Chapter 1

"Adele" Sookie said still staring at her daughter, who had grown nearly double since yesterday "What happened?"

"I changed Mom" Adele said shrugging as she went down the stairs towards her mother "I thought to myself last night, long and hard, and I realized that I can't always be waiting for you to come to the rescue if I get in trouble...Not like I know you won't come, just that..." she said trying to find the words "I need to be my own person. So I grew up."

Sookie felt a pit in her chest just then, she had failed her daughter to the point where she had to grow up too fast so that she could cope with what was going on around her.

"Mom please don't feel bad" Adele said hugging her mother "You didn't do anything wrong."

Sookie nodded, trying to hold back tears when Sam came in, dropping a glass of milk straight to the ground.

"Adele?" Sam said with big eyes.

"Hi Dad" Adele said blushing a bit. She had definitely grown up from the teen body she had been in less than a day ago. Her hips now curved and her chest had filled out, while her legs and arms seemed more defined then before. She had grown from a chubby little toddler to a full women in less than a few months. But that was the problem with Changelings, they could form and change whenever they pleased.

Adele looked down at the summer dress she had found laying in the back of her closet and had decided to put that on, seeing as how it was going to be nice out, but now with both her parents staring at her with big eyes, Adele felt exposed.

"Please stop looking at me like that" Adele said as her face got hot "I know you won't understand now, but I had to do it."

"It's alright sweetheart" Sam said shaking off his astonishment "We are just glad you are home safe."

"And this doesn't mean you have to go anywhere!" Sookie said following Sam's lead "This is your home for as long as you want it to be."

"Good" Adele said sighing in relief "I was afraid of that."

Adele decided to eat some breakfast and get ready for the day, her parents watching her closely with every move that she made. She should have expected this she guessed, that they would not get used to her being a full mature adult so soon, but it had to be done.

Adele thought about her mother's panicked scream, the way Sam had carried her like his life depended on it. She was tired of always getting into trouble and then putting herself at danger. It wasn't healthy for her, and it was wearing her parents down despite what they would say.

Now Adele was sort of grown up, she knew a little about the world and the people in it. Sookie had taught her enough and Sam had done a good job about teaching her exactly what was right and what was wrong, but often Adele saw the two get mixed together, and she had no words for what it was called.

The right thing could also be the wrong thing, and sometimes the really bad thing could turn out to be the best thing.

It was all pretty confusing for someone who had only been on this earth for about four months.

"So Adele" Sam said looking at her from the door way of the kitchen "What's on the agenda tonight?"

Adele looked at Sam with wide eyes and realized he was asking her what she wanted to do, giving her a choice since she was now an adult.

"Well" Adele said thinking for a minute. This was the first time she really thought about what she wanted to do and it thrilled her.

"I would like to see Jessica" Adele said finally.

"Well she should be good by nightfall" Sam said looking outside "It takes about a day or two underground, so don't be disappointed if they don't come out right away."

"I won't" Adele said shaking her head.

"In the mean time is there anywhere you would like to go?" Sam said "Your mom is going to work and I have some errands to run in town. I could take you somewhere if you would like."

Adele looked outside and realized there was somewhere she would like to go.

"Can we go see Alcide?" Adele said with pleading eyes.

"Of course" Sam said with a smile "He should be going home today, so we can go visit him before he takes off."

"Alright" Adele said with a happy smile.

She liked making her own choices, she liked having an opinion. Everything was all so new and great, she couldn't wait to see what else the world had to offer.

Adele finished up her breakfast and hurried out the door with Sam, excited to see her Alcide. She had thought about him often when she was trapped in the cell Sir had put her in, and she wondered if he had survived being poisoned.

A horrible chill went down Adele's spin right then, remembering how her Were had gone down on the kitchen floor so easily, and the way those shifters had come in and taken her...

"Adele?" Sam said looking over at her "You okay?"

"I'm fine" Adele said shaking off the bad memory "I just want to go see Alcide."

"We are almost there" Sam said reassuringly.

The hospital visit went as well as it could. Some of Alcide's relatives were there while others were just pack members. They looked at Adele with such hopeful eyes, almost relieved to see that their pack master risked his life for something good.

When Alcide saw Adele though, his mouth dropped open.

"You can't be..." he said softly, but Adele just gave him a big smile.

"Sorry Alcide" Adele said looking down at herself "It couldn't be helped."

"But you were a little girl...just a few days ago" he said in shock.

"I had to change to survive" Adele said quietly "Even you must know what that feels like."

Alcide nodded at her and requested a hug which Adele gladly gave him. Adele noticed a young wolf looking into the room, tawny skin and green eyes looking at Adele in a way she had never really been looked at before.

"Who's that?" Adele asked looking over.

"That's Lupin" Alcide said looking the young pack member who looked away fast as Alcide stared at him "He joined the pack a few months ago, and it looks like he's taken a liking to you."

"Oh lord" Adele said rolling her eyes "I don't even know what to do with a boy."

"And you better never find out" Alcide said with a smile as he gave her a kiss on the hand.

Sam came to pick Adele up soon and she said goodbye to her Were and most of the pack, although the constant stare from Lupin made her a bit uneasy.

She ran errands with Sam and eventually they ended up at Merlottes to have lunch with Sookie. Little did Adele know though, that although she was trying to make things easier for her parents and for herself, the moment she walked into Merlottes things just got complicated.

Much more complicated.