Chapter 10

A few more days passed and they were eventful days with the kids playing outside with the cloud being, who seemed more than happy to let the kids fly on the clouds and have cloud races or even guess the cloud shape.

Starla could often be found on the roof of the house for the few days thinking of a plan to help out the family she had come to see as her own and as she was thinking of an idea, she heard someone climbing on the roof and turned to see it was Mono and her eyes widened. "Mono, what are you doing?" She asked in concern, reaching down and lifting him up into her arms. "Why were you trying to climb up here?"

"I wanted to talk to you," the boy said. "And you were up here."

The cyborg fairy let out a sigh, but smiled a little at the child's logic. "Still, next time, call me to help you up here or ask our cloud friend for a lift," she said gently.

"Okay," he said before taking a deep breath. "Starla, how long have you known Miss Susan and Mr. Tom?"

"I've known them from the time I was thirteen," Starla said. "I'm seventeen now, so four years."

"How did you meet them?

The cyborg fairy sighed gently and gazed out to the horizon. "They found me when I was badly hurt," she said. "Cast aside by my mother who disowned me."

"Disowned?" The boy asked.

"Meaning she didn't consider me to be her daughter anymore," Starla explained. "She abandoned me after a horrible accident that she was the primary cause of."

"What happened?"

The cyborg fairy gestured to her metal side. "My mother is very vain and wears a mask to have a perfect image," she said. "But ironically, she doesn't like mirrors."

"The Lady?" Mono guessed.

Starla winced, but nodded. "Yeah," she said, looking at the boy. "She was using her magic to make a mask for me, but the magic backfired and made the metal of the ship adhere to me, thus creating my cyborg side. After she cast me out, Tom and Susan found me and used their magic to help heal me and make me part fairy too. Tom even used his magic on me so that I'd have my brown hair again."

The boy was quiet for a moment. "They're good people, right?" He asked.

"Yes, they are," the cyborg fairy said with a nod. "I've actually come to think of them as a mother figure and father figure for me."

"But you don't call them that," the boy pointed out.

"No, I don't," Starla admitted, looking a bit sad. "After what happened with my mother, I was wary to trust anyone again and decided I didn't need another parent at all. But that doesn't mean I think any less of Tom and Susan. They've been more than kind to me, proving to be parental figures I could trust, even if I never call them Mom and Dad."

Mono nodded and then took a deep breath. "I've never had a mom and dad before," he admitted. "But...I see how Isabella calls them her parents and it seems they light up when she does."

"Isabella was like you when she first arrived, Mono," Starla said. "She was scared to trust them, until they proved to her that she was safe with them and that they thought of her as a daughter. That helped her to trust them and start calling them 'Mom' and 'Dad'."

The boy nodded in understanding. "Do you think...they'd be alright with me calling them that?" He asked.

The cyborg fairy chuckled. "You and Isabella are so much alike," she said. "She asked me the same thing."

She then smiled at the boy. "Do you want to call Tom and Susan your mom and dad?" She asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I really do."

She smiled again. "Then go ask them," she said. "Something tells me they'll say 'yes'."

Moments later, she heard happy squeals from Isabella, Amy, and Dylan. "We've got another brother!" Dylan cheered happily.

The cloud being laughed heartily and Starla chuckled. "He deserves to have a mom and dad," she said, happy for Mono.

Just then, Isabella came up to her, riding on a cloud. "Starla!" She called out happily.

"Yes?" The cyborg fairy said with a smile.

"Mono asked Mom and Dad if he could call them his mom and dad and they agreed!" She said happily.

"I knew they would," Starla said. "Tom and Susan think the world of you kids."

Just then, Mono came up and he looked at Starla. "Starla, I need your help," he said.

"What can I help you with, kiddo?" She asked.

He motioned her to follow and before long, Starla was in the kitchen with Tom, Susan, and the kids. Mono looked at his new parents. "Mom. Dad. Do you think we could have another sister?" He asked.

"Another big sister," Amy asked.

"Yeah," Dylan said. "One that's really cool and protects us."

"And who convinced us to trust you guys," Isabella said.

Starla's eyes widened as she realized what the kids were doing, but was quiet. Tom smiled at his children before looking at Starla. "I think they mean you, Starla," he said.

The kids gathered around her. "Please, Starla?" Amy asked.

She gazed at the children who looked up at her pleadingly and she was touched that they thought of her so highly. "You kids really see me as a big sister?" She asked.

"Yeah!" Isabella said with a smile. "Our cool big sister who protects us and loves us."

The cyborg fairy smiled again before looking at Tom and Susan, who smiled. "Well...I guess I can be," she said. "If your folks don't mind having five children."

Tom looked ready to burst into happy tears. "We started with two children and now have five," he said, a smile on his face.

Susan smiled. "Five children," she said. "I'm a lucky mother."

The four kids swarmed their parents with hugs while Starla held back a little, but then saw Susan open her arms to her. The cyborg fairy hugged her, tears in her own eyes. "I've always thought of you as my daughter, Starla," she admitted.

"I know...Mom," Starla said before looking happy. "I didn't think I'd ever call someone 'Mom' again after what happened."

Susan hugged her new daughter. "I can't take away the pain you suffered, sweetheart, but I can show you how a good mother should be," she said.

The teenager smiled. "I've seen you be a good mom to these kids," she said. "I know you'll be a good mom for me." Fresh tears filled her eyes. "It feels good to have real parents again."

Tom scooped her up in a hug. "I promise, my little star, you will never feel unloved again and I will be the best father I can be for you," he said.

"Thanks...Dad," she said.

The kids cheered happily and Mono was scooped up into Tom's arms too, laughing happily. Starla looked at her new brother. "You little sneak," she said without heat as she playfully tickled his sides, making him laugh before he hugged her.

"Well, you see them as your mom and dad too," he said. "It didn't feel right that you don't have a family, so I asked Mom and Dad if they thought of you as a daughter and they said yes."

"But your mom and I didn't want to push you to accept us as your parents after the accident, Starla," Tom admitted. "So we decided to let you decide when you wanted to call us 'Mom' and 'Dad'."

The teen smiled. "Guess I needed a little nudge in the right direction," she said.

Mono giggled and the family gathered for a group hug. The cloud being smiled as he witnessed this, glad that the cyborg fairy and the boy had found a family who loved them just as Isabella had.

He knew they now stood a stronger chance against Starla's former mother and would banish the evil woman to far away from there.

He was looking forward to it.

Bet you all didn't see that coming, huh? :) But yes, Starla is officially part of the family now, as is Mono. :)

Please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418