Argh the editing on this is bad but I'm feeling impatient because this chapter was like pulling teeth. I may fine tune it later.

Carlisle

Esme's been pleading with me to wait until the children get back before doing anything about Nora. She insists that I look like some kind of demented burglar dressed in black but when I took the ski mask off I like to think I looked at least a little like maybe I was just wearing black to mourn.

"Carlise love, you will never look like anything but a madman wearing fine dress pants from your old tuxedo, black house house slippers and Emmett's too large black hoodie. Give me the crowbar. What do you even need it for?"

"They were the only black pants and shoes I own. Black doesn't suit my colouring, Esme."

"I know dear. Our ghostly complexion does not favour black. Come home!"

I managed to at least convince Esme to let me walk past the child's room to check on her, then she bustled me home with as much force as I've ever known her to use.

Nora was sedated. They no doubt guessed her near catatonic state was the result of the trauma of the accident. Sedation in such cases will sometimes allow a child's mind to rest and overcome the initial shock. I knew her elevated heart rate was indicative of extreme pain. Who knows what the doctors treating her thought. I'm surprised they managed to get a needle into her before the venom hardened her skin but with an IV in place we had time. They'd be able to administer all the ordinary medicines and treatments they wanted without supposing something very unnatural was happening.

It was just coming upon dawn when the others got home. For those first few moments we just stared at each other before Rosalie fell to her knees in front of Esme and with a catch in her voice spoke. "We just thought we needed to be home sooner rather than later."

Esme swept her into a fierce hug.

Well, hugging is what happened for a while.

Jasper and Alice disappeared for a few hours then reappeared with a copy of Nora's parent's will, and some of the child's old report card and various phone numbers and photo albums. Nora had an Aunt and several cousins up in Canada. She had a granddad who was suffering from dementia in a nursing home just outside of town and a grandmother living in Florida.

Jasper

"The will is blank."

Alice took it to see what I meant. "Oh it's one of those do it yourself will kits. They never filled it out."

"They were young," said Esme. "Estate planning likely didn't even hit the radar."

I usually worked with our 'grey areas' Lawyer as Bella called him. I suggested, "The grandparent with dementia is not a problem. The grandmother is but maybe someone can charm her believing she's too old and the Aunt is the better choice and as the Aunt is from outside the continental US we might have some wiggle room. Carlisle and Esme I'm pretty sure you are one of very few registered foster parents in the immediate area. They won't approach you but maybe if you volunteer, push the doctor and home based care angle, maybe you can get a temporary guardianship then turn that into a permanent guardianship later. We'll need a lawyer pushing things through to make everything happen quickly before things get ugly. Esme, you're an excellent artist, do you think you can handle some forgery?"

It wasn't like this was fun for anyone but one of the realities of being blood sucking monsters was sometimes to stay alive you needed criminal skills.

"What do you want forged," she answered.

"Just the parents' signatures and the dates post dated maybe six months ago at the bottom of the will, and we'll have our lawyer sign and date too. That will authorise him to act as their agent and he can work in the interests of the family, for us, even without the rest of the will filled in." Jasper explained.

"Have you done something like this before Jasper," asked Esme, sounding kind of horrified.

"Stolen a child?!" He asked, his voice cracking in distress. "No, but that's what I'm for, isn't it? When things get ugly in the worst possible way, Jasper knows all about it! He'll take care of it!"

"This isn't who I want to be but someone has to do it or they'll be bloodshed and truths that can't be spoken and all of us will be in danger!"

Carlisle

'Oh Lord, God of my creation, please help my children,' I silently prayed looking at my father's cross still leaning against the wall. Poor Jasper is bearing the weight of all of our grief and I can see the cracks in his armour growing moment to moment but he's right we do depend on him with ugliest parts of our lives. I call myself his father but I don't know what to do for him.

I hugged him and tried to fill my heart with thankfulness and love and positive feelings of whatever sort I could muster. Jasper wasn't great with physical contact with the exception of Alice.

Alice wrapped herself around both of us.

"Sorry," whispered Jasper. "I think I'm a little."

"Overwhelmed," offered Alice.

Jasper nodded silently.

Esme looking remorseful apologised. "Jasper, I'm sorry. All of this is just hard and horrible. Nobody's asking you to be anything but kind and good. I understand you're doing your best to find the gentlest way that is still fast enough to keep everybody safe."

As much as I was trying to focus on only positive things, I sat back on my heels. "I imagine it feels rather like when I have to amputate a limb. I don't want to do it but sometimes it has to be done."

"Yes Sir," agreed Jasper.

Then Charlie called to ask about the funeral and what to tell Renee. It was customary to at least have a photograph on display and there were secrets Renee had never been told.

"Their wedding picture in black and white will work for both people that knew Bella before or after the change," suggested Esme. She knew all the family photo albums in and out. "Bella and Edward shared enough physical characteristics that as long as the photo of Renesmee is in profile her current background shouldn't be put to question."

Suddenly Alice sobbed, "We'll have to take down all the baby pictures. It is expected that we'll have people up to the house and Renesmee looked like both her parents, not a niece as we claimed her to be."

I thought about Nora's parent's funeral for a moment. "Jasper, Nora's parent's funeral would be part of their estate affairs. The grandmother and the aunt are likely to come."

Alice frowned and sadly admitted, "This won't work. There's no positive outcome with the options we've currently come up with."

Rosalie offered a suggestion. "We have a blank will. The grandmother and aunt are both from the female line but only a grandfather with dementia is on the male line. Friends will remember oh there was an aunt but it's unlikely they'll know all the details. We create an aunt on the male line and leave Nora in her care. A blood relative won't be contested by the foster system. Who among us does Nora look the most like, Alice, Esme or myself."

Alice scanned the future with the three choices. "Esme. She doesn't look like Nora but she's been seen the least by everyone in town. We'll need to relocate almost immediately after we get her. Then new identities, new country, new start."

Alice, Rose and Esme disappeared upstairs to restyle Esme.

Jasper called our blackmarket lawyer.

"I'm going to Charlie's to help with the funeral planning."

Emmett stopped me. "You are not going anywhere dressed like that and Dad I'm going with you."

I'd forgotten I'd been skulking around morgues and such.