Josh stretched and rubbed his eyes. He looked at his alarm clock and smiled. It was 10.45 on a Saturday and he was awake for no reason. Next to his clock was a picture of his sister, his smile faded as he wondered what she was up to. It had only been a week since she left, but it was the longest they'd ever spent apart. He rolled back over and thought about all the times he'd snuck in to Rowen's room at night. Even as they got older he'd still comfort her at night when she'd fought with their mother.

It was lunchtime before josh woke up again. This time with a strange feeling that he couldn't place. He got dressed, pulling on a large baggy t-shirt to cover the black-feathered wings growing out of his back.

After graduation on Friday I wont have to hide them. I can go to the institute and be with Rowen again. I wonder if there's anyone else like this there. No one else seemed to be so obviously mutated, well except that doctor.

Still thinking Josh ran down the stairs and grabbed his keys before disappearing out the door, completely ignoring his mother.

How can that bitch expect me to talk to her after what she did to Row? God if she knew about me she'd blow her top. Can't wait to show her.

Josh grinned to himself as he drove in to Salem center, slowing down as he passed the witch trial memorials. It had been his sister's favorite place. She'd sit there doing work, of just reading instead of going home. He pulled up outside the ice-cream parlor where he met up with all his friends, and was immediately surrounded by a group of girls. For him it was just like any normal day. At some point the feeling that he'd not been able to shake disappeared.

"Hey josh looking forward to graduation?"

"Yeah I suppose. It's not really that big a deal is it? I mean you just get a bit of paper that says what you already know."

"Yeah but it's a celebration it'll be fun, plus we get to wear those weird hats."

"Talking of weird, Is your freak of a sister going to be there?"

"Don't call her a freak Melanie, and I don't know, I've not seen her for a week."

"I can't believe her, Disappearing during the last 2 weeks of school. What did looking that stupid finally get too much for her?"

"SHUT UP MELANIE! Last time I check you never said 2 words to her the whole time you've been at school."

"Well maybe if she tried a little harder to fit in."

"Why should she, unlike you lot she never tried to be some one she wasn't." Josh stood up and threw his share of the bill on the table.

Back at home He grabbed the phone before locking himself in his room. He dug through his wallet and found the card he'd been given a week ago and dialed the number on it.

"Hello Xavier's Institute for the gifted."

"Jamie get off the phone." There was a lot of background noise and a girl yelling

"Shut up tabby. Hello?"

"Erm Hey, Is Limbo there? Rowen?" Josh mumbled down the phone wondering what he'd let himself in for.

"One sec. Does some one called Limbo live here?"

"Yeah the new girl."

"The one with the funky hair."

Josh smiled to himself, it seemed like his sister finally fitted in somewhere.

"Yeah, Find out who it is. She's on the restricted list."

"Hey you still there. Who is it?"

"…And be polite."

"It's her brother. I need to…"

"It's her brother. Hey do you reckon I should tell him about earlier?"

"NO! Just go find Remy."

"He's cooking. He's just kicked me out the kitchen while muttering in French."

"Then wait while I get Rogue. And don't say anything that you shouldn't. In fact just ask him to wait then stay quiet."

"Erm hey you still there kid?" Josh was worried about his sister. Whatdid they meant by what had happened earlier?

"Yeah. Tabby's just gone to get Rogue. That's your sister's friend. Well I think they're friends, but anyway they've had to get her cos Remy's busy."

"Who's Remy? One of the teachers?"

Jamie Laughed down the phone. "No. He's your sister's boyfriend. Well that's what he was telling me before he started talking French and kicked me out of the kitchen. Hey if Rowens your sister does that mean … Ow Rogue get off. Fine I'm going. Bye"

"Hey. You there? Ah'm sorry bout that. Jamie's a pain. Now what do you want?"

"I was just wondering if you could remind limbo that it's graduation next week and I want her to be there. Get her to ring me. Also would you mind explaining what this is bout my sister dating some French guy?"

"French…Oh you mean the swamp rat. He's Cajun not French."

"There's a difference?"

"Yeah. He's not from France, He's…what? For god sake Remy talk English…Ah don't care…And if you teach'J' to swear in French Logan'll kill you. Look ah'll give her the message. And ah think you should know that she misses you."

"Thanks. Bye."

"Bye."

Click

Josh threw the phone down on the bed thinking about the surreal conversation he'd just had.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Josh." He turned round to see his sister running towards him. She threw herself in to his arms. They hugged then Josh held her so he could take a look. She seemed to have become a different person in the 2 weeks they had been apart. She no longer felt the need to cover herself up; the bruises she had received from the final beating were nearly faded. You could only see them is you looked close.

"You're wearing make up."

"I still have a slight black eye, and Kitty got her hands on me."

"Why didn't you just wear shades?"

"Remy's got them. He lost his."

"Why does he need them?"

"You'll see. Come and meet him and Logan."

The twins walked across the field to where Rowen had left her boyfriend and their chaperone.

"Why have they come anyway?"

"Remy wanted to look after me incase mum turned up. And as he's meant to be grounded so Logan had to come to supervise."

Rowen looked to where Remy was stood, He was surrounded by a group of girls and was laughing and joking. She smiled.

He's such a flirt. And he's mine.

As they got closer Rowen recognized a familiar blond head. Her eyes started to glow and despite it being mid June it suddenly started to get dark as if a storm was brewing.

Logan looked over to the nearing twins and noticed the girls eyes glowing. "Sparks calm down."

Ignoring him, she yelled out "MELANIE GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY MAN!"

"Oh look. The freak has returned."

Remy frowned at the girl he'd been laughing with just a second before. "Don' call her a freak."

Melanie ignored her and looked Rowen up and down.

"What's with the scars? Looking like that finally get too much and you tried to kill your self. Or are you just that attention seeking?"

Lightning cracked and josh placed his hand on his sister's shoulder.

"Come on, You need to find a seat" The group started to walk towards the chairs set up for families. But before they'd gone a couple of steps, Rowen ducked out, turned round and hit the girl who'd helped make her life a misery hard. Before she could do any more damage Rowen felt both her arms being grabbed.

"Leave it ma Cherie."

Neither Remy nor Josh let go of her arms until they had her seated. Logan looked up at the sky and watched it return to normal. Glancing over at Rowen he'd noticed that she seemed to have calmed down a lot and was laughing with her brother and boyfriend.

I'll have to tell Charles about this. Seems Sparks may have some talents we haven't yet discovered.

The rest of the day passed with out any problems, and at the end josh decided to join the others back at the institute. He enjoyed seeing his sister smiling. He was still wary of her boyfriend and had not yet discovered why he needed the sunglasses more than his sister.

XxXxXxXxXxX

The professor met the group at the institute door.

"It's nice to see you again Josh"

"Yeah."

"So have you told your sister yet?"

"No I thought I'd tell her later, It's probably better if she is here when she find out. This place seems to be good for her."

"Yes. She had a rough time last weekend, but she is settled in."

"Hey josh. You coming, or you going to stand at the door all day? Come on. Kitty's cookind soit's takeaway pizza for tea."

Josh smiled at his sister. She returned it then ran in to the house.