I…don't really have anything new or interesting to say :| Twilight isn't mine, but my characters and concepts are :) Please do enjoy.

Joanna hit the screen door at a jog. When she didn't see her brothers where she'd seen them last, she looked across the porch. She froze in shock when she saw Esme holding a sleeping Dinah.

"Your brothers are around the side." Esme informed, pointing towards the corner of the house she was nearest. "There's a small fire pit where the last bonfire was held… they seemed very interested in it." She noticed that Joanna was looking from her face to Dinah. "Oh, Ruben asked me to hold her for him… she's been sleeping for a while now." Esme smiled, patting Dinah's back. "I suppose it is getting rather late out."

"…right." Joanna murmured, still stunned.

"Joanna." Ruben called, walking up from the side of the house. He nodded back the way he'd come, indicating that she follow.

"What are you guys doing?" Joanna asked, tearing her eyes away from Esme and following at Ruben's side.

"We need a fire. Cassie will need your help, I think."

"Why? What happened? Did anyone get hurt?"

"Not Cassie or Stan."

"Which case were they working on?" Joanna asked, coming to a stop just off the back yard. There was a pit dug into the ground filled with old soot and charred limbs, but Ruben and Ben had puled up a bunch of thick limbs and some smaller debris on top.

"I think it's ready." Ben said to Ruben as he walked away from the pit. Joanna didn't notice that everyone who had been outside before was still outside, they'd just relocated to the back porch so that they could better watch what Ruben and Ben were doing. Esme, having directed Joanna, went back to her husband's side.

"Seth, go and get Embry and Quil." Jacob said quietly to Seth. Seth nodded and darted through the back door.

"Ruben, which case?" Joanna repeated insistently.

"A young girl." Ruben said with a sigh. "She's lost a lot." Ruben looked at Joanna. "It wasn't her fault…"

"Another victim?" Joanna asked.

Ruben only nodded. He crouched down and reached into the twining bramble they'd heaped into the fire pit. "Catch." He murmured. Flames erupted from his fist and began to lick their way into the other branches and limbs. The people on the porch recoiled slightly as the flames got larger and larger. Within seconds an enormous bonfire was crackling in the pit. Ruben nodded in a satisfied manner before finally drawing his arm out of the fire.

"Dude!" Quil cried from the back porch. He and Embry had just come out of the house, and he was staring in shock. "You can make fire?" he asked bewildered.

Ruben stared back at him and nodded. "Yeah. Fire's fairly easy actually." He murmured. "Water… water is so freakin' difficult."

"I thought you said earth was easy." Joanna said.

"Oh, Earth's hella easy."

"Earth's only easy for you." Ben grumbled.

"Well…if it makes you feel any better, you're much better at Water than I am." Ruben reminded, sounding sheepish.

"Of course water's easy for me." Ben said. "I was born with that. Same as you with earth."

"I'd love it if I could fully understand all of these concepts." Joanna murmured absently, her eyes drifting to the fire.

"I don't know what's going on, but it sounds like a bunch of Avatar stuff." Quil said.

Ruben chuckled. "I love that show." He murmured. His expression sobered drastically, and he stood. "Cassie." He noted. Cassie came bounding out of the woods. She was cradling a lump of someone tightly to her torso, taking long leaps from one foot to foot. It almost looked like a ballet dancer leaping from one foot to the next, only she seemed to be at a steady run. She came to an easy halt between the house and the fire, laying the girl in her arms down near the fire.

"Good work getting the fire started already." Cassie murmured. She took great pains to keep herself between the girl and the onlookers. The girl was ghostly pale and completely naked.

"What do you need me to do?" Joanna asked kneeling down near Cassie by the girl's head. Ruben and Ben didn't bother asking any questions, they simply stood on the other side of Cassie, blocking both women from view.

"Have some consideration for female modesty." Ben growled, making most of the men on the porch look away guiltily.

"Hey, man, we didn't—" Quil began.

"Don't. Talk." Ben said sternly. Quil took a breath and just nodded.

"Thank you." Leah said with a smirk, which made Quil scowl at her.

"Help me with this." Cassie said to Joanna, reaching for the buttons at the neck of her blue dress. It was a simple dress, buttoned up the very middle.

"Oh. Okay." Joanna said.

"So, maybe while they're…doing whatever they're doing…" Jacob began. "We could talk about who that girl is."

"She was a host for the void." Ruben said. "The reason why it was here."

"She brought it here?" Carlisle asked.

"No… well, yes… Not directly, I mean it's not like it was her fault." Ruben realized he was stuttering over himself.

"Ruben." Ben interrupted. "Start at the beginning. It's the easiest way."

"…right." Ruben cleared his throat. "So… there's this group of people that think they can actually use void… like, twist it and use it to suit their purposes." He began. "Those people killed this girl's family, and used her as a host vessel." Esme made a chocking sound and seemed to clutch Dinah a little tighter. "Yeah… Of course, it's difficult to control void to an exact point… she traveled, wound up here, and that's what Cassie and Stan were doing."

"… will she be alright now? I mean… your family's going to adopt her, right?" Embry asked.

"Not exactly." Cassie said, though they couldn't see her.

"Not exac—what?" Ruben asked, turning his head back but looking upward instead of down at the women. It didn't seem like he or Ben were having much of an issue with looking back at the girls.

"Um, Cassie, you're.." Joanna began, but stopped when it was obvious her input wasn't going to help much. Cassie stood and came to Ruben's side. She was wearing only her underware though, a soft cerulean blue bra and panties. If she was self-conscious or embarrassed, she certainly wasn't showing it. It seemed that Joanna was self-conscious enough for both of them. "Alright then." She said softly. Ben drew back and looked down at the sleeping girl by the fire. She was now waring Cassie's dress.

"Why aren't we taking her back to Mother?" Ruben asked, not seeming to care about the girl. He was also looking Cassie straight in the eyes, which would've been difficult for anyone else. Most of the men on the porch were pointedly looking away from Cassie's general direction.

"That's where Stan is right now. We came upon the wolves in the woods." Cassie said. That last statement got everyone's attention. Jacob looked back from person to person, almost as if he were counting the members of his pack to assure that they were there.

"Wait, what?" Joanna asked.

Cassie looked down at her. "No, not those wolves." She jutted her chin out towards the sleeping girl. "Her wolves."

"She…has wolves?" Jasper asked.

Cassie looked up at him. "Look at the fire." She said. He blinked, but he and the others on the porch did look on the fire. "These types of wolves." Cassie said, and the fire grew slightly then receded, forming a distinct shape. It had little definition at first but then it began to take better shape. At first it looked like a bipedal creature, but then the wolf's muzzle began to take better shape.

"Werewolves." Carlisle said.

"They prefer the term Feral, but yes, essentially." Cassie said waving a hand towards the flames, and it returned to it's natural shape. "Her father was a Feral of the Wolf tribe, thus the wolves have claimed her as kin." She said to Ruben.

"But… but we have the best means for returning her to a healthy condition." Ruben reminded.

"Yes, and Shayla knows this. That's the only reason I was allowed to carry her here." Cassie said. She looked to the porch. "They are very twitchy, what with being out of their territory." She sighed heavily. "They're looking to us to advocate for them."

"Wait, you advocate for werewolves." Alice asked.

Cassie looked at her and smirked. "I'm under the impression you've been known to do the very same from time to time."

"Yes… well.." She looked at some of the present company on the porch. "That's different."

"Is it?" Cassie asked still smiling. "I wonder what your basis for comparison is."

"Um, hey, Cassie?" Seth began, with a hand over his eyes. He'd given up trying not to look at her a few minutes ago. "You're kind of, really naked, could you maybe do something abut that?"

"I'm hardly naked." Cassie said.

"Actually, I believe you're hardly dressed, dear." Esme said with a polite smile.

"Not that anyone but Seth and Leah would notice it." Cassie said. Her head turned sharply, her eyes gazing through the woods. "Did you hear that?" She asked.

"Hear what?" Joanna asked. Cassie held up a hand, requesting silence. A few beats of silence prevailed before distant thunder rolled softly around them.

"Good ears." Carlisle said.

"No, not that." Cassie said. "The storm's a ways out still." Her anxiousness faded, a relaxing sigh sifting out of her. "Stan." When she turned, her other side was more visible to the people on the porch. There was an ugly, jagged scar from the edge of her ribcage, down her side with a very large carved out pock just above her hip… as though someone had scraped a blade along her side before finding a place to stab. Stan emerged from the wood's edge, his long stride swifting bringing him to his sister's side. He began unbuttoning his shirt before taking it off and setting it over Cassie.

"How is she?" he asked as Cassie put her arms through the sleeves of his shirt.

"Gaining heat." Cassie said as she began buttoning up the shirt. "She'll be much improved by morning.

"Awake?"

Cassie shook her head. "That won't happen for a few more days." She said with a sigh. "She needs proper re-hydration and a boost to her immune system. She's very very weak right now."

Stans jaw clenched. "Shayla is close. Her pack is eager to move, but she wont let them." His eyes drifted between Jacob and Sam. "She knows this territory is not her's, and she's eager to avoid making unnecessary enemies." He looked to Ruben. "You could take a cue from her." He said.

"What?" Ruben cried. "Everything turned out alright."

"Indeed." Stan grumbled. He seemed to take inventory of Ruben. "Where's your sister?" He asked.

"With mother." Ruben said, motioning towards Esme. Stan's attention snapped to Esme, who waved at him.

"She's still sleeping quite soundly." Esme murmured.

Stan stared for a moment before nodding. He gave Ruben an appraising look, as though the man(if Ruben was a man) had impressed him somehow. His head cocked to the side, his gaze mostly downward though he appeared to be bending towards Cassie. "How long will you need here?"

"Half an hour. Maybe less." She said, drawing her hair out of the back of the shirt. He nodded, still not having looked at her. "How's the dress look?" She asked. It was almost amusing how Stan's shirt fit her almost as though it were a knee-length dress.

"Fantastic." He said.

She swatted him on the shoulder lightly, making him look her in the eyes. "You haven't even looked at it." She said with a hint of indignation.

"You're wearing it." He reminded. "Of course it looks fantastic." He said as if the equivalent of her wearing anything were that it would look fantastic. Cassie smiled at him smugly before walking to the girl's side and skimming her fingers across her face.

"Wow." Ruben said making an impressed face. "Can I use that? I think I should be taking notes or something."

"Do not make me smack you." Stan warned, not bothering to look at his brother.

"Yes, Sir." Ruben said.

"Jacob?" Stan began.

"Yes?"

"Would you please allow Embry to take Joanna home?" Stand asked. Jacob looked a little stunned at the question. Joanna, who was standing by Ben, looked confusedly between Stan, Jacob and Emrby.

"Um.. I'm kind of okay here, Stan." She said timidly. "I mean… they have cheese burgers." She said with a tiny smile.

"There's a lot that needs to be discussed here, Joanna." Stan said. "And you and Rebakka do not get on well if I remember correctly."

"Rebakka's here too?" Joanna whined.

"She's training under Shayla, so yes." Stand said. "Besides, I imagine that you'll have much to talk about with Embry as well." Joanna nodded thoughtfully. Jacob nodded as well, and Embry went to Joanna's side. He had a feeling this short card ride would feel very long.

"Will Shayla…be coming here?" Ben asked, looking somewhat concerned.

"It's a possibility." Stan said.

"Who is this Shayla?" Jacob asked.

"The shaman of the largest Feral Wolf tribe in North America." Stan replied watching as Embry opened the car door for Joanna and then got into the driver's seat. He waited until he saw the car rolling onto the road away from the house. His eyes shifted back to Jacob. "Shall we acknowledge the wolf in the room?" He asked. Jacob's expression was slightly shocked. "As I've said, Shayla doesn't want to offend the wolves of the Quileutes tribe." He turned his gaze on Carlisle. "She also wants to make sure her people are exposed to as few vampires as possible, I think the reasons behind that are quite obvious." Carlisle nodded his understanding. "What I need to know, is if she and her people can remain here for any length of time without violent repercussions."

Jacob took a moment to process Stan's words. "Are they violent?" He asked.

"No." Stan replied.

"Then… I don't see why they couldn't stay… as long as they understand we protect our land from threats."

"Right. Don't become a threat." Stan murmured with a nod. "Got it." He looked down at a crystal in his hand. It lit up for a moment and then went dark again. He put it into his pocket and looked around. He turned, stepping away and looking back at where Cassie was seated. Cassie had arranged herself so that the girl was laying back against Cassie's chest. Cassie was between the girl and the fire now. The girl didn't look as deathly pale as she had when Cassie had first brought her in. "Well?"

"I'm having a bit of trouble with her feet." Cassie murmured. "But otherwise, she's coming along quite nicely." Ruben moved, kneeling down to take the girl's feet. He took one foot in his hands and messaged the sole of her foot slowly. Cassie nodded at him. "Thanks." She murmured. He nodded and repeated the process with the opposite foot.

"Is it safe for her to be so close to the fire?" Jasper asked, noting how very close the flames were coming to Cassie's back.

"Fire wouldn't harm Cassie." Stan said simply, dismissing the concept with a shake of his head.

"Perhaps I can help." Carlisle offered. "I am a doctor." Stan began shaking his head, but Cassie chuckled softly.

"Physician, heal thyself." She said with a smirk.

"This goes beyond human treatment." Stan assured. "What she needs is a miracle… and that's what Cassie is giving her."

"Can we go back to discussing these werewolves that are in our woods?" Sam asked. "I want to know more about these Ferals."

"What would you like to know?" Stan asked.

"Anything that we can." Jacob said simply. Stan nodded, his expression opening into thoughtfulness before he began speaking.

"Ferals come in 3 varieties: Canine, Feline, and Ursine. They prefer to live in and around wilder areas for obvious reasons. There are quite a few tribes that maintain State parks and Protected Areas. The central Rockies are where many are now, but they span all over the world."

"Do they turn feral during the full moon and kill like beasts?" Jasper asked.

"…No." Stan said as if the concept were absurd. "That's perhaps the greatest difference between Werewolves and Ferals. Ferals are born as they are… it's why they live in communities. If it were something like the curse of the werewolf as we know it, they would be tortured loners. No, Ferals are very much like the Quileute Wolves, only bipedal."

"What do you mean, they're like us?" Leah asked.

"The ability to become Feral… It carries down through blood lines… it's passed from fathers and mothers to their children." Stan clarified. "It's nothing like the curse of werewolfism, which is transmitted via bite. Their ability to shift comes in their teens; it usually comes very early for females and fairly late for males, depending on living conditions. It's difficult for them to control the shift at first. In fact it's very painful."

"So the pain gets better with time?" Esme asked.

"No." Came a feminine voice from the woods. A woman was standing at the edge of the wood with a long staff atop her shoulders, her hands hanging on each end of the staff. Her golden brown hair was woven into tight, intricate braids that laced along the side of her head, and her dark tanned skin that had seen much exposure to the sun. She had a lovely face. Her dark almond eyes seemed to bear the brunt of her pain, but they also seemed to smile back at you… hinting at knowledge beyond her own limited experience. She wore what could only be described as deer-skinned breeches that were latched up to a belt about her waste, with a loin cloth that was looped through the same belt, and over her chest and belly hung a long, wide buckskin poncho covered in paint and beading. "But after repeated exposure to the same pain.. One's tolerance to that pain increases. It becomes less noticeable."

"Shayla." Stan murmured, turning to face her. He walked to the other side of the fire, standing between the fire and the wood. This made the fire light expose his ruined back. It was covered with long grooves, not just simple lacerations from a blade… No, something had carved away his flesh in long rivets from the tops of his shoulder blades down to the small of his back. It made many of them wince and stare.

Shayla crouched, bending first into a curtsy before leaning forward into a bow. She took her sturdy looking staff in her hand, but she drew it up into both hands, as if displaying it or offering it to Stanley.

"Blessed be the house of Iron and Crystal, as always." She said reverently.

Stan gave her a nod. "Where is your pack?" he asked.

Shayla drew herself to full height again, her staff settling in her right hand. "I've asked them to remain back in the forest. Only I need to confer with you." She smiled absently. "It's good practice for Rebakka.. She needs to learn to keep still when I say so."

"This is an interesting test." Stan murmured. "Would you like to come and see your newest daughter?"

"…May I?" she asked, something softening in her tone.

Stan gave a decisive nod. "You may." Stanley shifted his weight more onto one foot, drawing away from the fire and ushering Shayla to the other side of the fire.

"Sweet stars… she looks so thin." Shayla observed, sounding pained. She looked over the girl worriedly. "How close did we come..?"

"To loosing her?" Cassie asked, making Stan flinch slightly. "Not very close at all." Cassie smiled in a reassuring manner. "The spirit is very resilient, Shayla. You know this. This girl could have endured another three, maybe even four months before she would have passed on." Shayla seemed to consider this before nodding.

"How long before she opens her eyes?"

"A few days. I very seriously doubt that it will take a week's time." Cassie assured.

"Then… she will need you most." Shayla said.

"Yes." Cassie agreed. "For now. Having you and your people near would be ideal though." She elaborated. "It isn't as if you could ever replace her family, but your lifestyle is exactly like her own. Knowing that extended family is near, that they care about her and will mourn with her… that's very important."

"Where's the nearest tribe located?" Stan asked.

Shayla looked pensive for a moment before answering. "The Crater Lake Tribe." She said with a nod. "There are some Bears there as well." She said with a smile.

"Bears?" Seth asked, confused. "What…what's that mean, bears?"

"I did mention that Ferals were of 3 basic breeds, did I not?" Stan said. "Canine, Feline, and Ursine, remember?"

"Yeah but… Wait.. There are Bear Ferals? Like, like, Were-Bears?" Seth asked, sounding completely astounded.

Quil chuckled softly. "Were Bears." he muttered.

"That's what Ursine means, Seth." Alice said gently.

"Well, yeah, but… I mean, I thought those were just names like 'The Wolf Tribe' or something." Seth said, but in truth he really had no idea what Ursine meant.

"No." Shayla explained with a small indulgent smile. "I am of the Wolf tribe because my Feral form is that of a wolf. But there are different Canine tribes as well. There are different breeds of Canine Feral, you see?" She said. "Just like there are different breeds of Feline Ferals and different breeds of Ursine Ferals. A Lion Feral and a Tiger Feral are different breeds within the Feline Breed... you see?"

"…wow." Seth muttered. "Just. Just wow.. I mean… wow." He shook his head and looked between Leah and Jacob.

"We know, Seth." Leah murmured. "Wow." He nodded at her.

Shayla chuckled softly, like that of an indulgent mother. "Forgive me for— how do the children say it? —blowing your mind." Seth nodded at her too. It seemed the only thing he could do was nod as he processed the new information.

"How long can you stay?" Stan asked.

"As long as she needs." Was Shayla's answer. "There are no issues other than this, so I will only need to return to Glacier once this is settled."

"Perhaps we can help make your stay easier." Carlisle offered. Shayla stood quickly, looking at him as though he were a dangerous wild animal that she'd hunted before, but he was behaving in a way she couldn't predict.

"Shayla," Stan began. "This is Carlisle Cullen and some of his family." Stan said. The way he put emphasis on the name 'Cullen' drew the attention of the four Cullens present. Shayla's head tilted to the side slightly, not too unlike that of a curious dog.

"Cullen, you say?" Shayla murmured, recognition dawned on her face before she continued. "I see…" She looked back to Carlisle. "It isn't often I meet a vampire in passing.. Leastwise, one so polite who isn't trying to kill me."

Carlisle let out a breathy nervous chuckle. "Perhaps we could keep up this civility."

"I really do hope so." Shayla said. "Ivory would not be pleased otherwise."

"Who?"

"Ivory doesn't care if it's a matter of defense." Ruben corrected.

"Yes, Ruben, but kicking a hornets' nest and then exterminating the hornets isn't exactly defensive." Stan reprimanded.

"What?" Shayla asked, looking from Stan to Ruben, confused.

"It was just a game of tag." Ruben defended.

"It becomes a problem if the person who is 'it' doesn't realize it's a game." Cassie said with a tiny smile.

Ruben stared at her as if heartbroken. "And here I thought you were the fun one."

Shayla shook her head. "Honestly." She murmured. "I thought your people would know better than to poke a Grizzly with a short stick."

"Hey, hey!" Ruben countered loudly. He pointed at Shayla before speaking with conviction. "My stick is not short." There was a beat of silence in which Stan and Shayla stared at Ruben in uncomprehending shock, before Ben—Ben of all people!—let out a booming laugh. He threw his head back and laughed loud and long. Shayla joined in as well once she'd processed the situation. Cassie was giggling from her spot near the fire, and Stanley shook his head suppressing a smile.

"What was it you were saying, Doctor?" Stan asked in an attempt to regain order.

"Yes… Your sister mentioned that the girl would need to be hydrated and cared for. I have the means to offer you this…"

"We would prefer to keep this issue as private as possible." Shayla said carefully.

"I understand." Carlisle said with a nod. "I wasn't referring to bringing her to a hospital or office. I have everything I need to care for her at my home." He paused, evaluating Shayla. "I understand if bringing her there wouldn't be comfortable, but you would be welcome to stay with her."

Shayla looked to Cassie. "It would probably take less time to use medical means to bring her body back to square one." Cassie admitted.

Shayla looked to Stanley, who only looked back at her. "I… I would like to accept your generous offer." Shayla said, though she didn't sound very confident.

Carlisle, for whatever reason, looked infinitely happier at the outcome. "Perhaps, you could follow us then. Our house is—"

"We know where you are, Doctor." Stanley said. "Return home and explain the situation to the rest of your family. We'll arrive once you've had the chance to prepare." It was odd that Stanley could possibly deliver on those words, but he spoke with such firm decisiveness that it made it sound more believable. Still, both Benjamen and Shayla looked very uneasy.

I wonder what would be more interesting for the next chapter... Joanna's house, or the Cullen house...

Enjoy? Like? Hate? Nothing? Anything?

Peace Out :)