"Walk in your rainbow paradise (paradise)
Strawberry lipstick state of mind (state of mind)
I get so lost inside your eyes
Would you believe it?

You don't have to say you love me
You don't have to say nothing
You don't have to say you're mine

Honey
I'd walk through fire for you
Just let me adore you
Oh, honey
I'd walk through fire for you
Just let me adore you
Like it's the only thing I'll ever do
Like it's the only thing I'll ever do"

October 31st, 2006

Joanna grunted once, popping back into her body, "Son of a bitch!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "I barely touched you. Grow a pair."

"Barely my ass! Sure I'll have a bruise." Joanna moaned dramatically, clutching her shoulder while grinning at her friend in anticipation. "Seriously though, did I make five minutes?"

Rosalie's expression was unreadable for far too long, and apprehension started to creep in. At least until Joanna caught Jasper smiling from his perch on the porch. Rosalie noticed her gaze and broke into a smile of her own, "You did! No weird heart rhythm issues at all."

Joanna pumped her fist in the air, "Three minutes more than what I could do two weeks ago!"

"You finish up your task too?" Rosalie asked, wary, but hopeful for her young friend.

"Yes!" Joanna shrieked, dancing in a circle around the vampire.

Rosalie glared at her brother, "I'm not sure which one of you is the reason for all this joy, but it's kind of ridiculous."

Alice emerged from the house and seemed to flutter down into Jasper's arms like a feather. She smiled warmly at Joanna and smirked at Rosalie, "Jasper's so happy because we're all happy. Jo's so happy because she had too much coffee this morning."

Joanna scrunched her nose up, "That's possible. It was Edward's idea."

Rosalie groaned, standing in a split second, one arm gesturing grandly towards the front door, "Carlisle will be home soon, you'd better get inside or he'll realize what we've been doing."

"Oh, come on, isn't the threat of discovery somewhat exciting?" Joanna asked, giving Rosalie a brief hug as she passed. Despite her sour mood, the blonde returned the hug.

Inside, Esme smiled up from her needle work, "Almost done."

"Can I help you with anything?" Joanna offered as she peered at the costume Esme was finishing. The matronly vampire and Alice had been in cahoots for days about the Halloween costumes, so Joanna had spent her spare time trying to figure out what they were. Renesmee's was obvious, but the other three had been carefully crafted in pieces to continue the mystery. It was just as annoying as it was sweet. After all, it wasn't just Renesmee's first true Halloween. Joanna and Bella may have gone as toddlers, but those memories hadn't stayed.

Esme pat the seat beside her, "I could use an extra set of hands. Alice got bored before she finished helping." Or she'd seen that Joanna wanted to be useful. That concept was left unsaid. Joanna appreciated the inclusion either way. As it was, it gave her time to continue trying to decipher what Alice and Esme had decided police chief, a shape shifter, and a reformed whore should dress up as for Halloween.

Esme kept her away from the scissors and sewing needles, but seemed content to let Joanna remove the pins from the fabric as she sewed by hand with the speed and efficiency of an industrial sewing machine. The last stitch had been laid when Bella, Edward, and Renesmee returned from their cottage.

"Aunt Jo!" Nessie yelled, across the room faster than was possible for a human to wrap her arms around her aunt.

"Hey, Pretty." Joanna swayed with the girl for a minute before asking, "You excited for tonight?"

Renesmee put a hand on Joanna's cheek, and, while she read the enthusiasm and anticipation, Joanna focused on her niece's beautiful face. Currently, she was about the size of a four year old, but in the day since Joanna had seen her, she looked closer to five. She was, of course, taller than the rest of her frame and facial structure suggested, which made estimates difficult unless Carlisle was nearby with comparison growth charts.

"I'm excited too." Joanna whispered, holding the little girl close. "They're going to love you."

It was terrifying to think that she'd volunteered to chaperone her niece's first adventure into the outside world, but Joanna had absolute faith in the petite halfling. Plus, they were doing it in a community that largely ignored groups of men (and now Leah) who just didn't age for decades at a time. Not to mention the sudden influx of wolf activity around the area whenever those beefy men stopped aging. None of them would bat an eye at a little girl who would look older should they see her a week later. For all they knew, the Quileutes could be the only non-family people Renesmee could actually spend time with during her ever advancing lifespan.

Alice broke them up, "Come on, time to get ready!"

The next hour of time was spent in a way that felt a lot like the morning of Bella's wedding, except the newborn vampire was just a spectator this time. And too damned pleased, "Was this your idea?" Joanna asked, gesturing to herself, portions of her hair braided into a coronet around her head before cascading down her back in tight curls.

Bella laughed, too caught up to take the edge of the inhumanly perfect sound, "No!"

Joanna glared at Rosalie, who was messing with a stray curl, "You?" Rosalie barely concealed a smile, but shook her head.

Joanna set her sights on the littlest Cullen, currently having Alice finish her make up, "Ness?"

Renesmee grinned up at her, perfectly endearing at every moment, "Yes?"

Joanna faked irritation, "Hope you don't get cold tonight! I have a feeling Jacob's not going to be too happy!" Of course, he made her a liar.

"Wow, Jo." Jacob said as soon as he dismounted his motorbike in the Cullen's front yard.

Joanna gave a small twirl, gripping a basked Alice had handed to her on her way out the door, "Not too on the nose?"

Jacob laughed, kissing her gently and very mindful of the tight look on Alice's face. She might kill him if he smudged Joanna's make up. He grimaced at the tiny vampire, "My turn?"

Alice's reply was to grab his hand and drag him upstairs, complaining about being pressed for time. Perfectly on time, Charlie showed up twenty minutes later. Already in his costume.

Joanna and Bella stood shoulder to shoulder in amazement as Rosalie documented every moment of his arrival and reunion with his granddaughter. In his Alice designed suit and her Esme stitched golden dress, Charlie and Renesmee made the cutest Beauty and the Beast (well, Prince Adam) ever.

"I can't believe I'm going to miss this." Bella whispered.

Joanna hugged her twin, careful of her own costume. "We will take plenty of pictures, promise. She needs some exposure, Bells. No one wants a sheltered half vampire."

"I know." Bella grumbled, "You guys will be careful, right?"

"Absolutely." Joanna promised, glad the conversation ended before Jacob came back down the stairs. She wouldn't have been able to keep a straight face. "Oh, Jacob."

He hung his head, "Nessie, I am only doing this because I love you and your Aunt Jo." Renesmee blinked innocently up at him, a hand on his. He chuckled, "Yeah, I'd rather me be in wolf form too, but, you're right, I'd probably stand out too much. Might actually scare people."

Joanna flicked the fake ears on the top of his head, "Why grandma, what big ears you have."

"Better to hear you with, my dear!" Jacob said in his best wolf pretending to be an old lady voice.

Joanna tapped his painted nose before she flitted away, the red cape Esme had kept hidden from her billowing behind her, "Ness, let's go before the big bad wolf gets us!"

Charlie laughed his ass off at the whole exchange, clapping Jacob good naturedly on the shoulder, "You're a brave guy, Jacob Black."

Jacob shrugged, watching Joanna carefully maneuver a seatbelt around Renesmee's puffy gold dress, "Couldn't tell Nessie no, and...Joanna looks happy about it."

Charlie squeezed his shoulder, "Yeah, just remember I'll be there all night."

Jacob smiled warily at the police chief as they joined the girls in the car. Joanna kept up a pretty constant chatter until they pulled up outside his house. He greeted his dad with a wave as he turned towards the back seat to help Renesmee out. It was her first time using a seatbelt, but she wasn't likely to really need help after watching her aunt secure the buckle. It was for Charlie's sake, and for the group of Sam's pack that were gathered outside the Black house.

Joanna glanced at her niece briefly, stunned to see obvious unease on the child's face. "It's okay, Ness." Joanna whispered, running a hand up and down the girl's arm.

Jacob sat her on her feet, and held his hand out to lead her to his father. After a split second of hesitation, she took his hand and walked beside him as he introduced her, "This is Renesmee."

Billy gazed at the half vampire in obvious awe, silent long enough that Charlie clapped a hand on his best friend's shoulder, "Looks like her mom, doesn't she?"

Billy smiled, and it almost reached his eyes. Progress. He held a hand out to her, "I'm Billy..."

"Black." Renesmee interrupted with her perfectly sweet voice, and took his hand in hers, "You're Uncle Jake's dad." She gave him a dazzling smile, "It's nice to meet you."

The stunned expression on Billy's face was priceless, and had Jacob doubled over laughing. Renesmee frowned at him, and he shot her a reassuring grin, "Nessie, you are something else."

Billy seemed to shake the shock, and tapped a finger under Renesmee's left eye, "It's good to meet you too, little one. You have your mother's eyes."

Renesmee nodded, breaking away to regain Charlie's attention, and Joanna took the opportunity to greet the patriarch, "Billy, Bella says to tell you she misses you, and that she really appreciates you letting Ness come out tonight."

He nodded solemnly, "I hope she understands."

"She does." Jacob said, wrapping an arm around Joanna's waist. "But she's a total mom now, anything for Nessie. Jo and I are failing miserably at keeping her from getting too spoiled."

"Obviously. We are standing here dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf wearing Grandmother's clothes." Joanna noted, glancing down at her dress for the hundredth time. Alice had impeccable taste, and it would be obvious to any passerby that all four costumes were handmade with vast attention to detail. Jacob's nightdress and Joanna's gown were also both era appropriate, and the dress fit Joanna to a T. The blue hue of the dress made her eyes pop, and, somehow, the vibrant red cape highlighted every strand of red hair typically hidden in her brown hair. The cape was intricately embroidered with thread the exact same shade as the main cape, and a velvet lining had been sewn in to keep her human self warm in the chilly air. For once, she felt like something out of a storybook.

Renesmee always looked like she'd stepped out of one, and in her ball gown the inhuman beauty of her was highlighted. Glitter delicately applied to her exposed skin helped conceal the slight shimmer that she gained in the sun. The Quileute's would be looking for differences in her, and would notice even though normal humans weren't likely to.

Even Charlie seemed transformed by his deep blue suit, looking younger even with his mustache still on his face. Alice had begged him for a week to shave, but had finally admitted defeat. If Alice couldn't make Charlie reconsider, no one could.

While the unfamiliar men from Sam's pack followed their trick or treating route, Renesmee didn't seem to mind at all, grabbing Charlie's hand and acting exactly the age she appeared to be. Many of the tribe members were wary, but between the pack presence and Billy's nods of approval and Renesmee being Renesmee, she had typically enchanted them enough that by the time they moved to the next house, the smiles in her direction were genuine.

About an hour and three hundred pictures later, Seth joined them, and they lost all semblance of maturity. Seth scooped Renesmee up, settled her high against his side so she had a better vantage point and started arguing with Jacob about who gave the best candy. Charlie stuck close by, out of worry for Renesmee as night began to fall or a general fear of teenaged shenanigans, Joanna really didn't know.

She found herself keeping pace with Billy, who had been wheeling himself around with surprising strength, but was tiring. "Would you like some help?" Joanna asked softly as they headed up an incline.

Billy nodded after a few seconds, "I would appreciate it."

Grateful that someone had insisted on sensible shoes, likely Bella, Joanna set herself to pushing Billy's wheelchair for him. Jacob looked back every few seconds, but relaxed when Joanna gave him a nod and a smile.

"He's happy again." Billy said, glancing up at her, "Thank you."

Joanna laughed shortly, building the courage to ask the questions that had lingered in the weeks since she'd seen the tribal elder, "You're welcome. I do wonder though, why I have a power so similar to that of your ancestors. It seems weird to me."

Billy sighed audibly, looking back at the road in front of them. "I have wondered that as well. I can think of two reasons the spirits would have given such gifts to an outsider. The first is that you were always meant to join us as Jacob's imprint. From the moment you were created, you were destined to be with him, and the spirits felt you needed power."

They had reached Sue's house, and, while Joanna would have loved to focus on how red Charlie's cheeks had gotten and to speak to the woman who had him so flustered, she took the opportunity to kneel next to Billy's chair so they could continue speaking at a quieter volume. "I'd thought about that one. The whole soulmates thing. But..."

"Bella." Billy finished for her.

"Yeah. She's gifted." Joanna added unnecessarily. "Charlie is a bit too, according to Edward."

Billy sighed again, looking at his long time best friend and trying not to be irritated with his interactions with Harry's widow. He would worry about that later. "That brings me to the second reason. I have long believed that Charlie may have Quileute blood."

"What?" Joanna barked, thinking about how absolutely pale the Swan's were.

Billy continued, ignoring her interruption, "When we were young he researched his family, and the Forks records of early settlement were amazingly intact. In the early 1800s there is a girl missing a mother. Charlie's ancestor settled here and mysteriously acquired a daughter a year later. I was curious, wanted to believe that my friend I cared so much about could be more than just a friend from the town over." He gave a wistful smile, remembering how much he'd wanted Charlie to be able to truly be a part of their lives, "I consulted our tribal history of the time, mostly journal writings and letters collected by our elders to preserve. There were several accounts among them that record a young woman was cast out about the same time, her name was not recorded for that reason. At the time, I allowed Charlie's father to convince me it was a coincidence, but now..." He put a hand over the one she was using to balance herself on his wheelchair, "I find it difficult to believe that the magic of the Quileute blood has not found a way to come back to the tribe it began in."

Their conversation ended abruptly when Renesmee ran up and put a hand on Joanna's cheek. "You're not sleepy yet?" Joanna asked, covering for the fact that Renesmee was replaying expressions between Charlie and Sue with a clear question on her mind. Little snoop. Renesmee frowned and shook her head, turning on her heel and running back to Charlie at a very calculated rate. They'd practiced. Repeatedly. And damn if Renesmee wasn't better at moving like a human than Bella was. Poor thing really did make a better vampire than human.

"You were right." Billy said as they finally moved on to the next house. "She is just a little girl."

"I'm glad she's had tonight." Joanna told him, as they both watched her interact with a young boy and exchange a few pieces of candy. Renesmee's smile was absolutely radiant.

"I have not come across anything about what her future may hold." Billy admitted.

Joanna sighed, "I'm not surprised. The Cullen's haven't found anything either. We'll just have to keep looking." She considered the man for a moment, "If I'm descended from a Quileute, even one who was cast out, then doesn't that mean that Jacob and I are related?"

Billy laughed shortly, "Very distantly. The woman was not from the line that leads to my branch of the tree. Charlie is far more closely related to Sue than you are to my Jacob."

"You don't like the two of them being...friendly, do you?" Joanna asked, growing more familiar with the inner workings of the tribe than she had been before.

Billy glared up at the humor in her voice, "You are a fit for our Jacob, aren't you?"

Joanna laughed at his tone, "I'd like to think so."

"What are you two over here laughing about?" Charlie asked, leaving Jacob and Seth to tear Renesmee away from her new friend.

"This and that." Joanna told him, intentionally vague. He was, after all, still on a need to know. Surely if Billy had thought Charlie needed to know, he would have told him all those years ago. "I'd better go help those boys. We'll never get to this last house if I don't."

She snapped more pictures as Renesmee walked down the side walk framed by Seth and Jacob. Renesmee's boundless energy ran out half way back to Billy's house, and Jacob scooped the girl up. "Candy..." she protested softly, lulled further into sleep by his warmth.

Joanna met those narrowed chocolate brown eyes with her blue ones, "We'll eat some tomorrow, okay, Beauty? I'm sure I can keep Uncle Jake from eating it all."

Renesmee sleepily reached out, and sustained contact just long enough to make it perfectly clear she was holding Joanna to her word. She was asleep for the last ten minutes of the walk, and even Billy gave up and let Seth take a turn at pushing the chair. Fortunately they made it back without Billy ending up in a ditch.

Jacob had been working on Bella's…now Joanna's truck for a few days, so Joanna used that as an excuse to let Charlie take Renesmee back to her parents alone. He didn't even ask how Jacob was going to get his bike. The pair waved as the car drove away, and Joanna sighed happily. Jacob kissed the side of her head, "Good night?"

"One of the best." Joanna said, a smile on her face, "Renesmee's never gotten to just be a kid like that. I had a good time too."

"I'm glad. I did too." Jacob turned her around to face him, but kept her firmly in his grip, "So, what's bothering you?" He asked, noticing the far off look in her eyes.

The smile vanished, and she resisted the urge to cry, "You heard my talk with your dad, right?"

He nodded, an adoring smile on his face, "Most of it."

"He's so sure that I'm gifted because the magic is coming back to you, to the Quileute, but, Jacob, I..." He waited patiently, so damned patiently, for her to get her words together, to be able to tell him. He probably would have waited forever, as long as she needed, and that was why she finally found the words. "I can't have kids. Almost impossible is what Carlisle said after I woke up. I know we're young, you're a step up from jail bait, but...we may only ever be the fun aunt and uncle. I don't think I can give you the chance to be a dad, and you deserve that. Someone else could..."

"No." Jacob said firmly, though his face was so incredibly kind still, "No, Jo. Is this your last ditch attempt to convince me we're not meant to be together?"

"No!" She insisted, but admitted a second later, "Maybe? I'm damaged goods, Jake. In so many ways. My body can't carry a baby for you. I don't want to steal things from your future."

"So we adopt. Or get a surrogate. Or decide we want to stay the fun aunt and uncle." He held her face tenderly, his thumbs stroking across her cheekbones, "I don't care, Jo. You want to be a mom, we'll find a way that works for us. It does not make you any less perfect to me."

Joanna couldn't hold onto the angsty cloud that had engulfed her. It evaporated at his words, at the absolute sincerity of him, and vanished as quickly as it had come. His mind hadn't changed at all. Which was good, because hers hadn't either, not really. "Okay."

He kissed her gently, treating her like she was something precious. His touch grew firmer as she responded to him, her hands wandering across the muscled expanses hidden under the gown he still wore. She pulled the lacy thing over his head to get closer to him, and he urged her legs up to rest around his waist, the soft fabric of her skirt bunched up in the front, but kept her completely covered in the back from any of Sam's friends that still lingered. When Jacob pulled away to let her breathe a few minutes later, he flipped her hood up, "Can we keep this?"

Joanna arched an eyebrow at him, "Really? A red cape does it for you?" A hint of a blush came to his cheeks and she had to laugh, "Okay, my big bad wolf, I'll be your little red anytime you want." She cleared her throat dramatically, "Why Grandmother, what big teeth you have."

"All the better to eat you with!" Jacob replied, kissing down the side of her neck to bite down before leaving a hickey there. She rocked her hips against him. Jacob groaned, rock hard in the shorts he'd insisted on wearing under the dress, and pulled away with a hoarse, "I love you."

She grinned at him, feeling so much lighter, like she could finally let herself just exist and be happy, to stop the fear from holding her back as she said for the first time, "I love you too."

His jubilant whoop and firm kiss were the perfect way to end the best Halloween ever.

Chapter lyrics from 'Adore You' by Harry styles.

And that concludes today's adventure of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf! I promise, Joanna will let the last of her guard down next chapter! ;)

-Jenn