Chapter 130 - Friend

Stone and Angie had just left for school and Delia was still sleeping after getting in late from work when Cordell's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw it was Foster. He was almost afraid to answer his call. He hoped he had found out information about Delia's grandmother and that she might still be alive. If anyone could find out, that red-headed fairy could.

"Foster my man, I hope you have good news for me," said Cordell forcing hopefulness into his voice.

"Well, Shinn, it seems there is a couple still living in Moonlight Falls that go by the name of Niall and Delia Thorn."

"Go on...."

"There is a rumor that they had a daughter that mysteriously disappeared a couple of hundred years ago and they were so heartbroken they never had any other children."

"Hot-Damn!" exclaimed an over-exuberant Cordell. "Do you have an address for them? Can you get in to talk to them?"

"M - me?" asked Foster.

"Foster. Fool. It has to be you. They would never allow a Genie into their midst. If they were willing to disown their daughter and kill her human husband, I stand no chance. Do you have their location?"

Foster sighed. "Yes, Shinn. I do."

"Good. Let me think. I need to let my wife know I need to go on a trip without alarming her...we need to leave soon. By tonight. Can you get things settled at home?"

"What about work. I can't just leave. I might lose my job," complained Foster. 

"Figure it out Foster. You will lose more than that if you don't come with me. We are leaving tonight. I will pick you up at 8:00. Be ready."

Cordell hung up the phone to Mira's fussing in her crib. He rushed to pick her up before she could wake up Delia. He shushed his youngest child while he fed her. He needed to come up with a good reason he was leaving with no notice. He never left Delia unless he was with one of their children or her.

He took little Mira to the rocker to further soothe her as well as his nerves. Holding his children always helped ground him if he felt out of control.

Cordell cooed to his little girl thinking out loud as he gently rocked her, "Mira baby, I may have found your great-grandmother. But she is a full blooded fairy and a VERY old one at that and likely still holds the misguided ideals that different species should not mix. I hope she can find it in her heart to meet all of her current great-grandchildren and even great-great grandchildren - your aunts and uncles. She will flip. Genies, Fairies, Werewolves, Vampires and even Witches. Family means so much to your mother. Do you even know how special your mother is? You will, my little Mira. As you grow you will see the love and sacrifices she has made for all of her children. I have done everything in my power to give her a large family she can love unconditionally and who will love her the same. And in doing that she has saved me by giving me the same right back." Then Cordell laughed when he saw his little girl was fast asleep in his arms. "Off to bed with you then. I see my musings have put you to sleep."

As soon as Cordell got Mira in her crib, Delia walked into the room and put her arms around her husband. "Who were you talking to handsome?"

"Just our most precious and newest addition to our family. Seems I put her to sleep. Ungrateful little girl, nodding off while her Daddy tells her how much he loves her."

Delia laughed. "You can tell me and I promise I won't go to sleep," she said suggestively.

"As much as I would love to tell you all day and all night long, something has come up and I need to go out of town for a couple of days."

Delia was taken aback. "What? What do you mean 'something has come up'. Cordell, what is going on?"

"I have an old friend from a long time ago, before I was - uh - bottled - that is a fairy. I am going to visit him to get information about - uh Stone and how to help him," said Cordell. He hated lying to his wife, but he couldn't let her know until he was sure. And while he was at it, he would make Foster give him 'adolescent-fairy-child-rearing' tips since he knew the red-headed man had several children of his own.

"I can go with you."

"No pretty lady, you are the only one I trust with our precious children and Corrie, well, there's Corrie and someone needs to be here to reign her in if she gets out of control."

"Which only YOU seem to be able to do!" shot back Delia. "She listens to you - you two have a bond that transcends parental ties, Genie."

"I will talk to her before I leave. Okay?"

Delia was upset and couldn't look at her husband for fear of crying. She felt like he was leaving her out of something very important. "You, you are determined to do this without me aren't you?"

Cordell hugged her. "Pretty lady, I love you more than words can say, but I must do this on my own. One occult to another. Fairies are more suspicious of humans than any other occult. I don't want to mess up this opportunity, for us."

"I wouldn't mess it up Cordell," she whispered.

He flipped her around and kissed her. "Come, I don't have to leave for a few hours. I need to tell you I love you and see if you do indeed fall asleep or not before I go."

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Cordell and Foster arrived at the Bed & Breakfast located very close to the Thorn residence. Cordell felt bad for having threatened Foster to do his bidding but he was the only 'fairy' he knew that would even talk to him since he was a Genie and it was Foster's doing that had caused him to be bound to the lamp but it was also the reason he had found his way to Delia and their 7 children. Now that Cordell had love in his life, he would never take that from anyone. As much as he had threatened Foster, he would never have acted on it. He would have to tell the poor man soon, but first he needed his help and he knew he was afraid of him. Genie's rarely escape their entombment and when they do the one that put them there always pays.



The two men sat down to discuss the 'mission' they were on. Cordell hadn't told Foster the whole story yet, he had just wanted him to find the fairy named Delia. "Foster, I need you to go to the Thorn residence and see if you can get an audience with Delia Thorn. What I am going to tell you needs to remain confidential."

"Of course Shinn," said Foster still very nervous in the man's company. Cordell was larger than he had remembered and strangely more intimidating with his new appearance. "So, tell me, how am I supposed to get such a powerful fairy to talk to gungy little old me?"

Cordell told him what to say to ensure that they would at least hear him out. "Tell Delia that her granddaughter still lives and her husband would like to see if there was an opportunity for them to reunite even though she is half human."

Foster looked at Cordell like he just grew two heads as the pieces started falling into place. "Your wife? She is a Thorn? But half human? Holy Shit Shinn. What have you gotten yourself involved in?"

"None of your business! Just see to it that they will see me and I will take care of the rest. It isn't necessary to tell them I am a Genie. In fact - DON'T - they may refuse to see me."

"Shinn, I can't lie to a Thorn. If they ask, I will HAVE to tell them. But this is interesting indeed."

Cordell put his hand over his heart. "Foster," he said quietly, "just tell them they have family that wants to get to know them. Their granddaughter's husband loves her very much and as such as sought them out unbeknownst to her. Please Foster. Think about your wife and your children and how much you love them and what you would do to be sure they were safe." As Cordell spoke those last words, he began to have remorse about what he had put Foster through and changed his mind about forcing him do his bidding. "You know, I have changed my mind. You can leave now if you want. I would never wish harm to come to any member of your family no matter what. You got me this far and I am eternally grateful. Please accept my apologies for manipulating you. You are free to go."

As Cordell got up, Foster thought about what the Genie sitting across from him had just said. Foster was yearning to get back to his family in the worst way, but he believed what the Genie had just told him. He decided he had come this far, he would see this out. Foster called to Cordell before he could leave the room. When Cordell turned around, Foster stuck out his hand and shook it hardily, "I will do it. Don't worry. I will do everything I can to get them to see you. You have changed, my friend."

Cordell was speechless and watched as the red-headed fairy went upstairs to his room to sleep and likely call his family. Cordell went to his room and got on the computer and logged into his chat account. He began to exchange messages with his wife. He was more hopeful now than ever before. Now that Foster had declared him a friend, he knew he would do everything in his power to secure a meeting with Delia Thorn.

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