This is really stinking short. Especially considering the waiting you guys have done. But, I figured a short chapter would be better than no chapter at all and right now this is all my brain could create. My brain is short-circuiting in the creative department. I've got four stories that I'm writing for now and for two of them I'm not sure where I'm going with them right now. UGH. Not fun. But I won't bore you lovely people with my problems. You're here to read a chapter about Iggy and Shadow and them people. So here's the very short chapter 10. Please review! if only to tell me that I need to update quicker (Which I know. Believe me, I hound myself about this problem).

Chapter 10

Iggy's P.O.V.

We spent the rest of that evening just goofing off and having fun. We'd beaten The Flock, showing them just what we were made of. We weren't wimpy little kids. We were strong, powerful mutants. If they thought that things would just go back to normal, they had deluded themselves. Nothing was the way it had been.

We'd had our favorite dinner, fried chicken with mash potatoes and green beans, sat around and watched horrible TV and played bored games. Haze and I had built bombs for a while and Claw and I had sparred. Minx managed to drag both Shadow and I into doing yoga with her. It was actually kind of fun, if I'm honest. Not that I'd ever tell that to Minx. I'd be doing it more often if I told her that. Then, that night, Shad and I had cuddled on the couch, half watching some movie that wasn't really that interesting. Shad sighed in content, resting her head on my chest. I smiled, wrapping my arms around her and thinking about the day. It had been a little rough, but had ended fantastically. Part of me dreaded tomorrow, The Flock definitely wouldn't be happy, but the other part of me didn't care. I had my family and that was what mattered.

When Shad and I finally went to bed at midnight, I couldn't stop thinking about how my life had changed. I laid there, staring at the ceiling for a long while. The memories of a different time, a time when I was still with The Flock, floating through my head. Our time at The School, our time at the safe house Jeb had taken us to, meeting Dr. Martinez. I thought of it all. Then I thought about what they did, kicking me out, and then finding Shadow and the others. It was destiny, even if it hurt.

"Iggy?" Shad's sleepy voice asked quietly. My arm tightened around her.

"Yeah Shad?" I asked back.

"I love you." Her voice was so quiet that had I not had the hearing that I did, I wouldn't have heard her. My heart melted at the words and I smiled. Leaning over, I kissed her forehead.

"I love you too Shadow." I whispered to her half asleep form. A small smile appeared on her face before she was lost to the land of dreams. Reaching down, I grabbed the sheets and pulled them up over the two of us. I hugged Shadow closer, letting myself relax and fall slowly into dreamland. No memories of The Flock plagued me the rest of the night.

*Page break*

Pounding on our bedroom door woke Shad and I the next morning. Minx shouting at us to get up and the yells of the others downstairs, fighting over breakfast I think, had me groaning but complying to the demand of alertness. I heard Shad mumble under her breath as she heaved herself up out of the bed. As quick as we could, we shoved ourselves into presentable clothes, hurriedly took a brush to our hair and then were out the door and heading for the stairs. Mornings with this group of people were never quiet and easy.

Breakfast consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon and an array of pancakes (plus some much needed coffee in Shad and I's case). The table was set, drinks were poured, and we all sat down to a nice family breakfast. Well, it was nice at first. Then it almost turned into a food fight. Narrowly avoiding that, Shad sent the younger ones of the group in to watch TV with me while she had Minx help her with the more than obvious black eye she now sported.

I was standing along the wall, half watching Spongebob with the others when Blaze slid over next to me. I smiled over at her, happy that my sister was now here. I'd always assumed her dead. Finding her alive and well yesterday had been more than a shock, and I was still more than a little suspicious, but I was happy she was here, too.

Like most siblings, we had been close. We were each other's rock. When she would come back from testing, I was there. When I came back, she was there. Before I knew The Flock, she was all I had. Then, when she was taken and never returned, I was introduced to The Flock. I mourned the loss of my sister for quite some time. I could remember when Max would spend hours trying to get me to talk when we were first grouped together. It never worked. Actually, it was little Nudge that had finally gotten me to open up, her and her ceaseless babbling. After that, they were my family and my rock. But of course, that ended. Now I have Shad and the others and I even have my sister back. Maybe things will get better. Maybe.

"How do you think today is going to go?" She asked quietly. I glanced over at her, my eyebrows drawing down.

"Not as well as I would like, I know that much." I replied, equally as quiet "Max and the others won't be happy. Max'll be furious. For some deranged reason they think Shad and everyone has brainwashed me and taken me from them. Apparently, they've forgotten that they were the ones that pushed me away."

"Do you think they'll try something?" she asked. I could the worry edging her voice. I sighed, shrugging.

"Honestly? I don't know. Anything I thought I knew about them, I don't know anymore. They aren't who they were four years ago. Hell, four years ago they weren't who they were. I don't know what happened to them, but whatever it was, it wasn't good." I mumbled. I could see Blaze nod out of the corner of my eye. For a few minutes, we both remained silent, the only noise in the room coming from the TV.

"You know I'm here for you, right Igs?" Blaze asked suddenly. I looked over, eyebrows drawing down again.

"If something were to happen, today or any day, I'm here for you. I left you once, though not by my own choice. I don't plan on doing it again." Blaze murmured, her gaze filled with the love and affection I remembered from our tormented childhood. A smile crept onto my face. That was the sister I remembered. The one full of love even through the torment and the one that seemed years older than me, though she was the youngest.

"Just like the old days?" I asked, referring to our years in The School. Blaze grinned.

"Just like the old days." My smile got a bit bigger as I opened my arms for a hug. Blaze smiled back, stepping into my embrace.

So caught up in just having my sister back, I didn't notice when Minx and Shad returned. I didn't notice as Minx quietly joined the others and I didn't notice Shad standing off to the side, an affectionate smile ghosting her face. Only after I released my sister and she joined the others did Shad approach me.

"Family reunion?" She asked quietly. My eyes jumped to her and I relaxed some seeing the smile on her face.

"I suppose you could say that." I said, opening my arms for her. She stepped into them, laying her head against my chest. "Reminiscing on old memories in a way."

"Nothing bad, I hope? Remembering the bad only prevents us from moving forward." Shad said. I chuckled.

"Now where'd you hear that at?" I asked. She grinned, looking up at me.

"The internet. You know, they can't put anything on the internet that isn't true." She laughed, referring the rather idiotic State Farm commercial. Rolling my eyes, I laughed with her, drawing the attention of the rest of our family. They all looked at us with raised eyebrows but I just shook my head.

"It's nothing." I said "But we do need to leave now, or we'll be late. Come on, let's go." I released Shadow as she went to retrieve our bags.

The TV was turned off, the lights taken care of as Shad returned with our school bags. Carefully sitting them between our wings so we could fly, we descended the tree and took to the air. We flew in relative silence all the way to the elementary and middle schools. No doubt we were all dreading the day ahead of us. There was no telling what The Flock might try today and we all had to be on guard. As I hugged Demon and Haze goodbye for the day, I hoped above all else that Gazzy and Angel would leave them alone. And as we took to the air again, I prepared myself for the worst upon reaching the high school. Angel and Gazzy may not doing anything, but I knew Max would. Even if it was only little things. Gym would be bad though.

As we landed in the trees just in front of the school, I sighed. I wasn't ready for this. Eternity couldn't have prepared me for this. Getting over old memories wasn't as easy as people made it sound. They were there, creeping and haunting you. I doubt you ever really get over them.

Shadow walked over, taking my hand as she often did. The contact relaxed me some. I had her, and as I glanced around at Minx, Claw and Blaze, I knew that I had them too. With a deep breath and a squeeze of Shad's hand, I resigned myself to my fate.

"Let's get this over with."