released a mini-hurricane. The bust rocked on its small table, and Mama Cosma flew backward, caught off-guard by the blast. It was the first time he’d ever struck her, intentionally or unintentionally.

The wind’s speed increased and grew louder, a roaring in their ears. Dirt and bits of debris flew through the air. Unconsciously, he reached for Wanda, and his fingers brushed her arm. She hadn’t left yet. She was watching the storm he’d conjured.

“DON’T GO!” Cosmo screamed, both aloud and in telepathy. The wind obscured his sight and deafened him. It raged on, and he thought he heard something shatter and someone scream.

The link between him and Wanda remained, and he clung to it. The storm settled after an eternity, and he stared at where Wanda had been. She was gone. Devastated, he pivoted, uncertain what to do now that his last stand had failed.

The bust was gone, and sparkling blood painted the wall. Worried that he’d hurt Wanda, he didn’t see what was before him. Sobs choked him, and he hugged himself. He couldn’t hear or see. Falling out of thin air, he threw himself onto the floor.

Someone touched his head lightly, and Cosmo flew backward. He had no more strength left. All he could think was that she’d left him. He’d finally screwed up so hard that she’d left him, and he deserved it.

“Cosmo…”

His ears rang. Perhaps the voice was in his head, his last connection to her. Then someone with soft hands tilted his head up, and he forced his eyes open. Beautiful pink eyes stared back. Wanda hadn’t left him. She was still here. She still loved him!

Before he had a chance to celebrate, she turned his head toward the wall and forced him to focus on what he hadn’t perceived before. He hadn’t injured Wanda, as far as he could tell. The bust had blown to pieces, with shards flying everywhere.

“I don’t think you meant to do that,” Wanda said quietly.

“Mama…” Cosmo whimpered, dismayed.

Mama Cosma was pinned to the wall with a large chunk protruding from her stomach. Another shard must’ve caught her a glancing blow because her head was bleeding copiously. It didn’t look serious--head wounds tended to bleed a lot. The shard embedded in Mama Cosma’s lower abdomen worried Cosmo much more.

Blood trickled from a shallow wound on Wanda’s right arm. He’d also destroyed her wand.

“You wanted to keep me here so badly that you did everything in your power to stop me from leaving,” Wanda said. “You destroyed the bust, although I’m not sure if that was a conscious effort on your part or not, hon. But…”

She swallowed hard. “Whether it was or not, you intended to prevent me from poofing off. You also wanted to hurt Mama Cosma for endangering our marriage.”

“No!” Cosmo said weakly. “I didn’t! I would never!”

Snagging Mama Cosma’s wand, Wanda healed her, though she left her mother-in-law unconscious.

“We’ll see,” Wanda said and pecked Cosmo on the cheek. The longing on her face was unmistakable, and he reached for her. She poofed away.

Cosmo sank to the floor again. He didn’t know what any of this meant, and he didn’t know where he stood with Wanda. The bust was gone, but the trouble remained. Bereft, he curled into a ball on the floor. Maybe he’d sleep here tonight.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Wanda snapped, but she was nowhere to be seen.

He appeared in his race car bed. Her four-poster bed was gone. With a sinking feeling, he wondered if he’d made less progress than he’d thought. If maybe, somehow, they were still going backward.

She’d kissed him on the cheek. That had to mean something. He was lost, adrift without her.

“Don’t leave me…” he whispered. “Wanda, don’t go.”

Before crying himself to sleep, he pretended she’d said, “I won’t.”

As far as he knew, it was only in his head.

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Timmy was grateful that today was Saturday and it would be a three-day weekend. Normally, he’d look forward to kicking back with his fairy godparents and wishing up a storm. Magdalene and Nathaniel greeted him when he awoke; Cosmo was nowhere to be seen.

Magdalene winced apologetically.

“Cosmo won’t leave the castle,” she explained. Today, she wore crescent moon earrings that reminded Timmy of a 90s anime. Her tank top had a black and white cat in a circle, and she had a belly button piercing. Her jeans hugged her hips and showed off her hourglass figure.

“We tried our best to coax him out,” Nathaniel added. “He thinks Wanda doesn’t love him anymore. He’s convinced that she’s leaving him.”

Timmy groaned. “I thought destroying the bust was supposed to have fixed that.”

Magdalene and Nathaniel exchanged uneasy looks.

“We don’t know,” she said. “He won’t talk about last night. I suppose you could call Tootie and ask, assuming Wanda returned to Earth.”

Timmy stormed over to the fish bowl. “Cosmo! Quit moping and come out!”

Someone knocked on his door, and Timmy whirled. Magdalene and Nathaniel became birds on the tree outside of his window. Feeling self-conscious, Timmy put the fish bowl to his back and winced when his parents burst in. It was the first time he’d seen them together in a while, and their body language indicated they found the close proximity uncomfortable. Timmy’s father avoided Timmy’s gaze, and Timmy remembered his father wishing that Timmy had never been born. Tears burned in Timmy’s eyes.

“I’m sorry to wake you up, sweetie,” his mom said. “But we need to talk about the future and what will happen to us and this house.”

Timmy’s stomach lurched like he’d missed a step going down.

“Nothing’s going to happen,” he protested. “Nothing can happen. This is all a misunderstanding.”

Cosmo and Wanda were splitting up, and now his parents were, too? It was more than he could take. His lower lip quivered, and he searched desperately for Wanda before remembering she wasn’t nearby. Wanda was missing, and Cosmo refused to come out. Timmy couldn’t hold back the tears.

“I wish it were,” his mother said sadly. “We’ll file the paperwork on Monday.”

“Let’s talk about this!” Timmy protested. “This can’t be happening!”

Shaking her head, Timmy’s mother indicated that he should follow her downstairs and into the living room. Heart in his throat, Timmy followed. He felt horribly alone and vulnerable. Whether Magdalene and Nathaniel followed him was immaterial.

Cosmo and Wanda weren’t together, and Cosmo didn’t have his back. Timmy had no one he trusted as much as his real fairies. It was hard to see the stairs because he was crying so hard.

How could this be happening? It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. He stumbled toward the couch and landed hard on cushions that yelped.

Pink and green cushions. Together. His breath caught.

Wanda looked exhausted, but she offered Timmy a sympathetic smile. She poked Cosmo with a tassel, and Cosmo perked up. His gaze searched hers desperately, but they couldn't talk around Timmy’s parents. It was also impossible to say much with only her eyes and mouth, but she quickly looked at Cosmo before focusing on Timmy.

Timmy grabbed the pink and green cushions and placed them on his lap. After a second’s thought, he hugged Wanda. While his parents were preoccupied and arguing in the kitchen about how to tell Timmy, Wanda stroked Timmy’s cheek with a tassel.

“Does this mean you’re not getting divorced?” Timmy whispered.

Wanda looked troubled. “It means we’ve been married almost ten thousand years, sport. These have been the worst six months of our marriage, but…”

“But?” Cosmo said eagerly.

“I’m not giving up just yet,” she whispered back.

“You mean there’s a chance?” Cosmo said. Timmy’s heart rose. There was hope for his godparents yet.

“Cosmo, I--”

That was as far as Wanda got before his parents returned, and the fairies fell silent. Nonetheless, Wanda brushed another tassel along Cosmo’s face. Cosmo shifted one of his tassels to intertwine with hers. Wanda’s smile was wan, but it was there. She moved her tassels in what Timmy thought was an attempt at a nod.

“It’ll take months for things to finalize, but…” Timmy’s mom said and glanced at his father uneasily. “We’re filing for a no-fault divorce.”

Timmy’s elation vanished. He squeezed Wanda tighter. She placed her tassels along his arms like a hug.

“I’m telling you now because things are going to change,” Mrs. Turner said, settling near Timmy on the couch. Mr. Turner elected to sit in a chair rather than share the sofa. Timmy’s throat tightened. Wanda stroked his cheek surreptitiously, and tears fell onto her face.

“We want you to be prepared,” Mrs. Turner said.

“Prepared for what?” Timmy gasped. He buried his face into Wanda’s cushiony form.

“Sssh…” Wanda murmured. “You’ll be okay, sport. I promise. We love you.”

Mrs. Turner smiled sadly. “We can’t stay in Dimmsdale anymore, but that’s only for starters. Oh, I had a better idea for this discussion than that.”

“We’re not leaving Dimmsdale!” Timmy objected, jumping to his feet and clutching his godparents. “We can’t!”

Mrs. Turner’s gaze was downcast. “If wishes were horses, even beggars would ride.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Timmy objected. Cosmo and Wanda winced against him. They must’ve been familiar with the saying.

“You can’t have everything you wish for,” Mrs. Turner said. Her expression was bleak. “Or anything at all.”

“We don’t have to leave Dimmsdale,” Timmy objected. “None of this makes any sense. I don’t want to leave, and I don’t want you two to get divorced. Or anyone to get divorced.”

This last was a pointed comment to Cosmo and Wanda.

“California is a very expensive place to live,” Mrs. Turner said. “Once your father and I divorce, I won’t be able to afford to stay here.”

Timmy’s throat constricted. He didn’t know where to start objecting. Wishing that his parents wouldn’t divorce wouldn’t work. Wishing that his parents had more money wouldn’t work--that was money laundering. Wishing that his parents still loved each other was against Da Rules. He’d asked about indirectly obtaining more money, like getting a stock market tip, which was also against Da Rules.

“I don’t have to leave California and my friends,” Timmy protested. “I can stay here. With Dad.”

Timmy’s parents exchanged worried glances.

“Actually, I wanted to enjoy the life of a bachelor,” Timmy’s father said. Lest Timmy should misinterpret him, he added, “No kids.”

Timmy was gutted. Cosmo and Wanda pressed themselves against him sympathetically. He loved them more than he could bear, and beneath that adoration for his fairy godparents, he felt the stirrings of resentment toward his biological parents. His mother couldn’t reconcile their marriage, and his father no longer wanted him.

“I thought you loved having me around,” Timmy said. He tasted tears slipping down his lips. “You used to rub me in Dinkleberg’s face. You love me.”

He winced, trying not to think about how Cosmo had pleaded a similar case with Wanda last night.

His parents glanced at each other again, and Timmy growled.

“Would you two stop doing that? What don’t you want to tell me?”

Mrs. Turner shifted on the couch and touched Timmy’s shoulder. It might’ve been Timmy’s imagination, but Cosmo and Wanda glared daggers at his father.

“We did a paternity test a while ago,” Mrs. Turner said softly. “We were wondering why you never had any siblings.”

Timmy was dreading her next words. The dread overpowered his confusion about why a paternity test was necessary. He pressed his godparents to his chest and reminded himself that Cosmo and Wanda loved him unconditionally.

“The timing of your due date was also off…” Mrs. Turner said, frowning.

“What are you saying?” Timmy said. He trembled, and if Cosmo and Wanda could’ve pressed into him any harder than he was already holding them, they would have. It was only their love for him that was keeping him from full-on panic mode.

“You’re a Dinkleberg,” Mr. Turner snapped.

“What?” Timmy said. He faltered. “I knew Mom dated Mr. Dinkleberg before I was born, but…”

“How do you know that?” Mr. Turner demanded. Timmy winced, forgetting he wasn’t supposed to have seen the past.

“Uh, internet? Lucky guess?” Timmy said, hoping one of those would be enough to assuage him.

“It turns out you didn’t have any siblings because, well…it wasn’t possible,” Mrs. Turner said. “Not with your father, anyway.”

Mr. Turner glared. “I’m not his father.”

Timmy wanted the earth to swallow him whole. When he glanced down, he realized Cosmo and Wanda were glaring even harder at his father. Cosmo and Wanda considered him their son, and he wasn’t biologically related to them. Meanwhile, his father had raised him for eleven years, and he had decided that didn’t matter. No wonder his fairies were upset on his behalf.

“When did you find this out?” Timmy asked in a timorous voice.

“A little over six months ago,” Mrs. Turner said, sighing. “Back when we started fighting.”

Timmy’s father’s attitude made much more sense now, even if it felt like Timmy had been mortally wounded. He wished Cosmo and Wanda were his real parents and that he’d grown up as a fairy instead of a human.

“So, you see, we can’t stay here,” Mrs. Turner said, returning to her original point.

“Does Mr. Dinkleberg know?” Timmy asked. None of this felt real. He was trapped in a horrible nightmare, and any minute now, he’d wake up and discover that he’d only imagined this terrible conversation.

“Not yet,” Mr. Turner growled. “But he will.”

“We’ll have to hammer out the details some more with our lawyers on Monday,” Mrs. Turner said. She hugged him. “This doesn’t mean we love you any less.”

“It seems to mean that for Dad,” Timmy snapped.

“I’m not your father,” Mr. Turner rejoined. There was a hint of hurt in his voice, but Timmy didn’t care. His chest tightened with anger and fear.

“You helped raise me for eleven years,” Timmy said. “Doesn’t that count for anything?”

“It would if I were actually related to you,” Mr. Turner snapped, glaring at his wife. Mrs. Turner sighed--Timmy wanted to believe this had blindsided her as much as it had him. His vision blurred with tears, and he ignored Mrs. Turner’s affection. He only wanted Cosmo and Wanda.

His mom might love him, but he felt she’d betrayed him, too.

“We’ll have to sell the house--your father wants to live elsewhere, and I can’t afford this house on a realtor salary,” Mrs. Turner said weakly.

“Maybe you could if you didn’t let other people close instead,” Mr. Turner retorted.

“Can I please be excused?” Timmy whispered. His voice cracked.

“We’ll discuss it more on Monday with the lawyer,” Mrs. Turner said with a pained smile. “You'll miss school.”

“Yay,” Timmy said darkly. “I’m so glad I get to miss a deranged fairy hunter to watch my parents break up.”

Mrs. Turner looked askance. He could tell she was shouldering a lot of the blame, much like Cosmo had with Wanda, both involving a lack of communication. In Cosmo’s case, he hadn’t been able to tell Wanda until he’d bespelled himself. In his mother’s case, she’d kept the secret until it’d been forced into the light.

That had to be worse, yet he felt little sympathy toward his mom. It wasn’t enough to make him want to stay with her. Plus, his father no longer wanted him. His dad hated Dinkleburg more than he loved Timmy.

“Why don’t you go up to your room?” Mrs. Turner said weakly. “I’ll tell you when breakfast is ready.”

“I’ll get breakfast elsewhere,” his father snapped. Without another word, his father exited the living room and slammed the front door. Timmy wanted to dart up the stairs, but his legs weren’t cooperating.

Mrs. Turner hugged Timmy; he didn’t push her away, especially since his arms were full, but he stiffened against her.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry it had to come to this. I’m sorry that your father isn’t, well, your father.”

“How could this happen?” Timmy demanded.

“I’d rather not answer that right now,” Mrs. Turner said, wincing. “It’s not like I planned it out. There was a time when your father and I were dating within a month of my dating Sheldon. And then…”

She looked ashamed. Timmy wanted to hate her, but he couldn’t. Her tears fell onto his hair.

“Just remember that I love you,” Mrs. Turner said. “I will always love you. And, hopefully, your father will realize that he loves you more than he hates the neighbors.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” Timmy growled.

“I wouldn’t either,” his mother said, sounding defeated. “Go ahead and go play upstairs. I’ll make your favorite breakfast in a few minutes.”

Timmy nodded. Maybe he should make a peace offering and suggest staying and talking to her. That would be the right thing to do.

He wasn’t sure he was up for that.

Mrs. Turner kissed him on the forehead and walked away toward the kitchen. Loud music started playing, but Timmy wasn’t deceived. He could hear his mother crying underneath it.

Cosmo and Wanda waited until Timmy’s mother’s back was toward them and their conversation was concealed before returning to fairy form. Magdalene and Nathaniel materialized, too--Timmy realized they’d been portraits on the wall. He’d been so focused on Cosmo and Wanda that he hadn’t noticed.

“It’s not like it’s my fault this happened,” Timmy whispered.

“I know, sweetie, I know,” Wanda soothed. She stroked his hair and dried the damp spots. “I’m sure your mother hoped things would turn out otherwise.”

Timmy’s heart pounded, and his chest ached. “Did you forgive Cosmo?”

Wanda frowned, and Cosmo leaned against her. He wrapped his arms around her, and she closed her eyes. She looked like she was trying to maintain control and losing the fight. It didn’t help when she softened in his arms, and Cosmo kissed her on the lips. She sighed.

“I have a lot of conflicting feelings right now, sport,” she said. “It will take some time to sort through them and figure out how to move past this.”

“But you want to move past this, right? You want to be together again?” Cosmo said, sounding pathetically hopeful (as opposed to his usual, which was just pathetic.)

Their lips met, and she rested her hand against his chest and over his heart. After a few seconds, however, she broke off, scowling.

“What’s the matter now?” Timmy said.

“Tootie,” Wanda snapped and then vanished.

“Tootie must’ve called her,” Cosmo explained, hugging himself.

“Technically, Tootie is her godchild, not you,” Magdalene reminded Timmy. “Wanda’s checking up on you; Tootie probably knows and approves, but she’s still upset with your mistreatment of Wanda. She’s not going to let you see her for very long.”

“This is ridiculous,” Timmy snapped, fists balled. “Wanda’s forgiven Cosmo! She’s forgiven me, too!”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Magdalene said, “but Wanda never said she forgave Cosmo. Or you.”

“She forgave us! I know she did!” Timmy shot back.

“No…” Cosmo said, sounding lost. “Magdalene’s right. Wanda never said she forgave us.”

“I know she forgave you because she could never hold a grudge against you,” Timmy huffed. “She loves us. And you destroyed the bust, right?”

“Accidentally,” Cosmo admitted.

“How do you destroy a bust ‘accidentally?’”

“I, uh, got overly emotional, and the bust exploded, along with my magic. I knocked Mama out and almost impaled her with a piece of the bust. I also destroyed Wanda’s wand.

“She was going to leave me! I couldn’t let her. You understand, don’t you?” Cosmo pleaded.

“That emotional outburst is why Jorgen won’t let you be a single godparent,” Magdalene reminded Cosmo. “You’re bad enough when granting wishes, but when you can’t control your magic…”

“I couldn’t let her leave!” Cosmo protested.

Magdalene shrugged. “I’m just saying. When you lose control over your powers, it can be cataclysmic. You can’t blame the Council and Jorgen for covering their bases.”

Cosmo scowled. Timmy got the point, but he was irritated. Then again, he wanted everything back to how it had been with neither set of parents arguing or threatening divorce.

“We have to get Wanda back from Tootie,” Timmy huffed. He folded his arms across his chest and wanted to be angrier at Tootie, but it all came back to his parents. Unable to suppress them, he burst into sobs again, and Cosmo hugged him. Timmy hugged him fiercely back.

Cosmo glanced at his wand and growled. Timmy blinked, pulling back.

“What’s the matter?” he said.

“Juandissimo,” Cosmo spat. Timmy leaned in to examine the wand tip more closely. Within the star were Wanda, Juandissimo, Tootie…and Big Daddy.

“Okay, I know you’re on Big Daddy’s shit list,” Timmy began, ignoring Magdalene clearing her throat at him, “but this doesn’t look good even by that standard.”

“Big Daddy always preferred Juandissimo over me,” Cosmo admitted, grimacing. “He didn’t think I was good enough for Wanda. If he knows what’s happened over the past six months, which he does now…”

“He’s going to want to split you two up, too,” Timmy finished, flinching. “What do we do?”

“Don’t panic,” Magdalene said. “If she’s resisted Juandissimo’s ‘charms’ for this long, I doubt she’s about to succumb now.”

Cosmo and Timmy nodded. Wanda loved him and Cosmo; Timmy was sure of that. Cosmo looked less confident, perhaps because he’d come so close to losing her. He might still be on the brink of it, for all Timmy knew.

“Uh oh,” Nathaniel said. He was floating near the window but within the shadows, so he couldn’t be seen through it.

“What’s up?” Magdalene said, poofing beside him.

“Timmy’s dad didn’t go for breakfast,” Nathaniel said, cringing.

Timmy and Cosmo joined them near the windows. Timmy felt out of his body; his legs were moving him, but he couldn’t control them. Since he wasn’t a mythological creature whose existence needed to be kept secret, Timmy looked out the window in full view of the neighbors. His stomach dropped.

“Dad just told the Dinklebergs,” Timmy said weakly. Maybe it was a good thing, for once, that Wanda was absent. She wouldn’t like what he was about to say.

“Fuck my life.”

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

Wanda hadn’t lied when she’d told Cosmo that she had a lot of emotions to sort out. Having Tootie summon her back to her house wasn’t helping. Wanda wanted to be alone and figure out how she felt about everything. She was conflicted about remaining Tootie’s godparent-Tootie needed her, but Wanda was deeply concerned about Timmy. Divorce was rough on kids, but this was a step above that.

It was hard to balance between two godchildren who needed her, especially when she wasn’t Timmy’s godmother anymore. She also felt unbalanced without Cosmo and wasn’t sure she could grant big wishes without him. Their magic remained linked, as far as she knew. For example, if Tootie wished to visit Fairy World, Wanda might not be able to do so alone.

”Where were you? I told you to check on Timmy, not to stay there,” Tootie chastised. Wanda’s throat tightened. They were in her bedroom; Tootie was probably hiding from Vicky, though that wouldn’t last long.

“There’s something we need to discuss about him,” Wanda said, anticipating trouble.

“Is it related to Cosmo?” Tootie asked skeptically, narrowing her eyes. “Because I’ve heard enough about him.”

“It’s about Timmy,” Wanda said firmly. “Not Cosmo.”

”That’s good,” Big Daddy snapped, materializing out of nowhere with Juandissimo beside him. “Because I’ve heard all I need to know about him, too. Your goddaughter’s right. Cosmo’s good for nothing.”

Wanda folded her arms across her chest. “You said you wouldn’t interfere in our marriage. He destroyed the bust, Daddy.”

She had that familiar apprehension when she stood up to him, but this was important. If Cosmo could assert himself with his mother, she could do so with her father.

“It’s too late for that,” Big Daddy snapped. “He destroyed your marriage. You know I’ve always preferred Juandissimo over Cosmo. Here’s solid proof that the idiot can’t keep his-things-together. Sorry, Tootie.”

Tootie nodded and clapped her hands. “Then you and Juandissimo can be together, and it’ll be like a real fairy family!”

Wanda winced. “I haven’t completely given up on Cosmo.”

”You should,” Juandissimo said, seizing her hand. “He hurt you for six months and only noticed because he was about to lose you. That is not true love. It is taking you for granted.

”He is also not attracted to you anymore if his snide remarks are anything to go by.”

Wanda gritted her teeth. This wasn’t something she wanted to get into with these three. Moreover, it stung badly that Juandissimo had multiple points. The last thing he’d said felt like a direct blow to her heart.

Yet Cosmo had unleashed a magical storm at the thought of losing her. Her stomach churned. This was why she needed to be alone, to unpack all of this.

”He would not have turned you into that dowdy secretary if he did not already see you that way,” Juandissimo continued.

“Stop,” Wanda snapped.

“‘Dowdy secretary?’” Big Daddy repeated.

”Don’t you dare,” Wanda snapped at Juandissimo. “Cosmo apologized for that.”

”He might have,” Juandissimo agreed. “But did he mean it? Or was he using it as an excuse because he’s afraid to leave you?”

Lovely; Juandissimo was throwing her argument back in her face. She felt outnumbered and overruled and longed to return and check on Timmy. That longing only increased when she heard a minor explosion down the street. It sounded like it was coming from near Timmy’s house.

Wanda wanted to poof nearby and discover what was happening but couldn’t risk leaving and having an entourage.

“Do you know him as well as you think you do?” Juandissimo said.

Wanda wanted to scream. None of this was important right now, not to her. She’d deal with the wreckage of her marriage and rebuild it after she knew Timmy was okay. When that was, she had no idea.

“Daddy, Timmy needs me,” Wanda said.

”No, he doesn’t,” Big Daddy said flatly. “He and Cosmo made their choices. He chose to ignore and insult you just as much as Cosmo did. You accepted Jorgen’s offer to godparent Tootie.”

Wanda bit back a snarl. She was ensnared in a trap of her own design. Brilliant.

“That was before things changed,” Wanda said, pleading with her eyes for her father to understand. “That was before Cosmo received another godchild on top of Timmy, and Timmy-“

”It doesn’t matter,” Big Daddy said, shutting her down. “Timmy is no longer your responsibility.”

”That’s right,” Tootie said. She looked at Wanda beseechingly. “I love him, but he’s back to stealing you away from me. I wish you couldn’t visit him anymore.”

For a brief moment, Wanda forgot to breathe. Tootie’s wish, while not entirely unexpected, struck her much as Timmy’s mother’s statements must’ve hurt Timmy earlier. Frustrated and helpless tears pricked Wanda’s eyes.

“You don’t understand!” Wanda protested, feeling like a broken record.

”No, you don’t,” Big Daddy corrected. “You gave up on him. He’s not your problem anymore, Wanda. You have to let him and Cosmo go. Move on.”

Wanda’s fists balled. She didn’t often curse; being around small children will usually break you of that habit. However, she was cursing mentally. Big Daddy was right that she’d been reassigned. Worse, she couldn’t reassure Timmy now because Tootie had locked her in place. She'd be breaking Da Rules if she went behind Tootie’s back.

“This is my life,” Wanda said weakly, realizing she was losing ground rapidly. “Not yours.”

“Si,” Juandissimo said. “Cosmo and Timmy attempted to ruin it. They are no longer your problem, as Big Daddy has said.”

Wanda glanced at Tootie, whose arms were folded across her chest. Hoisted by her own petard.

Fuck my life, Wanda thought, unintentionally mirroring Timmy.