I am SO unbelievably sorry for taking so long to update!!!

Everything piled up on me - my internet screwed up, I went away to CCF camp, it was my freind's birthday, I had to study, I was given loads of homework...

Those are my reasons for why I didn't update this. It's no excuse, I know, but I wanted you all to know I wasn't just sitting on my ass playing computer games!

Again, i'm sorry!

Enjoy xx

Skye POV

Carlisle shook his head in frustration. "Damn. We may have to show Skye to them."

Esme's arms tightened around me. "What if they decide she is a threat?"

A feeling of serene calm spread around the room.

"Thank you, Jasper." Alice rubbed his arm before looking at us. "I can't see – I have no idea how this will turn out."

"How can that be?" Carlisle murmured. "You have never had a problem before…"

"Regardless of why Alice can't see, isn't anyone concerned about the pack of dogs on our lawn?" Emmett demanded.

I snorted. "Emmett, all you want to do is fight them."

"Sam." Edward said sharply. We all turned to look at him. "He wants us to come out now."

Esme pulled me even tighter, if that was even possible. "Come, then. If anything happens, Skye, fly away. I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'll be fine, mum." I shrugged out of her grasp. "I don't go looking for trouble."

"But it always irrevocably finds you." Edward muttered behind me as I followed Esme out into the lawn. The sky was cloudy, and I had this nagging feeling I should be at school. A sound came from somewhere in front of me, and I peered around Esme to see.

I was told of the pack when I was fourteen – I had to learn about the geography of La Plush so I wouldn't fly over it. I knew I had been glimpsed a few times, but only Alice and Edward knew that.

I bit my lip to keep myself from gasping in shock. There stood four huge wolves, all of which were staring intently at me. The second largest growled menacingly, but my frozen muscles refused to let me step back. Out of instinct my wings loosening to prepare to flare out and carry me away.

Alice touched me shoulder, and I straightened with difficulty. I had instincts just like the vampires did – while their instincts were to eat humans and be wary of other vampires, my instincts were to fly away at the first sight of danger.

"He wants to know who Skye is." Edward murmured to Carlisle, who nodded slightly.

"Sam. We would prefer if you changed back to human form to talk to us – I promise no harm will come to you."

"They asks how you can assure that." Edward said quietly.

"Your companions can stay in their wolf form." Carlisle promised.

I watched in fascination as the biggest, blackest wolf began to shake; a low growl rumbling from his chest. Suddenly he literally blurred, like a censored picture on TV, and this time my muscles moved to make me step back into Alice's arms. A man gradually appeared from the flashings of fur and skin, and I coughed and looked away as he appeared completely naked. When I looked again he had black shorts on.

"What is a human doing here, Cullen?" he snarled, his eyes narrowed in anger. The wolf that growled before bared his teeth, but a sharp look from Sam sent him crouching to the ground, whimpering an apology. "That is against the treaty – meaning you broke it."

"She is no human." Carlisle said calmly. "You don't think much of us Sam – we would never take a human to live with us."

Sam laughed – actually threw back his head as roared with laughter. "Not human?" He sneered. "What is she then? Huh?"

"No, she is not a wolf." Edward answered someone's thoughts. "And I never knew you couldn't get a female shape shifter. Interesting."

This time, the look that Sam gave the other wolf made it throw itself onto its back, whimpering and whining and looking away from Sam.

"You have broken the treaty." Sam's voice was deep and full of authority. "You must pay."

Esme tried to speak. "Sam, you don't even know who she i-"

"You broke the treaty." Sam repeated. His eyes were narrowed so much I could barely see them. "It is unacceptable."

"You don't even know who she is." Esme said in a hard voice.

Emmett flexed his muscles, and the three wolves sprang to surround Sam. Everyone tensed, and I became aware of Alice's arm around my waist and her hand gripping my shoulder.

There was complete silence. Everyone glared at each other with the exception of Alice, who was concentrating on subtly positioning herself so that when the fight began she could pick me up and run.

Wait, backup a minute!

They're talking about me, right? So if they don't know who I am, and Carlisle is unwilling to tell them, then…

I shrugged off Alice's hands. Surprisingly, she let go, and I made my way to the front of the coven. Esme made to pull me back, but Carlisle motioned for her to stay still.

I planted myself firmly in front of Sam, eyeing him up and down. He drew back a little, glaring at me, and I felt my wings tense in irritation.

"You want a fight, and you don't even know who I am." I said coldly. "Great Alpha you are."

Sam snarled at me. "Who are you, girl?"

I lifted my head. "I have a name, dog."

"And we don't care. Who are you?"

I heard Edward snap in anger behind me, but I didn't turn around. "I'm here of my own accord." I said as politely as possible. "My name is Skye."

"When did you come here, Skye?" Sam grinned nastily.

Again I had to restrain myself from throwing out my wings. Wait for it, wait for it…my mind cautioned.

"That's along story and we don't have time for that. I came here of my own accord a few years ago to take shelter. I am free to come and go as I please, and I can assure you, I am definitely not human."

"How so, Skye?" Sam was starting to lose his temper. "How?"

"Like this." I snarled, letting the iron hold I had on my wings go.

My wings flew out around me, looking huge and impressive. The pack jumped back, Sam even starting to shift before he realized I wasn't attacking him.

"That isn't possible...." He muttered, staring at my wings.

"And vampires and shape shifters are?" I raised my eyebrows. "I'm an Avian Mutant Hybrid. I have wings. I fly. I live with vampires. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal," Sam spat through clenched teeth. "Is that you're living with vampires. Vampires!"

"And you live with and are one of those shape shifting dogs. Dogs!" I imitated his tone of voice. "Does this treaty say that the Cullen's are not allowed a guest? No. Does it forbid other non-human creatures to reside on their land? No. So you are unneeded in this situation. I'm here, I'm happy, I'm home. So if you ever catch me flying again, remember it's me, not some seagull of steroids."

"Where are the others?" Sam asked in a tight voice. The atmosphere around me turned to confusion.

"Others? What others?" Carlisle asked a bit too sharply, his eyes focused on Sam.

"We saw a group of six flying things – similar to Skye – flying above La Plush. We didn't know what they were."

"What?" Edward said. "Tell us about them."

"That's all we saw!" Sam protested. "When she," he pointed to me. "Showed me her wings I thought you were harbouring others. Obviously not."

"Then we have no grievances?" Carlisle questioned. The coven behind me tensed again.

"No." Sam said through gritted teeth. "I…we…were wrong to judge you without making sure. We are sorry."

"I accept your apology." I said quietly. Everyone, including Edward – who shouldn't because he could read my mind – looked at me in surprise. "Now apologize to my coven."

Sam snarled – actually bared his teeth in a fierce grimace. "I just did."

"No. I deserved an apology. You just gave one to me. Now apologize to the people you were intending to fight."

Sam's face was scary to watch. I didn't need Jasper to know his emotions; they flitted across his face, easily read. Shock, surprise, anger, confusion and…respect?

"Fine." He said curtly. "I…we...apologize…to you and your coven, Carlisle."

"Thank you. It is accepted." Carlisle said smoothly. "Now, you are free to leave any time you choose."

Without saying a word, Sam and the pack turned and ran into the woods, and I knew that they had truly gone when everyone around me relaxed.

Esme grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face her. "Skye Cullen, don't you ever do anything like that again!"

"I agree with Esme, Skye." Carlisle said gently. "Although this confrontation ended well, you put yourself and us into a potentially dangerous situation that could have…"

Surprisingly, I zoned out. My thoughts went to the six flying things that the pack had saw, and I started imagining them to be people like me, Hybrids with wings…

"…Skye? Are you even listening?" Carlisle sounded frustrated. It wasn't often he got frustrated, especially at me.

"Others." I murmured. "He said there were others."

"They probably were just falcons, Skye." Emmett said. "Or, exactly what you said – seagulls on steroids."

Alice cocked her head to the side. "Esme, you're about to get a call from the principle about our absence."

Esme disappeared with Carlisle inside, and Rosalie dragged Emmett away, claiming she wanted to hunt. Jasper touched Alice arm, who nodded quickly. "Good plan. Edward, Esme is claiming a relative died. We'll be free for the week."

"Yes!" I heard Emmett yell. "Hunting week!"

I waited for the familiar smack of Rosalie's hand on his shoulder, but it never came.

My thoughts wandered again. Others. The very thought of people like me who understood, who knew, who I could talk to and not feel out of place…

"Skye?" Edward whispered. "It was probably nothing."

I stared up at the cloudy sky, Edward's words going through one ear and out the other.

"Skye?" Edward tried again.

But I was too far gone. Edward stared on helplessly as I started to dream, watching my eyes brighten as I stared at the sky with growing hope.

Review please, even though I probably don't deserve it!

xx