I told you I'd be back and updating more frequently. I couldn't just let it end on that note.

Yes, Cosmo was right about this. But why was he right about this, when he is so wrong about everything else, including counting? That comes up soon, but there is a hint of it in a previous chapter if you look carefully.

Queenmancilla13: I think you may find Vicky's response surprising. It was, after all, just one week after realizing that Timmy was not setting up Tootie for hurting.

And now for some repurcussions of the party. Fun fact: this and the previous chapter were supposed to be one chapter, but too much was happening to let that happen. So, time for number 16 in a series.

Chapter 16: Play Life (Play the Fool)

It wasn't just Timmy's imagination; the entire room was in shocked silence. Many of the people at the party didn't know Tootie, except as that girl that freaked out a week ago at school, but they could all identify a heartbreak when they saw it.

When she ran off, Timmy ran after her. Nobody noticed the balloons change into squirrels to run after him.

"Tootie! Come back! Please!" he called out to her. He had to explain how he was set up, how he thought he was kissing Tootie and not Veronica, how he was in …

He just had to catch up to her.

So that was her plan, thought Trixie, anger boiling. She used my party and my house to do this. She stormed over to the smiling blonde, ready to strike out, to let out her rage, when Bob, her bodyguard, stepped in her way.

"Move. Now." Her tone made it clear it was not a request.

"No, Miss Tang," he responded calmly. "This is my job."

"Your job is to protect me, not her," Trixie seethed through gritted teeth.

"And that is exactly what I am doing, Miss Tang." His voice was still calm. "Protecting you from making a mistake."

"You expect me to just let this slide?!" she exclaimed, attempting to keep some composure.

Bob looked at her, somehow calming her with his gaze. "No. I expect you to strike in a way that makes it clear that this is unacceptable. But that will not work when striking out in anger. But there is no reason to let the party continue in the meantime."

Trixie then went up to the podium and announced, "Party's over. Everybody go home."

Veronica's plan, fractured as it may be, was not going to be derailed so easily. "Oh, Trixie," she said, smiling, "you can't let the party end like that. What would the people think of their ungrateful hostess?"

Trixie thought of seven ways to make Veronica regret pushing her luck, but only one that Bob would approve of; that was the one she chose. "They would think it's a night of surprises. After all, we just had a popular girl try to seduce an unpopular boy by pretending to be an even more unpopular girl. I mean, how crazy is that?"

The people laughed, surprising the young blonde. They're not supposed to laugh! They're supposed to be mocking Trixie and her party, not me! And Timmy was supposed to come back, having nowhere else to go! This is not OK!

"Oh, don't start looking down at me. You're the one that was talking to that dumpster diver McBadbat!" It was a desperate play, one that Veronica hope worked.

Trixie took a breath, both angry at the implications, but also offended on his behalf. Fortunately for her, she was quick with retorts. "Difference is that I didn't have to dress up as someone else in the dark to get an unpopular boy to talk to me." The crowd laughed even louder. Trixie smiled wickedly and went for the killing blow. "And he wasn't even my date."

Veronica fumed and stormed off; this night was ruined, and it was all Trixie's fault, and the four-eyed girl's. She went home to plot how to make them both pay for this humiliation.

Trixie turned to the crowd and noticed Bob smiling approvingly. She yelled at them, "Party's over. Go somewhere else."

Years of fleeing the advances of Tootie made Timmy a swift runner, and he was able to catch up to her just as she got to her front yard.

"Tootie! Let me explain," he panted.

"Explain? It's perfectly clear to me!" she screamed, tears flowing from her eyes.

"No, you don't understand," he started to counter, when he was cut off.

"Oh, I understand perfectly," she said in a softer, but still hurt and angry voice. She then pulled out a diagram detailing the events in a crude crayon outline and went over each picture in turn.

"First, Veronica comes up to you and tells you to be her date or else she tells everybody what happened to me." She sobbed, then pointed to the next picture. "Then you go and Veronica rigs the wheel to have you in a closet by yourself." She takes a breath, then continues. "Meanwhile, she sends one of her rich friends to get me to the party." She then moves her finger, pointing to a picture of Veronica dressed as Tootie. "Meanwhile, Veronica convinces you that I'm in the closet with you and times it so that I see you kissing her. It's as clear as night and day!"

Timmy noticed the blue and pink squirrels and balloons at the various points, including when the "squirrels" were arguing. "Um, what are those?" he asked, pointing at that … interesting addition.

"I don't know, but somehow, they're involved in this!" she growled. Cosmo and Wanda, as squirrels, looked at each other in confusion.

"So you know this was a setup," Timmy sighed. He sighed in relief, until he realized, she knows all that, but she's still mad!

"Yeah, I knew. I get it, Timmy Turner. I'm never going to be 'that special girl' to you. I'm always going to be some fragile little snowflake to protect. I've always loved you. But now I get it. You will never love me back because you can't." She broke out into sobs. "You can't love a snowflake."

Timmy wanted to respond with something – anything – but the words were choking in his throat. "Tootie, I …"

"I'll make it easy for you," she yelled through her tears. "Your time of protecting Tootie the Snowflake is done! Forever! Don't call me, don't talk to me. And if you see me, just keep walking. Forever!" She walked in her house and slammed the door.

The walk home was agonizing. Nobody spoke, nobody knew what to say. All Timmy could do was think about how she was hurt, how he hurt her, and how he couldn't fix it. He walked into his room, not even noticing that his parents were gone again. He got into his bed.

"Cosmo, Wanda, is there any wish that can fix this?" he finally spoke, knowing the answer.

They both sadly shook their heads. Wanda sighed, "Listen sport, just go to sleep. Perhaps things will be better tomorrow."

Timmy exhaled sarcastically. "Yeah, go to sleep. I wish." Cosmo waved his wand and Timmy suddenly collapsed into slumber, his clothes magically changed to his pajamas. Wanda stared at him, realizing that she had just witnessed one of Cosmo's Rare Moments Of Smartness®. If it weren't for the horribleness of the circumstances, she would congratulate him.

Timmy felt lips touching his, and assumed he was dreaming. Go with it, he decided and kissed those lips. He opened his eyes and saw Tootie was kissing him. She was wearing a sheer night gown and pink panties underneath, no bra – which he appreciated – and it was definitely her kiss; he felt his tongue rub her teeth and felt the stainless steel of her braces.

She kept kissing him, and pulled back the bedsheet, climbing into the bed with him. He tried to say something, anything, when she whispered softly, "Timmy. Kiss me. Love me. Hold me." She kissed his neck, and there was something … off.

"Take me. Use me." He put his arms around her, but stopped when she said that.

She continued, "Hurt me. Hate me. Make me wish I was dead." Now something was VERY WRONG. "Just don't leave me, Timmy. Please, don't ever leave me." He felt a tear drop from her cheek and touch his bare skin; she was unbuttoning his pajama top.

"Um, Tootie, you OK?" He asked, stammering.

She looked back at him, with a look of sadness and … something else he couldn't identify. "No, Timmy. But you can be. I'll be good for you. I promise. I'll even be a good doggie for you, just say you'll never leave me to be alone."

Those words. I have to stop this and now. She had moved on top of him and kept kissing down his chest. Timmy did the only thing he could think of. He kicked the fishbowl so hard, it fell and broke. Cosmo and Wanda poofed out instantly.

Timmy groaned, "I never thought I would say this, but I wish Vicky was here. Right now."

Confused, but a wish is a wish, they made her appear just outside Timmy's door. She walked in, shocked by the scene and Timmy suddenly realized that his chances of survival just dropped to "technically not nil".

To his surprise, Vicky walked over and grabbed Tootie, pulling her off of him. "Where'd you hide it?" She asked, accusingly.

Tootie answered, "Behind my Timmy Tracker. I needed it, Vicky. Uncle Howdy was right. All I am is a doggie." Timmy felt rage building up inside him. Vicky killed him, and he's still victimizing Tootie!

Vicky looked at Timmy. "Downstairs. Now." Her eyes didn't have the usual fire and hate in them, but disobeying Vicky was never an option. He quickly got up and went down, while Vicky physically forced Tootie to stay in Timmy's bed.

As soon as Timmy sat on the couch, Vicky came up and sat next to him. "I'm sorry about this, Twerp. I thought I got all of them out of the house."

He was very confused. "Got all of what?"

She sighed. "Another brilliant plan from my parents." She spat out the last word. "Tootie's having trouble coping, so get her to start drinking. I thought I got rid of all the alcohol, but it seems there was one bottle she kept hidden." She sighed. "What happened tonight? Something set this off."

He paused, but then he told her the story. Of Veronica's blackmail, the party, and the trap. And then, he told her how devastated Tootie was.

"The worst part is that this all happened because I failed. She needed me and I failed her."

Vicky laughed. When Timmy's face contorted to horror, Vicky stopped. "Is that what you think happened, Twerp? You got it backwards."

He shook his head, confused, so she continued.

"You were so busy trying to be there for her, you didn't realize that she wasn't the one in trouble. She didn't need your help. You needed hers." She sighed for a minute. "If you two are going to end up together, you're going to have to figure this out."

Timmy paused, not realizing it but … Vicky was right. It was about setting me up and I didn't tell Tootie. She would have seen this coming.

Vicky sighed as she stood up. "Now, you sleep on the couch. I have to watch my sister."

Timmy responded, "Wait, if she was drunk, she's just sleeping it off."

Vicky looked at him for a moment. "That's just in the movies. When you pass out and vomit, it goes in your lungs and you wouldn't wake up because your reflexes are off. No, it's safer if someone is watching her."

Timmy sighed. This is my fault, I should fix it. "Will, Vicky, I wish you'd get some sleep." Cosmo watching, disguised as a housecat, poofed "Mr. Sandman", making Vicky sleep instantly. Timmy walked upstairs to watch Tootie, but when he opened the door, he saw Wanda sitting in a chair, looking like a human.

She matched his gaze. "I'll watch Tootie. You and Cosmo need to talk."