Disclaimer: I only own Twilight in my head XD

A thin layer of frost covered the window of the plane when I finally lifted my head from a slumber that had started over a thousand miles ago. It was confusing, disorienting to look out at the distorted sun and realize that we were somewhere else, somewhere far away. Still harder to take in was the fact that we wouldn't be going back...we'd come to Washington- a good three thousand miles away from what used to be our home in Massachusetts- to stay for good.

"I guess we're really here then." It was a statement, not a question, and from a voice I could have recognized anywhere. I glanced over at Tom, who had been my "older" (honestly, if you ask me, six months hardly qualifies him to "full older brother privileges") brother for the past year, and replied,

"Looks like it." He turned to me, a smirk crossing his face.

"Look who's decided to finally awake! Have a good nap, sleeping beauty?"

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny."

"Yeah, honestly, Tom, what were you thinking?" This voice came from the seat directly behind me, another recognizable one- my 13 year old brother, David was smirking. Next to him, my other 13 year old "brother", Andy, added,

"Yeah, everyone knows that Liz hardly qualifies as a girl, let alone a beauty!"

"Shut up!" I raised my hand to hit him, but then quickly realized I'd have no chance of reaching over the seat. "You are so dead when we get up, mister."

"Ooooo...looks like we're in TROUBLE!" James, my youngest "brother" grinned two seats over at me from his place beside Tom.

"Honestly James, be quiet!" that reproachful voice came from Anne, my, well, adopted mother, I suppose. "People are staring. Can't you sit still for five minutes?" She shook her brown and blonde highlighted head, opened her purse, and popped out a couple of pills. Least she's off the alcohol now I thought to myself. From alcohol to antidepressants...but still...at least this way society thinks she's on her way to "recovery", whatever that means.

I'm not dumb. I know how to recognize an addiction. I also know that I should stop it...but I can't. The fact is nobody can- we're afraid of what would happen. And, to be quite honest, our family (if you can call it that) is in enough trouble as it is.

You see, a little less than a year ago, both my parents had decided to go out on a date for the first time in, well, god only knows how long. What happened next was nobody's fault- the roads were under-plowed and icy, and they hit the ice the wrong way, and, well, you can guess what happened.

They'd stated in their will that they wanted my 13 year old brother David and me to stay with the Mortensons if anything were to happen to them. And apparently, in the court, the will is the most important thing for stuff like this. So anyhow, five days after the funeral, we packed our bags and went to live with the Mortensons.

Don't get me wrong- I love them to death, known them all quite well since I was (or, in Andy and James's case, they were) born- Anne and my mother, Helen, had grown up together as little girls. But it was a lot to adjust to for all of us, and Anne hadn't been doing well in the first place. She started drinking like crazy. Eventually, her husband, Mark, forced her into rehab. I suppose it helped- she no longer does alcohol. Instead, she pops a whole bunch of antidepressants.

After Anne got out of rehab, Mark decided that we should all get a change of scenery. When he was offered a job in the world's most rural part of Washington, it seemed too perfect. He got all the paperwork signed, sold the house, took a plane out to get set up, and, a month or so later, here we were. Ready to start our "new lives", or however the old cliche goes.

"Hey Liz, have you heard that the new house is on an Indian reservation?" Andy's eyes were wide, excited.

"Cool"

"Yeah, and supposedly our house, is like, HUGE" David added, grinning. "That's what Mark just said." I glanced over- there Anne was, on the phone with Mark before we'd even stopped taxing. Typical. Very typical.

Tom chuckled, "Well, it's in the middle of the woods at least. You know what that means..." He flashed me a slightly demonic grin, and I couldn't help but chuckling,

"No doubt we'll manage to get into even more trouble then." I shook my head and then, before I could stop it, a grin broke out across my face, "It'll be FANTASTIC!"

David opened his mouth, but before he was able to get anything out of it, an announcement broke out over the intercom, "Attention passengers, we are pleased to announce that we have safely landed, and welcome you to Seattle, Washington. We here at Southwest know you have a lot of options these days, and we thank you for choosing us to fly with you! Have a nice day!" People began to stand up all around us, gathering their things, bidding adeau to their travel companions, preparing to welcome loved ones. I stood as well.

"You ready?" Tom asked to the general population, but it was I who responded,

"Of course! Let's GO already!"