Logan sighed heavily as he made his way down the girl's hallway, passing a hand through his jet black hair. After a good half hour of yelling, he had finally finished chewing out Cyclops with promises of a week of meal cleanup and with threats of X-Jet cleanup. He was tempted to turn around and continue the lecture, but he had other things to take care of. A certain person to see.

Approaching the closed door, Wolverine rapped lightly on the dark brown wood with his knuckle, his brown eyes narrowing when he received no answer. He knocked again, placing his free hand on the shiny gold doorknob.

"Doe?" he called in his gruff voice, "M'coming in, so ya better be decent, kid!"

He waited a moment and then opened the door with caution, to make sure that the girl wasn't hiding somewhere ready to jump out and attack. Though he knew the girl would never hurt him, or anyone, without a defensive motive, she was in a weird state right now and he needed to be cautious.

Scott had been trying to unlock another ability to branch out Meadow's empathy in order to make her powers more offensive and "useful" to the team, but it hadn't worked. Meadow wasn't ready and Scott had pushed too far. The results had been destructive, landing Evan in the Medbay when Meadow had another one of her 'temper tantrums' and caused Evan to feel so much distress that he passed out. It took both Jean and the Professor to calm Meadow down to the point where she wasn't at risk to hurt herself or others.

Walking further into the room, he finally saw her. She was sitting in the very far corner of her single bedroom, her back against the wall. She was still in her Danger Room uniform, her curly brown hair still pulled into a French plait. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them as she rocked back and forth, her eyes pinched shut and her breathing heavy.

The tense atmosphere caused him discomfort, but he pushed past it and exhaled through his teeth, moving to kneel in front of the teenager. He reached out to place a hand on her shoulder, but thought better of it, allowing it to drop back down to his side.

"Doe?" he uttered softly, "Meadow?"

Meadow whimpered and shook her head, "I-I'm f-fine, Lo—g-give me a…m-minute," she rasped meekly. Her body trembled, "I-I…need a m-minute."

"Look at me, Doe," Logan encouraged, "C'mon, kid, open your eyes. You're going to hurt yourself."

It was a moment before Meadow was able to obey, but when she allowed her eyelids to flutter, she revealed large blue eyes with slightly dilated pupils.

Logan nodded in approval, "There, good. Now, take a deep breath and focus on me. Keep eye contact and tell me what emotion I'm projecting."

Meadow forced her eyes to remain open and locked on Logan's guarded brown orbs. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled shakily through her mouth, latching on to Logan's emotional signature.

"S-safety," she whispered, after taking a second to concentrate, "And care."

Logan nodded again. Besides Professor Xavier, he had spent the most time with Meadow when she had first arrived. In fact, he had been the one to literally drag her inside the mansion kicking and screaming when she was thirteen. She had even tried to bite him.

Now Meadow was sixteen and much more stable. She was thin, but muscular with the body of an athlete. She had large blue eyes, and curly brown hair that fell in ringlets to her lower back, when she allowed it. She had a widows peak and stood at 5'2 with moderately pale skin and full lips. A perfect mix of her parents from the family photo he had seen when Cerebro had first tracked her to Phoenix, Arizona.

He watched as she broke eye contact with him and leaned her head against the wall, still taking deep breaths.

"How's Evan?" she asked quietly, her voice still weak.

Logan smirked, "Conscious. Don't worry, he's fine. He was very impressed..." he grumbled incoherently, "Stupid kid."

Meadow snorted, the faintest of smiles twitching her lips, "I bet he was. That's so Evan."

Logan made a sound of agreement and his facial expression turned more serious, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Her body tensed and she shook her head, "No thank you."

He sighed again and scrubbed a hand over his face, "Doe…"

"Stop!" Meadow cried, slapping her hands over her ears.

A large wave of anguish caused Logan to grit his teeth and he resisted the urge to unsheathe his metal claws. He clenched his fist when his hand started to shake and took a deep breath of his own, speaking though clenched teeth.

"You want to hurt your family, kid?" he ground out, "That's what you wanna do, then? Hurt them?"

Meadow flinched at Wolverine's bluntness and she opened her eyes to look at a spot on the glossy hardwood floor, giving a small shake of her head.

"Then control yourself," Logan demanded, "'Cause your sister, your father, and whomever else you run into, ain't gonna be able to withstand your powers like we can. Especially if you have a tantrum or start projecting too much. Do ya' understand me?"

When Meadow didn't answer, Logan grasped her wrists and ripped them away from her ears.

"Do you understand me!?" he growled.

"Yes!" she cried, "Yes, okay, I understand. I get it."

"Okay," Logan relaxed and let go of Meadow's hands, "Yer gonna have to use everything you've ever learned here to maintain that type of control, unless you want your father and sister-

"Stop saying that," Meadow interrupted harshly, "She's not my sister and he's not my father. Don't say that."

Logan made a sound of annoyance deep in his broad chest. This was not in the job description of being an X-Men and he was not in the mood to deal with any more pestering problems. He was already planning to escape on his bike. Maybe he'd pummel a few boulders or hunt down Sabertooth. Go for a drink, probably.

"Fine, kid, whatever," he finally said, climbing to his feet, "Now, do you want to mope around and keep wallowing around in denial or do you want to come outside and join the others by the pool?"

She frowned, "The pool?"

"After that disaster, Chuc—Prof thought you kids could use a break," Logan told her, "But that means double sessions, tomorrow. Even for you. So rest easy, tonight."

"Great," she bit her lip "Lemme change first and I'll be right down."

Logan nodded and ruffled Meadow's hair, "See ya' downstairs."

Her eyes remained on his retreating form and she hesitated before she called out, "Logan?"

He didn't turn all the way around, but he did turn his head, flicking his eyebrows up to indicate that he was listening.

"Thanks," she said with a gentle smile, "I appreciate it…you."

Logan raised an eyebrow, muttered something under his breath that Meadow couldn't hear, then left, shutting the door with a little more force than necessary.

Meadow giggled at the look of awe she swore had been on the gruff man's face and she waited for his footsteps to fade before she rose from her corner, steadying herself by leaning a hand against the wall. She was still drained. She closed her eyes for a second, then walked over to her wardrobe and opened the doors, standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf.

The swimsuit she pulled off the self consisted of a pair of black boy shorts and a dark emerald bikini top that looked more like a sports bra.

Tears welled up in her bright eyes as she stripped off her uniform. It had been a bad idea for the Professor to tell her that she would be moving to Forks, Washington right before a Danger Room session. Though the room itself was almost indestructible, the students and machines were not.

"I already hate Forks," she rumbled to herself angrily, "I hate Bella, I hate Charlie, and I hate this whole stupid thing!"

Soon, the tears in her eyes made it impossible to change and with her uniform still around her ankles, she managed to stumble over to her four-poster bed and flop down face first.

She reached out blindly in front of her, until her hands brushed against something soft. It was a simple dark brown and tan teddy bear and she squeezed it tightly, feeling comforted by its presence. She was a little old for toys, but the plush animal had been a gift from Storm her second day at the mutant school and it was something Meadow cherished greatly.

Meadow rolled onto her side and hugged the bear to her chest.

"I don't want to go," she whispered to the bear. She squeezed her eyes shut, a tear escaping, "God, this is awful."

Flashback:

A thirteen year old Meadow was curled up on the light magenta couch, her hands over her ears as she sobbed brokenly and screamed until her throat was raw, drowning out the sounds of her mother's shouts.

"I don't know what's wrong with her," Renee shrieked into the mouthpiece of the phone, "If I knew-" she turned suddenly to see her other daughter peering around the corner, her brown eyes wide and frightful.

"Mom?" Bella choked out, bursting into tears at the sight of her sister, "W-what's going on?"

Renee ignored the other voice on the phone and blinked once before she started screaming again through her own sobs, "Charlie, what did I say!? Take Bella upstairs and make sure she stays there!"

Charlie rushed down the stairs and as soon as he got close enough, tears welled up in his chocolate brown eyes. Renee had called him two days ago, saying that he needed to get on the first flight to Phoenix. Something was wrong with Meadow, but when he arrived…this had been the last thing he was expecting. He had figured something like pneumonia or possibly even cancer, but not…insanity.

Charlie grabbed Bella's hand, his grip slick with sweat,"Come on, Bell," he tried to keep his voice from shaking, "Let's go upstairs, honey."

Just as Charlie began to lead Bella from the room, he stopped dead in his tracks, his hand falling limp in hers. A peaceful expression appeared on his face, a content sigh bursting from his lips. Bella wasn't in a much better state, her eyes dull with the same amount of contentment and harmony.

Through her tears, Meadow could see the same thing happening to her mother. Renee's entire body relaxed and the phone fell from her fingers to land on the hardwood floor, the battery falling out in the process, disconnecting the call.

Meadow opened her mouth to let out another scream, but when she did so, the overwhelming pain in her head seemed to lessen until it was nonexistent and she lay in the same position, stunned. She had suffered from the same migraine for over a year and nothing ever made it stop. She had been subjected to shots in her head and every type of medication available. Doctors had started becoming desperate, throwing around words that didn't even sound part of any human language.

She lowered her hands and sat up, her body still wracked with hiccups as she struggled to catch her breath. She pulled her disarray of curls into a messy ponytail and wiped her nose on her sleeve, as she got up from her spot on the couch.

"M-mom," she hiccuped, choking on a sob, "Dad? B-Bells?"

She reached up to touch her mother's face, her hand shaking until she pressed it against Renee's cheek. The woman's skin was warm and she looked to be breathing. So, why was she standing still like that?

The sound of the front door unlocking echoed like an explosion in the eerily quiet house and Meadow jumped, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood in order to hold in her gasp. No one besides her, Bella, and her mother had a key to the house. Renee didn't even give Charlie one when he had first arrived.

Someone was breaking in.

"Mom, we have to go," Meadow choked out, more tears spilling over. She yanked on Renee's sleeve, "M-mommy we have to hide, come on."

The front door opened, and this time Meadow did let out a gasp, rushing away from her mother and into the kitchen. She hesitated, taking note of the surroundings before she ran to the cabinet where they kept canned goods and cereal, squeezing herself inside and shutting the door, wincing when it creaked.

She brought a hand up to cover her mouth, forcing herself to hold in more sobs. Tears dripped down her face, but she couldn't wipe them away for fear of being discovered. Over the loud sound of her heartbeat and shallow breathing, she could hear footsteps and some other noise. It was a quiet whirring and she couldn't place it with anything that she might have heard before.

"Meadow?" a kind female voice called, "Are you here?"

"She's here, Storm," a soothing male voice replied, "She's hiding in the kitchen cabinet. Why don't you get her? Though I warn you to be cautious, she's frightened."

Meadow pressed her hand tighter against her mouth to hold in another sob and she tried to scoot further in the cabinet, praying that a magic dark hole would somehow appear and swallow her up. With her father being a cop, she was aware of what happened to children who were kidnapped. Awful, horrible things that gave her nightmares and she hoped whoever these people were, would kill her quickly and leave the rest of her family alone.

"Meadow?" came the female voice again. It was closer this time, "Meadow, it is all right, child. I know you are frightened, but we mean no harm, young one. We're here to help. We are friends."

Meadow shook her head, though she knew she couldn't be seen. That was a big lie. She didn't have any friends. She had been pulled out of school when she was eleven because of migraines and mood swings. She didn't leave the house much after that, spending a majority of her time at the doctor or resting in bed. She wasn't even close to her mother or Bella who were obviously attached at the hip. They grounded each other.

A knock at the cabinet caused her to jump and cry harder. She let the sobs come out, now. There was no point in trying to be quiet, she had been found.

"Ah," a cry came from outside the cabinet and Meadow could hear footsteps stumbling backwards before bumping into something.

The sound of rain that followed the loud clap of thunder did nothing to help the situation as it pounded violently against the house. It never rained in Phoenix. That must mean that something really bad was about to happen.

"Concentrate Storm," said the man, "It's her mutation, she can't help it."

"Okay," Storm breathed, "Okay…"

The rain ceased and Meadow found herself holding her breath as she looked around the cabinet. The door was still closed, but there was no other way to escape. She was still waiting for the magic black hole.

"Meadow," Storm said, slower, "Child, I am going to open the cabinet now and we'll sit down and talk. Just us. I know what's going on. There are other people like you and we can help."

The cabinet opened and Meadow tensed, preparing herself for the worst, but the person she saw, startled her and she blinked a few times, making sure that her eyes were well adjusted.

The woman standing across from her was beautiful. She had dark skin and strikingly white hair that had Meadow doing a double-take. She had never seen anyone with white hair, who wasn't old, and this woman clearly was not. Her bright blue eyes were youthful and warm, her pink lips holding a smile.

"Hello, little one," she said warmly, "My name is Ororo and you're Meadow Swan, correct?"

Meadow brought her fists up to rub away her tears and she nodded with a sniffle, "U-uh-huh."

"It doesn't look very comfortable in there," Ororo said, holding out a hand, "Would you like to come out?"

Meadow shook her head frantically.

"No?" Ororo asked, "Are you sure? We can talk and explain what's going on. I'm sure you've noticed some pretty odd things happening lately. I bet you feel alone and isolated, ostracized and strange," She knelt down so that she was eye-level, "I know a girl not much older than you and she suffered from headaches when she first acquired her powers."

That got Meadow's attention and she was sure that her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline, her mouth falling open as she struggled for words.

"Powers?" she gasped, her voice clogged with tears, "Like…turning invisible a-and flying?"

Storm chuckled, "Yes, something like that, minus the invisibility. Would you like to see?"

She watched Meadow ponder her words and Storm closed her eyes for the shortest of seconds in order to gather her wits. It was hard for her to look at Meadow crammed into the cabinet and there was no way Storm could go in there after her, due to her crippling claustrophobia.

"C-can I see?" Meadow asked quietly, "But I'm not moving!" she cried, drawing her knees up to her chest, "I'm staying here!"

Ororo sighed heavily, "Very well. Listen."

Meadow watched as Ororo titled her head back slightly and raised her hands. A cloudy white fog seemed to go over Ororo's eyes and Meadow jumped at the sound of thunder, the rain resuming its ferocious downpour.

"Y-you're doing that?" she asked weakly.

Storm came back to herself and blinked, the rain stopped and her eyes returned to normal. She nodded with a smile.

"Yes, child," she answered, "I control the weather."

Meadow's eyes widened, "All the time!?"

"No," Storm chuckled, "Not in that manner."

"Wow…" Meadow breathed. She blinked a few times, her eyebrows drawing together, "But…h-how-how did you do that?"

"If you come out, I can tell you," Storm promised, extending her hand for the second time, "What do you say?"

After taking a moment to think, Meadow nodded and allowed the older woman to pull her to her feet. Going back into the living room, she saw a bald man with brown eyes. He sat in a custom made silver wheelchair, the wheel-rims designed to look like 'X's. He had a hand to his temple, but when he saw Meadow, he lowered it.

"Ah, hello, Meadow," he greeted with a smile, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Charles Xavier."

"Hel—m-my family?" Meadow asked, looking at her mother.

"They're safe," Charles promised, "I've put them in an illusion to help calm things down. I'll bring them back after we've had a chance to talk privately. It will be less stressful that way. I am not here to steal any of your belongings."

Meadow took a step back, "How did you know…?"

Charles closed his eyes, placing another hand to his head.

'I can read minds,' Meadow gasped at the voice inside her head, 'I'm a telepath.'

When he opened his eyes, Meadow looked up at Storm, who nodded in confirmation.

Meadow looked back and forth between the two adults and she pointed to herself, "And...I'm one of those too?"

Charles laughed softly and shook his head, "Not quite, my dear, but you do have a very powerful gift. Let's sit, shall we?"

Meadow hesitated, but with an encouraging nudge from Ororo, she walked over to reclaim her seat on the couch, her heart still racing with fear and eyes trained on her family.

End Flashback:

After that, Professor Xavier and Storm began to calmly explain to Meadow what her powers were. She was an Empath. A powerful one.

At the time, she had been unconsciously projecting her emotions and feeling others. Which explained the mood swings and migraines. Her brain was too overwhelmed with it all—short circuiting. The two mutants stated that Professor Xavier ran a special type of school—a boarding school for people like her. Mutants, to be more specific. There, she could learn how to control her gift, become comfortable with it, and even enhance it. She had the potential, Professor Xavier had told her, to become great and use her powers to help others and be good. Yes, she wanted that. Meadow wanted so badly to help people and make the pain in her head stop. So, she had agreed to go with them to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters as the youngest and third student, after people named Jean Grey and Scott Summers.

What happened after that? Well, Meadow was still trying to convince the Professor to erase that part of her memory, but he refused.

To sum it up: her family had gone ballistic. Yelling until their faces turned purple, threatening to call the cops, and calling Meadow names like 'sick' and 'freak', saying that she needed serious hospitalization to help her. It was to the point where Xavier had no other option than to erase their memories, reappearing and stating that they were a special school for children like Meadow. Renee had assumed that it was a disciplinary school and had warned the two that Meadow was prone to explosive tantrums.

Meadow was bitter and papers were signed, shipping her off to Bayville, New York the next day. She had another one of her tantrums when Storm had pulled up to the mansion and thinking back on it, Meadow laughed at the memory of attacking Logan. The little thirteen-year-old her had felt abandoned by her family and betrayed. She was a freak and completely devastated, her powers uncontrollable and unsafe. Logan definitely had his hands full when she had first arrived.

But now, Meadow couldn't imagine her life any other way. She was incredibly happy. She had friends…a family. Though she would never say it out loud, Logan was like a father to her. The Wolverine always complained that being around Meadow, Rogue, and Kitty was starting to make him soft, but it was just for show and everyone knew it; even him.

With the help of Professor Xavier, she had been able to attune herself to the other students emotional signatures and found out that she got along well with them. Especially Kitty and Rogue, much to everyone's surprise. They were an odd-looking trio.

The goth in particular was like a sister to Meadow and when Rogue had finally switched sides from the Brotherhood, the two spending time together had been very frowned upon. Rogue's emotions were dangerously intense and too much for Meadow to handle, but overtime, she learned to filter them out and they often spent time together, bonding over their uncontrollable powers, interest in music and their hatred of crowds. It was great.

"Doe, get your butt out here!" a voice shouted, pounding loudly on the door, "I'll phase through and you know I'll do it!"

Meadow snapped out of her thoughts and she sat up quickly, "H-hold on," she said, loud enough for Kitty to hear, "I'm changing."

She placed her teddy back where he belonged and removed the rest of her uniform before she hurried to change, pulling off her undergarments and struggling to get her arms and legs through all the correct holes in her bathing suit. Finally, she jammed her feet into a pair of black flip flops and tried to catch her breath.

"I just set a world record," she whispered to herself, brushing a strand of hair back into place. She looked at the door, "You can come in now."

Kitty Pryde phased through the door, dressed in a bright pink bikini that showed off her petite and slender figure. Her long brown hair was in its usual ponytail, layers framing her face. Her light blue eyes narrowed and she giggled.

"Like, what's taking you so long?" she questioned, going to sit on the bed, "Mr. Logan came downstairs, like, ten minutes ago or something and said you'd be right down."

Meadow eyed Kitty for a minute, "…I was reminiscing…"

Kitty bit her lip at Meadow's tone, "Oh. Like, sorry for interrupti-

"It's fine," Meadow cut off with a sigh, "It's not like they remember it."

"They?" Kitty questioned.

Meadow shot her a look, "You know exactly who they are, but it's not like anyone else cares, because I'm being sent back and no one-

An all-to-familiar fog clouded Meadow's brain and she dug her teeth into her lower lip and closed her eyes, gripping her vanity mirror for support.

"Kitty?" Professor Xavier came into the room, "Would you excuse us for a moment, please?"

"Sure," Kitty whispered, sparing Meadow one last glance and a smile before she left the room.

"Meadow-

"I'm busy," Meadow snapped. Feeling awkward standing in only her bathing suit, she went back to her wardrobe and pulled out one of her sweatshirts, pulling it over her head, "You know, I have a lot to do. I have to pack."

Professor Xavier's eyes softened when Meadow's voice cracked and he could tell that she was on the verge of spilling more tears.

"I am not doing this as a form of punishment," he promised her, his fingers steepled in front of him, "In fact, I'd prefer it if you stayed here, but that is not up to me. I am not your legal guardian."

Meadow huffed, plopping down on her bed, arms crossed over her chest. Stupid Renee. She had called the institute and talked to the Professor about wanting Meadow to go down to Forks to live with Charlie and Bella. Apparently, it would be good for both of them and Bella needed her sister around because she was "struggling with the move."

Meadow had refused, of course, stating that she never talked to Bella or Charlie. They only called to talk to her when it was about Bella. The last phone call had been when Bella had run away because of some guy and fallen down two flights of stairs. Meadow had spent two hours consoling her parents and convincing a heartbroken Charlie that she was sure Bella still loved him. They both did.

She had another one of her tantrums that night and had broken one of the Professor's antique vases.

Despite Meadow's refusal to go to Forks, Renee had become desperate for her two girls to be together and pulled the minor card, taking Meadow out of the institute and enrolling her in Forks High school.

"This is a waste of everyone's time," she growled, "This is going to make me hate them even more than I already do. This is my home, Professor. What about missions, training, the Brotherhood?"

Professor Xavier placed a hand on her knee, "If we're in dire need of you, we will come find you and if things get too bad, you can come back."

Meadow shook her head, covering her face with her hands, "Professor, this is my life and now I have to completely uproot it to go and hide? With people who don't even—I can't be myself there, I can't—I'm so scared."

He moved to place a hand on her shoulder, "I know, my dear, but remember what we are here for. To one day hope that we can all exist peacefully in the same world. Humans and mutants, those who are different. Perhaps this will be a step in that direction. It will be hard, and a test of your control, but I have faith in you, Doe. One of us will always be in constant contact with you."

Meadow's shoulders shook. The world wasn't ready for mutant exposure yet, she knew and she was terrified that she would slip up and expose them all for what they really were.

"Do not make your family's past mistakes think that you are a monster," Xavier said, frowning at Meadow's thoughts, "You are gifted and will one day use your powers to help them."

He battled back the intense wave of sorrow. Meadow had made tremendous progress with her time at the institute and had learned to accept her gift; developing a stronger psyche. She kept things tranquil and calm around the large mansion, but still battled with her extreme sensitivity at times. Her gift was much harder to control when it was so easily influenced by others.

"Stay with me, Meadow," he told her firmly, looking up when the window began to shake, "Do not give up because you feel as though your world is falling apart. You're here to control your powers, not to let them control you. You know this."

Meadow forced herself to take another deep breath, removing her hands from her face. After a minute, she straightened her posture, her eyes still closed and the window still. She would need to meditate.

"That sounds like a good idea," Xavier encouraged, "Would you like me to get Storm?"

"No thank you," Meadow smiled weakly, "I've got it. Thank you, Professor."

He returned the smile, "You're very welcome, but before you meditate," he turned to look at the closed door, "I believe a certain team leader, has something he would like to say to you."

A hardside suitcase was hauled down the large grand staircase along with a matching carry-on bag and Meadow stayed where she was, watching sadly. She had said most of her goodbyes the day before and then proceeded to bawl her eyes out until she fell asleep. That was the perks of having a single room, she could feel her emotions without worrying that she was going to project and affect someone else.

"Don't look so down, fräulein," Kurt popped right next to Meadow in a cloud of smoke and a faint scent of brimstone. He grinned and wrapped a furry arm around her shoulders, "S'not goodbye forever."

Meadow leaned into Kurt's touch. It wasn't forever, but long enough. If she really had to stay in Forks until she was eighteen, that was almost two years.

It took her longer than that to finally trust those who had first been members of the X-Men. She never talked to her family. They had no idea what the institute really was and their relationship with Meadow had been severely strained because of memories only she could recall.

"Doe..." Storm said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Sorry," Meadow mumbled. She took a deep breath, sending out a large wave of calm, "There, is that better?"

"Ja, much," Kurt breathed.

Kitty's lip trembled and she ran forward, tackling Meadow in a hug, "Oh, Doe!" she wailed, "I'm going to, like, completely die without you here!"

Meadow chuckled, though she felt the same. She was nowhere near as girly and preppy as Kitty, but somehow, the two made the friendship work.

"We'll talk on the phone all the time," she promised, "I'll let you know if I see any cute boys in Forks."

Kitty laughed through her tears, "O-okay."

"This totally bites!" Evan moaned, "C'mon man, who else is gonna board with me?"

Meadow perked up, "I bet I can come back during the summer. It won't be long. Apparently, it's important that I move schools for three months," she quipped sarcastically.

"It won't be so bad," Jean promised, grabbing Meadow's hand and pulling her down the stairs, "Try to have a better attitude. Think of it as an opportunity to learn and grow."

Meadow hid a snicker when Rogue scoffed and rolled her eyes. She knew how her best friend felt about the redhead. It was a strained relationship.

"You'll always have a place here," Scott said with a grin, "Your room will remained untouched."

"Unless I get cold at night and need an extra blanket," Kitty chirped.

"Go for it," Meadow smiled and then bounced over to Rogue who was twirling her white bangs around a black-gloved finger.

Meadow sighed dramatically and met eyes with Rogue, "I think I'll miss you most of all, Scare-

"Cute," Rogue snapped, her accent thick. She rolled her eyes again, "Obviously Ah can't hug yah, but Ah got yah somethin'. Kahnd of. Here."

Meadow's eyes widened at the worn out paperback. It was Rogue's copy of 'Dracula.'

"Why would you give me this?" she questioned softly.

"If yah don't want it then give it back!" Rogue snapped.

"I didn't say that!" Meadow snapped back. She winced and did her best to calm Rogue down, reaching out and placing her hand on Logan's shoulder to keep herself steady, "I love it Rogue, really I do. Thank you."

Rogue's shoulders relaxed and she nodded stiffly, "Yer welcome, Ah guess..."

Meadow returned the nod, knowing that was as emotional as Rogue was going to get.

"One more thing, Emp," Logan said, using her abbreviated code name. He pulled something out of his pocket, "Think fast."

Meadow caught it with one hand easily and she smiled at the cold piece of technology. It was a sleek black cellphone. Much like she had seen the guys and Rogue carry.

"I told them you didn't like pink," Evan piped up, clapping Meadow's shoulder.

Meadow turned to smile at him, "Thanks for having my back, Spyke."

"And all of our numbers are programmed into it," Scott told her, "The house phone is on speed dial."

"This is the best," Meadow could feel herself getting emotional and she pocketed the device, "Thanks, guys."

More hugs and parting words were passed around and just as Meadow pulled away from Jean, Logan cleared his throat, his watch beeping obnoxiously.

"Ready to go, Emp?" he asked.

"No," Meadow said, turning to him, "I'm not ready."

But even with that answer, Meadow knew that she had to be. After saying more goodbyes and hugs, she reluctantly followed Logan out to the car.

"You have a sister!?" Alice cried.

Bella nodded sheepishly. She occupied one of the couches of the Cullen home, while Carlisle looked over her leg and other injuries. Hopefully, she'd be able to get the cast off soon and transition to the boot. Then she'd be able to actually walk without stumbling over her crutches and falling down all the time—more than usual.

"Her name's Meadow," she said.

Emmett wrinkled his nose, "Meadow?"

"My mom was going through a hippie phase at the time," Bella explained with a sigh, "I think she goes by Doe now? I'm not sure."

"Why did you never tell me this?" Edward demanded, looking hurt.

Bella shrugged, "It never came up. She's...away at some special school and has lived there since she was twelve or thirteen."

"You don't like her," Jasper said. It was a statement, not a question as he picked up on her emotions.

Bella's face flushed, "I don't know her well enough. We never talk. She doesn't talk to anyone in the family, really. Maybe Charlie sometimes?"

"So, she's estranged?" Carlisle asked, with a smile "It will be nice, then. To reconnect?"

"I hope so," Bella sighed, "Charlie's excited, but I don't think Meadow is."

"We'll make her feel welcome," Alice clapped her hands, "Don't fret, she'll love it here."

Edward's eyes flicked over to his favorite sister, but Alice pretended not to notice, a large smile plastered on her elfin face.

"You two have the same birthday?" Alice asked hopefully.

"No she's sixteen," Bella said, "Her birthday is in October. The twenty-second."

"Do you look similar?" Esme asked, watching Alice who was already party-planning in her head.

"I look more like my mother," Bella mumbled, picking at a thread on the couch, "But Meadow looks like both our parents. Her hair is curly, she has blue eyes, and she's shorter than me."

"A sister," Edward mumbled, "And you waited all this time to tell me…?"

"It wasn't a secret," Bella defended, "We haven't talked in three years. She sort of slipped my mind, but it will be nice to have her around. Another girl in the house," she smiled then, "We're picking her up at the airport, tomorrow."

Emmett grinned, his arms around Rosalie's waist, "If she's as clumsy as you, then she's welcome here anytime!"

Bella flicked her eyebrows up in response, leaning her head on Edward's shoulder. She could feel him tense underneath her and reached down to intertwine their fingers, giving his hand a squeeze. She didn't have to be a mind reader to know that he was worried about Meadow's arrival, wondering if her scent would be as strong and appealing as Bella's own.

A/N: I've never written a story on here. I'm usually on FictionPress, but I thought I would give it a shot! I hope you enjoy the story and please review. A big thanks to my Beta Reader Sabrina06 who helped tremendously.