The New Player

Chapter One – One Who Knows

Tracey still gazed longingly at the soft blue and pink of other fairy's wings, wishing he had wings as well. As happy as he was that he was a tooth fairy, he still felt incomplete and believed that this was due to that fact that he had no real wings.

Head Fairy Godmother watched Tracey on his break, not missing the way he gazed into nothingness and smiled. He thought it was because he wanted wings but, truth be told, he was just lonely. She knew what that felt like. Perhaps it was time to set up 'that' mission…and make him a part of the operation.

Head Fairy Godmother watched Tracey and smiled. Knowing what would happen and how he would feel. But how would the other feel?

Derek chased Tess and Randy around the living room, pretending to be an angry Count Dracula, making the kids laugh and squeal.

"Ah ha!" Derek cried as he scooped Tess up off the floor. "I have you now!"

Tess squealed and giggled as her mum, Carly, entered the room, grinning at the sight before her. "Having fun, I see." She smirked at Derek.

"Well, yeah," Randy chimed in. "We haven't seen you guys for a while…with you on your 'honeymoon' and all."

"Okay, okay," Carly knew they knew she was just teasing. "I just came in to say that a friend of mine will be coming over shortly and I would like you to be nice to her."

"We will if she does." Randy replied.

"She's lovely, I'm sure you'll get on really well." Carly said, and then left the room to make dinner.

"Derek, will mum's friend be nice?" Tess asked sweetly.

"I'm positive." Derek replied. "Any friend of your mum's is bound to be nice."

"What's her name?" Randy asked.

"Um…honey?" Derek called loudly.

"Yeah?"

"What's your friend's name?"

"Leah Gempsey."

"As in, Will Gempsey's only daughter?" Derek asked, shocked that he actually knew this girl.

"Yeah, you know her?" Carly asked as she came back into the living room.

"Yeah, her dad and I go back to before I injured my arm in the big leagues." Derek explained. "Yeah, I've known her since she was real young. She'd be, what? About… twenty by now."

"Twenty one." Carly corrected. "Wow, you know one of my friends."

Derek shrugged his shoulders as the doorbell rang. "That'll be her."

"Oh, honey, can you get the door please? I've got to get dinner out of the oven before it -"

"Yeah, go, I'm all over it." Derek replied, walking to the front foyer and opening the door. As the door swung open, he stopped to look at the young woman who stood before him. It was definitely her. "Hey! Leah, remember me?"

"Oh my gosh," Leah smiled, rushing forward to hug him. "Derek Thompson! You haven't come to see dad in forever. We missed you."

Derek laughed as he escorted her inside. "How have you been? Girl you got tall!"

"Nowhere near as tall as you." Leah replied.

"Leah, come right through!" Carly called from the dining room.

"We're coming honey!" Derek called back in reply. He watched as Leah bounded ahead of him and embraced his new wife in a huge hug. This was going to be an interesting evening.

Derek was halfway down the hall when there was a loud knock at the door. He turned on the spot and looked at the door, cocking an eyebrow. They weren't expecting anyone else… then who was it? He went back to the door and opened it. There was no one there. He walked outside a little way and looked around. Still no one.

Derek turned back to the house and a woman stood in front of him. A woman with wings folding into her back as to be obscured…