Therapy: Three Witches and a Shrink

Outside the portal to the virtual meadow, Dr. Shreever stopped and turned to Icy.

"I'll see you in my office, same time tomorrow."

Icy grinned back at him.

"I'm looking forward to it. See you then."

She gave a little wave as she turned and stepped through the magic portal into the virtual meadow. Dr. Shreever put out his arm to stop the two guards as they made to follow her in.

"No. Give them five minutes alone to talk amongst themselves before you bring me the next one. They have things to discuss in private."

The guards shrugged, saluted and took up stations on either side of the portal to wait while Dr. Shreever turned and walked back to his office.

When Icy emerged from the other side of the portal into the virtual meadow she found Darcy standing around with her arms folded across her chest watching Stormy hanging from the branch of a tree. Stormy had her feet planted firmly against the trunk and seemed to be straining with all of her might, a look of fierce determination on her face. Icy walked over to stand beside Darcy and joined her in watching the antics of their sister witch.

"What is she doing?"

Darcy glanced over at the white-haired leader of the trio.

"Hey Icy. Welcome back. I think Stormy's lost it this time. She's trying to break off that branch so she can throw it up at the sky."

Icy gave Darcy a strange look.

"Really? And just what made her think that was such a hot idea?"

Darcy shrugged as she watched Stormy continue to struggle with the stubborn branch.

"You remember our first attempt to steal the Dragonfire from Bloom? How we hacked into Alfea's Magical Reality Chamber during her test? Well I just mentioned to Stormy my theory that this virtual meadow is just like that Magical Reality Chamber, which would mean it has walls and a ceiling somewhere. She took it into her head if she had something to throw at the sky it would hit the ceiling and bounce off, even though we can't see it, thus proving it exists. That's why she wants to break off that limb, so she's got something to throw at it."

Icy's face took on a look of mingled confusion, disgust and worry that spoke of her deep misgivings about this plan.

"Um, right. Aside from the impracticality of trying to throw a virtual branch at a real ceiling, do you think she's stopped to consider what will happen when that branch breaks with her hanging off it?"

Just then there was a loud SNAP! as the branch suddenly parted company from the tree. Before she even had time to realize what was happening, Stormy found herself lying on the ground on her back, the tree branch lying on top of her. Icy gritted her teeth, closed her eyes and slapped the palm of her hand to her forehead. Darcy ran over to Stormy's side and leaned over her with a look of concern, propping her hands on her knees.

"Stormy! Are you alright?"

Stormy pushed the branch aside and sat up slowly, wincing and clearly favoring her back.

"Oooo! What happened? One second I was trying to break that branch, the next..."

Icy strode over and offered Stormy a hand up.

"Stormy, you really need to learn to think things through a little more carefully. That was pathetic."

Stormy accepted Icy's helping hand, grimacing at Icy's rebuke and her own lack of foresight, not to mention her aching back. More to change the subject than anything else, Stormy looked at Icy and asked, "Hey, how'd things go with Dr. Foler today?"

Stormy was expecting a response along the lines of "same old, same old", but what Icy actually said surprised her.

"We're not going to be seeing Dr. Foler anymore. We've got a new shrink now, Dr. Thaddeus Shreever. Let me tell you, this guy's got a whole different attitude from ol' Doc Foler. He's actually fun to talk to."

Darcy and Stormy glanced at each other uncertainly a moment, then looked back at Icy again. Darcy stepped forward and placed a hand on Icy's forehead as if checking for a fever.

"Are you feeling alright Icy? You just said this new shrink is fun. Did they put you on some kind of medication or something?"

Icy's cheeks flushed slightly, but her jaw was clenched as she brushed Darcy's hand aside.

"I'm fine. I'm telling you, this Dr. Shreever is a whole other animal from Dr. Stick-in-the-mud Foler. He's informal, he's got a sense of humor, he's still got all his hair, he doesn't wear glasses and he's actually interested in witches. Plus, he's not bad looking. You'll like him."

Darcy seemed quite relieved by this news.

"Well it's about time! If I had to vamp Dr. Foler one more time I swear I'd barf."

Stormy crossed her arms over her chest.

"So why do you think ol' Doc Foler gave up on us?"

Icy grinned smugly at her sisters.

"Isn't it obvious? We were starting to get to him. Thaddeus says it's because he finally admitted he wasn't getting anywhere with us, but I think the real truth is we were starting to get somewhere with him."

Darcy placed her hands on her hips and leaned her upper body to the left as she regarded Icy.

"'Thaddeus?' You're on a first name basis with this guy already?"

Stormy sneered at Icy.

"You're not falling in love with him are you?"

Indignation flared in Icy's eyes as she glared at Stormy.

"Of course not! Don't be absurd! He's just another chump head-shrinker who thinks he's smarter than us."

Darcy smirked as Stormy's jab seemed to bring back the old Icy.

"So then, do we still stick to the plan, even though we're starting over from scratch?"

Icy grinned back at Darcy.

"Of course. Nothing has really changed. In fact, this new guy may be even easier to win over than Doc Foler would have been. He already likes me. I'm sure he's going to love you."

Darcy shared a knowing grin with Icy. Stormy, on the other hand, recrossed her arms and turned away from the others with a frown. Noticing Stormy's attitude, Icy walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong Stormy? You still upset about the role I assigned you in our plan?"

Stormy's frown deepened as she turned her head to glare at Icy.

"Hell yes I'm upset! You guys aren't the ones getting strapped down to the couch every time you go see the shrink, I am! Anyway, I don't see how what I'm doing gets us any closer to getting out of here."

Icy stepped around beside Stormy, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"Your job is to be the problem child, the one they focus all their efforts on 'helping' so they don't notice what Darcy and I are doing. We subvert the doctor while you keep him distracted. That's the plan."

Stormy scowled at Icy.

"Well the plan stinks! I'm sick of it! I'm not doing it anymore."

Darcy came over and placed a hand on Icy's shoulder.

"Maybe she's right. I don't think we really need her acting as a distraction for us. These losers are too clueless to notice what we're up to anyway. Besides, if they start seeing Stormy as too much of a 'problem child' they might take her somewhere else to work on in isolation, away from us. Why don't we let her try doing things her own way? She couldn't do any worse than she is already."

Stormy swung her glare on Darcy.

"Hey!"

Icy took her arm off Stormy's shoulders and moved a step away, reluctantly breaking contact with Darcy's hand on her shoulder.

"Alright, fine. Darcy and I will carry on with the plan. You just go right ahead and do whatever."

Just then the two guards who had been waiting outside came through the portal. One of them made a 'come here' gesture at the three witches.

"Alright Darcy, time to go. Your turn to see the doc."

Darcy started over toward the portal, then stopped to turn and wave goodbye to her sister witches.

"See you later girls."

Icy waved back to her with a little grin.

"Have fun Darcy."

As Darcy turned away and disappeared through the portal, Icy smirked and added in an undertone, "But not too much fun. Your ass is mine."

Icy turned back to discover Stormy casting about, searching for something on the ground. She quirked an eyebrow at Stormy.

"What are you looking for?"

Stormy looked up at Icy.

"That branch I broke off the tree. I'm gonna try throwing it at the ceiling now."

Icy glanced at the tree the branch had come from and broke into an amused grin.

"Don't look now, but it seems your branch has found its way home."

Stormy looked up in surprise to see the branch she broke off earlier once more firmly attached to its tree as though it had been there all along. With an inarticulate cry of rage, she hauled off and kicked the tree, quite forgetting that her feet were shod only in sandals. She cried out in pain and hopped around clutching her bruised toes while Icy turned her eyes skyward with a 'Why me?' look on her face.