The next day I got up, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and looked in the mirror, blearily. I felt hung-over and exhausted, like a rag that had been used too much and become full of holes and threadbare.

I shook my head at my reflection and went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. I opened the fridge, took out milk for dry cereal, chose the cereal I wanted, started the kettle for hot water, ground the coffee beans, and sat down at the table.

It really was a dull life I led. Breakfast, work, lunch, work, dinner, sleep. Then the whole thing started over the next day. No wonder I had been hallucinating the day before. Maybe I should get a dog, a pet, "It's boring here when no one else is here," I said out loud, listening for anything.

Nothing happened, except the kettle whistled and I added water to the coffee grinds, "See? Just as I thought. Boring. With a capital b."

"My sentiments, precisely," said that same voice that took me by surprise a second time.

I yelped and dropped the kettle. Hot water burned my toes, "OW!" I whimpered, jumping up and down. Once I remembered why I'd dropped it, I whirled on him, "YOU!"

"Now things are interesting," he said, holding his cane up protectively, "but trust me, madam, I am not afraid to hit a woman!"

I snatched up the kettle and held it out in front of me, "Neither am I!"

His face, painted with a smirk, fell, "That's not fair."

I felt a grin grow on my face, "You started it. Besides, you made me burn my toes!"

Goeff sighed, "Fine, now put that down before I get tempted to change it into a small mean dragon that nips."

I glanced at the kettle, "Right. I doubt you would."

Suddenly, he seemed much more menacing as he raised his cane, "You would try a fairy godfather's patience?" He thundered.

"Totally," I confirmed, "I want to see if you're for real."

Goeff's grin grew nasty, "I hope he bites hard," he said and pointed his cane at the kettle. A spark of blue light flew from the tip of the cane and landed on the kettle.

The kettle, still in my hands, started to shake and I dropped it on the floor. But instead of a mean little dragon that nips, a pair of legs and wings popped out of the copper. The kettle waddled about the floor for a bit, before it realized it could fly, and then took to the air blowing steam rings.

"Wow," I said, "that's a real scary mean little dragon. Look, face it, your 'magic' tricks are only trickery and bribery. No wonder you like kids."

Goeff frowned, looking at the tip of his cane, "That's weird," he said, "this thing must be acting up again."

I folded my arms across my chest, "So what do you want from me?"

Goeff gave me a nasty look, "I don't want anything from you other than for you to be happy."

I was nonplussed, "What does my happiness have to do with anything?"

Goeff pulled an envelope out from his back pocket and handed it to me, "Read," he instructed.

I started to read out loud as the flying kettle decided to land on my shoulder, "This is to inform Danette Hanson that she has been given a fairy godparent to help her in her search for happiness. Until Ms. Hanson has been made happy once more, she shall have the loan of a godparent."

Goeff sighed, "Which is why I like younger kids. They are much less demanding."

I glared over the top of the letter at him, "Aren't you supposed to be making me happy, not insulting your client? Besides, this is something you could write up on a computer and print."

"You," Goeff sat down and started drinking from my untouched cup of coffee, "are not a client. You're a headache," he set down the cup, "good coffee though."

I snatched the coffee cup away, upsetting the kettle on my shoulder which resumed its flapping and steam blowing, "I could say the same," I snapped.

Laughing, Goeff looked around the kitchen, "You must be very lonely in this little shack."

"I am not lonely," the kettle finally found its place back on my stove where it started to whistle, "I'm satisfied with the peace and quiet I get here. Besides, I have work and that keeps me busy enough as it is."

I turned back to turn off the stove but when I turned back, Goeff was about three centimeters away from me, "Then why am I here?" He taunted.

Shoving him back, I slipped out of the corner and to the safety of the open part of the room, "Because this is someone's idea of a joke."

He laughed, "Some joke, then."

My gaze narrowed, "Wait," Goeff paused as he started to pour another cup of coffee, "Did Jack send you? Is that what this is all about?!"

Goeff rolled his eyes and continued pouring.

"That's it," I felt my temper rising as I thought of Jack watching the entire thing from some sort of hidden camera, "You can tell Jack from me that this whole trick is over, I am through and done with this! Your mission is complete, go and crawl back to your sick friend! I've had enough!"

Goeff turned to me, eyes blazing, "You've had enough," he repeated, "you've had enough?!" He snapped his fingers and I promptly flew up off the ground, hovering about two feet above the floor. Goeff walked up into the thin air as he would a staircase till he was at eye level, "I have had forty-nine clients, but you- madam- are the worst!"

I gaped at him before my anger returned, "Then quit being a stuck up jerk and get out of my life!"

Goeff's gaze narrowed and he turned, snapping his fingers once more. I landed hard on the floor, feeling something in my side pop, "Ow," I said, before I fainted.

When I came to, I was on my bed. Which was weird. I started to sit up and a yelp flew out before I could stop it. My ribs hurt more than when I'd broken my leg but I recognized the same feeling of grating bone.

"Sorry about that," that same annoying voice was starting to get on my nerves, "but I didn't expect that you didn't know how to fall."

Goeff's head popped around the corner of the doorway and he walked in.

"I," struggling to sit up and clear my thoughts, "am going to sue you for everything you have," I snarled.

Goeff smirked, "Not possible, I have nothing in your world."

I glanced at the clock and my spirits plummeted. I was three hours late for work and I didn't believe him anyway. It must have been some sort of pulley system rigged prior to his 'reappearance', "Then I'll make a complaint to the Fairy Godparent Society and request a different godparent."

Lame excuse, I know. But it was what I came up with.

Goeff's smirk disappeared, "You wouldn't," he said, voice a horrified whisper.

I knew then that this 'Society' held some sway over him, even if he was semi-insane.

"You bet I would," I moaned, as I staggered to my feet. My legs betrayed me and Goeff's hand shot out, an invisible force grabbing me and levitating me back onto the bed. More tricks of science?

"Please, don't," Goeff pleaded, coming to stand by the bed, "do you have any idea of how long I have had to work to get here? I can't fail now!"

I resumed my breath, "Then why did you drop me like that?!"

Goeff put his face in his hands, "I've been working with kids, the past ten clients I've had have been kids and the length of time I've worked with them has been longer than most. About twenty years, to be precise-"

"Twenty years?!" I interrupted, "Just how old are you?!"

Goeff thought about it, counting of numbers on his fingers a moment before he came to the conclusion, "I'm somewhere around range of two hundred and sixty or two hundred and forty. Between there somewhere."

I stared, not sure what to say. But I was certain now he was insane.

"Anyway," he continued, unaware of my shock, "the point is that kids bounce when they fall. You sort of just smashed..."

The last word brought me back to my senses, "Because you dropped me! What was that anyway?!"

Goeff winced, "Yes," he sighed, "that was partially your fault though."

I glared at him, "Can you use your 'magic' to heal me, then?! I have to get to work!"

Goeff shook his head, "I said that you'd fallen and hurt yourself so they have given you sick leave. Your work, I mean."

"What?!" I cried and then winced in pain, "But I have an article to write! I can't miss out on that article, it is the first chance I've had to write-"

"They said that the article would be written by someone else but that you would still have the opportunity when you return," Goeff said, making a placating motion.

"Oh," I relaxed, "so are you going to fix me or-"

"I'm not a wizard," Goeff sighed, "I could do something horrid to you since I lack the expertise."

"What do you mean, something horrid?" I asked.

"I could kill you, give you a horrible infection, worse I could make the injury worse and then kill you."

That was a downside. But further proof that he was only insane and not really a 'magic' bein.

"So I'm afraid you're stuck with a broken rib," he said.

I growled, "You better start fixing up your act then, or I'll type the worst letter of recommendation you've ever read."

Goeff's gaze grew sharp, "On second thought, maybe I should try to heal that rib. With luck, I could kill you."

IF he was a magician, he could do it. But I was sick of his retorts and empty threats of this so called magic, "You wouldn't dare, not with whatever it is you want to achieve."

Though the air crackled with electricity, I knew I had him when he sighed, "Fine." It was more of a growl.

"Great," I struggled upright, "now what?"

Goeff sighed, "First we figure out what makes you happy. Because you're obviously not."

I glowered, "This could take a while."

He gave me a look, "Which is why it's taken me twenty years to work with ten kids."