Summary: Ororo offers to help an old friend, and flies across the country. Being introduced to a whole new world, the wind rider finds herself between vampires, shapeshifters, and a war – whilst being the calm for a soul lost.

Disclaimer: Every recognisable character, setting, backstory and/or themes belong to their respective owners, Marvel Comics and Stephanie Meyer. I am in no way associated or representative of the estates of these fictions and any copyright infringement is unintended.

Pre-read: Greetings and welcome! I am still in my infancy with published writing – fanfiction or otherwise. I am looking forward to this journey. Now the pairing is a strange one, I agree: Ororo and Jacob aren't exactly a popular pair up! I have adored Ororo since I was a little'un and am intrigued by the shapeshifter part of SM's world. I am also British so some phrases and spellings may differ from what readers are used. Let's hope this works – please feel free to send any comments or critiques.

Narration: storms

Thoughts: storms

Speech: "storms"

Chapter 1

THE AIR of the plane chilled her skin and tasted slightly metallic to her tongue, but Ororo was used to it. Travelling had become something of a blasé novelty these days, with the Professor being insistent that she attempt flying more. He understood her hesitance, she thought, but he seemed keen to help her deal with it more effectively. She couldn't fault him for that.

"As with everything, Ororo, it is a part of your past that defines who you are, but it does not have to hinder you", Charles states as he sits opposite, peering intently at her. He was not probing but he may as well have been. "You are stronger than that trauma".

The plane trembled slightly, with a groan that came from deep in its belly, effectively ending her reverie. Ororo glanced around the cabin, the storm blue of her eyes taking in a few details of the passengers around her before closing. She leant her head back, inhaled, let her energy flow through her and outwards. The former goddess reached out tentatively, not wanting to upset the plane any more than it already was. She could "feel" so much more with her energy now – the lull of sleep that engulfed the elderly gentlemen behind her, the frantic energy of the attendants in the cabin ahead and outwards still.

There! The wind currents pressing the hull of the plane with an insistence of a child, the cool air sluicing over the wings in the form of small droplets and the charged particles of the clouds heralding their flight. Mother Gaia was testy today, cool and detached, and Ororo revelled in it. She always felt more at home soaring through the skies and into the headwinds. But she took pity on the pilots and so shifted her energy, calming the winds outside slightly. Stilling the plane, she pulled out of that headspace and rested her eyes.

A few hours later, a monotone voice chimed through the cabin declaring that they were due to land at Sea-Tac, waking Ororo up from her nap. She stretched, wincing – the seats were not designed for those of height – and picked up her simple beaded bag from the floor. She exited the plane on autopilot and made her way through throngs of other passengers, heading towards the luggage reclaim.

She made note of the glances and stares she was getting. The windrider was used to extra attention wherever she went; she was understanding to a large extent. Her height and features were exotic to say the least, too noteworthy, even in a diverse nation such as this one. But glances were all she got which she was grateful for. Back in Cairo and Nairobi, all it took was a local to accuse her of being a witch, to have mobs quickly forming, baying for blood. She shuddered at the recollection.

Heading towards the exit with her large suitcase in tow, she stepped out into the cool Washington air. New York had been balmy, even this late in Autumn, so the drop in temperature was a relief. The weather witch walked towards the taxi stands and booked one to take her to the address that Charles had provided.

The driver appeared friendly, even after taking a double glance at her hair and eyes, and they set off quickly. The evening light was dimming and shifting. As the driver rambled on about his two kids and the missus – sweet, Ororo thought – the roads turned into long stretches of motorway, and then to back roads with the backdrop of towering trees. Pines and firs stood like sentries, lush and sticky and green, all wet from recent rain. Ororo smirked; maybe she could start gardening here. She was pleasantly surprised – New York was a jungle of sort, but unmoving; all towering structures and harsh lines – Washington appeared to be more alive, nature thrumming and flourishing.

Her daydreaming was interrupted by David, her driver, informing her that they had arrived. As she exited, she gazed at the property Charles had secured for her. It was a quaint, cottage style cabin, nestled in the woods of one of the backroads bordering Forks proper and the local reservation. The terracotta of the roof and door bled out against the night and the wraparound porch was unexpected. To your taste, my dear is what Charles had written on the note with the address. She fingered it nervously whilst David removed her suitcase, handed him his tip and nodded her gratitude, watching as he left with a be safe thrown over his shoulder.

Removing the keys from her beaded bag, she entered the property to the stagnant chill of disuse. Ororo glanced around the inside foyer, from where she could see a kitchen and living room beyond and, as small as the property looked from outside, the walls and ceiling were wide and open. Ororo appreciated the extra touch. Walking out of the kitchen and noting the thin layer of dust on the counters, she made a mental note to visit the town centre for supplies and food.

Walking through the living room and towards the back of the cabin revealed two bedrooms, both modest sized, and a lovely bathroom. She placed her suitcase in the larger bedroom and started removing her belongings. She would be living out of the suitcase for a few days whilst she settled. Sinking into the slightly stale bedsheets – they would need changing – Ororo opened her mental link back to the Professor. Even over hundreds of miles between them, the link was strong and kept her grounded, no matter where she was.

Professor? Ororo greeted.

A beat and then. You have made it safely, I see, she heard Charles say and she could almost see his warm countenance in front of her.

Yes, it was a smooth journey, and the cabin is perfect. She looked out of the window with glazed eyes as she listened to the whisper of nocturnal animals through the undergrowth outside.

Excellent. Please do keep in touch. Anything you require, let us know. And remember, be careful, we do not know who these mutants are, but we cannot risk any hostilities.

Of course, Charles. She closed the link gently and came back to her surroundings. Yawning, she got up to make sure the house was secure, checking windows and the back French styled door. As she walked past the large doors, her physical and psionic senses alerted her to … something and her head snapped up to peer through the darkness of the forest. Nothing moved and the woods seemed to hold its breath. Peering into the brush, her eye caught the shape of something large, nestled comfortably in the trees. Ororo reasoned that it could be an animal, but its stillness was odd. She got the distinct impression it was … aware of her? As she waited a few minutes more and nothing happened, she moved back into the house, shutting the door and snapping the connection with whatever was watching her. Her psionic awareness ensured that she would know when anything moved into her field of power but it was better to air on the side of caution. She was young but the life she had lived so far ensured she always trusted her senses – grown in the back streets of Egypt's bazaars and markets; trained through her work with the X-Men – and her instincts had not led her astray yet.

With this slight trepidation, she stripped the bed of its cover and removed her blanket from her things. Ororo reminded herself of why she was here – Charles had reiterated to his student how important it was to research what was happening around Seattle and Forks. Humans were naturally curious and suspicious of things that were unnatural. From what the professor could see, there were strange disappearances around the area of Forks and Port Angeles and the team was sure that a rogue mutant or team may be wreaking havoc on the citizens of Washington.

Charles was, rightly, concerned and wanted one of his top mutants on the job. Ororo was less confident that they would find something, but she trusted the professor's judgement and wanted to do this for him. With her resolve strengthened and the long journey behind her, she was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

ORORO awakened slowly, registering the foreign texture of the bed beneath her, the cool temperature in the room and the lack of sound and noise from students in the mansion that usually accompanied her mornings. A moment later, her mind caught up with her and she remembered where she was. Stiffly, she rose and floated to the window, her wind prying the panes open and flinging them outwards. Green and the scent of pine greeted her, mixed with the earthy undertones that arose from rain.

Glancing to the dusty mirror to her left, she caught her reflection. Goddess, what a mess! She had forgotten to wrap her thick locks before bed and now they sprung and leapt from her head haphazardly. She chuckled softly at herself - it is not my worst look – and moved towards the bathroom to ready herself for the day. Her favourite kente-styled blouse on with jeans and sandals, she wrapped a matching kente sash around her head, the bright cloth reminding her of the trip to Accra 2 years ago and the fond memories of her time there. She exited the cottage and out into the cool air.

Looking around, she spotted an upturned patch of earth just off the side to the cottage. Ororo added to her mental list to buy seeds if she couldn't get any from the surrounding forest – she wanted to start a garden as soon as possible. Deciding on walking towards the town, she set off down the beaten pebble path, making sure to avoid the small puddles. Sending out her energy periodically to help her locate her destination, the windrider made her way through the beaten paths and up towards Forks.

As she ambled along, Ororo marvelled at the nature surrounding her once more; considering what her abilities were, she delighted in being in her element. Wandering off slightly into the forest, she espied details she couldn't see from the drive last night. The pines and firs that were resplendent across the American landscape were breath taking; reaching up to the skies and growing in close quarters. Mulch and leaves filled the forest floor, the trodden paths wet from last night's rains. The stillness that surrounded her pressed down on her shoulders, but the forest still pulsed with energy.

15 minutes into the walk, she met with someone walking along one of the paths she was crossing. A man, perhaps in his mid 30s, appeared to be hiking along the trail in the opposite direction. His sturdy frame was wrapped in a thick plaid pullover, layered over a dark shirt and well-worn jeans tucked into boots laced tightly. "Good morning," Ororo greeted him, and he startled at her appearance, before recovering and greeting back.

"Morning. You must be new 'round here or we haven't met before. Duncan" he greeted back, sticking his hand out to shake hers. Politely she replied. "Ororo, a pleasure to meet you. I am new here, I moved in yesterday, in fact." He nodded at that, his eyes rushing over her face. She smiled softly but she was worried that he might make a comment – on her hair, eyes, slight accent. But Duncan made no further observation, his face smoothed over, and he wished her luck before moving past her.

She sighed in relief once he had vanished from view. She could handle the curiosity and the questions, but it always made her feel apart, other, different. Charles and Jean were helping her to improve her socialisation and communication, but it still took her time to warm up to strangers. As she strode over fallen branch and trunk, picking her way through the detritus of the forest, Ororo observed just how easily it could be to lose your way in this labyrinth. The nature bender felt at home; the forest calling to all parts of her being.

She eventually emerged onto what she would call a main road, following east towards the town she could see in the distance. It was smaller than expected - a cluster of buildings that peeked around one another, guarded by what looked to be the police station. Even at this time, the town bustled with activity.

Ororo tugged her bag closer and headed towards a convenience store, a few men milling about the entrance. At a glance, they appeared to be standing around nonchalantly. But her brain picked up on details others may not have: the rigid stances, the steely gazes that followed every movement but did not focus on one specific thing, balancing on the balls of their feet. Soldiers her brain supplied, which made no sense. What in this small town could warrant such vigilance?

As she observed discretely, making her way towards the front of the building, she took note of their height and breadth. Ororo was not a woman who many could tower over, but all the men stood here could. Dressed, inappropriately she thought, in shorts and t-shirts with slippers on their feet, the three men could have been brothers or cousins in their appearance. Smooth, bronze skin peeked from under clothes, high cheekbones and strong noses gave away their heritage – she rarely encountered Native Americans in Westchester. But these men had not drawn her attention from physical presence alone. Was this related to what Charles had been concerned about?

Pulled out of her thoughts as she entered the shop, the air conditioning sweeping along her skin, the mutant made her way towards the food aisle and focussed on the task at hand. Food shopping was something her and Jean had enjoyed doing for the mansion – it gave them time away from the noise and bustle, window shopping and gossiping and eating sugary treats… wistfully, she remembered her dear friend. Their companionship was relatively new, the younger woman having joined the mansion recently, but there was immediate rapport. Jean was everything Ororo was not – bubbly, outgoing, extroverted. She thrived on attention, perhaps due to a lack of when she was a child and managed to endear people wherever she went.

Jean had helped her deal with her anxiety many a time and introduced her to the novices of American culture – she was forever grateful. At the least, it made planning for and running a household the size of the X-Mansion a lot easier for the windrider.

With her basket full, the former goddess moved to the front of shop to pay for her things. The cashier, a young brunette woman, greeted her warmly and made a point to engage Ororo in small talk: "Where have you come from? How long have you been here? Do you know anyone in town?". As they chatted amicably, Ororo noted that her presence would not stay a secret for long. Already, she could make out two older women in the aisles trying to look like they were not listening in on the conversation.

She thanked the cashier and exited the store – almost colliding with someone stood on the pavement. She looked up – odd – and gazed straight into the onyx stare of one of the men still stood outside the store. For what seemed like an age, they both stared – until a smooth grin broke the stone of his features. "Sorry about that," he apologized "you okay?".

By now, she could see his companions had turned to see what had happened. She responded "I am alright, I should have been paying attention to my surroundings" she offered. He startled a bit at her voice but recovered smoothly.

"No issues here. Hey, I haven't seen you around, just moved in?" he questioned. Ororo took a moment to reply, not sure why she felt reticent "I have, is it that obvious?" she murmured.

He laughed bodily, a pleasant sound, and gazed back at her. "A little but it's cool. We welcome all sorts 'round here" he said. He stuck his hand, common around these parts it seemed, and stated "Seth, nice to bump into ya", a cheeky smirk coupled with deep dimples stealing across his face. Turning to the two behind him. "This here is Brady and Collin, dorks extraordinaire!", Brady proceeded to punch Seth viciously for that comment, whilst Collin, smiling, stepped forward with a "hey".

"Ororo and it is lovely to meet you all." She took note of the reaction to her name, as alien, it seemed, in these parts as her appearance was, but they all moved past it quickly. Grateful, she shook hands and watched as Brady and Collin got into bickering with each other. She sensed eyes on her and turned to see Seth giving her a once over. He stopped at her hair, leaned ever so slightly forward and… sniffed the air?

She must have been mistaken – but the subtle flare of his nostrils, the deep inhale and the slight rumble from his chest she did not imagine. Did he… did he just scent me?! She watched as he briefly shut his eyes, opened them to reveal what looked to be a sliver of gold flash across his eyes and focused back on her. Seth's sable eyes narrowed slightly but he said nothing further. Ororo became apprehensive when the giant tilted his head slightly, confused by whatever he had scented maybe and the windrider became anxious to leave. Anxious that he, somehow, knew what she was. Ororo drew to her full height and stepped backwards, Seth's eyes snapping down and back up to her face rapidly.

"Well, I should head back to town, more shopping in my future", Ororo whispered, lifting her bag slightly to emphasise. Seth nodded but kept his eyes on her, the other men turned to her and waved goodbye. Ororo walked across the car pack and towards the community centre further in town, the sense of eyes searing her back.

Seth

HE watched her float away, her grace piquing his curiosity. Seth's wolf stirred silently in his psyche, in his mind's eye, prowling and rumbling. His instincts were buzzing and, as his gaze followed the woman down the road, he filed away her appearance. I should talk to Jake later, a new person in town is strange enough without everything else that's going on.

But he also felt something else – an energy, like the feeling before a lightning strike, which permeated the air around Ororo. He even tested her name under his breath – unique and exotic – and found that it had a strange rhythm to it. Blocking out his pack brothers' and their conversation – something about the bonfire tonight –Seth took in another breath, with Ororo's scent still lingering in the air. She smelt like coconut, vanilla and strangely the wind. Like the outdoors and fresh air. He huffed out violently to try and dispel her scent but it lingered.

Turning to his packmates, he affixed them with a slight glare "Alright enough, guys. Let's head out, pack meeting at Jake's", he rumbled. The two pups moved swiftly to the pick-up, loading the back up with the snacks and beers they had come out to buy, still ribbing each other all the way. Seth got into the front and started off down the road, heading back out to the Rez. But his mind wandered to the encounter earlier.

His mind bought up the lovely image – she had been tall, for a woman, he noted; with long graceful limbs, her skin was deep and smooth in a way he had never seen outside of TV. There weren't many black people lived around this area and so she stuck out in Seth's mind. With snow-white hair on her crown and brow, eyes like the ocean that swirled and twinkled, full lips and rounded cheeks. He had been mesmerised, he admitted to himself, and chuckled at how she had looked like a rabbit in the gaze of a wolf. Apprehensive and tense, but not necessarily fearful.

The shifter was intrigued but also suspicious. The energy he felt coming off her was dizzying – she was not a vampire but certainly not fully human. He was certain. Pulling up to Jake's cabin, jokingly dubbed 'the Den', Seth shook his head of the thoughts. For now, he would put Ororo out of his mind. There was a new aggressive leech coven that had moved down from Canada into the woods outside the reservation's boundaries. It had everyone ramped up and on edge and had Jacob ruthlessly coming down on the entire pack.

Non-stop sparring, patrolling, tactics training for the younger pack members; Jake insisted that no-one went anywhere alone and reported back to base regularly. Their Alpha's presence was constant, and whilst the man himself was difficult to handle nowadays, their leader having little tolerance for mistakes, when it came to protecting the pack and the tribe; the Alpha wolf was steady and focused – keeping their people safe. Stepping out of the Ford truck, he spotted said man stalking out from the back of the house. Whilst Brady and Collin greeted their leader and headed quickly indoors, Seth lingered to meet Jacob. The man's stone eyes traced over Seth's face quickly, scanning for injuries no doubt, and seeing nothing simply hummed in question.

Seth understood this cue, Jake wanted info about the patrol, and so started reporting on what had gone down during his shift. As they walked towards the cabin, Seth kept behind his leader, chin tucked and voice low – the position now natural to him. After his report, his oldest friend turned to him "You did well, brother." Seth swelled under the praise and followed the man up the stairs.

As Seth walked through the front door, into the large kitchen – the noises of a dozen wolves pressing in around him, the sound and smell of his brothers' settling the silver wolf. But before his Alpha had stalked through the door into the kitchen proper, Seth put his hand out to stop. Jake caught the movement and shifted his attention to his younger packmate again, thick eyebrow cocked in question.

"Sorry boss, I had one more thing. Met someone new today, she's just moved in town," Seth started, his brow creased slightly in recollection. "First, I thought nothing of it, but then, I got a whiff of her scent".

"And?" Jake prompted. "She's aint human." Seth replied. Jacob immediately tensed and his massive frame bristled, so the younger wolf cut in before their future Chief could jump to conclusions. "She's not leech, Jake. Heart beating, as warm and flush as any human woman. But still, her energy… I dunno how to explain it. But I know it was not normal. Even wolf knew she was different, he was pacing up a storm in my head", Seth ended his spiel with a sardonic smirk.

He raised his head from the submissive tilt it had naturally dropped to in the face of his Alpha's displeasure, to find Jake glaring off into the half distance. Seth waited patiently, knowing better than to interrupt the man's thoughts. A minute later, the Alpha wolf shifted his eyes back to Seth. "Was she black? Looked foreign?".

Seth was taken aback, not that he was surprised at how quick his Alpha had come to that conclusion, but the silver wolf wondered where Jake could have got this information. His question must have spilled out onto his face because Jake chuckled lowly to himself.

"Was patrolling by the creek, bordering Forks, last night and I spotted her. Out by the old man Foster's cabin. Obviously, it caught my attention when I saw lights," Jake rumbled. "No one's lived there since Chief was young. She was out at the back porch and must have clocked I was watching, 'cuz she looked spooked."

Seth absorbed the extra info; nodding his head, he continued "Well, that clears a bit up. But why would she be out there by herself?" the youngest Clearwater wondered aloud.

"In any case, she's danger close to those parasites and their nest. Until we know otherwise, we assume she's an innocent" Jake intoned. "I'll let the boys know to keep an eye out." Seth smiled to break the slight tension and nodded again at his leader, before moving towards the good smells coming from the kitchen, his duty to report everything to his Alpha concluded.

And that concludes the first chapter! As you can see, I will try and share the chapters between Ororo and one of the pack members with shorter cameos from other characters. Obviously as the story progresses most of these alternate POVs will be from Jacob's view. I want to able to explore the characters through this medium.

Also, a canon point – I am aware that Ororo did not actually develop her powers until after her stint in Cairo, when she travelled through the Sahara and almost died. I have moved the time that Ororo discovers her powers to around the time she lived in Egypt under Gibar - my headcanon is that she activated her powers during her parents' deaths and these powers then manifested under the extreme duress of living in the streets of Cairo.

Hope to hear from you all, comments/questions/critiques all welcome! See you for the next chapter.