Joanna and Jacob hang out with Renesmee, and the nomads gather in Forks to bear witness to the "immortal child" Bella and Edward have created.
I had ZERO intention of letting this fic sit for TWO YEARS, but here we are. No Jo/Jake solo scenes in this chapter, but there will be soon!
"Oh, you let your feet run wild
Time has come as we all fall, go down
Yeah, but for the fall, ooh, my
Do you dare to look him right in the eyes? Yeah."
December 16th, 2006
What the actual fuck was Alice thinking?
Joanna had no idea. The sprightly vampire's flight with her stoic husband had stunned them all. It was baffling how hollow the house felt without the pair. As the Cullen home had emptied of it's inhabitants, Joanna had sought refuge in her sister's cottage, playing dress up with Renesmee to keep them both busy as everyone else scrambled to come up with a plan that might save their lives. It seemed to be a hopeless situation, and Joanna felt useless.
"Aunt Jo, are you going to leave too?" Ness asked in that crystal perfect voice of hers.
Joanna paused with a hair brush half way through her niece's hair. She forced herself to finish the stroke, "Not for a long, long time, Pretty. You're going to be stuck with me and Uncle Jacob for a while."
Jacob smiled indulgently at the both of them, even as he smudged the eyeliner they'd put on him, "Absolutely, Ness."
Joanna and Jacob had talked the night before, curled up in her bed at Charlie's. The larger pack of wolves weren't ready to intervene, and Jacob wasn't sure he could put Leah and Seth in danger. They had agreed, however, that the pair of them would do what they could to protect her sister's miracle. Obviously, Jacob would be the muscle, but Joanna had more knowledge of the outside world than he did. They couldn't do anything currently, but they had been spending a ton of time together with the little girl. Keeping her from getting upset by the abrupt changes in her short life seemed to go hand in hand with their goal of protecting her.
Renesmee and Jacob both looked toward the door, and Joanna wasn't surprised to see her sister and brother-in-law enter moments later. Bella looked apprehensive enough for all of them. Joanna was struck with a thought about how different they were in that aspect; Bella couldn't lie her way out of a tin can.
"The Denali Coven are on their way." Edward said curtly, picking his daughter up when she reached for him.
"That's Tanya, Kate, Eleazar, and Carmen, right?" Joanna asked, recalling them from the wedding that somehow seemed like a lifetime ago.
Bella nodded absently, suddenly staring at her best friend in horror, "Jake, what did you let them do to you?"
Edward was staring too, and appeared to be having a stroke. Joanna had no doubt Jacob would too if he had any idea what his face actually looked like, and she laughed softly, "I was showing Ness whatnotto do."
Jacob turned to his imprint, betrayal spread across his face, "What?"
Ignoring him, Joanna glanced at her sister and brother-in-law as she ruffled through the things she'd borrowed from Rosalie for the afternoon, "Don't worry, he'll be presentable by the time the 'cousins' get here. I promise. Make-up remover will make this quick work."
Bella shook her head grimly, but the amused smile on Bella's face fed the pleased one on Joanna's face. "I have no idea how you're going to do that, Jo. They'll be here in less than an hour, and I wouldn't blame them for running the instant they glimpse your face, Jake."
Jacob nodded, taking a make-up wipe from Joanna's outstretched hand, "We'll be up at the house soon looking our best."
Fortunately, most of the products Joanna and Renesmee had slathered on Jacob's face came off with minimal effort. Honestly, his high body temperature had it half melted off anyway. Joanna consoled him with kisses across his newly cleaned skin. Aware of their visitor's heightened senses, they stopped there.
The plan was simple enough: Joanna and Jacob would stay with Renesmee, the wolf ready to snatch them both up and away at a moment's notice. Like they had been doing for days, the pair took to distracting Bella's daughter while they waited, though Jacob insisted they forgo using him as their canvas.
Joanna was working with colored pencils out of the biggest box Crayola sold, doing her best to recreate a scene from one of Renesmee's infant memories. The blue shadows and strands of red blended into purples, and while Joanna had no real idea of what she was doing, it looked pretty close on paper to what she'd seen in her head.
"I was in Mommy's tummy then." Renesmee said clearly, peering over her aunt's shoulder from the paper Jacob had been teaching her to play tic-tac-toe on.
Joanna frowned at her niece, "What?"
"That's the first time I heard you talking." Renesmee explained simply, turning her attention back to her game.
Joanna was momentarily distracted from the possibility of their impending deaths. The abstract colors and swirls weren't random figments of Renesmee's imagination like she'd thought. They were her first memory of her aunt. No wonder it had been a common image before she'd started conversing aloud. Joanna considered her drawing and realized that this was the view Renesmee had had from the inside, one she connected with her first recognition of her aunt. It was in equal parts unsettling and sweet.
Every head but hers suddenly looked towards the driveway. "Showtime." Jacob whispered, ruffling Renesmee's hair and kissing the crown of Joanna's head.
The Denali Coven were punctual.
Bella and Edward gave them tight smiles as they went to greet their guests.
The Denali vampires were beautiful, of course. Joanna distantly remembered seeing them from across the dance floor at the wedding, but the quiet of the forest and the daylight made them look exactly as otherworldly as they really were.
Edward spoke in a calm and even tone, though Joanna didn't bother trying to keep up with the speed. Jacob had an arm casually around her waist, his warm body pressed against hers. Renesmee was just in front of them, holding one of Joanna's hands in hers. Thankfully, her attention was focused on the present so she wasn't bombarding her aunt with images. Joanna put all her attention on the body language, watching them cycle between disbelief, horror, and finally settling on cautious curiosity.
Bella held one of her perfect hands out, a tight smile on her face, "Jo? Jake? Why don't we let Renesmee come greet our guests?"
Jacob didn't let more than an inch of space get between them, every movement of her body being matched by his, but he looked more at ease than Joanna would have expected. She felt oddly proud of him. Even if it was a facade, he was the best.
Joanna forced a smile, "Hello, I'm Bella's sister. I was at the wedding, but they kind of kept me away from the groom's side of the family. For obvious reasons." She laughed awkwardly, and continued once not another sound joined hers, "This is my niece Renesmee and my boyfriend Jacob. He happens to be a werewolf, but we don't hold it against him."
They introduced themselves tightly, but the dark-haired female, Carmen, was the first to approach. She smiled at Renesmee, "Hello, little one."
Joanna knelt next to her niece, who seemed unsure of what to do. Which…of course. Joanna had learned social skills and grifting in the worst way, but she'd had years of practice. Renesmee, as smart as she was, truthfully was a baby. She understood enough of what they were attempting to realize everything rested on them "liking" her, but wouldn't have any idea what to do. Joanna put a hand on her warm cheek, just like the little girl did so frequently to everyone else, and urged her to look her in the face. Bella's anxious chocolate eyes stared back, "Come on, Pretty. We are all right here. Just be you. Okay?"
Her anxiety rippled across her perfect face, making her look so much like her mother that Joanna would have teased them about it under normal circumstances. But she was her parents' daughter, and after getting encouraging smiles from both, she took a deep breath and faced Carmen again. "Hello."
Carmen smiled softly, reminding Joanna of Esme as she brought herself down closer to their present height. "You are Bella and Edward's daughter?"
Renesmee nodded, and Bella sighed, explaining as she joined them, "She's really better at using her gift to communicate when she's nervous." Bella stroked her daughter's hair, "Why don't you explain?"
Renesmee nodded again, letting go of the grip she'd had on Joanna's hand to reach towards Carmen. The others in the coven stepped forward sharply, but Carmen kept smiling, and placed her hand over Renesmee's as it came to rest on her cheek.
Her eyes got that now familiar distant glaze to them as Renesmee showed her memories. Which ones or how many, only Edward would know, but when she withdrew her hand and Carmen blinked a couple of times, the woman's smile grew.
Carmen stood and turned back to face her sisters and mate, "Impossible as it seems, Edward has told you nothing but truth. Let the child show you."
The other three seemed hesitant, but Carmen was steadfast, even turning back to Renesmee and asking "May I hold you, bebé linda?"
One glance at her father, and Renesmee whispered a shy "yes".
At that point, Joanna let herself melt back against Jacob and watch the little girl charm a whole new set of vampires. "She's amazing." Joanna whispered.
Jacob kissed the side of her head, "So are you."
They stayed outside for a while longer, Joanna's growling stomach breaking up the reunion.
The Denalis stared at her, like it had just now dawned on them that she was human, and Joanna shrugged, holding a hand out to her niece, "Dinner time, Ness. If I'm hungry, you have to be too."
Renesmee pulled a truly precious face of disgust, but took Joanna's hand anyway. Edward chuckled, explaining, "She prefers blood, but she seems to need food as well. Joanna is a master persuader."
Jacob helped her warm a pan of Esme's lasagna while the vampires settled into the Cullen's home. Renesmee thought sitting on her mother's lap was going to protect her, but neither Swan sister was going to let her skip a meal.
Tanya came up to the other side of the island, "So you are mates?"
Joanna hummed slightly, distracted by the frozen garlic bread she was trying to pry apart. Jacob deftly took it away from her when she went for one of the knives, "Nope, no, you are not stabbing yourself and bleeding in a house full of vampires."
Joanna stuck her tongue out at him, but let him take over bread duty so she could actually talk with the new vampire. "Yeah, we are. It's why he's so protective."
"He hurts you." It was a statement, not a question.
Everyone else stopped moving, particularly Jacob.
Bella stood up with her daughter on her hip, "We're going to go get a not white shirt on, okay Ness? You might stain this one with sauce."
The girl protested, but Bella was out the door on the way to their cabin before she could put up too much of a fight.
"She's brighter than most adults, but she doesn't know much about the evils of the world yet. We'd like to let her be a child as long as we possibly can." Edward explained once they were out of earshot.
"I don't understand." Tanya said, eyebrows furrowed.
Jacob slid his hand into Joanna's, and she knew she was going to have to retell her story over and over. They could all see her scars after all. She looked at a spot on the floor as she spoke, "I was kidnapped as a toddler and trafficked. Sold. Sexually abused. Prostituted. The worst of humanity. The Cullen's saved me, brought me back home, to my family, my twin, and then I met Jacob." She couldn't help but look up at him as she said his name, and the love in his dark eyes made her breath catch.
He calmly explained imprinting, and how he would do anything for her, all without his eyes leaving hers.
Tanya giggled when he was done, "Such devotion. Are there more of your kind? Unattached?"
"Uh…." Jacob started, seemingly caught off guard.
Edward scowled, "Tanya, they are durable, but that's…"
Joanna blinked, understanding a second before Jacob did. He cringed, "Nope, no, no. I thought we smelled bad to you guys?"
Tanya eyed the muscles exposed by his sleeveless shirt, "I don't have to breathe."
The fit of laughter that erupted from Joanna broke any and all tension that was left in the room, and the vampires settled in for an evening of watching the human, half human, and werewolf eat dinner.
Bella regaled them with a new story, showing her daughter how to cut lasagna to get all of the elements in one bite, "The first time I met Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme, they were making Italian for me. But your father here, he was apparently worried about food poisoning and had me eat before we came. Your Aunt Rose was so mad I'm surprised I lived to see another day."
"Eddie, you monster, you robbed her of a tasty meal. This is delicious." Joanna assured everyone, blowing on a bite before shoving it ungracefully into her mouth.
Edward looked only mildly offended, "No one in the family had cooked in decades. Esme's been practicing a lot since then. Hence the frozen meals. She got tired of being wasteful and figured Bella would want food while we lived in the cottage."
Joanna waved a forkful in her sister's direction, "Your loss, my gain."
Bella pursed her lips in a mostly failed attempt at hiding a smile, "Don't talk with your mouth full. You're as bad as Charlie."
"Charlie?" Eleazar asked.
"Our dad." Joanna explained, "We're twins. But I'll always be the older one now since someone stopped aging three months ago."
"If we survive the Volturi, it would be interesting to examine the man who fathered such powerful daughters." Eleazar said casually.
Edward had explained his gift prior to them arriving, but Joanna still had to raise an eyebrow at him, "You're fun at parties, aren't you?"
The vampire named Kate burst into laughter, and Eleazar smiled good naturedly, "I only say as much since there are not one but three abilities in as many of his descendants. I would like to meet your mother again as well, but I remember from the wedding that she lives far away."
"Sure. So what is our power anyway?" Joanna asked, trying not to look overly interested in the response.
He seemed undaunted by her challenge, "Bella is a mental shield. Edward a telepath. Their daughter, a perfect foil. Tactile thought projection. And you…human as you are, are harder to read. I think you rest somewhere between your sister and niece."
"Astral projection." Edward offered, spoiling the surprise.
"Jerk." Joanna snapped, projecting the word 'asshole' to him in her thoughts. She really was working on her cursing around Renesmee. They really really didn't need a foulmouthed half-vampire running around. She was not likely to make friends that way.
He smiled blithely, pointedly ignoring her ire.
Carmen smiled at her mate, "A projection of the mind. How wonderful."
Eleazar studied Joanna for a beat longer, "You access your ability already? As a human?"
Joanna nodded, but didn't explain that it likely had to do with trauma and latent Quileute blood. Again, that was not a conversation Renesmee needed to be present for.
They turned the conversation to easier things, and Joanna found herself fast asleep on the sofa sandwiched between Jacob and Renesmee before she even knew what hit her. Damned carbs.
The next morning the Denali coven again watched in morbid fascination as Jo, Jacob, and Renesmee ate breakfast. A casserole from Esme's deep freezer. It was delicious, but Joanna found herself missing the maternal vampire more than she'd expected. Of course it was only natural. In the six months since she'd been rescued, Esme had been a steadfast calming presence in her life. The house seemed lifeless without her. Guilt gnawed at Joanna a moment after. She missed Renee, but Esme being gone somehow seemed worse. Which was absurd and had to be another mark against her mental health. Her unhealthy instinct to reach out for Rosalie was probably bad too. She hadn't even realized how much she'd started to rely on them both until they were gone.
"You okay?" Jacob asked, her own personal emotional barometer.
Joanna finished her last bite, nodding, "Yeah. I will be." Because either they were all reunited or they were all dead. There wasn't much sense in worrying about anything other than surviving. She was good at that. She could do that.
Jacob didn't call her out on the lie, but kissed her gently, a movement that the Denali coven watched with rapt morbid attention. The petty part of Joanna wanted to slide into his lap and give them something to gawk at. She resisted the urge though. Barely.
Bella's dry glare helped her resist too. Her sister knew her so well.
They went outside after, encouraging Bella to grow her power. It was a spectacular shit show for most of the time until they poked the momma bear, for which Joanna was grateful. If they'd even tried to touch Renesmee, she might have had to do something stupid, like offer herself up as the guinea pig instead. Then Jacob would have gotten upset and they'd have had another whole shit show on their hands.
A break came after Bella's first success, spurred by the arrival of two new vampires, Peter and Charlotte. News that they were sent by Alice and Jasper was a welcome relief. At least they hadn't completely abandoned the family.
Once Bella was making progress, Eleazar turned his attention to Joanna.
The sun was setting, casting a fiery orange glow across the treetops. Jacob watched warily, but since Bella seemed calm, he just stood there. He shifted his weight as the minutes passed in silence, dead leaves crunching underfoot. His focus was sharp, all on Joanna, who was sitting in the center of the clearing. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up, his instincts screaming at him to protect her.
Jacob froze.
He'd never seen her do this, not from this end, not really. He'd seen her astral form several times now, but the flickering glow he had seen when she had had her unintentional episode beside the fire was back. It wasn't from a fire, it was coming from her, from her body, and it made his skin crawl. The vampires didn't seem to notice. The air was thick though, and it felt like the edge between human and wolf.
"Jo?" He asked, stepping forward though not one of the vampires did.
She didn't respond, her body still while she focused on the task she'd set her self at the vampires' behest. Jacob's sense were in overdrive, and he could smell the faintest trace of something wrong. There was a coppery tang in the air that didn't belong, and the energy around her felt wrong.
Joanna's breath picked up, her chest rising and falling faster. She went completely still and her head lolled forward. Her body was in front of him, but her soul, her spirit, was somewhere else. Her heart started racing, too fast, too weak, and Jacob started panicking.
"Joanna!" His voice shook, "Joanna, stop!"
Bella looked guilty, but also seemed concerned.
Jacob went down on his knees at Joanna's side, giving her a sharp shake. She gasped for air, her breath coming in sharp, jagged bursts, and he could feel her pulse racing beneath her clammy skin. Her blue eyes were unfocused, and she had to blink several times before he got the sense that she was completely back with him.
He could see the damage now. Her power hurt her. It was a sacrifice. Every time she left her body, it was left behind weakened and fragile. With absolute clarity he knew, knew that if she stayed out too long, if she didn't stop, someday she wouldn't have a body to come back to. His eyes burned with fury and helplessness. He didn't understand how she'd done it for so long, how she'd lived with the power that clearly took so much from her. He would not let her destroy herself, not on his watch, not even for the little half-human girl they both loved so much.
"This is going to kill you." He whispered softly, looking deep in her eyes. Then he glanced up at her sister's, his best friend, and realized that they'd all known.
Joanna gripped his shirt, "Hey, Jake, no, I know. That's why I haven't in a while. I need to practice. I'll get better."
"You won't do anyone any good dead." He hissed incredulously.
"I know." She whispered, "Not on purpose anymore."
He held her tightly, glaring at her sister and brother-in-law, who should have known better. "I'm taking her inside, she's going to rest, and this is not happening again. We can protect Nessie without this."
Joanna argued a little, but let him cradle her upstairs and put her to bed. In the end, she promised him she would try to keep herself together. At least not without Carlisle present. Jacob had faith the doctor could help talk some sense into her.
The next morning, Edward met Joanna at the base of the stairs, paternally adjusting the blanket she had draped around her shoulders as he handed her a steaming mug of coffee. "Jacob left a half hour ago to check on his dad. He should be back soon." He told her softly, opening the door for her. At first she didn't understand his quiet theatrics. He wasn't typically the most theatrical Cullen. Sure, he had his moments, but it was unusual. Rosalie beat him hands down in the theatrics department.
The first tendrils of dawn had begun to seep into the sky, painting it in soft hues of lavender and pink. The air was cool, but not too cold that the mug in her hand and her blanket wouldn't keep her warm. Birds stirred in the trees, their songs faint at first, whispers of a world waking up. The porch creaked under her slipper covered feet.
She didn't see him at first. Not until she rounded the corner of the porch where Esme kept a couple of chairs. It all made sense when she stepped onto the patio and saw the dark figure leaning against the patio railing. His profile was sharp against the pale light of the morning, eyes focused on the trees ahead, like he was waiting form something. Or maybe just trying to figure out how to be there.
Joanna stopped dead in her tracks. For a moment, just one, she wondered if she wasn't imagining him. Maybe he was an apparition? Another shadow of the past come to haunt her. But no, his broad shoulders and long coat were unmistakable. He stayed completely still, though he had to know she was there. After all, no one had ever taught her how to be quiet. Not outside of keeping her mouth closed when opening it would get her dead. Would it now? Surely not. Edward would never have let her onto the porch if she was going to be in danger. She stood frozen, unsure if she should speak, move, or just let him take the first move. He looked smaller than she remembered.
Joanna gripped the mug in her hand tightly, grounding herself as she took a ragged breath, fighting against the rush of old memories. Her spirit wanted to flee, but she swallowed hard, the shock of seeing him settling enough for her to say: "Long time no see, Garrett."
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Coming Up: Joanna and Garrett talk, the remaining witnesses gather, and it's CHRISTMAS! Will there be Christmas smut? Absolutely!
-Jenn