A/N: You all know the drill. Read and review, let me know what you think :)
Shadow pet her new companion as she gazed up at the stars as she remembered the night she left the mansion. She knew that Kurt had seen her, and up until now, one month later, she still doesn't know why he let her go.
Throughout the time, Shadow met her new companion, Nebula, a black and blue wolf. Nebula wasn't your ordinary wolf but she needed time to let Shadow know this. Several weeks later, Nebula decided it was finally time.
Nebula trudged up towards Shadow and whimpered.
"What is it, girl? Did you find something?"
Nebula shook her head. Now, Shadow knew Nebula was smarter than any other wolf she'd encountered but something about her made her seem more human than animal. Nebula licked Shadow's cheek and then revealed herself. Slowly, she straightened up, her limbs became longer and her paws morphed into hands and feet. Her fur seemed to move it's way up to her head making her hair which was very long. Her ears were on the top of her head and her tail swished lazily behind her. Her small nails were pointed as well as her incisors.
"Oh my God..." Shadow gaped at her. She was in shock. "You're a mutant too? I would have never guessed! This is so exciting! Can you understand me?" She ranted her questions.
"Of course I can. I've been dying to ask you quite a few things." Nebula said happily.
"Well, only if I can ask you some things as well."
"It would only be fair." She smiled.
Hours passed as the two females asked each other questions. So far, Nebula knew Shadow's background like the back of her hand. How she was left an orphan at the age of 12, how she fended on for herself for 9 years, how she found Xavier's school, the people she met, the incident and how she felt about things, more or less. Nebula told Shadow about how she was an orphan since she could remember. She was abandoned here in the woods and was left to battle her mutation alone. Life had been hard for her to adapt into the wildlife. She had taught herself to fight off the animals, hunt for food by following her natural instincts as a wolf, how to find shelter, how to communicate with the animals and how to take care of her more human needs.
"You are amazing, Shadow." Nebula gushed.
"Me? How about you? You've had a harder life since you were practically born!"
"Yes, but I can control my powers, you can't." She said cautiously.
Shadow scoffed. It was a start, she hadn't attacked her. It was a beginning of a new friendship.
:Meanwhile at Xavier's Mansion:
Since the night Shadow had left the mansion, Kurt waits every night on his balcony. Waiting for his best friend to emerge from the woods surrounding the mansion. He was worried about her. For three weeks he had been out in the woods searching for her but to no avail. Charles had convinced Logan to go out and try to trace her scent. There were small trails but nothing strong enough.
To tell the truth, everything had been more tense since she had left. Kurt was depressed, Rogue was paranoid that she would come back, Bobby was worried about his girlfriend, Charles was having trouble tracking her down and all in all, Logan could care less right now.
Kurt finally had enough. He pushed his nerves back and stormed down into the mansion's garage. Logan was currently working on a motorcycle with his usual cigar in his mouth. Kurt searched around and just as expected, he spotted Scott digging through the tool box.
Without turning back, Logan snapped at him. "What do you want?" He asked, already annoyed.
"It has been too long. Nokturna has been gone for more dan a month nov." He said, worry evident in his voice.
Logan got up and wiped his greasy hands with a rag. He fixed a glare at the blue man. "Yeah, so? She can handle it out there." He shrugged.
"I am vorried about her, Logan. Please search for her. Vhat if she is in grave danger? Ve can help her." Kurt pleaded.
"Listen you blue fur ball, I already searched for her. She covered up her scent pretty damn well. I can't track her down. What else do you want me to do?" He snapped. He glared at his raised hand. "Don't answer that."
"Just try once more, please. I don't vant her out zere alone any longer. I miss her." Kurt said, almost a whisper.
"Come on, flea bag! Have a heart. What do you have to lose?" Scott joined in.
"Time." Logan snapped. "I'm not goin' to search for her. Get that into your thick skulls." Everyone remained silent and Logan couldn't take it any longer as their gazes were silent pleas. "Goddammit, fine I'll go! I'll be back by tomorrow." He stormed out.
"Vait! You're going out alone?" Kurt called after him.
Logan didn't respond as he threw his leather jacket over his shoulders. He trudged into the woods and instantly, her scent hit his nostrils, she was near by. Logan started to sprint after the trail she left behind. After what seemed like forever, he finally ran into a clearing with burnt firewood in the middle. She couldn't be far. He turned to start running the other way but he was stopped dead in his tracks.
"Logan?" She called out in disbelief. Thankfully it was dark out and she could see him clearly.
Logan turned back abruptly and came face to face with her. "Hey. What are you doin' out here all alone?"
"Why are you out here?" She asked suspiciously. "Were you out looking for me?" She mocked.
He scoffed. "Of course not! I just prefer to piss in the woods, you know?" He mocked back.
She smiled. She opened her mouth to ask him something else but was rudely interrupted.
"Oh, who's this? What's your name? Are you from the mansion Shadow talks about? Oh! I bet you're that Logan guy! Tall, dark and hairy!" Nebula gushed.
Logan raised an eyebrow at Shadow and smirked. "Tall, dark and hairy?" He asked skeptically.
Shadow hid her blush and growled at Nebula to shut up.
"Yeah, I'm Logan. Who the hell are you?"
"I'm Nebula! I'm 15 and I can morph into a wolf. I was lef-"
"Yeah, save it." He ignored her. "Hey, Izzy, Kurt is worried sick about ya. Why don't you come back? Come to think about it, why'd you leave?"
Nebula could feel the tension in the air and she cleared her throat. "Well... I'll be gone if you need me!" She scurried off into the trees and left the two alone.
Logan fixed his gaze on her intently, signaling that he was still waiting for an answer. Shadow sighed.
"I left because... I left because I was causing too much trouble. I didn't want what happened in the lounge to happen again. I mean, I hurt you and Kurt and I had no control over it. Besides, I can't be near that leech. She makes me unstable." She explained as she picked up some wood and tossed it into the pile that was recently discovered.
"Well..." Logan said awkwardly. "We can work somethin' out. Don't we always? Besides, I found you and I sure as hell ain't lettin' you get away so I can have that blue pain in the ass on my back for the rest of his life."
"Logan...I belong her-"
"Don't dump that horse shit on me. I'm more animal than you can ever be! If anything, I belong here. You belong back at the mansion with me!"
She looked at him in shock but it only lasted a second before he corrected himself.
"Us. You belong at the mansion with us." He sighed in defeat. "Look, I came out here looking for you. I found you and now your coming back to the mansion. Everyone has me sick and tired with asking me to search for you! I'm not letting you be stupid. Come on." He grabbed her arm and started to pull her away. She jerked her arm away from him but his grip was much too strong.
"Logan! I can't leave! I can't leave Nebula here alone and I can't take her from her home. We belong here."
"Are you kidding me? I've been dying to escape the woods and explore new places! It'll be great! Oh, please, Shadow!" Nebula jumped off from a tree and landed on her feet. She immediately gave Shadow a puppy-dog face.
"Yeah, come on, Izzy! The mankind of Logan depends on it!" Logan wailed sarcastically.
"Nebula, you know you aren't built to live in a house let alone a mansion filled with mutants." Shadow tried to convince her. Sadly, Nebula was just as headstrong as Logan.
Nebula looked thoughtful for a moment and then her face lit up. "When we met, you said you ran into the woods that surrounded that mansion, right? I can move up there. That way I'll be close but still in the woods. I've never left the center of the woods! Please, Shadow, for me?" She begged.
"No." Shadow said sternly.
"For me?" Logan tried.
Shadow's demeanor fell completely. Not only was it completely unexpected, she didn't know she would melt at the fake sweetness in his voice. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on edge.
"Can I take that as a yes?" Nebula asked excitedly.
"Don't give her options." Logan said as he moved towards Shadow. "Come on, Izzy!" He grunted as he threw her over his shoulder. "We're goin' home."