Authors Note: So I just realized that that line in the last one totally sounded like the last line in The Summoning! Hahaha thank you so much for the reviews and everything. They mean so much to me! Anybody who like doesn't write can't even imagine I don't think. Maybe not all writers feel this way either but whatever.(: Enough blabbing!

"Derek," I began firmly, determined not to take no for an answer, "there's something that I need to tell you."

Everyone turned to look at me and Derek had a look in his eye like he was ready for trouble. From me of course. I don't think he'd worry very much about any other kind of trouble.

I told myself that he didn't know about the silent argument that had just gone on in my head so there was no way he could be expecting anything. I knew it was crap though, Derek knew me better than I knew myself, and I was sure he could detect any emotion of mine with ease.

"There is something I would like to do," I sounded defiant even to my own ears.

No one's even disputed you yet Chloe, chill out.

Right, chill out, everything will be okay, if it's best for us, then Derek has no reason to disagree. "I want to summon the demi-demon." Good, straight to the point, no nonsense, that'll make it harder to argue with. I'll just give them a chance to think about it, and then I'll tell them why it's the best idea.

"No." There goes my first theory.

"You didn't even ask why!" I said, thoroughly provoked. There goes my second.

"It's out of the question, so I don't need to ask why. Demons, even demi-demons are deceitful, tricky, and hard to manage," Derek said calmly, certain he was going to win this.

"Oh, yes," I said in a girly falsetto, "I forgot about that! They would easily change my mind and force me to do things I wouldn't normally, I'm just so," I fell back into a chair, "vulnerable!" I finished dramatically, looking up at him with doe eyes. Simon laughed.

He just snorted. I stood up again, "Stop that or someone will confuse you with a pig!"

He held back a smile and opened his mouth, to mock me probably, but didn't get a chance because Kit asked, "Wait, you said the demi-demon, do you have a particular one in mind?"

Derek looked stunned, apparently the thought hadn't occurred to him, and considering I had only known about my origins for a month, it wasn't surprising. If I hadn't met Diriel already, I would know nothing about demons of any sort.

"Well, yes actually, I would like to summon the demon, Diriel."

Kit blanched, "Chloe, even if you had the power to summon her, no one knows anything about her. She would be even more impossible to control than you can imagine."

"If I can release her I'm sure I can summon her right back up again." I met his white-faced gaze and realized that he didn't know that I had released her. Oops.

His already pale face began to look like a sheet and even Aunt Lauren looked a little frightened.

"Chloe, honey, I'm sorry, but I think Derek is right on this one. Demons are just too," she struggled for a word, and came up with, "tricky."

"I made a deal with her before and she seemed to genuinely want to help," I wasn't sure their approval mattered, but I, being me, wanted it anyway. I was expecting a "Obviously she was lying little girl." But I got a…

"She certainly wasn't there to help when we had to get out of there by ourselves at the end," Simon muttered.

I glared at him. "No, another demon came to get her, it wasn't her choice."

"Jeez how many demi-demons have you met?" Simon joked.

I laughed at that. But it was a strained laugh. If they were worried about Diriel, what would they do when they found out I met a real full demon.

"Chloe…" Derek led, a question clearly in his voice.

"Well actually, he was a full demon," I admitted reluctantly. When no one said anything, I continued with, "Well at least I'm not asking to summon him up!"

"Also Chloe, there's a chance that you would have to exert yourself more than usual, and would, return any near spirits to their bodies." When I didn't respond, he mumbled, "Inadvertently." Derek wanted me to agree with him, he didn't want me to be forced into submission.

"I don't think that's all your worried about," I said walking over to him.

"Well, I've been thinking that there might also be ghosts following us like maybe Dr. Banks, or Royce, possibly even Davidoff and Mrs. Enright."

The thought hadn't occurred to me so I conceded, "Possibly, but none of them can really do any harm, and if I focus on Diriel, things should be okay. I have to do something. We need Tori back."

The desperation in my voice must have tipped off Derek that I wasn't going to back down because he finally agreed.

One down, three to go.

What a pessimist. Derek was the only one I was really worried about anyway. I didn't want to go behind his back and do anything. Aunt Lauren would consider me too fragile to do anything, in her mind, I was still little Chloe who needed to be protected, but if Kit agreed, she would be out numbered and would go along with my plan. So I looked to him.

"Why don't you just summon Dr. Davidoff? He could probably tell us anything we needed to know," he pleaded.

"Davidoff was a small fish Dad, he wasn't the main one scheming," Simon joined my cause. That was good, but I guessed he would have anyway. Derek agreeing with me probably just verified that he was doing the right thing and saved him a fight and some dirty looks.

"And besides, who's to say he would tell the truth," I beseeched with my eyes.

"Okay, okay, you're right, but we need to make real arrangements, we'll do this tomorrow after we've had time to discuss some sort of contract."

I didn't tell him that we already had a contract and she hadn't completed it yet, but I didn't feel like arguing and it had been a long day. Actually, it had been a long month, so we all agreed to go to bed and talk about it tomorrow. As I predicted Aunt Lauren acquiesced and she too thought it a good idea to go to bed, she didn't think Tori was in any immediate danger, if they wanted her dead, they would have killed her last night. Whoever they might have been.

Aunt Lauren and Tori and I had planned to share a hotel room but it looked like it was just going to be me and her tonight. Simon, Kit, and Derek would sleep in the room right next door so we could get to each other quickly and easily if we needed to. Liz would go where ever it is that ghosts go when we don't see them and she would return in the morning. It surprised me that she had stayed silent throughout that whole meeting, but I figured she was just in shock.

"Goodnight Chloe, I'll see you in the morning," she whispered and began to fade.

"Night Liz, don't worry, we'll get her back," I tried to ease her fear. She just nodded and disappeared.

Liz's leaving was like a cue for everyone, when she was gone, everyone dispersed, Simon and Kit went back to their room and Aunt Lauren disappeared to the bathroom in ours to take a shower. So that left Derek and me standing together.

I looked over at him, "You're sure this is okay, right?"

"I don't think it's a good idea, but it's the best lead we have, and I think you would do it whether I agreed or not, so I would rather not fight about it," he looked like he'd given this some thought. I didn't know how considering we hadn't talked about it very long ago, but hey, that's Derek for you, he's just a fast processor.

"That is very mature of you," I grinned up at him.

He smiled back, the kind of smile that made my heart skip a beat. Or five. But his eyes looked wrong, glittery and distant.

"Derek, are you okay? You feel warm, and your eyes are glittering. Are you going to change?" It sounded blunt, even to me, but I didn't know how to hide my concern.

"I don't think so, I'm pretty sure I change on my own schedule now. As long as I do it about once a week, everything should be okay and I shouldn't have to worry about my body forcing the change. I can't be sure though since they messed with our genes." His eyes clouded with worry.

"Don't be stupid, you heard Davidoff, he said that everything seemed normal for you. Since you don't have any powers that are stronger than usual, I doubt there will be any unpleasant side effects either."

That, I learned, was how you dealt with Derek. Appeal to the facts, don't try to soften anything or it will come out wrong and he won't take you seriously. He wanted it to sound like he was worrying too much, that he didn't have anything to worry about, but at the same time he didn't want to seem like he pitied himself or that anyone else was pitying him. It was a delicate balance.

His eyes cleared and he looked at me gratefully, then his expression changed, worry filled his eyes again. He looked closely at me, confused. "Are you alright?" he asked unsure of himself.

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?"

"I smell…" his expression changed again, if he kept this up I was going to get whiplash. His face flushed, and muttered something about having to get back and go to bed. He kissed me quickly and dashed out the door.

I stared at the door that he left open and walked over to close it. Then, just as it happened before, I felt a gush between my legs. Mortified, I ran to the bathroom. If you could have seen my face the first time I had gotten my period and then seen it again then second time, you probably would have laughed at how much the two differed.

I buried my head in my hands and just sat on the toilet. I was so glad there were two bathrooms in our hotel room. When I heard the shower water shut off, I shoved toilet paper into my underwear and waddled out. Aunt Lauren stood there in a towel looking in the mirror, brushing her hair. She turned around and began to ask if I needed the shampoo until she saw the look on my face.

"Oh, honey, what's wrong?"

"We need to go to the store tomorrow," I said and marched out with as much dignity as I could with a ball of toilet paper in my pants.

"Did something happen? Did Derek-" she looked confused.

Derek, I groaned internally. He knew about it. He must have smelled it and thought I was bleeding because I was hurt. Eww, how disgusting. Now, he knew. I couldn't for the life of me remember why I was excited to get my period for the first time. I would have to deal with this every month until I got old. Great.

"I started my period again," I grumbled unintelligibly.

"What?"

"I started my period again," I said a little louder, hoping Derek couldn't hear me from the next room over. But I knew he could.

"Oh honey! That's wonderful!"

I stopped her before she could ask when it had happened for the first time. I didn't want Derek knowing I had been such a late bloomer.

"Yeah whatever, we need to pick something up to take care of this tomorrow."

She just nodded and told me she would let me use some of her "lady products" for tonight. I went to bed feeling embarrassed. Not that there was anything to be embarrassed about. It happened to all girls. I just would have rathered if my brand new boyfriend hadn't found out about it so soon. Or ever really.

I tried to push it from my mind and think about what tomorrow would hold and everything that we would have to do. Well, mostly everything that I would have to do. I really hoped Diriel could and would help us.

When I finally went to bed, I slept like a rock, or perhaps a more suitable metaphor would be like the dead? Anyway, when I woke up it was already 10:00. I must have been more tired than I thought. I was always the kind of girl who woke up at about 7:30. I mentally prepared myself for what was coming. I would be brave, not take no for an answer, and we would get Tori back.