Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are property of Stephanie Myer and others who own the copy write I do not know them all. I am simply borrowing them for entertainment purposes and am making no money from this.
-I do own any unrecognized characters. Please do not use my characters or my world without my permission. (Ask I'm likely to say yes.)-
AN:
So I was updating my stories and realized I'd only posted one chapter of this story, I am so sorry I didn't realize I hadn't gotten around to separating out and posting more chapters. This is the longest story I've written and is far from finished at over 160,000 words. I hope for it to go for a while longer. I'll post a few chapters every so often. Any schedules I had are being thrown out as anyone who has read any of my stories probably knows I suck at sticking to them.
With my 21st birthday approaching later this month (May 21st, 2018) I wanted to check into my fanfiction account as I am approaching 10 years on next march (10 years using the site in the fall, 10 years since I made the account in March 2019.) It's hard to think when I first found this site I was only eleven. My writing has greatly improved and it is always interesting (And cringe worthy) to look back on my old work and how far I've come.
I love this story it's one of my favorites that I've written and is one of the most fun to write. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do! On with the story!
-Line Break-
"Wasn't that the definition of home? Not where you are from, but where you are wanted?" – Abraham Verghese
They painted the walls of her room blue, with white foot boards, her carpet, was a light gray. The bed they bought was a white wood, four posts, marked the corners; with blue and green bedspreads, and lots of pillows. Fairy lights where hung along the edges of the room, silver and blue lights. Blue paint spots scattered across the carpet here and there, from many, many paint fights. A white writer's desk sat against one wall, a brand new laptop sitting on top, a gift from Daniel's aunt. Her closet doors had been painted white, inside an almost entirely new wardrobe, along with a few shirts and pants she'd had before. Pictures where pinned to the walls in rows, many from before… but just as many more recent; multiple dream catchers hung above the bed, gifts from the Black's and Clearwater's. On the bedside table sat a simple white frame, in it a picture from the day, she had waited for her entire life, adoption day.
"You ready?" Her social worker looks at her in the passenger seat, she wore a light blue dress, she had found at goodwill the week before, and her normal silver high tops. Her brown hair, hung down past her shoulders, curling up, slightly frizzy. She pushed her new black, thick framed glasses up her nose.
"Definitely… I've been ready for this for forever." She says with a grin.
"Then let's get you adopted." The two head into the small court house, in down town Seattle. Kat limps through the big doors; Ainsley Summers, her social worker, and oldest friend walking confidently beside her. The court room was full of people. Daniel runs over to her from the right side of the room, hugging her around the waist.
"Congratulations Kat!" he yells happily. She laughs softly and pats his head. "I'm glad you got a family… but I wish you could have been my sister…" he says a bit sadly.
"I know, Dani… but we'll keep in touch, your aunt said we could." She promises him, as his aunt pulls him back, giving her a kind smile. Ainsley pulls her forward, to the front of the court room, having her sit at a table on the right side. The right side of the court room was completely full, with many of her teachers from throughout the years, her friends, old foster families, and multiple social workers who had helped with her case. She was amazed so many people had come, for her. Her eyes scanned the left side of the court, she recognized, some of the doctors from the Forks hospital, and many of the police officers, multiple rows full of people she didn't know or had only seen once or twice. At the front was a Native American man in a wheel chair, with a young preteen boy beside him, next to them was the man she had been looking for.
"Alright, now that everyone is here, why don't we get this started?" The judge calls out taking his seat. Kat tuned out the meeting until Ainsley nudged her arm. "Miss Nolan, do you want Charlie Swan to adopt you?" The judge asks her with a kind smile.
"Yes sir, I would." She says her voice quiet but strong. The judge nods.
"Then from what I have seen and heard here today, I don't see any reason not to approve the adoption. Now if you would please come up, we can sign the final papers." He says. Ainsley leads her to the front, as Charlie walks up as well, giving her a grin. She grins back. "Now you can either keep your name, or change it to Swan, that is up to you two." The judge explains.
"Up to you, Kat" Charlie nods to her.
"Just print the name you want here, and then sign with that name below." The judge tells her, after Charlie and Ainsley sign their parts.
She tentatively takes the pen, this was it… if she signed these forms… she would no longer be a foster kid… the only thing she had ever been… She had watched as her friends signed their forms and found their 'forever family's' but had never been even close to getting there herself. She would have a father, someone who loved her, and a new sister, although she lived with her mother in Arizona. She would finally have a home, a place to belong. She takes a deep breath and writes her name, then signs the forms. She hands them to the judge.
"Congratulations, Katrina Estelle Swan, you have been adopted." He tells her with a smile. Kat grins widely turning to her new dad. Charlie grins at her tears shinning in his eyes.
"Come here kiddo." He says pulling her into a tight hug. She hugs him back laughing happily. People cheer around them.
"Okay you two, turn this way, smile." Ainsley calls holding up a camera. Charlie turns to Ainsley, straightening his suit jacket, placing his arm firmly around Kat's shoulders. She grins happily up at him then looks at the camera.
It had been the best day of her life, she had decided, that afternoon, as she hugged her friends and teachers outside the court house. She stood holding a sign she had made for the day, as Ainsley took more photos. The sign read 'I spent 5093 days in Foster Care, But Today on May 1st' 2002, I was adopted!' She grins as Charlie joins her for the photos.
The photo of the two with the sign, hung on her wall, above her desk. Above her bed, white wooden letters hung, spelling out 'Swan'. She was finally home.
-Line Break-
"I spent so many years walking around on eggshells, afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. Now I can just be myself." – Wendy
"Kat… kiddo… wake up." Kat groaned pulling her blankets over her head. "Come on, Katrina." Charlie pulls her blankets down, enough to see her face. She blinks open her eyes with a sigh, leaning over and grabbing her glasses.
"Morning, Dad." She grins a bit, still getting used to being able to call someone dad. Charlie grins back at her, and pulls a present from behind his back.
"Happy Birthday." She stares at him in shock for a minute, before grinning even wider.
"Thank you!" she takes it carefully in her hands.
"Go on, open it." Charlie motions to her. Kat slowly pulls off the wrapping paper, and opens the box, inside is a beautiful silver charm bracelet, with a few charms already attached. One is an Emerald heart, with May 21st etched in it, to represent her birthday; there is silver Swan, for their family, a crystal heart, with May 1st etched in it, for her adoption, and a police badge, for Charlie. She stares at it in awe, examining each charm carefully. Before looking up at his nervous face.
"I love it, thank you dad." She sets it and the box on the bed, then jumps up hugging him tightly. Charlie laughs and hugs her back.
"I'm glad you like it, kiddo. Now why don't you get dressed, then come downstairs?" he asks moving back. She nods.
"Okay, can you help me put this on first?" She motions to the bracelet. He nods and hooks it around her right wrist when she holds it out. He leaves the room, and Kat quickly gets dressed, in black jeans, with black high tops, a light blue tank top, with a darker blue plaid button up, which she leaves unbuttoned. She puts on a silver dream catcher pendent, and some silver stud earrings, pulling her hair up into a pony tail. She grabs her cellphone off her side table slipping it into her pocket, and heads down the stairs. When she gets to the bottom her eyes widen, a large group of people are there. A large banner that reads 'Happy Birthday Kat' hangs in the living room.
"Surprise!" They all yell, some of them setting off confetti poppers. She stares shocked. Charlie moves over to her with a grin, leading a teen girl about her age, with long brown hair, and brown eyes over to her.
"Kat, this is your sister Isabella, she goes by Bella. Bella this is your new sister Katrina, she goes by Kat." Charlie introduces them. Bella smiles at Kat, and holds out her hand to her.
"It's nice to meet you, Kat." She says with a sweet smile. Kat grins back at her.
"It's nice to meet you too… I always wanted a sister." She shakes her hand.
"So did I…" She grins as well. A woman with brown hair walks over. "Oh, this is my mom, Renee. Mom, this is Kat." Bella introduces them.
"Oh, it's wonderful to meet you, Katrina." Renee tells her with a smile. Kat nods.
"It's nice to meet you too." Renee walks over to talk with Charlie a bit, Bella follows curiously. Kat grins as Billy Black rolls over to her.
"Happy Birthday, Kat." He tells her with a smile. She grins back at him.
"Thanks Billy!" He leans forward pulling her into a hug. She hugs him back happily.
"Happy Birthday, Kat!" She pulls back looking over as Jacob runs up to her. He smiles at his dad, before dragging Kat off to meet some of his friends. Introducing her to the Clearwater's officially, and to anyone else who had come that he knew. The party had been great; Kat had received a lot of great books, a few video games, and a few more dream catchers. She got a homemade blanket from the Clearwater's, and a few old books from Bella. Renee had gotten her a cute stuffed cat. Billy had carved her a charm for her bracelet, of the Quileute tribe symbol, which she happily hooked to the bracelet.
Bella and Renee stayed for the next few days, Renee having taken Bella out of school for the trip. Kat and Bella became instant friends. They promised to keep in touch.
-Line Break-
AN:
I hope you all enjoyed, please leave a review with what you thought and any ideas you may have. But please no flames. I am fine with constructive criticism; but please leave it in a polite manner. Simply calling out ways in which my writing style is either not like yours, or that something is not what most would consider grammatically correct because you dislike it is not helpful. Pointing out ways in which you believe I may be able to improve, either grammatically, spelling wise, or even in style can be helpful. Also if a tense is wrong please point it out, this is a rewrite and I changed the tense when I edited/ rewrote it and there are probably at least a few errors I missed. There is no need to be rude and if you simply don't like the story it is your choice whether you read it or not, so simply choose not to, I don't need to hear that you hate it.
~ Kat