Finally I found the time to update! For those of you still reading, I appreciate your patience. Please review if you would like, I really do appreciate hearing what you think of it! :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Cullens went off hunting when we returned, wanting to take advantage of the mere three hours left before dawn. We thought this to be the ideal time to contact Storm.

As her face came into view on the display, I had the distinct feeling that we had woken her from sleep. Her snow-white hair was slightly in disarray, and I detected the faint beginnings of dark circles under her eyes. Her expression, however, was as alert and intent as ever. It was hard to imagine her behaving as anything other than the self-sacrificing leader of the X-men.

"My apologies for the late—or rather, early—time. The Cullens are currently away, so we thought we would seize the opportunity. Unfortunately, we have not gained much more information on the Volturi, but I believe from our previous descriptions of their abilities you can gather that the vampires are formidable opponents," I began. Storm nodded, but her face indicated that her mind was on something other than my voice.

"Formidable would be the way to describe them," she mused, a strange tone to her voice. She shut her eyes and let out a long, slow breath, before again focusing her piercing gaze on us.

"Jesse. Brooke." She met each of our eyes in turn. "There's been a change of plans. As you know, the "disease" has been proclaimed a global pandemic, the disappearances are causing an uproar. We practically have every government official clamoring at our doors for an explanation. Yes—the people have concluded that no human could have caused this. They want answers, and they want them now. Tomorrow, on national television, we are going to expose vampires as the cause. It will be a shock, no doubt, but after accepting the existence of mutants vampires shouldn't be much more of a stretch. The Concord kept the existence of vampires a secret, but due to the Volturi's actions its terms are now void."

"And this changes our instructions how?" Jesse asked, impatience in his voice. He was never one for long speeches. Ororo gave him a stern look.

"I'm getting there. We do not know how the Volturi and the rest of the vampire community will react to the exposure. It could possibly prompt a premature strike, which would put the both of you in unnecessary danger. You are to depart immediately after this conversation and seek the safety of the jet. But remain in the area; I will be sending reinforcements to assist you in the elimination." I felt a knot build in my throat.

"Elimination? You want us to kill the Cullens?" I choked out, not believing my ears. Her brow furrowed as she examined me.

"That would be the meaning of elimination, Brooke, if killing actually applies to creatures who are already long deceased." I was appalled by her callousness. I began to shake my head in disbelief.

"Is there something wrong, Brooke?" she stated, closely scrutinizing me.

"You can't. You're wrong about them." My voice was carefully controlled, defiance ringing slightly in my tone. Jesse glanced at me, wide-eyed. Storm's dark eyes visibly lightened before fading back to brown, a clear sign that she was trying to control her anger. If she wanted to get into a shouting match, I was more than ready for her. My tantrums could be pretty fantastic. Her lips pursed as she spoke.

"I should have known you were still harboring feelings for those parasites," she stated, almost spitting the word. She turned her attention to Jesse. "And you also share her feelings?" The way she said it, it was almost as if she dared him to defy her. Jesse swallowed, hesitating for a moment.

"Yes," he said confidently. "The Cullens are pose no threat to humans or mutants. You and I both know that they feed on the blood of animals." His tone was flat, though I felt his body temperature rise by at least twenty degrees.

"Do not lecture me," she snapped. Her eyes faded to light brown and remained that way. "An alternative lifestyle does not prove their innocence. Should the Volturi succeed in gaining power over the rest of us, vampires would become the dominant species. Would the Cullens not benefit, despite their unique diet?" She meant it as rhetorical questions, but in my opinion, it warranted an answer.

"No. The Volturi only want power for themselves. They will enslave vampires who do not concede to their plans to aggressively control the other species," I affirmed. I could almost feel the electricity she had begun to generate, bringing volume to her sleep-flattened hair.

"And I'm sure this is the nonsense that that Cullens fed you. I am shocked and disappointed that two seasoned X-men could be so naïve," Storm seethed.

"And what, o great leader, would possibly prove their innocence to you?" I retorted. "How can you assume their guilt without giving them a chance to defend themselves?"

"Because, Brooke, they are not innocent. As vampires, their survival depends on the victimization of the innocent. Their existence is a danger to the world." Jesse's hands clenched in irritation.

"They have existed alongside us for centuries, but now that they are a danger your solution is to slaughter the entire race?" Jesse fumed. "That doesn't strike you as even slightly inhumane?" She flashed him a look that could kill.

"The vampires had their chance. They have made their intentions clear," she stated, though she did not directly answer Jesse's questions.

"No, Ororo. The Volturi had their chance. The others have no part in their plans. Will you condemn the whole for the actions of the few?" I challenged. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. My voice quieted.

"By your logic, mutants should have been eliminated long before the vampires. But you would never authorize the elimination of mutants because of a few dangerous ones, would you?" I finished. Storm's expression was hard, her eyes now a filmy white.

"My course of action is set. Are the two of you so sure of your convictions? Will you move against this organization?" Our silence was her answer.

"Then so be it. Jesse Storm. Brooke Howlett. The two of you are formally discharged from the X-men." Her words were like a blow I could not heal from. I could scarcely believe that the organization that defined me for so long would no longer be a part of my life. Right then, I felt part of my identity wither and die. But I didn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me wilt.

"Discharged?" I scoffed. "Please, there's no need. I quit." I terminated the connection, unable to look at her face for a moment longer. In a fit of anger, I threw the communicator to the ground, rose to my feet and brought my foot down upon it, the blow yielding a satisfying crunch. I looked at the destroyed device, my anger evaporating. What have we done? Did we just isolate ourselves from the only group that accepted us as equals? Jesse laid a hand on my shoulder, which I first assumed to be a gesture of comfort. But there was an urgency to it. I looked at him, but his head was turned away from me. I followed his eyes.

Edward stood there, with his arms crossed and his set in a firm line, pale and rigid as a marble statue. My breath caught in my throat.

"I should have suspected you were hiding something when you began to shield your minds from me. But I didn't. Foolish of me." His voice was low, accusatory. Then we were surrounded on all sides as the remainder of the Cullens hemmed in around us. Their expressions were identically emotionless, eyes as black and unfeeling as coals. They had never seemed more dangerous.

Jesse tensed beside me. My body tingled, itching to change. My mind raced for an explanation, a way to pacify them.

"Edward I—" I began.

"No need for explanations. You befriended us, then used us for information that could be advantageous in destroying us. Now your superior ordered you to kill us." The guilt I felt was palpable. We had used them…but I had never wanted this, never expected that Storm would want them dead.

My eyes were downcast as I spoke. "We never meant to hurt you." I looked around at their rigid forms. "Any of you. Yes, we were ordered to gather information about vampires that would be useful in fighting them. But I assure you that our friendship was sincere, and that Jesse and I will never move to hurt anyone of your family." Jesse nodded in agreement, though the rising heat of his body told me he was prepared to fight if things got ugly.

Things moved very fast then as I felt a cold arm clench tightly around my waist. A quick inhale brought an overpowering sweet scent into my nostrils; I recognized it as Edward's. His head leaned close to my throat, sending my heart fluttering. My nerves were on fire; I fought to resist the change.

"Are you so sure? How do you know that we aren't just the monsters your race condemns us to be?" he whispered threateningly into my ear. I could feel the butterfly caress of his lips on my skin, his breath so icy it raised goosebumps. Jesse's eyes blazed white as he stepped closer. Edward's grip tightened.

"Jesse. Don't," I warned him. I made sure to keep my tone carefully devoid of my fear. I couldn't hide my racing heart from Edward, but I knew that if Jesse sensed my fear, there would be no stopping him from getting me out of danger. The other vampires stiffened; whether they had expected Edward's onslaught I did not know. I tried not to focus on the proximity of his fangs as I spoke.

"I know you won't hurt me," I said, barely above a whisper. I lowered my mental defenses so that he would know my words were truth. And you're no more of a monster than I am you're enemy, I added silently. I knew my answer had an effect when his vice-like grip slackened. He gave a low growl as he withdrew from me, so quickly that his motions were a blur. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Enough, Edward," Bella spoke up, shooting him a stern glance. He growled slightly, but quieted. She scooped up the shattered communicator and brandished it as if it were a testament to our innocence.

"Whether the mutants are planning to kill us or not is not the point here. The point is that Jesse and Brooke disobeyed these orders. They exiled themselves from the X-men. For us."

"They've put this family in danger, nonetheless," Jasper pointed out. "I warned you all earlier that the mutants wouldn't be so keen to trust the one race they've been at odds with for centuries."

"You're wrong, Jasper. The mutants knew where we were located before they ever arrived. If they planned to kill us, they were going to do so from the beginning." She paused to regard the communicator once more. "Brooke and Jesse had no idea they would be asked to do anything more than get information. Their actions were innocent. They won't hurt us, just as we wouldn't move to harm them," Bella finished. I had wanted to make the same argument, but I doubted that it would have had the same impact on the Cullens as it did coming from one of their own. They visibly relaxed, though distrust was still heavy in their expressions.

"We're sorry," I said, a pathetic apology for what the mutants had planned for them. "But if you'll still accept our friendship, we will do our best to defend you, to prove your innocence." Jesse remained silent, undoubtedly still holding some resentment towards Edward from before.

Rosalie snorted at the suggestion. "We don't need our innocence proven. Know this, Brooke. If your friends come looking for a fight, they'll get one. You can fight with us or against us; it makes no difference to me. But if you choose the latter, do not expect any mercy from me," she spat. With that, she was gone.

Carlisle came forward and put a hand on each of our shoulders. I shot Jesse a warning look not to shrug him off. "Please disregard Rosalie. She is…defensive to say the least. I am sorry this turn of events has created friction, but know that it has not affected the friendship my family has extended to you. As Bella illustrated, you had no say in the actions of your superiors, just as we have no control over the actions of the Volturi. You both remain welcome among us, regardless of what your future course of action will be."

Emmett chuckled mildly, dissipating much of the tension. All heads turned toward him. "Well, at we all have one thing in common."

"And what's that?" Jesse challenged, as if offended by the idea of being compared to them.

"We're all rejects of our own kind. Outsiders," he responded.

Outsiders. I suppose it did suit us, but most especially myself. I realized that I'd felt like an outsider long before this day.