DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.

JANUARY

Two months. It had been two months since Charlie Swan had seen his daughter and grand-daughter. He could care less about his son-in-law. This was probably his fault anyway. He had always thought that he was a bastard.

The last time Charlie had seen all of them together was on Christmas Day. Edward was his usual cool as a cucumber self, but no matter how hard Bella had tried to hide it, he knew that something was wrong. Jake had once warned him that one day, Bella was going to take off on him. Maybe his daughter knew that this was coming and couldn't face him. No matter how bad it could possibly be, no matter how deep dark the secret was, Charlie would have done whatever it took to keep them in his life. Bella knew all of this.

So why in they hell, Charlie thought, had he not seen hide or hair of them since early January? They had been speaking almost everyday and up until that point and Bella had brought Nessie over to see him several times a week. He knew that leaving would be a possibility, but she had promised him that she would at least keep in touch in some way. She had promised him. And then, one day, she just stopped answering the phone. Edward never picked up his cell phone either.

Charlie had gone over to the Cullen house. All of the cars were still there and even a few that didn't belong to them. But there was no sign of life in the house. The lights were all out. In fact, he went by twice and knocked on the door, but no one ever answered. At first, he had given them the benefit of the doubt that they could just have not been home. It was a hope he held onto tightly.

The third time Charlie went by was different. He would get to the bottom of this. The front door was locked and so was the back. The back of the house was covered completely by metal. He wondered to himself when they had decided to cover up the glass. It looked as though the Cullens were defending themselves against something. From the back, it looked like a fortress. There was no way in hell Charlie was going to be able to get through that metal. He would have to find another way inside.

As Charlie was walking around to the front of the house from the other side, he noticed another structure a little ways off that he had never noticed before. It was the same design as the main house, but it was hidden by the trees. Charlie made his way over to it and realized it was a garage of some sort, but far bigger than any garage that he had ever seen.

Luck was on Charlie's side because one of the smaller doors in the rear of the structure was unlocked. He knew no one was around to see, but he still tried to be stealth about it as he slid inside. After fumbling around in the dark for a minute, Charlie was able to find a light switch. Before him was the most beautiful and impressive collection of cars that he had ever seen. Edward's Volvo was parked in front of the house along with a red BMW, but Charlie definitely recognized the Aston Martin as the car that Edward had driven Bella in to the prom. Bella's Mercedes was also parked alongside Carlisle's own Mercedes. However, the car that was parked all the way in the back was by far the most amazing car that Charlie had ever seen in his whole life. A Ferrari. It took his breath away. So much so that the yellow Porsche parked next to it paled in comparison.

Charlie knew that people in Carlisle's position made a hell of a lot more money than any other Forks resident could ever dream of making, but all of this was beyond even the salary of the Chief of Surgery at Forks General Hospital.

After Bella and Edward got engaged, Edward had sat down with Charlie to discuss the finer points of his financial situation. His birth father had been a lawyer and had left him several million dollars as well as the family home in Chicago. Apparently, it was an old house built in the late 1800's. With Carlisle's help, he had modernized the property and now rented it out for a pretty penny. He also had a team of lawyers who took care of it for him. Carlisle and his advisors had helped Edward invest his inheritance. Edward did not come out and say it, but he implied that Bella and any children that they might have would never want for anything or even ever have to work. How his daughter ended up in the only teenage marriage with a millionaire, Charlie would never know.

But there was always more than meets the eye with Edward. With all of the Cullens really. Bella had given birth to Nessie in just under a month after the wedding. Even if she had been pregnant at the wedding, she definitely didn't look it. Yet, Charlie was not allowed to know how all of this was possible. However Nessie may have come into existence, Charlie knew one thing for sure. She was his grand-daughter. Her last name may be Cullen, but she was still a Swan as far as he was concerned. She was a part of him.

As Charlie looked around the garage, he noticed a pegboard against the far wall with some keys hanging off of it. He walked over to it and saw that the keys were all labeled. Charlie thought he had hit the jackpot. One of the keys was labeled "Main House". He grabbed it and hightailed it over to the mansion. Again, he took a quick look around before putting the key into the lock. Everything that even remotely involved the Cullens made him jumpy. Once he was sure that no one was watching, he entered the house.

Without the Cullens actually there, the house almost felt normal. It sure as hell looked normal to Charlie. It was a suburban home like any other. Well, it was the suburban house of a wealthy doctor in Forks. It was a castle to a lot of people in the area. Everybody in town was always curious about this house. This family intrigued people everywhere they went and left people wanting to no more no matter how normal their lives seemed.

In front of Charlie was the staircase that he walked down with Bella on her wedding day. That moment was forever seared into his memory. It was the day that changed things forever. Charlie always knew that it would, but the changes were far more than he could have anticipated. Giving her away to Edward had apparently meant that Bella had turned away from any sort of normal life that her father had hoped she would have had. Soon, Bella had contracted some sort of rare tropical disease and, a month later, gave birth. Charlie tried to shake off this knowledge.

Billy had always had some farfetched prejudice against the Cullens. He never failed to warn Charlie that they could never be trusted. In hindsight, it was some sort of mystical knowing that he had been privy to.

I should have listened Charlie thought to himself. I should have kept Edward Cullen away from my little girl.

Charlie moved throughout the first floor. The living room, the dining room and the kitchen. Whenever Charlie had visited, Esme would always have this delicious fruit drink on hand. It was some sort of European soda water. It was probably wrong to do it, but he was thirsty. There in the refrigerator, Charlie found what he was looking for. Right there next to the eggs, English muffins, some now wilting lettuce and several packets of blood. Somebody was taking their work home with them.

Downstairs didn't really give Charlie any clues as to their whereabouts, so he headed up to the second floor. The first room was what must be Carlisle and Esme's room. Like the rest of the house, the furnishings were pure luxury. Everything was cream colored and airy. On the dresser was their wedding picture. They must have had a theme wedding because those two were dressed like people from the 1920's or 30's. He felt funny snooping so he kept moving.

Down the hall were two more bedrooms. One guess which one belonged to Alice. For someone who was so meticulous about wedding planning, there were clothes strewn about on every surface almost as though someone had been in a hurry. Just as he was about to leave the room, he noticed another wedding picture. This one looked like it had been taken in the 1950's. Theme weddings must have been a family favorite. Every moment became more and more bizarre. He never knew Alice and Jasper were married.

Charlie was aware that there was more to Alice and Jasper's relationship than a familial bond. Bella had assured him it was okay because they were both adopted. There was still something wrong about it to Charlie. Yet, it didn't escape his attention that the two seemed so well suited to each other. So did Rosalie and Emmett, but it still seemed just so wrong.

Trying to shake off this internal debate, the chief of police found himself moving to the third floor. While the second floor had multiple doors running along the same length, this floor only had two doors on opposite sides of the hall. Charlie looked at both doors and tried to open the one to his right. However, it was locked and when he glanced up at the wall beside it, he noticed an electronic keypad. Charlie reasoned that he may have to come back another day with his tools and break the door down. Something told him that should the Cullens ever return, it was unlikely they would want to get the authorities involved for breaking and entering. So, Charlie attempted to see what was behind the second door. He was in luck. It was unlocked.

However, the contents of this room were far less sinister than what he imagined was behind the other door. This room was obviously a playroom for Nessie. It was filled with toys, books, dress-up clothes and every other item that could delight a young child. It completely ripped Charlie's heart out to know that she would most likely never return to play with any of it. Even if she did, she would have long outgrown her childhood.

It was at that moment that Charlie Swan realized that he would never see his daughter and grand-daughter ever again. He had hoped, but he knew in his heart that it was all over. They were gone. His love for them and this empty house were the only proof that they had ever existed. For the first time since his divorce, Charlie broke down sobbing. Looking back on the history of his relationship with Bella, it seemed to be filled with more strife than loving moments. Renee had taken her away. He saw her for only two weeks out of the year at most. Then, when she finally came to live with him, she was almost immediately stolen away by Edward Cullen. Even when Edward left her, she was still with him. She still belonged to him. Charlie never stood a chance. He wondered if the fates had ever meant for him to be a father at all.

MARCH

The last two months had seemed like a frenzied eternity to Jacob Black. From the moment he took off running from that snow-covered field in Forks with Nessie on his back, life had never been the same.

He had pushed his body in a way he never had before. Jacob ran them directly to Seattle. He phased back and dressed. Then he found a motel room. It was just for a few hours, but Jacob was now responsible for the life of a child so he needed to get organized. Nessie sat on the bed and watched Jacob with wide eyes as he went through the contents of her backpack. Bella had indeed been thorough. Jacob found ID's and passports for the two of them as well as several hundred thousand dollars in cash. There was also a piece of paper that merely read "Rio de Janeiro". He assumed that is where his friend wanted him to take his daughter.

Now that the next leg of their journey was established, Jacob had to get practical. There was no way he could travel internationally with all that cash. He needed to convert some of it to Travelers Checks and put the rest where he could access it whenever or wherever he might need it. This would require a bank that gave him personal attention. A rich people bank. Jacob picked up the complimentary newspaper and flipped to the business section. He skimmed several articles, but there was only one that caught his interest. It was about the Ferris family who were pretty much considered to be Seattle aristocracy. They had made a fortune in logging and now had transitioned their wealth into the tech market. Harold Ferris, the patriarch, had been seen lunching with Archie Vandenberg, head of Seattle First Federal Bank. The clients at Seattle First Federal were afforded very personal and very discreet attention. It was the equivalent of concierge banking. Jacob knew that the money he had was only a drop in the bucket for a bank like that, but the personal service and accessibility was exactly what he needed.

"Jakey, I'm hungry." Said Nessie in barely as whisper as though the walls had ears.

For the time being and most likely for the foreseeable future, Jacob would be acting as both mother and father to Nessie. He loved Nessie and would do his best to care for her in all the ways that a parent would. He had lost his own mother early on and had practically raised himself even with Billy around. But that wouldn't be good enough for Nessie. Especially since they had been reduced to running for their lives.

Jacob tried to think back to how he'd seen Bella and Edward raise Nessie. Even in the most dire of situations with a sword hanging over their heads, Nessie's parents had always insisted upon structure. Bedtimes were enforced, vegetables were eaten, toys were picked up and beds were made. Structure was the key. Structure would become his friend.

Structure would hopefully be a comfort to Nessie when she finally fully understood that all was indeed lost.

However, they still needed to get the hell out of Seattle. The best square meal Jacob could do right now was a selection of sugary foods from the vending machine down the hall.

While Nessie ate, Jacob explained to her that her new identity was Vanessa Wolfe and that he would be pretending to be her father. He told her that the bad people might come to find them and her mother had wanted them to go to Brazil.

"We're a team now, Nessie," Jacob said with a smile. "…and teams stick together. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Even though Nessie didn't quite fully understand that her way of life as she knew it was gone, she knew that she was alone with Jacob. She knew that he would protect her and care for her. She clung to his every word and command like a life boat. Nessie knew little of the outside world, but was smart enough to know that she should be frightened. Should be, but having Jacob with her made things a little less scary.

"Now, we have to stop at the bank and then we need to go straight to the airport so we can fly to Brazil. You need to stay with me at all times and don't let go of my hand. Now I need you to promise that you'll follow the rules, okay?"

"I promise. I'll be good." Nessie nodded vigorously and her curls sprang out all over.

He was stern, but didn't want to be too hard on her so he drew her into a hug.

"That's my girl. Sweetheart, I promise you, everything is going to be fine. Like I said, don't wander off and no talking to strangers." The little girl nodded. Jacob pulled back and looked at her. "Now, do you have to go to the bathroom before we go?"

It had been too easy. So easy that Jacob was sure the Volturi were just giving him a head start.

Jacob and Nessie had walked into Seattle First Federal Bank hours earlier and had managed to silence everyone. His hulking physique and her ethereal beauty caused everyone to take notice. Even Archie Vandenberg, the head of the bank, was intrigued. In fact, he personally attended to them, giving them his solemn oath that he would oversee the account himself. Mr. Vandenberg was especially understanding about the covert administration required. Jacob liked him. For a rich person, he wasn't half bad. He didn't ask any questions. Jacob suspected that this was how Mr. Vandenberg became rich in the first place.

Jacob and Nessie hailed a cab immediately and sped off to SEA-TAC. Jacob looked over this shoulder at every turn, petrified that they were being watched. Were the Cullens able to defeat the Volturi and their flight unnecessary? What about his friends? Were the wolves still alive? Jacob wasn't about to stick around and risk Nessie's life to find out. He had promised his best friend that he would protect her daughter with his life. Jacob would never dare break that promise.

Upon arrival at the international terminal, Jacob found a flight to Rio via Houston. And for the cost of what would surely feed a third world country, Jacob purchased two first class tickets. He would be better about conserving cash in the future, but he could just not deal with the restricted legroom in coach. They quickly made their way through security although they did raise a few eyebrows traveling internationally without luggage. Jacob told them that due to lost luggage in the past, they had chosen to ship it via Fedex ahead of time. With an hour to kill until their flight started boarding, Jacob decided that it would be a good idea to pick up some new clothes. There wasn't much to choose from, but he was able to pick up a new pair of pants, shorts and a t-shirt. For Nessie, they bought a sweatshirt and a t-shirt. He also thought it would be a good idea to buy some baseball caps for both of them.

He also picked up books about Brazil and Rio in particular as well as an English to Portuguese dictionary. Nessie picked out two books and a child's guide to Portuguese. Soon they were settled in the first class lounge and snacked a bit. However, neither Jacob nor Nessie really felt like eating. Everything was beginning to sink in and become real. Jacob stroked Nessie's hair while she was seated next to him. She looked defeated and deflated.

"You okay, Ness?"

Nessie didn't answer right away and looked off into the distance. Finally, she swallowed and then spoke at last.

"I'm never going to see my mommy and daddy again, am I?"

Jacob wondered what he had done in his life to deserve this horrible fate of having to tell such an innocent and sweet child such an awful thing. He hesitated a moment before answering; pausing so he could remember a time when she still had hope.

"No, I don't think so, sweetheart."

She dropped her head and stared at the floor unseeingly while silent tears made their way down her cheeks. Jacob wondered what kind of world they lived in where something like this had to happen.

"But you'll always stay with me, won't you, Jakey?"

Jacob reached down and stroked her hair. She turned to look at him, her pain written all over her face.

"I will always stay with you and protect you. You never have to worry about that."

And there really was no doubt in Jacob's mind about that. Nessie was practically family and with the exception of Charlie and Renee, he himself was really they only person she had. Jacob marveled at her bravery in the midst of all the chaos. She was undoubtedly strong. She reminded him of Edward.

Not long afterwards, Jacob and Nessie were eating the first square meal they had had in the last twenty-four hours. Jacob was enjoying the best filet mignon that first class had to offer while Nessie had the chicken. All of the stewardesses were charmed by the adorable auburn-haired child and made sure that she was the first passenger to get dessert. It was a simple comfort and distraction, but one that Jacob was glad she could have.

In between sleeping and eating their way to Brazil, Jacob read up on Rio de Janeiro. Better that than trying to make heads or tails of rudimentary Portuguese. Besides, it seemed much more likely that Nessie would pick it up more quickly as she was powering through her language book. There were more important things to worry about. According to the guidebooks, tourists should not venture too far from their hotels since Rio could be a very dangerous place. In fact, there was a section called City of God. It was called this because God was the only person who dared go there. Now Jacob didn't mind so much for himself. It was doubtful that anyone would hassle him, but he didn't want Nessie to be frightened in any way. That meant that they would need to stay somewhere with good security. Alas, that would mean staying in a pricey hotel. So much for saving money, but Jacob wasn't going to take any chances.

Upon their arrival in Rio, Jacob hailed a cab and directed the driver to take them to the Copacabana Palace Hotel. Jacob had decided on that particular hotel because they guidebooks said it was in a secure area and practically right on the beach. As the cab pulled up outside the hotel, Jacob couldn't help but feel like a fish out of water. He was disheveled because of the long journey and he was carrying a sleeping child. To say that people stared would be an understatement. Jacob reasoned that he would have to make an attempt to fit in with the opulent surroundings lest people started asking questions.

Jacob approached the reservation desk and adjusted Nessie on his shoulder. The woman behind the desk was dressed in a crisp black suit with her dark hair swept up and secured in a chignon. Her makeup was impeccable and everything about her seemed to be flawless. Alice would have liked her. She acknowledged him in Portuguese, but quickly noticed Jacob's hesitation.

"Would it be more helpful for me to speak English?" She said in a softly accented voice. Jacob exhaled with relief.

"Yes, please!"

"You are looking to check into the hotel, yes?"

"Yes, I would like a room with two beds please."

"And what is the length of your stay with us?"

"One week, please." Jacob felt it would be more prudent to stay only a short time while they got a taste of life in Rio. He reasoned that they would change hotels every so often to remain undetected. The woman clicked away at her computer while she looked for a vacancy.

"Sir, I do see we have a room for you and your daughter with an ocean view on the fifth floor for $449 US dollars a night."

"Perfect." The woman looked up and smiled.

"Your credit card, please?"

Jacob fished in his pocket for his card and slid it across the counter to the woman.

"Thank you. My name is Inez. Please let me know if I can do anything else to make your stay with us more comfortable."

A few hours after checking in, Nessie was sleeping soundly in bed. She had woken up while they were riding in the elevator going up to the room. When they entered the room, Nessie squealed and ran to the bed. Then she tore around the room inspecting all the amenities. The room was elegantly decorated in light colors with blue accents. Plush furniture invited them in as well as the sweeping views of the ocean and Copacabana Beach. There was a cabinet with a flatscreen television and a fully stocked minibar. The bathroom had a bathtub and a shower and it was completely covered in marble. There were high-end bath products and the most luxurious, fluffy white towels sitting on the counter. The ocean view could be enjoyed more thoroughly from the balcony, but Jacob thought it best that they stay inside during the daytime for now. It was late afternoon in Rio and it would soon be time for Nessie to go to sleep. She certainly needed it. While Nessie took a bath, Jacob ordered room service. Soon, they were eating club sandwiches in front of the TV while they watched American sitcoms dubbed into Portugese.

Jacob had taken a shower after he had put Nessie to bed. It was dark now and he stepped out onto the balcony. Even though his entire world had been upended, he was now experiencing a moment of calm. It hit him. How far he had come in just the last few days. The furthest he had ever been from La Push was Canada. Now he was running across the globe trying to keep his best friend's daughter alive. He was her only chance. Jacob thought more about his friend. He knew in his heart that both Bella and Edward were dead. The Volturi had descended upon them and exercised their own brand of justice driven by their own jealousy. Jacob had wanted to break down and cry. After all, he may look like a man on the outside, but he was still very much a boy on the inside. And a scared one at that. He couldn't though. He had to keep it together for Nessie. He had to keep it together if he was going to be on his guard. Jacob took a deep breath and inhaled the sea air as well as the various flora and fauna. He felt clean. Especially since there was no trace of the fragrance of old death that vampires carried with them. They were safe. For now.

For the first few days, Jacob kept Nessie inside the room. She understood why, but the little girl was starting to go stir crazy. So Jacob took her out for a bit. They had lunch and bought some new clothes including swimsuits. Nessie had taken one look at the hotel pool and made Jacob promise that he would teach her how to swim.

And for the next two months, their lives continued in this pattern. Jacob continually extended their stay at the Copacabana Palace which offered Nessie some consistency. They would go to the hotel restaurant for breakfast and then spend all day by the pool or in the ocean. Nessie might meet a new friend to play with whose family was staying at the hotel on vacation. In the afternoons, she would read a book or practice her Portuguese with the hotel staff. Everyone just loved her.

Not once since they had been here had Jacob sensed anyone or anything coming after them. He knew what Bella had intended by sending them to the sunny locale, yet, he couldn't help but think that there was something that they had to wait for in Rio. Everyday, Jacob waited for some sort of message or some sort of sign, but nothing ever came. It had been two months. If the Volturi were coming after them, they would have found them and taken them no matter the weather report. They had ways and means beyond their limitations. They must have been happy enough to decimate the Cullens. Maybe they felt they did not need Nessie after all.

If Bella and Edward had survived, surely they would have found them by now.

Jacob felt it was time to fulfill his other promise to Bella.

He would take Nessie home to Charlie and tell him everything.

A/N: Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Also, please note that I am probably not going to include the imprint in this story. I have always thought it was bizarre and, frankly, inappropriate and cannot bring myself to write about a relationship like that. It just creeps me out so I will instead focus on the friendship and obligation Jacob feels to his friend who has entrusted him with her daughter.