They came, black cloaks fluttering in the wind, snow swirling around them. They fanned out in a tight grouping around the three who stood in front. Dozens more filtered in through the trees hanging around the fringes. Watching.

His eyes were a burning red, like Momma's was in the very beginning. His skin was pale, paler than pale, it was like chalk. His skin almost looked powdery and frail. With his face was set in the most benevolent of smiles, he raised a hand and pointed one long, slim, pale finger at me. And then the screaming began.

The cloying scent of purple smoke clogged my senses. The metallic grate of metal being ripped apart making me wish to cover my ears. Only I couldn't. I couldn't move, I was paralyzed. Forced to listen as my loved ones and new friends were being torn apart. Forced to watch as my father was immobilized and torn limb from limb, his body cast into the ever growing inferno behind them. The screaming was growing louder, an edge of hysteria to it. I could see my mother's lovely face being engulfed in the fire, Jacob's wolf form struggling against the flames, struggling to reach me.

"Jake!" I screamed, watching him burn. The fur charring, flesh splitting and sloughing off his body. "Jacob!" I screamed, past all reason, past all sanity, past living.

Strong arms caught me up, the soothing voice I craved crooning in my ear. "Hush now Nessie, I'm here. Your Jacob is here." I wrenched my eyes open desperate to put a face with that voice. My sheets were twisted around my body, drenched in sweat. My Jacob, skin a beautiful warm cinnamon, eyes so dark they could be black, full lips turned down in a frown of concern. He was alive. He was here. It was everyone else I couldn't be sure of. Who else had made it out?

We had been running for days, barely stopping to eat or drink. Jacob's energy seemed boundless, mine was not. His gallop only slowing when my head nodded against his shoulder. But, even he had his limits. How many state lines had we crossed by now? I didn't have a clue.

That was the scariest thing of all, we required rest, our enemies didn't and they drew ever closer with every rest we needed.

Camping out in an airport was the safest we could get right now. I had already gone through the backpack my mother left with me. Everything we needed was inside. Passports, money, and a destination. Rio De Janeiro. It had been our quest before. Before my world crumbled around me. To find out legends about me. Hoping to find some inkling of my lifespan. Everyone hid their worry from me, but there was no hiding how abnormal my growth was. I may look five years old but my intellect spans many years beyond that. I've done the math, I don't have long.

Jacob's large body created a hole in the crowd. Perhaps it was his size or his intimidating presence. Either way, at least we don't have to fight our way through people. The smell of their blood around me was driving my senses insane. We hadn't had time to hunt and while I can sustain myself on a diet of human food I prefer blood. The people were like a mouthwatering buffet. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva I hurried after his broad back. Airplane tickets were terribly expensive last minute but we had the funds. Mother made sure of that. I tried not to think of her, of any of my family, it was too hard. Instead I focused on the memory of the woman's face when Jake paid for our tickets in cash. Her eyes had fairly popped out of her skull. Guess that didn't happen very often.

Being thirty thousand feet in the air and souring over the ocean was as safe as it got under the circumstances. For the first time in days my Jacob could finally give himself over to the bone crushing weariness I could see in his eyes. Uninterrupted sleep was what he needed. I only wish I was as lucky. Sleep didn't come easy anymore. Exhaustion was the only method that did it. Whenever I closed my eyes I could see my families last moments. Their numbers had seemed like nothing against such overwhelming odds. Tears prickled my vision as I thought of it. My fingers sought the warm reassurance of Jacob's hand, he twitched but thankfully stayed asleep.

The in-flight movie was about as interesting as listening to Grandpa Charlie talk about sports. Still, I forced myself to watch it. To watch until my eyelids drooped and fatigue tugged at my small body. I succumbed willingly. Tonight I did not dream.

The airport of our layover was equally as crowded as the one we had left. More so. The quick intelligible flow of Spanish swirling around us. Jacob could pick up bits and pieces of it, enough to find the restrooms and order us food. The hamburger he got me looked particularly unappealing.

"Eat it Nessie, we'll need our strength from here." Jacob took a bite of his own burger encouragingly. He had a stack of them in front of him. I poked it away with a finger and he sighed.

"I can't have you starve Ness, you need to eat." His face was thoughtful as he plowed through four more burgers. At this rate they should have just given him the cow.

"How about this, we find a quiet spot and you drink your fill. Okay?" My Jacob, always willing to give me anything. I nodded.

Easy as a knife going through butter my fangs entered the flesh of his shoulder. Rich, warm blood flooded my mouth. Ravenous I drank until I was full, Jake would never stop me. Even the times I was greedy and took too much. He merely waited patiently until I was done. The pinprick holes my fangs left healing themselves by the time I lifted my head.

"Thank you Jake." The words I love you just didn't seem strong enough. He was wholly necessary in my life. He was mine.