(no subject)

[soulfulsin]

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

Fic: Speak No Evil

A/N: Yes, yes, I know, Operation Timantha. I haven’t touched it in a while. XD

I’ve been packing to move and get the house in better condition to go on the market. I’ve been busy.

Wanda torture, considering my volatile moods, appeals to me atm.

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Wanda awoke alone--she smelled eggs in the kitchen, which meant Cosmo was attempting to cook. She might need to intervene before he set their house on fire again. Raising her wand, she prepared to poof off when she became aware of green eyes upon her. When she turned her head, she saw Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda floating nearby. Wanda’s breath caught painfully in her chest, and her heart thundered.

“What are you two doing here?” Wanda asked, already mentally reaching toward Cosmo for backup. She didn’t need it, not for them, but she felt like they’d caught her off-guard. After everything she’d endured, the last thing she wanted was for someone to have an advantage over her.

“How long have you been here?” she demanded. The thought of them poofing in on her while asleep sent chills down her spine. Asmodeus used to waltz into her room, catch her unawares, and then…

Her throat tightened, and she shook her head.

And then things not worth remembering.

“If you’re asking, my dear, whether we watched you sleep…” Anti-Cosmo said, and Wanda’s eyes narrowed.

“That’s exactly what I’m asking,” Wanda snarled, jumping out of bed and pointing her wand at his throat. They could’ve done whatever they wanted to her, and Wanda would’ve been screwed. She wondered distantly how Anti-Cosmo had healed so quickly from his assassination attempt, but that was a question for later. Besides, Anti-Cosmo wouldn’t have required extensive healing if Asmodeus hadn't used iron.

“Prickly little pear, aren’t you?” Anti-Cosmo said. “Rumor has it that you’ve been on the rampage.”

“That’s none of your business,” Wanda snapped. “Get out of my room!”

“After Cosmo fractured the barrier between Earth and Fairy World, Anti-Wanda shared your experiences in fragments,” Anti-Cosmo said, unperturbed. “She detailed them to me.”

The blood drained from Wanda’s face, and she crashed into the bed. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she was tempted to shoot first and ask questions later. Fear was a metallic taste in the back of her throat.

“What do you want?” Wanda said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda drifted down onto the bed beside her. Wanda’s fingers tightened on her wand, though the two anti-fairies made no sudden moves. They didn’t have to. Wanda was on edge, especially with someone else knowing what she’d endured. Her stupid anti-fairy self shouldn’t have known anything, much less shared it with Anti-Cosmo.

Self-loathing threatened to consume her. Trembling, she willed herself to calm down. Revealing how much they had disturbed her would give them more ammunition. Time in the Unseelie Court had taught her the value of concealing how much people’s words and actions hurt. She didn’t always succeed in being stoic but did her best.

“How much do you know?” Wanda said in a wretched voice. Cosmo appeared while frying bacon with his shirt off. Wanda sighed, restoring his shirt before he burned himself. Startled, Cosmo looked around.

“Hey, you’re up!” he said. “We were going to make chocolate pancakes--”

“Hello, Cosmo,” Anti-Cosmo said curtly, and Cosmo pivoted, sending the bacon flying through the air. Anti-Wanda stole and swallowed it in one gulp. Wanda would’ve been impressed if she hadn’t been so disturbed by Anti-Cosmo’s earlier words.

“My bacon…” Cosmo whined.

“Ah, yes, I can see why you would value your bacon over your wife’s well-being,” Anti-Cosmo said, smirking. “After all, if you had cared more about your wife, perhaps she wouldn’t have suffered so much for so long.”

Wanda trembled, gripping her wand tightly. Asmodeus’s words threatened to echo in her mind again, and her throat tightened. Last night remained fresh in her mind. She’d almost killed Asmodeus and Ozymandias and had nearly succeeded when Timmy forced her hand. That recollection was superseded by choosing to forsake Faye over revenge against Asmodeus. Despite what Cosmo and Timmy had told her earlier, she doubted her suitability as a parent, much less a godparent.

“That’s not what happened!” Cosmo snapped. “I tried to reach her! I tried to break through the barrier--”

“He’s baiting you, hon,” Wanda said; exhaustion swept over her. “Don’t fall for it.”

“He can’t help it. He is an idiot, after all,” Anti-Cosmo retorted. “A selfish one, to boot.”

“That’s not what happened!” Cosmo repeated, incensed. “I went crazy without her! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Wanda caught herself eying the exits; it was a reflective gesture from her time in captivity. Then again, that hadn’t availed her much when trapped under the geas.

“Why are you here?” Wanda said flatly, swallowing against the lump in her throat.

“Just to check up on you,” Anti-Cosmo said, and her eyes narrowed.

“I don’t believe you,” she said. She folded her arms across her chest and ignored her trembling. “You always have an ulterior motive. You’re an anti-fairy.”

“I’m hurt,” Anti-Cosmo said. “You don’t think I have your well-being in mind?”

“No,” she growled. “I don’t.”

Cosmo drifted closer to her, and she flinched, poofing away. A few seconds too late, she realized Anti-Cosmo was scrutinizing and analyzing her behavior. He would know why she was recoiling and see right through her charade. Despair added to the exhaustion. There was no point in prevaricating. Her shoulders slumped.

((Wanda…)) Cosmo whined in her mind, and she considered blocking him out. It took real effort to stop herself. However, she sensed that Anti-Cosmo would know what she was doing. Besides, Cosmo would grow agitated if she screened him out of her thoughts, and Anti-Cosmo would take that as confirmation she wasn’t all right.

“I believe you were entirely in the right attempting to murder Asmodeus and Ozymandias,” Anti-Cosmo said. “It’s a shame that young Timothy and Jorgen forced you to stop.”

Wanda’s stomach clenched, and she felt sick. Anti-Cosmo’s comment was confirmation that she’d gone too far. It also restored her guilt over not looking after Faye first and taking revenge once she was sure the child was okay. She couldn’t meet Anti-Cosmo’s gaze. Self-loathing threatened to crush her.

Anti-Cosmo smirked, flashing his fangs. “Let us know if you want to go around the Fairy World Council and Jorgen von Strangle. We’d be glad to help.”

Anti-Wanda snorted, likewise flashing Wanda a smile that only increased Wanda’s nausea. The two anti-fairies vanished, and Wanda crashed onto the top of a dresser. Her heart hammered between her ribs, and she wanted to be alone. However, she lowered her wand before capitulating to her fear.

“Who invited them?” Cosmo snapped, conjuring another frying pan and cooking bacon again. He glanced at her; she was shaking so badly that her teeth were chattering. Words failed her, and she shook her head. If an anti-fairy approved of her tactics, she was clearly wrong. She wished that would erase her yearning to kill her abusers instead of amplifying it. Thinking about Anti-Wanda sharing her horror with Anti-Cosmo churned Wanda’s stomach.

“Did you want breakfast?” Cosmo asked softly. He didn’t approach her, but she could feel his longing to hold her. She wanted to wrench her gaze away from his, but she felt too weak to deny herself the relief seeing him granted her. Holding her wand, she squeezed it and poofed to him. She wasn’t sure she could float independently; Cosmo tightly wrapped his arms around her. The frying pan floated, forgotten.

“Anti-Wanda told Anti-Cosmo what I went through,” Wanda said faintly. “I tried to protect you from it…and she filled him in without a second thought.

“Between the Council sharing my trauma with my abusers and this…I feel violated again.”

Tears slipped down her cheeks, and she whimpered. Cosmo rubbed her back. She lifted her head, and they kissed. Her heart pounded between her ribs, and she squeezed her wand to bring them to the kitchen. Timmy was waiting with a cereal bowl; the twins, Leander, and Faye were eating or drinking bottles.

“What the heck happened?” Timmy asked, taking in Cosmo’s frantic hug and Wanda’s crying.

“Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda know what happened when Wanda was in the hotel,” Cosmo said quietly.

“And…?” Timmy said. Wanda gritted her teeth and resisted the temptation to throttle her godson. Faye whined, redirecting Wanda’s attention, and her heart clenched. Looking at her made her stomach lurch, and Wanda’s lower lip quivered. Faye must’ve interpreted it to mean Wanda needed reassurance because she wobbled in midair and tried to fling herself at her mother.

Wanda grabbed her out of midair before Faye crashed. She didn’t think; she just reacted. It was also the first time she’d seen a small fairy struggle to remain in the air. Faye was more underdeveloped than Wanda thought. It made her want to bring her back to the NICU, except she feared leaving Faye in a public place again, where one of Asmodeus’s minions might be able to snatch her.

Wanda thought about what she’d told Timmy, that she wasn’t sure she wanted Faye. Still, now that she was holding her for the first time, she wasn’t sure she could release her. Moreover, she wasn’t sure if she could, that she wanted to. Faye was so precious and tiny. She looked like a china doll.

Faye pressed her little hand against Wanda’s cheek and mouthed, “Mama?”

At least, that’s what Wanda thought she was trying to say.

Wanda’s heart lurched as a horrible thought flitted through her mind.

What if Faye couldn’t speak? What if the curse Asmodeus had placed upon Wanda had fallen upon her daughter, too? It was probably too early to tell, but now that the thought had hit her, it wouldn’t leave. Wanda shuddered.

Timmy and Cosmo were staring at her. She realized she hadn’t responded to Timmy’s rude question. Instead, she’d been staring at Faye and worrying about her curse. Wanda also realized she didn’t remember what they were talking about. Maybe she was accidentally channeling Cosmo.

“Where did you go just now? It wasn’t a flashback, was it?” Timmy asked sharply, and she shook her head.

“We should have Abraxas check to ensure she isn’t cursed with mutism the way I was,” Wanda said. Cosmo squeezed Wanda’s hand, and she smiled at him weakly.

“So, you’re keeping her?” Cosmo said. He couldn’t conceal his excitement, and Wanda’s heart panged. Gods, he was thrilled with the kids, regardless of how they’d come about. He loved them because he loved her. Tears threatened to choke her, and she kissed Cosmo on the cheek.

Wanda tried to choke out “for now,” but they’d know it was a lie. Instead, she nodded. She hadn’t forgotten what had initially upset her, however. It was possible more than just their anti-fairy counterparts knew about Asmodeus’s behavior now. She couldn’t trust Anti-Cosmo to keep his mouth shut.

By all accounts, Fairy World was mopping up the resistance, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to do something to ensure the Unseelie Court never darkened another doorway again, either in Fairy World or on Earth. She trembled, wishing she’d finished what she’d started.

Nathaniel appeared in a brown fairy dust cloud, and Wanda blinked. He was one of the last fairies she’d expected to see.

“What are you doing here?” Timmy said, frowning.

“I thought I should tell you before the Council collects you,” Nathaniel said, looking unusually grave. Wanda frowned.

“What is it, hon?” she said. Her throat remained tight, but at least she’d choked the words out.

“Ozymandias died a few minutes ago,” Nathaniel said quietly. “The healers weren’t able to resuscitate him, either. The wounds were too severe.”

Wanda knew she ought to feel something. After all, compared to what Cosmo had done, this was premeditated. Maybe she ought to feel remorse or regret. Instead, to her consternation, she felt a profound sense of relief, if anything.

“Wanda?” Cosmo ventured softly, and she shook her head.

“Did he suffer?” Wanda asked scathingly. Faye drifted away from her to stare, and Wanda ignored the children’s gawking. Timmy was the only one whose eyes narrowed; he looked apprehensive, not confused.

“I…I can’t answer that,” Nathaniel said, wincing. Jorgen von Strangle appeared before Nathaniel could elaborate (Wanda sincerely hoped that Ozymandias died in agony). Wanda tensed, expecting trouble. Nathaniel had mentioned the Council, which made her assume they’d been notified. Now, she wasn’t sure if he was trying to nip it in the bud before things got too much worse.

“Wanda Venus Fairywinkle-Cosma, you are summoned to Fairy Court!” Jorgen snapped, and Wanda groaned, facepalming.

“What? She didn’t do anything wrong!” Cosmo protested. Wanda wasn’t sure whether he genuinely wasn’t seeing the issue or if he agreed with her previous actions. She didn’t have time to ask because Jorgen swept them away to Fairy Court.

She was so sick of this place. The only place in Fairy World she loathed more was the Fairy Council chambers, but this was a close second.

“Let me guess,” Wanda said sarcastically. “You’re going to lock me up and throw away the key for murder.”

“No,” the judge said. He looked pained, and he massaged his temples. “You, however, will be required to take a psychological assessment to determine whether you are still suitable to be a godparent. You have grown increasingly unstable.”

“Whose fault is that?” Timmy snapped. “Who could’ve rescued her but turned their backs on her instead? Hmm?”

“Timmy, shush,” Wanda said quietly. She didn’t want him to make things worse for himself.

The judge glowered at Timmy. Wanda expected him to refute her godson, but his shoulders sank. The Council, what was left of it, appeared and hauled the judge off with them. Wanda’s throat tightened. That seemed like bad news, not good. Maybe it was her paranoid mindset, but she thought they were conspiring together.

Dark laughter threatened to erupt. She couldn’t believe she’d finally enacted her revenge against Ozymandias. True, she hadn’t gotten the real culprit, but she’d hurt Asmodeus and destroyed one of her abusers. That felt better than it had any right to. Sinfully good.

“They aren’t going to take you away, are they?” Timmy asked sharply.

She shook her head and cleared her throat. For whatever reason, words were failing her again. That familiar helplessness threatened to add to her panic, and she willed herself to calm down. That was easier said than done, and she conjured claws to gouge her left arm when Cosmo held up his wand to stop her. It wasn’t that she enjoyed hurting herself so much as it calmed her down because it was something she could control.

The judge and Council reappeared, which left her less hopeful than before. They hadn’t been in conference for very long.

“If she fails the test, you’ll take her away, won’t you?” Timmy snapped at the judge since he wasn’t satisfied with Wanda’s response. “You’re going to punish her for something you let happen.”

“Timmy!” Wanda snapped. They might assign him another fairy if he kept giving them cheek. She understood where he was coming from but was deathly afraid of being separated from him and Cosmo again. Especially Cosmo. Her heart hammered between her ribs. She could lose her husband again, maybe this time for good. Wanda’s teeth chattered as she shook uncontrollably.

The judge narrowed his eyes at Timmy, who glared back. He wasn’t budging an inch.

“As little as I hate to agree with tiny Timmy Turner, he has a point,” Jorgen said. “Wanda’s mental state would not have suffered as much if you had acted earlier.”

“Instead of hiding like cowards,” Timmy added.

“Enough!” the judge snapped. “One more outburst from you, and I’ll hold you and your godparents in contempt. You’ll be separated from each other, and Wanda will be placed under a psych hold for 72 hours. Alone.”

Cosmo, Wanda, and Timmy yelped. What little blood remained in Wanda’s face drained, and she felt faint. Cosmo’s gaze desperately sought hers, and she inclined her head toward him. He whimpered, and they reached for each other. She felt his heart hammering, too. It was comforting to know he was just as terrified as she was.

“This isn’t her fault,” Timmy grumbled, but he desisted. Wanda’s lower lip quivered, and she and Cosmo embraced Timmy. She knew he was only defending her, and she appreciated it.

She was trying not to panic, especially as memories threatened to flood her. Upon returning to Fairy World, Vesta had placed her in solitary confinement. She hadn’t been able to speak then, and she’d been frantic with worry that she’d only escaped imprisonment to find a new cage. That fear had resurfaced, choking her.

She wanted to protest that they couldn’t do this to her, but she knew damn well that they could.

The judge assessed Wanda coolly. She tried to steel herself for worse news. Cosmo’s grip cut off blood circulation, but she didn’t care. If she lost her family again, especially if she were involuntarily committed for an interminable amount of time, she didn’t know if she’d survive. It seemed unlikely. The flashbacks would consume her, and she would let them. There would be nothing in the present worth paying attention to anymore.

Cosmo whimpered at her thoughts. ((You can’t give in!))

Wanda swallowed a bitter laugh. ((I can if I have to, hon. It’s not like it’d be unfamiliar after everything the Unseelie Court put me through.))

Cosmo whimpered louder; he was trembling, too. He was more scared for her than he was for himself. Wanda was touched, but she didn’t know if it was enough.

“If she gets put in solitary again, she might not come out!” Cosmo protested, startling her. “She needs us!”

“Again, I hate to say this, but Cosmo is right. If Timmy had not intervened, Wanda would not have been able to stop herself,” Jorgen said. “She is unstable, but removing Cosmo and Timmy would exacerbate the issue, not remedy it.”

Vesta materialized, her eyes flashing, and Wanda’s heart sank. She knew which way that bitch was voting.

“Are we sure being in time-out won’t help?” Vesta said, though her usual vindictive tone was subdued. “She poses a threat, especially if she can’t control her magic or emotions.”

“He was threatening the baby!” Timmy burst out, unable to remain silent any longer. “He lit Faye on fire and then tried to trigger Wanda into a flashback.”

“After he tried dragging me magically to him,” Wanda said.

Silence descended, and it was painful on her ears. She hadn’t mentioned that tidbit earlier, perhaps because she thought it hadn’t made any difference. Evidently, she was wrong.

“You did not mention this before,” Jorgen said quietly, but his voice carried. Wanda shrugged; reality felt weak around the edges like it was fading into the background. She wasn’t slipping into a flashback so much as losing connection with her physical self. That was fine--she’d rather not be here if things were going to end badly.

That never used to happen. She used to be assertive and direct. Now, she was a shell of herself.

(Maybe the Council was right to punish her. She’d never have done anything like this before her captivity.)

When Wanda didn’t immediately respond, Jorgen sighed.

“You cannot punish her for lashing out against fairies who imprisoned and tortured her for almost seven months,” Jorgen said. His eyes narrowed. “It would have driven any rational creature insane.”

“Perhaps,” Vesta allowed. She floated closer to Wanda, who stood her proverbial ground. Nonetheless, she was losing her tether to reality.

Vesta scrutinized Wanda, who fervently wished Asmodeus and Ozymandias had grabbed her instead. It was a cruel notion and unworthy of Wanda, but she didn’t care. Her loathing would’ve been overwhelming if she’d been better connected to her emotions. As it was, her feelings felt distant, much like the courtroom.

“Surely, there have to be consequences for her actions,” Vesta continued. “She can’t get off scot-free because of what? Temporary insanity?”

Vesta sneered, and Timmy growled, eyes flashing. Wanda stroked his cheek; her heart wrenched, remembering how badly he missed his mom. Maybe he’d return to Earth, just without his fairy godparents. Tears stung Wanda’s eyes.

“We will be monitoring the situation,” the judge said. Vesta raised her eyebrows, and the judge continued. “I doubt solitary confinement is necessary, Vesta. She did worse with it.”

She’d blocked Cosmo out unintentionally. However, she didn’t rescind the barrier now that she was aware of it. Thoughts of loneliness, depression, and hopelessness swamped her. Cosmo didn’t need to know all of that.

Wanda swallowed a lump in her throat. Vesta wanted to overrule the judge and shove Wanda into that dank cell. If Timmy hadn’t held onto one of her arms and Cosmo the other, Wanda would have started clawing herself again. The temptation was stronger than ever. Claw herself and gouge Asmodeus’s mark from her flesh. She could still feel it, along with the tally marks, even when it was gone. She was tainted.

Vesta’s gaze met Wanda’s. Wanda had no idea what she’d seen, but the older fairy immediately looked away and floated off. Wanda didn’t know what to make of that, either.

“Monitoring, fine,” Vesta spat. “Don’t do it again, blah blah blah. I still say she should be in the psych ward. She’s a danger to herself and others.”

The worst part was that Wanda agreed with Vesta that she was a danger to herself. However, committing her would only make it worse.

Jorgen glared. “Vesta has a point.”

Considering that her compulsion to claw herself was overriding what remaining common sense Wanda had, she couldn’t argue with him. Besides, it wouldn’t have been convincing. Only lying by omission worked; otherwise, they sniffed out her lies too readily.

“Don’t!” Cosmo and Timmy said in unison. Wanda’s heart thundered so loudly in her ears that it was a miracle that she could hear anything outside it.

“You can’t separate us again!” Cosmo protested. “I barely survived the last time!”

In an undertone meant only for her, he added, “Let me back in. Please.”

She faltered, wondering whether it was wise. Cosmo was upset enough without falling into an outright panic. On the other hand…she intertwined her fingers with his. His heart pounded against her palm.

The other two Council members glared at Vesta, and then they and the judge vanished for another consultation. This time, Wanda hoped they’d be gone longer.

She collapsed onto the bench on the defendant’s side, and her teeth chattered. It was a constant push and pull against reality and a strange, dream-like state. Tears slipped down her cheeks, and Cosmo embraced her tightly. He pleaded with her with his eyes, and she sighed, letting the barrier between them fade into nothingness.

Their lips met, and she buried her hand in his hair. Her throat had constricted painfully to the point of possibly blocking speech aloud. All that she could think about was losing her family again and how it might ruin her permanently. What wasn’t already ruined, that was.

The Council and the judge poofed back in. Their expressions were grave, and Wanda’s heart clenched.

“While we do not agree to a 72-hour hold,” Marinos said, grimacing, shaking his head, “we have our doubts that you are stable enough to be out in Fairy World. Therefore, you will be placed within the psych ward for 24 hours for observation.”

“No!” Cosmo and Timmy cried. Wanda couldn’t choke out anything. Instead, she dropped her gaze as tears slid down her cheeks. She wished she could rediscover her earlier fury instead of despondency. They’d find another excuse to keep her in the psych ward, and then they’d keep extending it. Cosmo crushed her against his chest.

“Release her,” Jorgen said, sounding weary and frustrated.

“NO!” Cosmo cried defiantly. “You can’t do this to us again!”

“I’ll be all right,” Wanda said quietly in a voice she didn’t recognize. “I’ll survive. Let go of me, Cosmo.”

Cosmo and Timmy looked more alarmed, not less. If she’d meant to assuage their concerns, she’d done a piss-poor job.

“No, you won’t!” Cosmo protested. “You’ll lose it without me and Timmy and the twins. You can’t leave us.”

“I don’t want to, either, sugar, but…” she trailed off, shaking her head. Using her wand, she pushed herself away from Cosmo, though it broke her heart. Cosmo’s lower lip quivered, and she forced herself to look away before capitulating to hysterical weeping.

“It is only temporary,” Jorgen said, looking apologetic.

“That’s what you said the last time,” Timmy snarled. “Is she supposed to be ‘temporarily traumatized?’”

Wanda didn’t hear the rest of the argument. The Council whisked her away to the psych ward, and she found herself back in that familiar padded cell. A straitjacket enveloped her limbs, and this time, seeing as she was alone again, she lost herself to sobs. She couldn’t sense Cosmo anymore; the psych ward had a strange block with Bond magic.

She wanted to claw herself but couldn’t free her arms. Instead, she banged her head against the soft wall and wished it were harder so it could knock her out.

She saw Asmodeus’s hands all over her when she closed her eyes. She could barely breathe for the sobs that erupted and shook her to the core. Everything that had happened since she’d returned to Fairy World was her fault. Blonda would never have been captured if it hadn’t been for her. Faye would probably still have her twin if Wanda hadn’t miscarried.

She refused to feel sorry for Ozymandias’s fate but felt awful about Faye and Blonda. It should’ve only been Wanda who had borne the burden from the start. Her sister and an innocent child didn’t deserve to be tortured. Maybe…maybe Cosmo and the others should’ve left her in the hotel to rot. Then, none of this would’ve happened.

Tears choked her, and she could barely breathe. She reached out mentally for Cosmo and felt nothing, much as she had when she was trapped on Earth. Everyone was out of reach, and she was isolated again. Where she belonged, according to the Council.

Alone and ripe for the taking, according to Asmodeus. He’d find a way around the chemical castration to pursue her again. He’d hurt her even worse since she’d killed Ozy. Revenge was waiting around the corner; she couldn’t afford to think she was safe, especially not if the Council had forsaken her again.

In her mind, she saw Cosmo beside her, increasing her misery. She could almost feel him holding her and caressing her cheeks. Unfortunately, even in her mind, there was no escape. Asmodeus’s cruel and mocking laughter eradicated what little comfort she derived from imagining Cosmo.

“You’re just a slut, bitch. That’s all you’ll ever be. Now bend over and take it like a slut.”

Wanda struggled against her restraints. She’d make bloody meat out of her arm if it was the last thing she ever did. Maybe then the pain would stop. Perhaps then she could breathe again. She was slipping into psychosis, and since no one was around to protect her from it or rescue her…she let it happen.

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Transmissions within the psych ward and into Fairy World were blocked, but not vice versa. Cosmo felt it the moment Wanda slipped into a psychotic breakdown. It was different from a flashback in that he sensed it wasn’t quite real and that he didn’t see any way to reach her. Once the Council had decided Wanda’s fate, they sent Timmy and Cosmo back to the house. Timmy had tried to wish Wanda back, especially when he saw the blood drain from Cosmo’s face, but they were thwarted every time.

Timmy grabbed something for lunch while Cosmo stared into space. Wanda wanted to die, and her self-esteem was at an all-time low. Everything Asmodeus had ever said to her ran through her mind, and she didn’t refute anything. Instead, she nodded as if Asmodeus had good points, and he knew better than her what her worth ought to be. Cosmo would’ve been angrier if he weren’t so stricken. Tears streamed down his face, and he raised his wand without thinking.

No matter what the Council said, Wanda didn’t belong in the psych ward. Cosmo wouldn’t let her suffer alone again. He’d promised her, and he’d meant it. Come hell or high water, he was busting her out.

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

Wanda curled into a ball. The present was gone, replaced by the horrific past on loop. She’d lost any connection to reality, which was fine. As far as she could tell, there was no reason to stay in the present before she'd lost contact with it. After all, it wasn’t like she had anything to look forward to.

Shadows danced along the walls, and she saw her tormentors leering at her. Wicked grins split their faces as they contemplated how to torture her next. She couldn’t defend herself or scream. Instead, she waited, stomach churning, for them to attack her. That was how it was and how it would always be. She was nothing but a pawn for their amusement.

Asmodeus straddled her, and her heart went into double time.

“You’ll never see them again,” he whispered into her ear. “The twins, Leander, Faye. They’re all gone. You corrupted them. Leander might be salvageable, but the girls are worthless. Don’t worry. I took care of them.”

Wanda whimpered.

“Here’s a souvenir of our time together!” Asmodeus announced and flung Poof at her. His face was ashen, and when she desperately sought a heartbeat or breath, she found neither. Asmodeus snickered as she tried to resuscitate her son. Tears streaked her cheeks, and she succumbed to heartrending sobs.

Asmodeus wasn’t done. Instead, he snapped his fingers, and Cosmo floated behind him. When the two moved aside, Lorenzo held Timmy tightly. Her godson’s face was white, and he pleaded with her. Cosmo seemed not to hear. Meanwhile, Lorenzo caressed Timmy’s chest and then swiped at his thighs. Wanda felt sick.

“You couldn’t protect them. Any of them. What kind of a godmother are you?”

Wanda’s teeth chattered. Asmodeus twirled her wand between his fingers, and as she fought the geas to rescue Timmy, the Unseelie King held it just out of reach. She whimpered, straining with all of her might to protect her godson. Asmodeus responded by clamping the geas down on her harder and forcing her onto her back.

“Want to join in?” Asmodeus asked Cosmo. “I’ll even let her scream again.”

She couldn’t speak, and she pleaded with Cosmo with her eyes. There was nothing compassionate or understanding in his gaze. Instead, he assessed her coldly, almost like his anti-self would, except he and Asmodeus moved in tandem. This time, it was Cosmo’s magic pinning her to the bed spread-eagled for Asmodeus to abuse.

“Wanda! Cosmo!” Timmy cried.

“I knew you’d come around to my way of thinking eventually,” Asmodeus confided to Cosmo. “After all, what else is she good for?”

Tears welled in her eyes and blurred her vision.

How could he? After all of their time together, Cosmo had turned into her enemy. She thought he’d loved her. How could she have been so deluded?

It was like all of her worst nightmares bundled into one. Poof was dead, Timmy was Lorenzo’s plaything, and Cosmo had betrayed her to Asmodeus. Moreover, Cosmo had forsaken their children and herself. It made no sense, but then again, she wasn’t in a state of mind to be logical about it. All she knew was that if he was still alive, her only child was half Asmodeus’s get. There was no telling what might happen with Leander.

Wanda didn’t know what was worse--Cosmo and Asmodeus double-teaming her or that they were forcing Timmy to watch while Poof’s corpse lay nearby. The whole situation was so damn macabre that she could barely breathe for sobs.

This was all she’d ever have, a mockery of what she’d once cherished. Maybe it was all she deserved. It must’ve been.

Maybe she’d never left the hotel. At least then, Blonda would be safe. Wanda hung her head, resigned, as Asmodeus and Cosmo attacked her. She tried to deafen herself to Timmy’s cries, but they seared into her brain. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

Maybe this was all she’d ever have again. She wished she could end things. At least then, she’d be free.

“You’re never getting away,” Asmodeus and Cosmo said simultaneously. Both wore unhinged smiles. “There’s no escape, not even in death.”

Wanda shuddered, chilled from within. Asmodeus had tainted the Bond between her and Cosmo until there was nothing but dark magic and insanity. She didn’t recognize her own madness, but she saw it echoed in Cosmo’s expression.

Clenching her eyes shut, she capitulated to despair and anguish. Let them do whatever they wanted to her. She couldn’t stop them.

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

Vesta observed Wanda dispassionately. This only proved that Wanda was unsuitable to continue as a godparent. She’d sunken so deeply into her mind that Vesta doubted anyone, not even Cosmo, could break her out. Oh, well. Perhaps if Wanda weren’t so weak, this wouldn’t have happened.

Unlike the last time, when Wanda had retained some sense of her surroundings, Wanda was gone now. Vesta would almost feel sorry for her if she hadn’t expected it. Asmodeus had broken Wanda’s spirit and her mind. Maybe now, Cosmo and Wanda would resign. Or at least Wanda.

Vesta snorted.

What was left of Wanda, provided she didn’t fall to pieces soon.

“All of the king’s horses and all of the king’s men couldn’t put Wanda Venus Fairywinkle-Cosma back together again,” Vesta said, smiling cruelly.

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

Nathaniel’s medical area of expertise was not psychology or psychiatry. Therefore, despite Tootie's pleas, he had no luck entering the psych ward to check on Wanda. The best the hospital permitted was for him to consult the cameras, and what he saw was not confidence-inspiring. Wanda was insensible to her surroundings and practically catatonic. Tears slid down her cheeks, but Nathaniel doubted she was even vaguely aware of her misery. She was lost in her trauma.

Hissing, Nathaniel tried to think of a way to tell Tootie without revealing how badly the Council had screwed up. It wasn’t the first time they’d made a colossal mistake and ruined someone’s life, but Magdalene hadn’t been as important as Wanda. Moreover, this was prolonged neglect that had destroyed her sanity. Nathaniel didn’t understand the point of isolating her when she’d spiraled as soon as she’d lost contact with Cosmo.

A doctor had arrived to assess Wanda’s state. She didn’t react to his presence; nothing he did, including electrocution, brought her out. Nathaniel’s heart sank. What was the point of prolonging Wanda’s depression? The only one he sensed who could reach her was banned from the psych ward.

That didn’t stop Cosmo from trying to break through another barrier. He knew Wanda needed him, and he was furious they were separated again. Nathaniel shook his head. Cosmo had more confidence in his abilities than was warranted. Nathaniel didn’t think anything could break the psychosis’s hold.

Stranger things had happened, he supposed. He just couldn’t name any offhand.

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

“This is such bullshit,” Timmy snapped, pacing the lobby. Cosmo didn’t reply; Timmy didn’t know if that was better or worse. The last he’d heard, Wanda was insensible. Nothing anyone did restored her grip on reality. The only thing Timmy was remotely grateful for was that, in a straitjacket, Wanda couldn’t self-harm or try to kill herself, not that that made him feel much better.

He was sick and tired of this crap. He wanted to go home and be normal again. After all, he was only eleven. This was an awful lot to expect out of him.

However, he didn’t wish for it. He didn’t like how pale and withdrawn Cosmo had become or that no one could get a rise out of Wanda.

Timmy knew that if Cosmo could have figured out a way to bust Wanda out, he would have done so already. Instead, he watched, lips quivering, as Wanda didn’t react to anyone, including Jorgen, trying to restore her sanity. Instead, she stared through him.

Cosmo shook his wand frantically. Nothing happened, and tears spilled down his face.

“She needs me! I promised we’d never be separated again!” Cosmo said, gasping for breath. “She. Needs. Me.”

“I wish we could just break in there,” Timmy grumbled. Cosmo’s wand deflated again, and Timmy pivoted. “How? How can that possibly be against Da Rules?”

“It is not,” Jorgen said, materializing in his customary military green fairy dust cloud. “However, the Council has specifically banned Cosmo’s magic from penetrating that barrier.”

“Look at her!” Timmy snapped, gesturing toward the lobby TV to their right. “She’s…she’s…”

Words failed him, and his throat tightened. She wasn’t herself--that was obvious. If Timmy had thought she was a shell before, that was nothing compared to now. Her expression was blank, and her vacuous stare sent chills down his spine.

“You have to do something!” Cosmo protested, grabbing Jorgen’s suspenders and trying to rattle the giant fairy. It accomplished nothing. Jorgen delicately removed Cosmo.

“There is nothing I can do until the 24 hours is up,” Jorgen said. “Then, her condition will be reassessed.”

“She’s going to be worse in a day if we don’t do something now!” Timmy protested. His throat tightened. Wanda wasn’t conversing with thin air; while that would’ve been disturbing, having her shut down entirely was infinitely worse. She was like a broken doll.

“I am aware,” Jorgen said, sighing. Not staying to chat, he disappeared less than a minute after arriving. Timmy growled.

“There has to be a way around the Council’s stupid barrier,” Timmy snapped. “I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

He shuddered, remembering Wanda’s earlier response to that. Cosmo sobbed, flinging himself at the TV and hugging the screen. For a few seconds, Timmy thought Wanda might have reacted.

Then he realized he hoped for it so badly that he’d imagined it. Wanda was no more cognizant of her surroundings than five minutes ago. Cosmo latched onto him, and Timmy focused on his outrage rather than despair. Wanda didn’t deserve anything like this. The Council had put her through it, not him.

The Council had punished her once by not rescuing her in time, and now they were punishing her again for suffering the consequences of their inaction.

It wasn’t fucking fair.

It made him want to dismantle Fairy World brick by brick.

A flash of light caught his eye; Cosmo wasn’t allowed back there, but Big Daddy was. Timmy’s heart was in his throat, and he managed, with difficulty since Cosmo was pinning his arms, to point his godfather toward the TV screen again.

Timmy crossed his fingers that this would work, but it was hard to have faith anymore. Wanda was missing; all that was left was her breathing ghost.

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

Big Daddy had access to her padded room, which he considered overkill. Wanda showed no signs she’d noticed his arrival. Then again, she hadn’t seen the doctors, Jorgen, or Vesta’s appearance. Big Daddy’s fists clenched. He wanted to wring that Councilwoman’s neck. At least Vesta hadn’t said anything when she’d visited, but she hadn’t needed to. The proof was laid out for everyone to see.

Wanda had had a mental breakdown.

Big Daddy heard banging on the psych ward door far down the hall, and he thought he knew why. The psychiatrists wouldn’t allow Cosmo to visit her for whatever reason, and Timmy and Cosmo were growing desperate. Big Daddy would’ve felt sorrier for them if he weren’t deeply concerned about his eldest daughter. Nothing he did caught her attention. She wouldn’t even look in his direction.

Big Daddy caressed Wanda’s cheek; her skin was cold and clammy. Deeply disturbed, Big Daddy considered doing something insane. It was a mark of his desperation that he mulled it over before throwing all caution to the winds.

He opened the psych ward door, and Cosmo and Timmy rushed inside. It was like they’d been waiting for his signal.

Alarms blared, and Big Daddy silenced them, too. Cosmo poofed into Wanda’s cell and waved a hand before her face. No reaction. Catatonic. Big Daddy’s throat tightened painfully. It was hard to forget Blonda telling him that Wanda was suicidal, especially after Asmodeus and Ozymandias had hurt her so badly. The thought of losing his baby girl, his favorite daughter, sickened and infuriated him. Cosmo, by contrast, just looked sick and morose.

“Wanda…” Cosmo whimpered, trying to undo the restraints and having no luck. “Wanda, baby, it’s me. It’s us. Timmy’s here, too. Nothing bad happened, I swear.”

He cupped her face in his palms. “Please. Look at me. I’m here for you--at least, until security shows up. Say something. Notice us. Please.”

Tears slipped down his cheeks. “I don’t want to leave you again. Bad things happen when we get separated. You know that. I love you. We love you, Timmy, me, and the kids.”

Big Daddy snorted--Cosmo had forgotten someone. Nonetheless, he was disconcerted by Wanda’s inability to focus on the present. He could tell Cosmo was trying desperately to reach her, and nothing worked. Cosmo was sobbing hysterically, and he hugged Wanda. Her gaze shifted onto him, but Big Daddy didn’t know if she knew Cosmo was there.

“Wanda?” Cosmo said hopefully. She blinked, shook her head, and then her gaze sharpened.

“Cosmo?” she gasped, shuddering uncontrollably. “But you were with Asmodeus. You betrayed me to him…”

Sobs erupted, and she tried to press herself tighter into Cosmo’s embrace. Cosmo responded by pulling her as closely as possible, and she lifted her head to brush her lips against his.

“I wouldn’t!” Cosmo choked. “I would never!”

Big Daddy thought it curious that alarms hadn’t started screaming by now. Moreover, no one from the Council or the psych ward had apprehended them. It seemed someone was monitoring the situation to determine whether Cosmo was agitating Wanda. They must’ve wanted to see how things would play out.

“But you did,” she said, whimpering. “You and Asmodeus teamed up to hurt me…”

She cried so hard that anything else she might’ve added was unintelligible. Cosmo yelped, shaking her.

“It’s not true! You know it’s not!” he protested. “I love you!”

“Do you really think I’d let that buffoon within ten feet of you if he were that much of an asshole?” Big Daddy said. Wanda’s mouth fell open, and hearing her father shocked her out of her tears.

“Daddy…how long have you been here?” she asked.

“A little longer than Cosmo and Timmy,” he said. Wanda’s gaze roved the room, and she flushed guiltily.

“I’m sorry, sport. I didn’t mean to ignore you,” she said.

“You had no idea I was here?” Timmy said, sounding outraged. Big Daddy cleared his throat and gave Timmy a warning look. The little brat had better not start something while they had Wanda back.

Big Daddy remained terrified that something awful would befall Wanda, possibly of her own design. For a minute, he faltered, wanting to stay stoic. But the thought of losing her put him into a panic. He grabbed Wanda into a tight hug after pulling her away from Cosmo.

“Daddy!” she said. She strained against the straitjacket, which Big Daddy thought was overkill. He raised his wand and freed her. Sighing, relieved, she reached out to Cosmo. Cosmo grinned, embracing her and her father.

“Daddy!” Cosmo chimed in.

“No,” Big Daddy snapped, glowering at Cosmo. “I’m your father-in-law. You don’t get to call me ‘Daddy.’”

“You’re okay now, right?” Timmy said urgently. Wanda remained pale, and a glazed look crept back into her gaze. Big Daddy’s heart hammered between his ribs. Undoubtedly, their presence was enough to cement herself in the present. They were physically here; Big Daddy would sooner destroy everyone in his way than let her be alone again.

“I…” Wanda hesitated. “I don’t know, hon. They’re going to take you away again, and when you, Cosmo, and Daddy vanish…”

She whimpered, prompting Cosmo to attempt to hug her and her father again. Big Daddy moved away, and Cosmo crushed her against his chest. Her lower lip quivered, and tears filled her eyes.

“Maybe they’ll see how much better you are with us and let you go,” Cosmo said optimistically. Wanda shook her head.

“Not if they have an axe to grind against me, sweetie,” she said, shuddering. “They’re more liable to keep me here if they think they can control me better.”

“That’s right,” an annoying voice said, and Vesta materialized. Big Daddy swallowed murderous rage. Timmy also looked infuriated. Wanda put on an irate facade rather than risk showing how vulnerable she found herself.

“You’re much easier to control when we can keep you in one place,” Vesta said. Cosmo’s grip on his wife looked painfully tight; his knuckles were white, but Wanda wasn’t complaining.

“You’re punishing her when she’s done nothing wrong,” Timmy said defiantly. He glared at Vesta. “Like you wouldn’t want to kill someone after they abused you daily for almost seven months.”

“I would leave that to the correct authorities instead of taking the law into my own hands,” Vesta said haughtily. Wanda and Big Daddy growled. This would’ve been more reassuring if Wanda weren’t shaking like a leaf in a tornado. Cosmo pressed his lips against her cheek.

“Bullshit,” Timmy snapped.

“One more outburst, and I’ll strip you of your godparents, your memories, and anything else tying you to Fairy World,” Vesta said serenely. Cosmo and Wanda blanched, and she extended a trembling arm toward Timmy. Timmy glared at Vesta but joined his godparents’ embrace.

“24 hour involuntary stay,” Vesta said sweetly. “You three have no business being here.”

She raised her wand, and Big Daddy contemplated briefly blasting her into a wall and knocking her out. Cosmo and Wanda sobbed as they clung to each other. Timmy looked murderous, and Big Daddy couldn’t blame him.

“I wish you’d leave us alone!” Timmy snapped. “Wanda doesn’t deserve more torture!”

His eyes narrowed. “She didn’t deserve it in the first place.”

Cosmo raised his wand to grant the wish when it deflated immediately. Perturbed, Cosmo shook the wand until it rattled.

“A Counselor's magic supersedes a fairy godparent’s,” Vesta said with saccharine sweetness. “Cosmo can’t stop me.”

Vesta snorted, raised her wand again, and said, “No visitors. Besides, the traditional psych stay is 72 hours. We’ll revisit that tomorrow.”

With that, the trio was ejected from the psych ward. Big Daddy, if he hadn’t been in a homicidal rage before, was in one now. Wordlessly, he poofed away from Cosmo and Wanda’s house and searched for prey. Someone was going to die today, even if it wasn’t the person he wanted.

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

Wanda wasn’t surprised when the straitjacket returned, though she was heartbroken when Timmy and Cosmo were wrenched from her arms. Vesta would find an excuse to extend the stay. Wanda was powerless without her wand and imprisoned in a straitjacket in a padded room. Save for the physical and sexual abuse, she was almost where she’d been in the Lotus Hotel.

She had no free will, and no one cared about her. They were using her for their own amusement.

Wanda wanted to sink back into dissociation, but it didn’t happen. Instead, she stared at the blank white walls and contemplated, not for the first time, whether she’d been better off leaving Earth or staying put. No matter how she moved, it was wrong.

Tears streaked her cheeks as she sobbed. She reached for Cosmo mentally only to experience nothing but blankness in her mind. The same went for Blonda. She was alone with her thoughts and memories.

And her suicidal ideation.

Maybe if she tried really hard, she could let her spirit drift away and leave her body comatose. It’d be more difficult without a wand, but maybe not impossible.

She sighed. Cosmo had told her not to give up, but it was more complicated than he thought. Wanda bit her lower lip hard enough to taste blood when Asmodeus’s voice crept back into her mind.

“Giddy-up, bitch. Time to ride you hard and put you away wet.”

Ozymandias snickered in her memories. “And whip you, too, in case you forget who has the control here.”

She’d never forget. Shuddering uncontrollably, she closed her eyes. Her surroundings vanished, replaced by that loathsome suite. She no longer felt the straitjacket, but it didn’t matter. Her body wasn’t her own. Only her thoughts were.

Her thoughts told her she’d never be free until she died.

Wanda rested her head against the wall and prayed her tormentors would grow bored and dispose of her.

It was the only possibility left. So far, it hadn’t panned out. That alternate future she’d glimpsed said Asmodeus wouldn’t tire of her that quickly.

It was all she had left. A glimmer of hope that she’d eventually die.

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

Cosmo vanished into the bedroom, and no matter how Timmy called him, his godfather refused to rejoin him. Magdalene had taken care of the children, which left Timmy sitting on the couch with Tootie. For once, his former stalker wasn’t being obnoxious. Instead, like Timmy, she was subdued. No one knew what to say or do.

Timmy was terrified Wanda’s sanity, what was left of it, wouldn’t survive the psych ward. He’d seen how close she was to the edge before they’d arrived. Having her hope ripped away like that wouldn’t help.

Before he knew it, he was bawling. He wanted to go home and have everything be normal again. He missed Earth and his mom (though he remained upset with his father.) Before, Cosmo and Wanda had been fun and loving. Now, Cosmo was withdrawn, and Wanda was…

Timmy’s throat tightened as he hung his head.

Wanda was traumatized, and he’d missed the moment when he could’ve stopped it. Sobs shook his frame, and Tootie hugged him. She didn’t ask what was wrong, for which he was grateful. Perhaps she understood the gist.

Timmy cried for what he’d witnessed happening to Wanda, what he knew she’d endured that he wouldn’t tell her or Cosmo about, and what was happening now. Normalcy was long lost, and he could do nothing about it.

More than anything, he wished Asmodeus would die, though not at Wanda’s hands.

He just wished the fucker would suffer like Ozymandias must have. He deserved hell for what he’d put Wanda through and everyone else by proxy.

He cried like he might never stop. The way he felt, he might not be able to. Maybe that was okay.

He didn’t exactly have anything going for him right now.