A/N: So, a few quick notes before we get started. First, I have been out of the Twilight and J/N scene for a long time. I apologize if this is an overdone premise.

Second, I told myself that if I was going to post anything Twilight or J/N related, it had to be In This Skin. Unfortunately, muses did not cooperate with me. Instead, they decided to focus their attention on this and other plot bunnies I've been writing since early 2010. I've done some editing on it, mostly punctuation kind of things, but what you're reading is nine years in the making. I've got about eight chapters written, and I hope to update every week or so.

And, lastly, some shameless self-promotion. I've recently gotten into the Undertale fandom and written some fun things for it. Check them out? I'm currently updating Love and Monsters every Sunday and posting oneshots as I write them.

With that, I hope you enjoy this story.

RED

Chapter One

The girl shivered as she stumbled over the thick carpet of leaves and sticks on the forest floor. She hoped she was going in the right direction. She could have sworn she passed that tree before. Then again, all the trees looked the same in the dark. Each one covered in moss that would be green if it was light, and each one dark and threatening.

She tightened her grip on her basket and bundled the cloak around her tighter. The chill in the air caused her to shiver again.

She stopped and looked around, trying to find any identifying marker so she could know she was at least on the right trail. The trees seemed closer and more ominous than they had a half an hour ago. The full moon was bright but somehow offered no real light; instead it cast menacing shadows all around her.

The quiet chirping of crickets was accompanied only by the sound of her breathing and occasionally a small animal skittering after its late-night meal. The near silence made her ears sensitive to each sound, and she whipped her head around when she heard an animal scurry up a tree.

Just stay calm, she thought to herself. It can't be much further.

She took a deep breath and the sound nearly echoed around her. Closing her eyes tightly, she forced her feet to move, walking slowly in the direction she'd been going for the last hour. The sound of her feet squishing the damp mulch was somehow comforting, and she pushed herself on.

~*~RED~*~

He watched as she stopped walking and looked around as if trying to get her bearings. He crouched down to be hidden in the trees as he watched her. He'd never seen her before and wondered what she was doing. Nobody in this area ventured into the woods after dark unless they were up to something, and it usually involved trouble.

She looked harmless enough—a young woman around nineteen years in a red hooded cloak carrying a basket. He could smell something sweet coming from her direction and assumed she was carrying muffins or something similar. He kept an eye on her anyway to make sure she didn't cause trouble or get into any. He had a duty to protect her if she needed it, or to stop her if she tried anything funny.

She began walking again, and he stood up, quietly following her.

~*~RED~*~

There's nothing out here; it's just my imagination.

Her heart quickened its pace as she tried to ignore the virtually soundless footsteps a few yards behind her that may or may not have been in her head. She tried to console herself with thoughts of conquering other animals. She wasn't like most people. Even as different as she was, she could still be hurt. She wasn't as strong as she let on, and she could be overpowered by larger forest animals. She closed her eyes as they watered. She didn't want to admit that she really was lost with something following her.

It didn't sound human, whatever it was. Even with the hushed steps, she could tell they were heavy and that there were more than two feet hitting the ground. A mountain lion maybe, although it sounded bigger than that.

She knew, even as she tried to convince herself otherwise, that it was not her imagination. If there had been other noises to disguise the sound—birds chirping or people talking, anything besides the crickets and her own footsteps—she might not have been able to hear them so easily.

She stopped, and the other steps stopped as well. Turning in a slow circle, she peeked out from under her hood to see what it was. Nothing moved. Nothing sprang out from some concealed hiding place. But twenty yards behind her, she could barely make out a large shape crouched down in the trees. It was too dark to see what it was, but it was big. From what details she could see, it looked furry. Her eyes widened, and she kept turning, hoping to see something else that could have been making the sounds.

There was nothing else. She swallowed hard as her heart kicked up speed again. She wondered if maybe the animal was after the smell coming from her basket. She contemplated taking something out and leaving it, but she wasn't sure if that would cause it to leave her alone or get aggressive to have more.

She decided to keep her provisions to herself and held the basket closer as she started to walk. A minute later, the whispered footsteps began following her again. She picked up her pace, not sure what she was hoping for. Was she hoping she'd find what she was looking for or that the animal would stop following her? The steps behind her didn't move faster; they kept their pace following her almost leisurely.

A change in the scent and sounds around her alerted her that she was coming close to a river. She sniffed the air and calculated its distance at seven yards ahead. She kicked up her pace again, knowing she was going in the right direction now. The man she spoke with mentioned a river.

When she reached the water, she gathered her cloak up and stepped lightly on the stones allowing her passage without getting wet. On the other side, she ignored the desire to turn around and see if the animal had followed her across. The footsteps gave it away, anyway. She took a deep breath and decided it would be best to get her mind off of the animal. If it was going to eat her, it should have done it by now.

"Over the river and through the woods," she sang quietly to herself; her voice wavered and sounded too loud in contrast to the quiet night. She kept going anyway. "To grandfather's house we go. The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow, oh…"

She stopped and listened for a moment, hoping the animal had lost interest. It hadn't, and the footsteps still followed. She continued singing, hoping to ignore the animal until she found what she was looking for. If the others were there, they could scare it away or possibly eat it.

~*~RED~*~

He crouched down again as she stopped and began to turn slowly. She stopped, facing him and he watched her face closely in the ineffective light. Her eyes widened, and he wondered if she could see him. She kept turning, her face a mix of fear and concentration. He couldn't make out many features in the available light, but he could tell that she had long red hair and her skin was pale. He guessed that the moonlight made her appear more pallid than usual, because she looked almost too pale to be human. He didn't move until she started to turn again.

She began walking again, clutching her basket as if she thought someone might try to steal it. He followed her still, more intrigued now than anything. He just wanted to know where she was going.

She crossed over the river, and he hesitated. He wasn't supposed to cross the water. It was the unofficial boundary line, and everyone knew it. But if this girl didn't know where she was going, he had to be there to protect her. If she did know, well, he had to know how she knew. Her heartbeat and pleasant odor gave away instantly that she did not belong here.

He crossed the river silently and continued to follow her. She began singing softly, her voice hesitant. She would stop every now and then and she seemed to be listening for something.

He wanted to warn her when he caught the scent. He wanted to grab her and run with her, so she wouldn't be put in any danger. The creatures in this area could appear normal enough when they wanted, but they often came out of hiding at night when the rest of the world was supposed to be sleeping. He followed more cautiously, keeping his ears perked and his eyes focused around him. He scented the air every few seconds, staying on his toes.

~*~RED~*~

The air changed again, and she was almost relieved when she caught the sweet scent she'd only smelled a few times in her life. She smiled slightly to herself, wondering what the animal behind her thought of the new scent. It stayed behind her, clearly not scared by the scent that should have been a warning to it.

She felt better knowing she was at least close to finding what she'd set out for. The scent was old, but she followed it anyway, allowing herself to move faster as she sniffed every few seconds. The animal kept pace with her this time, and she struggled to keep herself from running or turning to see it.

Hello? she thought loudly. Someone was sure to hear her if they were close. I'm friendly; I was told someone here might know about my mother. There's something following me, and I'm scared.

She waited, hoping to hear something back. She had a talent for speaking with people through thought. She could project her thoughts into someone else's mind and hear them if they responded to her. There was no response, and after a moment her heart dropped as fear crept through her chest again. Someone had to be here. If no one was here, she would be alone with the animal. She would die.

Help! she tried again.

There was still no response, and she heard the animal moving closer to her, getting louder. Her throat started close with panic. She saw something in the woods that looked like a house and launched herself into a run, terror constricting her body and forcing her forward at her full speed. She reached the house in less than a few seconds and still heard no answer from anyone that might be in the area. She stopped, breathing heavily as she looked up at the house. There were no lights on, but she knew there wouldn't be. Even if anyone was home, there would be no lights. Vampires had no need for them.

The footsteps from the animal caught her attention and she turned around quickly. She realized suddenly that whatever it was that had followed her was not a normal animal. There was no way any normal animal could have kept up with her. They had underestimated each other.

She scanned the trees around her, looking for any sign of inhabitants or the animal. The trees stood close together and offered no sign of either. She swallowed and turned back to the house, slowly climbing the steps.

A/N: It's okay if you're confused. I promise things will become clearer as this goes on. I also promise the little shifts won't happen as often. It is very, very AU, if you can't tell.

Thank you for reading! Reviews are lovely. Also, I'm on Twitter, SheeWolf85