Joanna and Jacob do some growing up, and Joanna has an unexpected encounter with the past. The legal age of consent in Washington State is 16, FYI!

"I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
I am the voice of your hunger and pain
I am the voice that always is calling you
I am the voice, I will remain

I am the voice in the fields when the summer's gone
The dance of the leaves when the autumn winds blow
Ne'er do I sleep throughout all the cold winter long
I am the force that in springtime will grow

I am the voice of the past that will always be
Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
I am the voice of the future
Bring me your peace
Bring me your peace and my wounds, they will heal"

October 14th, 2006

Charlie adjusted to his new reality quicker than anyone had expected. It didn't hurt that he had fallen just as quickly in love with Renesmee as everyone else had.

He was poised to leave that first evening, sharing a moment with Bella and Renesmee at the door, when his eyes drifted to Joanna, "You coming to dinner with us, Jo?"

She risked a glance at Jacob, "No, Daddy. I think we'll eat here tonight."

He huffed, "Still don't think that's a great idea. You haven't known him that long."

Joanna went out on a limb, "It's fine. He's good for me, promise. Besides, I'm hanging around for a slice of leftover birthday cake." Charlie looked instantly offended, and Joanna wrapped her arms around him, making sure it was extra tight to compensate for how ginger her sister's hug had been, "Bella doesn't want you eating bad, but I'm young still. I'm sure she'll start harping on me in a few years." She lowered her voice conspiratorially, "I'll try to sneak you a piece."

Charlie pulled back and studied her face, visibly relieved when he convinced himself that she was exactly the same, "Not on the back of a motorbike you won't."

Joanna shrugged, but felt Jacob sidle up behind her, "I'll keep her safe, Charlie."

He swallowed hard once, "I'll tell Billy you're here. You haven't been to see him in days."

Jacob flinched, and Joanna reached instinctively towards him, sliding one hand around his muscled arm, "Maybe Ness and I will make another cake later this week we can bring to share."

Charlie smiled lovingly at her and his granddaughter, still sleeping in Bella's arms, "I'd like that."

After that, Charlie was suddenly integrated into the Cullen family life, a staple for sports games where he held Renesmee in his lap and narrated every play. He didn't ask much, preferring to know only what he needed to, but, just like Bella, he had taken a bit to warm up to Jacob and Joanna's burgeoning relationship. In fact, he'd spent the first few visits scowling at Jacob any time he so much as looked at Joanna.

Renesmee, only a month old and already talking and walking, was sitting on his lap when he sighed heavily, addressing the werewolf directly for a change. "Jacob. Billy is worried about you. He asked me to tell you to come to the tribal meeting thing they're having tonight."

"No. I'm fine." Jacob snapped. Joanna bolted for the stairs.

"Jake." Bella whispered jerking her head pointedly.

Charlie's voice followed him up the stairs after her, "Don't you dare hurt her."

Joanna was sitting on the bed in what had once been Edward's room, tears filling her eyes. Jacob sunk to his knees in front of her, his voice soft, "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so awful. I didn't mean to upset you. I'm just irritated."

Joanna sniffled, wiping her hand across her face, "Jacob, why haven't you let me see your dad? I've met him before, but just as Joanna, not as your imprint. Is it the shit with Sam? I promise I'll leave him alone." She gasped for air, "Is it because I'm not good enough?"

Jacob stood fluidly, sliding his hands on either side of her face, thumbs wiping away tears, "No, no, absolutely not! You are wonderful! My dad will love you."

"I'm a whore. Why else would you keep me away?" Joanna snapped, the frustration she'd been feeling for weeks finally bubbling over. She made no move to escape his tender grip though.

"I'm ashamed." Jacob blurted, and cold instantly shot down her back. He rushed to explain, "Of myself, Jo. I let Sam lead the pack after I phased for the first time and realized it was my birthright, but then when I didn't agree with him, I took the power back. I've divided our tribe."

Joanna was silent for a few seconds before falling backwards onto the bed, drawing him with her. They lay face to face, and she wiped away the last of her insecure tears. She'd been thinking about his avoidance of La Push since her last period had made her hormones rage in the worst way. One stray thought had been blown into full obsession. But she'd been stirring herself up over nothing. It wasn't about her, not really. It was rare that Joanna felt like he needed her more than she needed him, but she inched closer to him and let her fingers find his hair, "I get it. I think you're wrong, but I get it."

"You don't think he'll hate me? You've never spent time with him." Jacob argued, wincing at his last statement. That was not her fault.

Joanna shook her head, "He's best friends with my dad, Jacob. Charlie talks about him all the time and he was nice when I met him." She ran a thumb across Jacob's warm cheek, "He talked about you like you hang the moon. He missed you so much, and I can't imagine how he's feeling now that you're home but you've avoided him for the last month."

Jacob said in a very small voice, "I can't bear the thought of seeing disappointment in his eyes."

"You're the alpha of your own pack, Jacob. He couldn't possibly be disappointed with you." Joanna affirmed, kissing him softly.

They kissed for a few minutes, Jacob pulling her sweater to the side to nip and suck at his favorite spot. There was no way anything else was happening in the house with the Cullen's, but Joanna had figured out in the last month that both of them thrived off of touch. To have had so many bad touches throughout her life, Joanna craved Jacob, and she could tell every time she put her hands on him that he derived some inhuman comfort from her. Every day Jacob grew more confident; Every day Joanna grew more relaxed. Joanna had insisted that they wait to have sex, both for the sake of her past and for the fact that as mature as he looked, Jacob was still only sixteen. Not illegal, but Joanna didn't want to rush him in any way. In her mind, one of them deserved to be somewhat innocent for a bit. He didn't have the heart to tell her that his wolf wanted her so badly that he would have quite happily lain with her that very first week.

When they came to a stop, Jacob idly traced his hand back and forth over her exposed collarbone, and she kept one hand gripped in his hair. They'd both discovered that he liked her hand in his hair, almost as much as she loved seeing the hickeys he left on her. "Thanks for sticking with my crazy ass when I'm being a paranoid freak." Joanna told him.

Jacob groaned, pinching his eyes closed, "No, I'm the paranoid freak. And I feel like shit for not noticing that I was making you feel like it was you."

Joanna draped one leg over his, slotting even closer to him, "We're both learning, Jake. You never really got anywhere with my sister, and my longest relationships have involved standing appointments. I shouldn't have let it bother me for so long without saying something."

"Least we're learning together." Jacob sighed, "We should go tonight, shouldn't we?"

Joanna nodded, "Yeah, we should."

"Together." Jacob said, holding his free hand out towards hers.

Joanna laced their fingers, pulling their joined hands to her chest so she could press a kiss to his knuckles. "Together." She affirmed.

Charlie continued to glare all afternoon, but seemed pleased when Jacob ushered Joanna to the door and held her jacket out for her. It was easier now, not having to hide so much from Charlie, but he still had no clue that both of his daughters were supernaturally gifted. That meant that Joanna's time to play around with her power had been drastically reduced, to Carlisle's immense pleasure. She hadn't used her power since Renesmee had uttered her first word, 'Momma', which had been followed immediately after by the rest of her first sentence, 'where's Grandpa?'. Three whole weeks, possibly the longest she'd gone without her soul leaving her body in nearly a decade. That, combined with Charlie and the blissful happiness that had enveloped the Cullen house, made her feel almost normal.

Joanna managed to distract herself with happy thoughts long enough for Jacob to bring his bike to a halt beside his father's barn. She tightened her arms around him, urging him not to dismount just yet, "Jake…" she stretched his name out, "I honestly was kind of terrible when I've been here before. You sure they won't hate me?"

Jacob turned around as best he could, tugging her helmet off her head, a fond smile on his face. He gave her a peck on the lips, "That, I am sure about. They'll love you because I do."

The pleased smile that came to her face stayed until they walked into the clearing where the La Push tribe members had gathered. Joanna stumbled once, and Jacob steadied her, concern on his face. "You okay?"

Joanna nodded, knowing he was checking in due to the large group of people, "Yeah, just not paying attention to my feet." She looped one arm around Jacob's waist, "Let's find your dad."

Coincidentally, finding someone in a crowd of people was not difficult when: #1 the target is in a wheelchair, and #2 the seeker was half animal. Relief spread across Billy Black's face the instant he saw his only son, "You came."

Jacob nodded, suddenly feeling his age, "I didn't mean to worry you, Dad."

Billy clapped a hand on his arm and pulled him down for a warm embrace, "You are my son, I will always worry about you." The two men held each other for a long while, and, oddly enough, Joanna didn't feel out of place at all. When the hug ended, Billy gave her a warm smile, and held his arms out to her, "Joanna Swan. Welcome to the family."

The smile on her face exploded and she dove in to steal a hug from Billy herself. "I feel like this is the first time I've really met you!"

Billy laughed at her enthusiasm, but the expression on his face when she pulled back was a sad one. Joanna didn't flinch when he reached up to gently touch the side of her face, "I held you after you were born, young one. Your father truly lives again, now that you have returned."

Joanna nodded, "I know. There's less secrets, I'm not a ghost anymore, and he's a grandpa."

Billy's face was unreadable, "How is Bella's daughter?"

Joanna spoke carefully, aware that every wolf ear and even some human ones were hanging on every word of their exchange, "Ness is wonderful. She's a quick learner, she's kind, and the kid has a laugh that's infectious." She shot Jacob an impish look, "The only bad thing is… her best friend is Jacob. She thinks he's hilarious."

Jacob scooped her into his arms and spun around once, causing her to shriek and laugh as he nuzzled her neck, mock growling, "Oh, come on, I am hilarious! You think so too."

The human girl pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek, "That is true!" She turned her attention back to Billy, still wrapped in his son's arms, "In all seriousness, I know my dad's talked to you about how fast she's growing. That's really the biggest concern. It's impossible to imagine a creature so sweet, so full of life, could be dead before she's even gotten the chance to live. Edward and Carlisle are spending all their time researching."

Billy considered her for a moment, pleased to see how at ease the abused young woman was with his son. Imprinting or not, he had done something right in raising Jacob for him to have earned her trust so quickly. "I will see if our tribe or others nearby have any information on beings with accelerated aging. We did not know to look or ask when we sought to discover what the child your sister carried could be."

"At the end of the day, she's a little girl." Joanna said softly, bracing herself for the question she'd decided to ask once Jacob had committed to rejoining his father, and, by extension, his people. "Jake and I are wanting to take her trick-or-treating, but we aren't sure Forks is the best place. Could we bring her here?"

Billy stared at her for a long while, long enough that others noticed and Jacob went tense behind her. Finally, Billy gave a small nod, "I will put the possibility of Renesmee joining our tribe's Halloween festivities to a vote. I trust the rest of the family would stay at home?"

"Yes." Joanna said without hesitation, but caught herself before she lied by omission, "Well, I think Daddy wants to come too. He's trying to rework the schedule so he's not on duty. But, yes, the only Cullen would be Nessie."

If it was her closeness with Jacob, the sincerity in her voice, or both combined, she may never figure out, but the tribe seemed to treat her as one of their own. By the time the first segment of the gathering had ended, with most of the families with young children leaving, Joanna and Jacob both felt right at home and had pleasantly full bellies. The tribal elders voted on a few items, Renesmee included, and their Halloween plans were good to go. Sam was not pleased, but one shared glare from Jacob and Joanna had been enough for him to keep his mouth shut.

Billy started to tell the stories of his people. Joanna hung on every word from her spot between Jacob and Seth, leaning in with a childlike amazement that Jacob adored. The night had grown thick by the time Joanna started to get a sense of unease. Attention off Billy, she looked around the circle of Jacob's friends and tribe members, but not one of them seemed to notice anything wrong. They were all either listening to Billy, cozying up to a significant other, or sneaking more food before Sue could usher them back to the campfire. Joanna took a deep breath to calm herself, adjusting her position so she was more comfortable before looking back towards Billy.

Then she saw her: standing in the path of the fire's smoke was a Quiluete woman, older than Sue but younger than the elder at Billy's side. She wore traditional clothing, and was staring straight at Joanna. Joanna watched the woman, surrounded by smoke, and knew without a doubt that none of the others gathered could see her. But Joanna could see her and she couldn't move, no matter how hard she tried. Panic burst from her earlier unease, but she still couldn't move. The woman stepped closer, leaving the smoke she'd been conjured in.

"Jo?" Jacob asked in concern, hearing how her heart was suddenly beating like she was running a race, even though she was still at his side. He reached to hold her hand.

"Jacob!" Joanna yelled as she sprung to her feet, turning her torso like she was trying to look back at him. In the same instant, her eyes glazed over and she crumpled into his arms.

The instant she watched her body fall into Jacob's arms, every nerve ending was on fire. She had never left her body so unintentionally, and the pain was new.

The woman from the smoke stood before her in a clearing that was now only occupied by the two of them, and a shade of Jacob holding her body. The woman crossed one arm over her chest and gave a slight bow that possibly stood as some sort of greeting before she spoke, voice heavily accented but warm, "Joanna. Apologies for frightening you, young walker. I am Taha Aki's third wife, Mika, and you must listen to me now. We do not have much time."

Taha Aki. Joanna remembered the name, from a story Bella and Jacob had told Renesmee one night, in an adorable almost theatrical production that had amused her niece greatly. Joanna was not amused at all now. She found her voice again, "He was the first werewolf."

"Not werewolf. Shifter." She corrected, her expression reminding her of Billy's when she'd asked about trick or treating what seemed like a lifetime ago. Taha Aki's third wife continued, "We walk in the spirit world now to speak of your future, not of the past."

Joanna balled up her fists once in frustration before forcing them to become slack at her side, "My future? What the hell is a walker?"

The woman turned suddenly, her dark eyes flitting across Joanna's face, "You are, young one. You are a Spirit Walker, a link between the living and the dead. Different than the Spirit Warriors of old. You find peace with the cold ones because you see yourself in them, much the same as the peace you've found with my people this night."

"I don't see myself in vampires." Joanna argued, pulling at her hair with one hand.

Mika gave her a sad smile, "How could you not? You are also the living dead."

Joanna gasped, suddenly trembling, "I'm not the living dead. I've never died."

Mika put a wrinkled hand on her shoulder, "Remember the first time your spirit soared."

Oh, she did. She'd been eleven, maybe twelve. Her very first 'customer', a man who had paid handsomely for her virginity, and had put his hand on her face to keep her from screaming. Joanna's spine straightened as she remembered the details past the pain, "I couldn't breathe."

Mika's hand squeezed her shoulder, "He smothered you. You died, but the spirits saw fit to save you, to gift you with the power you needed to survive your captivity. The same powers that let you hear the wolves. The same powers that will allow you to lead beside your alpha. You must continue to develop your skills, young Spirit Walker. Yours is not a passive gift, remember that. For even our mighty Spirit Warriors could not touch the living when in spirit form. You must grow your gift." Her tone was grave, but she smiled fondly when she looked back at Jacob, "He is the future of our people. The relationship between the tribe and the cold ones is changing, and you are to be a tie between them." Joanna nodded numbly, and Mika continued, "You must stand beside him, even when it is hard. Fear is your enemy, do not let it control you. Jacob is the future of our people, your duty is to protect him and his children."

"He'll have children?" Joanna gasped, watching as the shade of Jacob shook her body again.

"If you do your duty." Unceremoniously, the spirit jerked her back towards her body.

Jacob was caught in sheer panic, and crushed her to his chest as soon as he realized awareness had come back to her eyes. "What the hell was that?"

"Can't breathe!" Joanna gasped. Jacob instantly released her, but held her face in his hands. Joanna put her hands over his, forcing a smile to her face, deciding instantly to keep the details to herself, "Unplanned Spirit Walk. Sorry I scared everyone."

The rest of the night was spent trying to explain to Billy and the other elders that she was somehow a cousin in power to their ancestors. They laughed, and celebrated Jacob's imprint being blessed with such a power. Joanna tried to find the excitement, but the realization that she'd died to get it lingered just under her skin, as well as the last thought Mika had left her with.

Jacob would have children. Could she really let him go, give him to another, even if only temporarily? Jacob stayed close, and she could tell by the look on his face that he knew something had really upset her. He didn't pry though, just offered unwavering support, and she loved him even more for it.

She loved him.

Chapter lyrics from 'The Voice' as sung by the Celtic Women. The next chapter will take us the Halloween (still deciding what costumes they should wear), and will be a very big one for Joanna and Jacob! Questions? Comments? Concerns?
-Jenn