Skin Deep (1/4)

[hopenight]

Title: Skin Deep
Author: hopenight
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5, 166
Warning: AU, shallow people, Chad Michael Murray, Michael Rosenbaum, bastardization of childhood fairytale
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Summary: Jared Padalecki is not handsome or hot. The popular crowd seems to take special pleasure in picking out his flaws so that even Jared can name them. However, beneath the superficial imperfections is one of the most kind-hearted, brilliant, creative people that you will ever meet. Frankly put he lives up to the adage: beauty is found within. One day after helping an old woman whose car broke down in front of his house, he is met with a spell that makes the outside match the in. Jared isn’t really sure if he should be grateful or not.
Model Jensen Ackles is one of the most handsome guys around. His career prospects are good. He is cold though and indifferent to most. He feels like no one would ever try to get to know his other qualities. However, when he is faced with one of the hottest guys he has ever seen. He is shocked to find that outer looks do not matter to him. In order to be with him, Jensen must find the confidence to make changes to everything…even himself.
A/N: I need a beta…any takers? Also first J2 fanfiction so please be nice?

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” –Walt Disney

Jared Tristan Padalecki is not the most handsome guy in the world. Seriously, he’s not some beautiful guy who is bullshitting you about how plain he is when in actuality he is really hot. Really this isn’t Twilight. Where was I?

Oh yeah so Jared Padalecki is not the most handsome guy on planet Earth. He’s accepted this fact and frankly he just can’t bring himself to mind it.

So what if he has a face that’s a little too long? Eyes deemed by others as being too girlish? He doesn’t care that people think his mouth is too wide and his ears hang low. That he’s had a perpetually bad case of acne that no scrub seems to cure? (Okay so he cares about that one a little bit but come on! He hasn’t had a clear face since he was ten. He’s eighteen now. This was getting a little bit ridiculous.) He doesn’t mind that he is close to five foot six and all sharp edges. The fact that his hair gets oily way too easily does not bother him one bit.

These are only part of the physical appearance. His parents taught him that outer beauty does not matter, that it’s only inner that matters.

He doesn’t care how other people see him physically. Even though it was only people who told him about his outer appearance, namely the popular people at high school and junior high. He sees the men as they flaunt on television all beefcake and muscles with flat accents and botox injected faces. He sees the woman all plastic and dyed hair. He would kill to see someone naturally beautiful, like his friend Sandy. No enhancements just herself.

Frankly he’s glad for all the physical imperfections that all the popular, cool, beautiful kids at his school seemed to point out. Mainly because being popular seems like such hard work. He just laughs it off with wink of his apparently long lashed eye and then scampers off to the library to read.

For what he lacks (apparently) in the beauty department, he makes up for with his gigantic heart.

Jared has always been a wonderfully kind person. It’s apparent to most other people the moment they meet him. He’s the guy that helps the freshman around the school if they get turned around. He volunteers weekends at the soup kitchen sponsored by his church. He’s willing to lend out his notes or tutor anyone who asks him politely. He weeds the old woman next door to his family yard only accepting chocolate chuck cookies and a glass of lemonade as payment.

Jared, most people will tell you, is beautiful on the inside because of his lion heart.

Jared, being the sweet idiot he can be sometimes, really doesn’t notice that. He just likes helping people.

Then there are his two secret passions: photography and writing. Both of which he does rather well in his opinion at least. He doesn’t really show anyone his work. His absolute favorite thing is getting on his bike with his messenger bag slung over his shoulder with a snack (or lunch depending on the day), his camera, his notebook practically bursting with story ideas, and a million pens along with his iPod. He usually always ended up spending the day riding through the park near his house. Then stops at the top of a particular hill with an old gazebo looking out over the city and just does whatever he pleases.

The gazebo is his time away from the world that only seems to prize outer beauty. It makes him sad sometimes despite the fact that his mother told him the being handsome doesn’t matter. That he was a lovely person on the inside. He knew that. Sandy, his best friend, told him that he was one of the sweetest guys that she knows.

He just wants someone to see the person that he sees in the mirror.

He just wants someone to see that despite his imperfections that he was still an awesome guy.

He hated sometimes that people only saw beauty as only skin deep.

“Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die.” –Mel Brooks

“Jared! Jared!” called a voice in the slumbering eighteen year olds ear.

The young man yawned and wearily opened his eyes to meet those of one his best friends. He jumped up immediately and mock glared at the girl giggling at the edge of his bed. Most guys would find this a dream come true, however, Jared is so used to this that he only finds it a part of his daily routine. He knew that he looked a sight from his mirror. His hair stuck up in all directions and his t-shirt was riding up.

Still he felt that righteous indignation was called for. So began their daily argument.

“SANDY! What the hell are you doing here?! This is my room!” squawked the messy hair teenager.

“Nothing I haven’t seen before, Jared,” sang his best friend with a mischievous spark in her eyes, “I was there when you were six and went through your ‘clothing is stupid’ phase.”

“I thought that was something we agreed never to speak of again,” said the teenager as he grabbed a pair of jeans lying near his bed. With practiced ease, he slid them under the covers and pulled them up over his underwear. Sandy watched with a bemused expression coloring her face. Jared rolled his eyes and got out of bed with a bare chest and jean clad legs.

“So what brings you here, Sandy?”

“Jared! It’s summer vacation! I’m boooorrrreeeed,” whined the girl pitifully with a pout on her face.

“Sandy it’s like the first week of summer vacation. How can you possibly be bored?”

“I’m a girl. Don’t question my mighty powers.”

Jared learned not to question when she said that. He did once when asked why some girls liked fire more than chocolate. This led Sandy into explaining that when women were on their special time that they liked inflicting as much as they felt. Burning things were usually a passive aggressive way of dealing with it. Chocolate was soothing the savage beast. All women loved it. It was best to appease them with it.

Sometimes Jared wondered why he attracted the crazy people.

“Alright, alright, so what do you want to do?”

“We could go to the mall and guy watch,” suggested the brunette haired girl.

“Ugh I would have to take a shower for that. My hair looks kind of oily today.”

“Not too bad,” commented Sandy easily, “Wear a hat. Besides it’s not like we’re going to talk them. More like discuss the wicked things that we would do to them if they noticed us.”

“I should have never come out to you,” said Jared as he rooted for a clear t-shirt.

“Awww Jared! It was dark and scary in there for you.”

When Jared came out of the closet, there was no big to do. This effectively made his weeks of angsting so not worth it. Actually it kind of pissed him off a little bit. Not that he wanted to be disowned and hated by his friends and family. Oh not like that all. He just wanted some reaction. Basically it went like this with his family:

“This is good chicken, Sharon,” commented his father over family dinner one night. His parents tried to do it as often as possible when his older brother, Jeff, was home from college. Even during the week between Jared’s charity work and Megan’s busy social life, they still got together at least once a week for a family dinner.

“Thanks, honey,” said his mom with smile. She turned to her daughter, “How was school today, Megan?”

“It was great mom! I got an A on my math test!”

“How’s college going Jeff?”

“It’s going alright Dad. I made honors again.”

“Anything interesting to tell us, Jared?”

He took a deep breath and looked nervously from under his bangs.

“Mom, Dad, Megan, Josh…I’m gay.”

“Well good for you, sweetheart,” said his mother airily, “Megan can you pass me the gravy?”

Sandy really cannot get over the fact that it happened like that. Then again his family was really open-minded like that. Jared’s and Megan’s easygoing nature seemed to be an inherited trait from their mom and dad. They accepted everything in stride. Jeff was a bit more neurotic but he was a pre-med major. He was allowed to be.

When he came out to Sandy and Chad, his two best friends, Sandy squealed in delight and went on about how they can go watching. Chad just asked him if he was attracted to him and when the reply was in the negative, promptly got offended. This is despite the fact that Chad is straighter than a straight line drawn by a straight edge. He is THAT heterosexual. So Jared saw no reason for Chad to get offended. He just thought it was another quirk that his best friend possessed.

Chad got over it eventually.

At least Jared’s pretty sure about it. It’s hard to tell with Chad sometimes.

“The closet was never dark nor scary, Sandy. It was getting cramped and I found a spider in there. Of course I needed to exit the closet,” answered Jared interrupting his reminiscing.

“C’moooon Jared! Please?”

“Aw darlin’ girl, you know I would love to go and stare at the cute boys asses with you. But Mom and Dad are leaving today with Megan to her camp thing. Then they’re going to that second honeymoon across Europe.”

Sandy folded her lips into a pout.

“You can keep me company though. We can have a house marathon and ogle over Hugh Laurie.”

“I can’t believe you have a crush on him.”

“He’s one of those guys that merely gets better with age.”

Sandy let out a sigh like it was the hardest thing in the world. But she caved eventually. She grinned and pressed her lips to Jared’s cheek.

“Alright, you win. Let me run home and grab my shit. I’ll sleep over tonight.”

“I love you!” called Jared after her.

“Don’t I know it,” sang back Sandy as she blew a kiss and left. Jared chuckled and went downstairs for breakfast. He grabbed a box of Reese’s Puffs and poured himself a bowl watching his sister run around like a chicken with her head cut off to grab all the last minute things that she absolutely needed last night.

His mother seemed infinitely calmer. She smiled at him from across the table.

“Are you sure that you’ll be okay staying by yourself Jared?”

“I’ll be fine, Mom. It’ll be practice for living on my own one day.”

She nodded slowly. The mother took a long look at her teenage son with a gently smile lighting her face. She ruffled Jared’s hair. The teenager batted away his mother’s hands with amusement in his eyes.

“Alright I’ll believe that. Now remember we have a list of emergency numbers by the phone…”

“The bank card you gave me is for food, gas, and clothing only. Any other money that I make is from an honest day’s work. I’m allowed to use the car and I must have my cell phone with me at all times. Gran and Gramps are just a phone call away. Same with Josh. Sandy and Chad are allowed over. No wild parties.”

Sharon Padalecki let out a bright laugh.

“Alright alright! I get it! You know the rules! I worry too much.”

“It’s alright, Mom. You know that I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure that you’ll be alright, sweetie?”

“Yes. I promise Mom. Sandy’s coming over later. I promise the house will be standing when two get back. Now go enjoy Europe!”

“Mooooom!” called out Megan poking her head in. She half whined excitement lighting up her face, “We need to goooo!”

“Alright I love you, Jared.”

Mother engulfed her son in a huge hug. Jared laughed and returned it.

“Love you too, Mom.”

“Bye, baby.”

She kissed her youngest boy on the cheek and left to get into the car.

“Later Dad you got those foreign language to English dictionaries?”

“I can’t believe your mother forced me to learn Italian,” grumbled the older man.

“Bye Dad,” said Jared with a laugh.

Gerry Padalecki waved carrying out the last piece of Megan’s luggage to the car. Jared waved goodbye as his parents and younger sister drove away. With a sigh, he shut the door and plopped down on the couch. He loved his family. They were all noise and warmth and love. But a couple months of peace sounded pretty good to him as well.

He sprawled out on the couch and waited for Sandy to come over. He sighed readying himself for another dull summer vacation.

Oh how wrong he was...

“All life is beautiful. All humans are beautiful. Only behavior makes one ugly.” –Jeffrey C. Keene II

As Jared stretched out on his couch for a stimulating day of television, Jensen Ross Ackles stared through his aviator sunglasses at the photographer. He was dressed in clothing that cost several months’ salaries at the bookstore where he was discovered. Jensen, physically, is what most girls and guys would classify as ‘you are so freaking hot that I will creep on you’ gorgeous.

An almost effeminate bone structure, light mussy hair, sun kissed skin, the lightest smattering of freckles across his face added to the fact that he was six feet of lean muscle. He was the type of guy that had everyone in the room’s eyes on him from the moment he would step foot into it. He had the admirations and affections of all sorts of powerful men and women.

Still he wasn’t all that happy…

Jensen sighed before shaking his head trying to chase away his thoughts of loneliness. With his mind focused; he pushed up his glasses and gave the camera a pouty, brooding look. He wished that it was not a faux pas to smile for his modeling jobs. But getting chewed out by the bosses once is enough for him.

“Fabulous Jensen!” praised the photographer as he snapped a couple more shots, “Now how about a few without the jacket?”

Jensen nodded and, with an ease that came from years of this, slid off his jacket without causing a wrinkle. He draped it over his arm. The photographer was yelling at a mousy girl with glasses to help with the glare reduction. She quickly moved the equipment. Jensen would catch her staring sideways at him. She would flush red, not a flattering color, and turn away.

Please like he would even give her the time of day.

Jensen paused for a moment after thinking that. Shit he had been in this job way too long. Now he was thinking like the people over at Castle Blooms Modeling Agency. The vain bastards (and bitches) that have their clutches into him for three more years…

That’s a depressing thought. Too bad it was only almost eleven in the morning, otherwise he would ask for some champagne. But he didn’t drink till four o’clock as a rule.

Still he knew that she was only looking at him was because he was pleasing to her eyes. He always knew that he blessed in the looks department. Even as a child people would comment on his looks. As he got older, he tired of the attention. Is it really so bad to want someone to like him because he’s a smart, funny guy? Most guys he went out with just thought of him as the stereotypical male bimbo model. It irritated him to no end…

He was so much more than that.

“Alright Jensen, we’re almost done with you,” said the photographer successfully bringing Jensen out of his thoughts.

Jensen nodded as coolly as possible. After a couple more poses, he was dismissed. The girl who was after him ran into the mousy haired girl. She was pushed back into the sand. The plain girl fell under a mess of clipboards and papers. Jensen couldn’t help but wince. He had been hit in the head with a clipboard before. It hurts a lot. Plus it looked to be made of hardwood, which would probably hurt doubly more.

“UGH! What did you do?!” exclaimed the woman flicking her long hair over her shoulder. The clipboard girl blushed and began to stammer.

“I-I’m so so s-s-sorry miss. I…um…didn’t mean to. I just t-tripped.”

“Whatever. If this dress is ruined, it’s coming out of your pay,” snapped the woman before stalking away with an unattractive look on her face.

Clipboard Girl watched the model leave before bending down to pick up her papers with a sigh. Tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes. Jensen walked over and kneeled down gathering up a couple papers.

“Thanks,” said Clipboard Girl softly.

“No problem. She’s a bitch anyways.”

Clipboard Girl smiled shakily. She looked as though she wanted to agree but did not want to anger anyone further.

“I really hope this doesn’t come out of my pay. My mom and I need it.”

Jensen can feel his heart tug at that. Mainly due to the fact that he related because he took the job to help his parents out after his mom lost her job and his dad went on an actor’s strike. Things were better now but he still sent some money to help out.

“If it comes to that, I promise I will vouch for you.”

The girl looked up with shock coloring her face. Jensen was not that surprised he usually seemed so cold on photo shoots. Sometimes though, he would let the mask drop.

He was a good person. It just didn’t really mean anything in this business.

“Mister Ackles…” began the girl.

Jensen gave her the barest hint of a smile.

“I understand I do this to help my family out sometimes too.”

The girl gave him a nervous half smile taking the papers from him.

“I’ll see you around.”

“Bye,” called the girl weakly.

After Jensen turned the corner to leave, the girl tilted her head to the side. She licked her dry cracked lips and seemed to be pondering something intently. Suddenly, she grinned widely pulling off her thick glasses. She tapped them to her lips happy with her plan.

“Hmmm…” hummed the girl before disappearing in a swirl of sand and papers.

Jensen left the changing tent wearing a pair of ripped jeans, a soft torso hugging t-shirt, and a pair of flip-flops. He slid up the aviator sunglasses. He checked his watch and smirked seeing that it was eleven eleven. The time of wishes, normally he did not indulge in those sort of things. But he was feeling kind of whimsical since talking to that girl.

‘I wish that I can find someone who wants me. Not because of physicality but all of me ,’ he thought to himself before climbing into his car and driving away.

“The moral of most fairytales is very clear. Be nice to the old woman who asks you for help. You’ll never know if she is magic or not…and do you really want to risk the chance of getting cursed?” –Unknown

“We could go out chasing some tail man. Instead of watching a British guy pretending to be an American get up in everyone’s shiz-nit,” complained Chad sprawled out on a chair in the Padalecki’s living room several hours later. Storm clouds were on the horizon. The black clouds could be an ominous sign or a change to something to come.

However, its summer vacation the time where teenagers purposefully shut off their brains. No one is interpreting storm clouds right now.

Chad’s blonde hair flopped into his eyes easily as he watched Hugh Laurie snark on the television, “You go House! Tell her what a moron she is!”

Jared smirked in amusement. Honestly Chad could never resist a good snark fest, which was why the promise of House would entice him. Chad would never admit to liking it, making it even more amusing to Jared. Sandy already dressed in pajama bottoms, a camisole, and hoodie padded out into the room from the kitchen.

“Why do we hang out with you? And better question why the hell do you say shiz-nit?” questioned Sandy as she came in carrying three cans of Coke. Jared chuckled and accepted the drink. Chad grinned.

“Awww c’mon Sandy baby! You know you love me. So why don’t we stop these mind games and go out? Plus no one says it anymore. It makes me unique.”

“Not if you were the last man on Earth and drag kings count,” said Sandy in a deadpanned tone. She opened her can and took a drink, “Besides it doesn’t make you unique. It makes you really weird.”

“All part of the Chad package baby.”

“Can I return to sender?”

Jared sipped his soda half paying attention to the banter of his two best friends. The other half of his attention was engrossed in a magazine Sandy brought over for her to flip through and do some girly stuff. He paused in his paging and immediately felt himself respond to the man on the glossy before him. He licked his dry lips staring at the man on the page.

“That’s Jensen Ackles,” stated Sandy as she peered over his shoulder. Mischief teasing sparkled brightly in her eyes.

“Huh?”

“That guy in the magazine who you are practically doing porn with your eyes is Jensen Ackles.”

“Ew! Something I did not need to know!” yelled out Chad. Sandy rolled her eyes and tossed Chad another magazine.

“Be a good boy and read this, Chad. The grown-ups are talking.”

“Bite me,” bit out the other boy as he grabbed the magazine and flicked through it. His eyes stopped on a page with a hot girl and he paused with a delighted smile.

“I always thought that was your dream,” replied the petite brunette sweetly.

“Touché, McCoy, touché,” murmured Chad now fully distracted.

“Pervert,” muttered the girl under her breath. The blonde haired boy, however, seemed to have picked up supernatural hearing abilities before singing under his breath.

“I love you too, Sandy.”

Sandy rolled her eyes and looked at Jared. She grinned like the cat that ate the canary once she regained her train of thought.

“So Jensen Ackles huh?” murmured the girl as she stared at the magazine picture.

“You make it sound like that name should mean something to me,” answered Jared with a deadpanned tone.

“How can you not have heard of Jensen Ackles?! Hell even Chad had heard of him. That’s saying something.”

Chad glanced up from flicking through the magazine. Jared cannot be a hundred percent sure what he is reading, though he is about ninety percent certain the word dildo is in the title.

His little sister is never going NEAR that magazine again.

“I have feelings you know. Besides you know Jared. He helps out with those charities, the soup kitchen, and other shit. He’s up for fucking canonization or whatever.”

“Thanks, Chad. Please make it sound like that I have less of a life then I do now.”

“Aw you know that I don’t mean it like that man.”

“Mmmmhmmm,” drew out the brunette boy. A crash of thunder alerted the three teenagers to the oncoming storm.

“I should call my momma,” said Sandy standing up and walking from the room. Chad goes back to the television. The remote was firmly in his grasp as he flicked through the channels with a dull expression on his face.

Jared turned his full attention back to the magazine. Jensen Ackles was handsome and it tightened Jared’s chest at the instant infatuation that he held for him. He kept on staring at those green eyes and allowed himself the most fleeting image of those eyes focused on him. Those eyes are intense and burning and just the slightest bit sad…which tugged at Jared’s heartstrings almost immediately because he liked making people feel better.

Jared, however, has always had remarkable self control. It was extremely hard to close the magazine. The he had to try to not think about the model on the page. He stared blankly at the television for several more minutes before the doorbell rang.

Chad looked up and gave him a look that said ‘well get it bitch, this isn’t my house’. Jared rolled his eyes and strolled past the kitchen.

“Momma, its Jared and Chad. Trust me they won’t hurt me. You worry too much Mom! Jared’s gay and Chad’s a idiot but he has scruples.”

Jared winced. Poor Mrs. McCoy never really accepted the fact that her daughter’s best friends were boys. The three of them ended up as outcasts in high school. Sandy’s mom just never really accepted that.

The doorbell rang again. Jared opened it.

An old woman stood on his porch. Her back was slightly hunched with age. Her hair was the color of fresh snow and tied back. A wet umbrella was in her gnarled hands. She looked up at him with startling bright eyes.

“Could you help me, son? My car has broken down and I cannot work this blasted phone.”

Most people would dial the number of the tow for the woman and close the door. Or they would not answer the door at all. Then there are the rare ones like Jared, who would without thought open up their homes for the poor old woman on their doorstep.

Jared stepped back to allow her entry.

“Of course, ma’am. Please come in. Would you like something to drink?”

“Tea would be nice,” said the old woman with a penetrating ancient voice. Jared offered her his arm, which she took.

“Such a kind boy to help an old man.”

“My momma raised me well, ma’am.”

The old woman let out a laugh that resembled a cackle. Sandy and Chad poked their heads out from the respective rooms that they were in.

“Sandy? Are you off the phone? She needs to call a tow,” said Jared giving a gesture to the older woman.

“Yeah, I am,” answered Sandy with smile. She shook her head because it was typical of Jared. Chad raised an eyebrow.

“Alright! This way, ma’am.”

Jared led the old woman into a kitchen and handed her the phone. As she dialed the number, he began to prepare her some tea.

“Thank you very much, young man. I hope that this old woman has not ruined your evening.”

The teenager smiled and placed the hot mug of tea in front her.

“Not at all, ma’am. It was just my two friends and I hanging out.”

The old woman seemed surprised at that.

“Surely such a sweet boy as yourself has someone to spend the night with?”

Jared laughed lightly.

“Afraid not ma’am. I suppose that I have never caught anyone’s eye.”

“Now I find that hard to believe. Nice, young people are hard to come by now-a-days. Especially someone that will help an old woman.”

“That’s just how Jared is, ma’am,” said Chad being surprisingly polite for once entering with Sandy.

“He volunteers at the soup kitchen,” started Sandy numbering Jared’s volunteer work on her fingers.

“He tutors freshman,” added in Chad as he dug through the refrigerator for a cola.

“Guys, I’m sure that she doesn’t want to hear about me,” whined Jared a little bit.

The old woman smiled as she watched the three friends. Her eyes were alight with glee. Perfect, he was absolutely perfect. She stood up and walked over. The three friends turned hearing the chair move back.

And they began to scramble back in shock. Disbelief colored their faces at the scene unfolding before them.

Every step the old woman took, her age melted away. Like how wax melts down the candle, her age fell from her face, her posture improved, and with every step an ethereal light began to surround her. Once she was in front of them, positioned directly in front of Jared. She leaned in and smiled.

“No fucking way,” whispered Chad to Sandy. The girl nodded agreeing with the sentiment. This could not be real. This was something that happened in fairytales. Old women transforming into young women was not part of everyday life.

This had to be a dream. It defied all logic.

“Jared Padalecki,” said the beautiful glowing woman. White blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders as she leaned into meet him.

“Yes, ma’am?” asked Jared in a shaking voice. He stared at her suddenly unsure of himself. This woman defied all modern conventions of outer beauty. The glow seemed to be coming from within her.

“Do you know who I am?”

“N-No ma’am.”

“My name is Mab. I am Queen of the Fairies, Granter of Dreams.”

“Wh-what do you want with me?” whispered Jared knowing of the tales of trickery that fairies would play. His grandmother would tell him stories of men whose heads became that of donkeys, of love being forced upon others. He could not think of a thing that he had done to warrant her wrath.

The fairy queen smiled and laughed brightly. It sounded like bells all around them.

“See Jared dear. I test people with the old woman. You are the first person in fifteen years that has acted kindly to me. You have welcomed me into your home with open arms. You did not even wish for anything in return. So I will bestow upon you a gift.”

“You don’t really have to…” began Jared but he was cut off by Mab’s lips pressed against his.

“Jared!” screamed out both his friends. They tried to scramble to help their friend, however it was as though an invisible force forbid them to move.

Mab pulled away and softly whispered something.

“La magie a laissé cette allumette externe de beauté de garçon sien intérieur.”

Chad and Sandy watched as Jared became engulfed in a blinding white light. The Queen smiled and walked over to them. She bent down and said.

“He has the summer for this to become permanent. If someone cannot fall in love with him passionately and he fall in love with equal passion, then the spell will be broken. Then all will return to as it was before.”

Chad and Sandy could only nod.

“The binding will lift once the transformation is complete. Have a wonderful evening.”

And with that the Queen was gone, disappeared as if she had never been there at all. Chad and Sandy could only watch as their best friend on earth transformed in front of their eyes.

Neither of them knowing if the fairy queens gift was a really a blessing or just a curse in disguise.