Sorry its taken me so long to post this up. also chapter 19 is finally edited :) I would like to thank Angels of Twilight for fixing everything up so quickly.

i would like to thank those of you that review especially cbmorefie and DizzyIzzyCullen.

all recognizable characters belong to stephenie meyer.

The drive back to school was spent in comfortable silence between Edward and me. We made it back just in time for the final bell. Alice and Jasper were already waiting outside, and they got in the back seat of the Volvo.

"Hey, Bella, if you don't want Emmett bugging you with questions all the way home, I would advise you to let Rose drive." I didn't say anything, just simply handed her keys to the car. I was really starting to question why I had a car in the first place. I rarely drove it, and I liked to ride in Edwards's car more. Alice got out of the car and handed Rose the keys. I saw Emmett pout when he saw this, but Rose told him something that made him laugh.

Once everyone was inside the cars, we left school in the usual Cullen fashion: by hitting 80 miles per hour right after leaving the parking lot. Edward and Rose were apparently having a race, so they drove faster than usual. In the end, Edward ended up winning, and Rose said it was just because she wasn't done fixing my car up yet. They started arguing outside the house while we all just laughed at them. I loved watching moments like this. I never had siblings, and the only person close to one was Avan, but he was also my guardian, so it wasn't the same. Watching the Cullens interact gave me a look at what a real family was like, and not only that, but they made me feel like I was part of the family.

"Okay, kids, break it up!" said Esme, coming out of the house.

"Sorry, mom," Edward and Rose responded at the same time. I had to laugh at how silly they looked getting scolded like five year olds.

"Hi, sweetie. How are you? I talked to Nancy, and she told me what happened," said Esme, giving me a hug.

"I'm good, but it's not me I'm worried about."

"I know, but if it makes you feel any better, Charlie and Nancy are already talking things out."

"How do you know?"

"Charlie came back when I was talking to Nancy this morning."

"Oh, well, that's good."

"Okay, then, you said hi to Esme, now spill," said Emmett, coming to where Esme and I were standing. He picked me up and took me to the living room, where he put me down on the sofa.

"Emmett, what's going on?"

"Bella's about to tell us what Charlie told her yesterday."

"Well, she already told us. She was just going to explain it," Edward clarified, coming to sit next to me.

"Oh," said Esme. "I'll go make you some lunch, dear." With that, she was gone, but I knew she could hear us from the kitchen.

"Okay, so where were we?"

"Charlie is your half uncle, and his mom comes from a powerful family. You were about to explain why they are so powerful."

"Right, well, the reason why the Bagleys are very powerful is because they all have fairy in them."

"How is that possible? Does that mean they have the same power as you?" asked Jasper.

"No, not really. You see, fairy/wizard relationships aren't uncommon, but they never last, and very rarely do they end up conceiving children. When this does happen, they are mostly boys. Only every hundred years or so do they have a girl. The girls are the ones with the most power, but the boys also have some power, or at least more than a normal wizard. Most boys born from a wizard/fairy relationship are unable to conceive children, and those that do lose the child before its fifth year."

"Thomas Bagley was the only exception of this. No one knows why, but some say it was because he was blessed by the most powerful of creatures to create a family that would lead all creatures to good. He was the child of two parents who had no major power from either their wizard or fairy side, and unlike many of the matches, they actually got together out of true love. They were the only pair that actually lasted, and they raised Thomas far away from both societies until he was old enough to go on his own. When he was twenty years old, he came into the main part of the wizard world and established himself there. It wasn't long before people started to notice how powerful he was."

"Once there, he met Ashley, a girl who came from a powerful family there, but still not nearly as powerful as his. They fell in love and were married within a year. They both knew they would never have kids, so imagine their surprise when they found out six months later that she was expecting. They were even more surprised when the baby was finally born, because they had a girl. At first, they thought she might be a star, which was impossible, seeing as there was one alive at the time . . ."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but what do you mean by a star?" Edward asked.

"It's another name for someone like what I am. They call us shooting stars because everyone is always looking for one in their time of need, and also because we live for such a short period of time."

"I like that one better," said Edward with a smile and a wink. "Please continue."

"Like I was saying, there was already one alive at the moment, so they knew she would know if this baby was one or not. She was immediately called, and she confirmed she wasn't a star baby, but still a very powerful baby, more than her father even. From then on, the Bagleys have only ever had girls, each one just as powerful as the last. Actually, Charlie is the first male of the family, but I think that's because the Swans have only ever had boys."

"What, really? Only boys? But what about you?" said Emmett.

"Yes, only boys. As for me being the only girl, no one knows why. Most people think it was because of my mother being half human, but no one really knows for sure."

"Wow, so Charlie's cool about coming from two powerful families?"

"Yes, why wouldn't he be? Sadly, it's not uncommon in my world for people to have affairs. Wizards marry for power, not love. That's one of the reasons the Bagleys are so different. They don't care about power; they truly do it for love, which is a rare thing to see. They hate to be reminded of how powerful they are. They just like to be left alone and only be called upon when they are needed."

"Are both fairies and wizards the same?"

"No, fairies are one of the few creatures that revolve around love. They exist because of it. They know the minute they are born who they belong to. They spend the first seven years of their lives preparing for a journey, and once they are ready, they take off from home in search of their other half. They know as soon as they see each other. After that, they go to the fairy origin to do the claiming ritual, and they stay together from then on. It's one of the most beautiful things to watch."

"Have you seen it before?" asked Rosalie.

"Yes, I saw it twice when I lived with the fairies. Maybe someday I can take all of you to watch it."

"I don't get it, though. If fairies have a fairy mate, why would they go have relationships with wizards?"

"The only ones that do that are the ones who have lost their partner. They literally go crazy, and after a while, they become rebellious and find ways to cause trouble in any world. That was the thing with Thomas's parents. They were each other's other half."

"Okay, Bella, your food is ready," said Esme, coming out of the kitchen.

"Thank you so much, mommy," I said to Esme.

"Oh, sweetie, you don't have to thank me. You know I like cooking for you."

Esme and I went to the kitchen so I could eat while the rest of the Cullens stayed in the living room. The boys were planning a hunting trip, and the girls were looking at fashion magazines. Carlisle was in his study finishing up some work. He came to say hello briefly, and then he went back into his study.

Esme was in the kitchen with me, telling me stories about the boys getting in trouble, when suddenly Edward came into the kitchen and stood next to me. He then started speaking in a fast and hushed tone. The next thing I knew, all of the Cullens were in the kitchen building a protective barrier around me.

"What's going on?"

"Someone's coming, and they know you," Jasper explained.

"What? Who is it?"

"I don't know, but he knows where you are, and he knows Charlie," said Edward. He looked at Alice and said, "What do you see, Alice?"

"I can't see anything. All I see is you taking her away, but he finds you."

"How long until that person gets here?"

"One minute."

"Carlisle, I think it'll be best if you answer the door. We'll all stay here and look after Bella. Don't mention that Bella's here," said Jasper.

As he was saying this, I heard a car door close, followed by some heavy footsteps. There was a knock on the door, and Carlisle went to get it.

"Hello. Can I help you?" said Carlisle.

"Um . . . Hello, I was looking for someone. They told me she would be here," the male at the door said. His voice sounded very familiar.

"And who were you looking for?"

"I was looking for . . . a girl with . . . Look, I know she's here. I can find her anywhere." He sounded like he didn't know what to say, or how to describe the person he was looking for. Suddenly, I knew who the voice belonged to. I got up from my chair and tried to go see if I was right, but, of course, they were all around me, making it impossible.

"Let me go. I know who it is," I said, trying to move Edward from in front of me.

"Bella, he could be dangerous," he said with clenched teeth.

"He's not. Let me go." He wouldn't move, so I said, "Just follow behind me, and you can get in from of me if he thinks about hurting me."

They all agreed to the idea, so they moved enough to let me go by. Emmet and Jasper took the lead, each standing next to the door. Esme, Alice, and Rosalie were following behind me, and Edward was right beside me.

As soon as I got close enough for me to see who it was, I took off running towards him. I couldn't believe he was here, but there he was, standing by the door with his tattooed arms crossed over his chest in dark jeans and a black t-shirt.

"Ducky," I screamed and saw his bright blue eyes look from Carlisle to me. A huge smile appeared on his face, and he opened his arms to catch me.

"My buggy," he said as he caught me and spun me around.

"I can't believe you're here! When did you get here?" I was so excited to see Avan; I thought it was going to be a long time before I saw him again.

"I came straight here. No one knows I'm here."

"I'm so glad you're here. Let me introduce you to my friends. I'm afraid you scared them a bit."

"They were scared of me? I was scared of them! Seriously, bug, you befriended vampires?"

"Oh, hush. Let me introduce you. This is Carlisle," I said, motioning to where Carlisle was standing, "and the lovely lady next to him is Esme. Behind them are Rosalie and Emmett. Over here are Alice, Jasper, and Edward," I said, motioning towards everyone. "Cullens, I would like you to meet my best friend and partner in crime, Avan Blackburn." All of the Cullens said hello to him. Carlisle even came and shook his hand.

"It's very nice to meet you all, but unfortunately, I have to steal Bella. I have to get her to Charlie's house now."

"Why? What's going on?" Something sounded off with him, like he was nervous about something.

"I think I'd rather tell you alone."

"Anything you want to tell me, you can tell me in front of them, so spill it. I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on."

"Stubborn as always, I see." He sighed heavily and then said, "Okay, fine. I give in. I've been doing some . . . research, and I've found some very disturbing things about Nancy."

"What about her?"

"It's about her new job . . . and you." I knew what he was going to say next.

"She's been evaluating my progress again, hasn't she?"

"Yes, that and much more. I'm afraid it also involves your family. Also, your grandmother's coming."

"What? You couldn't have started with that? When?"

"She's on her way to Charlie's."

"Damn it! I'm not even dressed appropriately. Let's go now."

"You can't just leave," said Edward standing in front of me. Avan gave him a look before looking away.

"I'll be back. It's just that my grandmother's coming, and I have to go get ready. Maybe you can all come and meet her. I'll deal with the situation with Nancy when my grandmother leaves."

"Okay, sounds good. Now let's go," said Avan, pulling me towards the door when I suddenly remembered how we had left things. I stopped walking and just stared at him. He was so forgiving.

"Aw, ducky!" I said in my little girl voice. "You came for me."

He stopped walking and looked at me. "Yes, always. Why do you say that?"

"It's just that, well, after what happened, I thought you were mad at me, so I thought you wouldn't look out for me or come find me."

"You know I can never stay mad at you. Now let's go before your grandmother gets there. We have time to talk things out." He turned around and looked at the Cullens. "I think it'll be best if you all come in an hour or so. That way, we can tell her you are all coming over. I don't know how Mrs. Swan will react to all of you, and I don't want to overwhelm her."

"If you think it's for the best, then we'll do that," said Carlisle.

"Yes, and please, do come. I really want to get to know all of you better. Any friend of Bella's is a friend of mine."

He started to pull me towards the door again, but I stopped him.

"Wait!" I said.

"We can't, Bells. We are going to be late."

"No, we're not. We can just use the portal I made."

"The what you made?" asked Emmett.

"Well, I sort of made a passageway from Charlie's house to this one," I said, looking down.

"What? Where? That's cool. I want to see it," said Emmett excitedly.

"Also, why?" asked Avan.

"It's in the hallway closet next to the bathroom. I made it so I could go home to . . . well, you know . . . have a human minute."

Everyone looked confused, so I felt the need to explain "It's just embarrassing to do it here when I know all of you can hear everything I do, so I just go back home and come back before you notice anything." I could feel my face burning from my intense blush. I didn't think I had ever been this red in front of any of them before. They were quiet for a moment before Avan started laughing, followed by Emmett, and then everyone else.

"Oh, Bella. Only you," was all Avan said. "Okay then, let's go so you can go get ready for your grandmother. It might be best if they don't see my car, too. Is it okay if I leave it here?" he asked, looking at Carlisle.

"It would be no problem at all," he said with a smile.

They all followed us to the closet so they could see the passageway. I had to promise them they could use it soon, and then Avan and I went to Charlie's house.

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