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  〃Oh；〃　I　said；　stunned。　It　took　me　a　minute　to　understand　the　erroneous　conclusion　he'd　drawn。　〃Oh　no。
  It's　nothing　like　that　at　all。〃　I　smiled　weakly；　trying　to　reassure　him。　〃I'm　simply　preparing　a　safe　place　for
  her　in　case
  something　were　to　happen　to　my　husband　and　me。〃
  His　eyes　narrowed。　〃Are　you　expecting　something　to　happen？〃　He　blushed；　then　apologized。　〃Not　that
  it's　any　of　my　business。〃
  I　watched　the　red　flush　spread　behind　the　delicate　membrane　of　his　skin　and　was　glad—as　I　often
  was—that　I　was　not　the　average　newborn。　J　seemed　a　nice　enough　man；　criminal　behavior　aside；　and　it
  would　have　been　a　shame　to　kill　him。
  〃You　never　know。〃　I　sighed。
  He　frowned。　〃May　I　wish　you　the　best　of　luck；　then。　And　please　don't　be　put　out　with　me；　my　dear；
  but。。。　if　Mr。　Jasper　should　come　to　me　and　ask　what　names　I　put　on　these　documents　。。。〃
  〃Of　course　you　should　tell　him　immediately。　I'd　like　nothing　better　than　to　have　Mr。　Jasper　fully　aware　of
  our　entire　transaction。〃
  My　transparent　sincerity　seemed　to　ease　a　bit　of　his　tension。
  〃Very　good；〃　he　said。　〃And　I　can't　prevail　upon　you　to　stay　for　dinner？〃
  〃I'm　sorry；　J。　I'm　short　on　time　at　present。〃
  〃Then；　again；　my　best　wishes　for　your　health　and　happiness。　Anything　at　all　the　Cullen　family　needs；
  please　don't　hesitate　to　call　on　me；　Bella。〃
  〃Thank　you；　J。〃
  I　left　with　my　contraband；　glancing　back　to　see　that　J　was　staring　after　me；　his　expression　a　mixture　of
  anxiety　and　regret。
  The　return　trip　took　me　less　time。　The　night　was　black；　and　so　I　turned　off　my　headlights　and　floored　it。
  When　I　got　back　to　the　house；　most　of　the　cars；　including　Alice's　Porsche　and　my　Ferrari；　were　missing。
  The　traditional　vampires　were　going　as　far　away　as　possible　to　satiate　their　thirst。　I　tried　not　to　think　of
  their　hunting　in　the　night；　cringing　at　the　mental　picture　of　their　victims。
  Only　Kate　and　Garrett　were　in　the　front　room；　arguing　playfully　about　the　nutritional　value　of　animal
  blood。　I　inferred　that　Garrett　had　attempted　a　hunting　trip　vegetarian…style　and　found　it　difficult。
  Edward　must　have　taken　Renesmee　home　to　sleep。　Jacob；　no　doubt；　was　in　the　woods　close　by　the
  cottage。　The　rest　of　my　family　must　have　been　hunting　as　well。　Perhaps　they　were　out　with　the　other
  Denalis。
  Which　basically　gave　me　the　house　to　myself；　and　I　was　quick　to　take　advantage。
  I　could　smell　that　I　was　the　first　one　to　enter　Alice　and　Jasper's　room　in　a　long　while；　maybe　the　first
  since　the　night　they'd　left　us。　I　rooted　silently　through　their　huge　closet　until　I　found　the　right　sort　of　bag。　It
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  must　have　been　Alice's；　it　was　a　small　black　leather　backpack；　the　kind　that　was　usually　used　as　a　purse；
  little　enough　that　even　Renesmee　could　carry　it　without　looking　out　of　place。　Then　I　raided　their　petty
  cash；　taking　about　twice　the　yearly　income　for　the　average　American　household。　I　guessed　my　theft
  would　be　less　noticeable　here　than　anywhere　else　in　the　house；　since　this　room　made　everyone　sad。　The
  envelope　with　the　fake　passports　and　IDs　went　into　the　bag　on　top　of　the　money。　Then　I　sat　on　the　edge
  of　Alice　and　Jasper's　bed　and　looked　at　the　pitifully　insignificant
  package　that　was　all　I　could　give　my　daughter　and　my　best　friend　to　help　save　their　lives。　I　slumped
  against　the　bedpost；　feeling　helpless。
  But　what　else　could　I　do？
  I　sat　there　for　several　minutes　with　my　head　bowed　before　the　inkling　of　a　good　idea　came　to　me。
  If。。。
  If　I　was　to　assume　that　Jacob　and　Renesmee　were　going　to　escape；　then　that　included　the　assumption
  that　Demetri　would　be　dead。　That　gave　any　survivors　a　little　breathing　room；　Alice　and　Jasper　included。
  So　why　couldn't　Alice　and　Jasper　help　Jacob　and　Renesmee？　If　they　were　reunited；　Renesmee　would
  have　the　best　protection　imaginable。　There　was　no　reason　why　this　couldn't　happen；　except　for　the　fact
  that　Jake　and　Renesmee　both　were　blind　spots　for　Alice。　How　would　she　begin　to　look　for　them？
  I　deliberated　for　a　moment；　then　left　the　room；　crossing　the　hall　to　Carlisle　and　Esme's　suite。　As　usual；
  Esme's　desk　was　stacked　with　plans　and　blueprints；　everything　neatly　laid　out　in　tall　piles。　The　desk　had　a
  slew　of　pigeonholes　above　the　work　surface；　in　one　was　a　box　of　stationery。　I　took　a　fresh　sheet　of　paper
  and　a　pen。
  Then　I　stared　at　the　blank　ivory　page　for　a　full　five　minutes；　concentrating　on　my　decision。　Alice　might
  not　be　able　to　see　Jacob　or　Renesmee；　but　she　could　see　me。　I　visualized　her　seeing　this　moment；　hoping
  desperately　that　she　wasn't　too　busy　to　pay　attention。
  Slowly；　deliberately；　I　wrote　the　words　RIO　DE　JANEIRO　in　all　caps　across　the　page。
  Rio　seemed　the　best　place　to　send　them：　It　was　far　away　from　here；　Alice　and　Jasper　were　already　in
  South　America　at　last　report；　and　it　wasn't　like　our　old　problems　had　ceased　to　exist　just　because　we　had
  worse　problems　now。　There　was　still　the　mystery　of　Renesmee's　future；　the　terror　of　her　racing　age。
  We'd　been　headed　south　anyway。　Now　it　would　be　Jacob's；　and　hopefully　Alice's；　job　to　search　for　the
  legends。
  I　bowed　my　head　again　against　a　sudden　urge　to　sob；　clenching　my　teeth　together。　It　was　better　that
  Renesmee　go　on　without　me。　But　I　already　missed　her　so　much　I　could　barely　stand　it。
  I　took　a　deep　breath　and　put　the　note　at　the　bottom　of　the　duffel　bag；　where　Jacob　would　find　it　soon
  enough。
  I　crossed　my　fingers　that—since　it　was　unlikely　that　his　high　school　offered　Portuguese—Jake　had　at
  least　taken　Spanish　as　his　language　elective。
  There　was　nothing　left　now　but　waiting。
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  For　two　days；　Edward　and　Carlisle　stayed　in　the　clearing　where　Alice　had　seen　the　Volturi　arrive。　It　was
  the　same　killing　field　where　Victoria's　newborns　had　attacked　last　summer。　I　wondered　if　it　felt　repetitive
  to　Carlisle；　like　deja　vu。　For　me；　it　would　be　all　new。　This　time　Edward　and　I　would　stand　with　our
  family。
  We　could　only　imagine　that　the　Volturi　would　be　tracking　either　Edward　or　Carlisle。　I　wondered　if　it
  would　surprise　them　that　their　prey　didn't　run。　Would　that　make　them　wary？　I　couldn't　imagine　the　Volturi
  ever　feeling　a　need　for　caution。
  Though　I　was—hopefully—invisible　to　Demetri；　I　stayed　with　Edward。　Of　course。　We　only　had　a　few
  hours　left　to　be　together。
  Edward　and　I　had　not　had　a　last　grand　scene　of　farewell；　nor　did　I　plan　one。　To　speak　the　word　was　to
  make　it　final。　It　would　be　the　same　as　typing　the　words　The　End　on　the　last　page　of　a　manuscript。　So　we
  did　not　say　our　goodbyes；　and　we　stayed　very　close　to　each　other；　always　touching。　Whatever　end　found
  us；　it　would　not　find　us　separated。
  We　set　up　a　tent　for　Renesmee　a　few　yards　back　into　the　protective　forest；　and　then　there　was　more
  deja　vu　as　we　found　ourselves　camping　in　the　cold　again　with　Jacob。　It　was　almost　impossible　to　believe
  how　much　things　had　changed　since　last　June。　Seven　months　ago；　our　triangular　relationship　seemed
  impossible；　three　different　kinds　of　heartbreak　that　could　not　be　avoided。　Now　everything　was　in　perfect
  balance。　It　seemed　hideously　ironic　that　the　puzzle　pieces　would　fit　together　just　in　time　for　all　of　them　to
  be　destroyed。
  It　started　to　snow　again　the　night　before　New　Year's　Eve。　This　time；　the　tiny　flakes　did　not　dissolve　into
  the　stony　ground　of　the　clearing。　While　Renesmee　and　Jacob　slept—Jacob　snoring　so　loudly　I　wondered
  how　Renesmee　didn't　wake—the　snow　made　first　a　thin　icing　over　the　earth；　then　built　into　thicker　drifts。
  By　the　time　the　sun　rose；　the　scene　from　Alice's　vision　was　complete。　Edward　and　I　held　hands　as　we
  stared　across　the　glittering　white　field；　and　neither　of　us　spoke。
  Through　the　early　morning；　the　others　gathered；　their　eyes　bearing　mute　evidence　of　their　preparations
  —some　light　gold；　some　rich　crimson。　Soon　after　we　all　were　together；　we　could　hear　the　wolves　moving
  in　the　woods。　Jacob　emerged　from　the　tent；　leaving　Renesmee　still　sleeping；　to　join　them。
  Edward　and　Carlisle　were　arraying　the　others　into　a　loose　formation；　our　witnesses　to　the　sides　like
  galleries。
  I　watched　from　a　distance；　waiting　by　the　tent　for　Renesmee　to　wake。　When　she　did；　I　helped　her　dress
  in　the　clothes　I'd　carefully　picked　out　two　days　before。　Clothes　that　looked　frilly　and　feminine　but　that
  were　actually　sturdy　enough　to　not　show　any　wear—even　if　a　person　wore　them　while　riding　a　giant
  werewolf　through　a　couple　of　states。　Over　her　jacket　I　put　on　the　black　leather　backpack　with　the
  documents；　the　money；　the　clue；　and　my　love　notes　for　her　and　Jacob；　Charlie　and　Renee。　She　was
  strong　enough　that　it　was　no　burden　to　her。
  Her　eyes　were　huge　as　she　read　the　ago