Prologue
Charlie Swan

"Wow, you're really mad, huh?" Bella's laugh broke me out of my angry glaring at the woods as she joined me at the deck railing.

"That obvious?" I grumbled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as she lent into my side sweetly.

"Very." She laughed, looking out at the woods with a thoughtful look on her face. "I know it must terrify you, the idea of going back to that lions den, with your family no less, and so I wanted to come check on you."

"When did you grow up so much on me, Bells?" I grinned at her, a bittersweet but proud kinda feeling replacing some of the intense anger.

"Maybe somewhere between my first and second kid." She shrugged, hitting me with her shoulder playfully. "I'm thirty-seven with two teenagers, Dad." She reminded me unnecessarily.

"And you don't look a day over nineteen." I teased her back, earning a laugh from her. "Maybe a grey hair or two." I shrugged and she slammed me in the arm.

"Very funny." She sneered as I laughed at my own joke. "Seriously, Dad, are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded. "I've just got to get over my anger towards the Volturi." I shook my head, still feeling it burn in my chest a little.

"Easier said then done, we aren't easily altered anymore." Bella nodded in return, picking up on the severity of the situation. "But, between us, and I'll deny it in front of Grace, I get just as angry."

"You do?" I asked, surprised at my usually calm and happy only child. "I knew you took after your old man, but not that much."

"They tortured you, changed you, and then spent months breaking your psychological state. They almost made you kill your mate, my mother, because you were so delusional. You lost a leg because of them." She spoke through her teeth. "Plus, I have my own problems with them." She frowned angrily at the tree line.

"Like?" I implored, not being able to help my policeman's curiosity.

"Like," she stressed "the fact that they took my father from me at a very delicate time in my life. I missed the chance to have my father walk me down the aisle, had to suffer along with my mother at grieving his loss, and then had to go through my second scary pregnancy without either of my parents. I thought my mother had gotten an assisted suicide from them over her grief. They literally came to try to kill my kid and our entire family." She growled. "So yeah, not happy with them either." She shook the anger off, turning her gorgeous eyes on me.

Sometimes, I miss her brown eyes and flushed skin, and then I'm reminded that she shares those beautiful eyes with Grace now, and everything seems right with the world again.

"I'm sorry, Bella." I sighed, pulling her closer to my side. "You should've never gone through any of that."

"But I did." She shrugged. "And so did you. And that is neither of our faults." She affirmed. "I just couldn't sit there listening to Edward and Grace chat knowing you were out here upset."

"Grace knows to just let me think through it." I shrugged. "We thought these gut feelings of mine were just a newborn thing, but eighteen years later I've still got these strong reactions."

"It's your cops intuition." Bella nodded. "You've always been a thinker and an emotional dad, so I think this life just brings that out of you even more. You're the protector around here and so your gut is mad that you can't protect us all from this."

"God, you're so smart." I chuckled, kissing the side of her head.

"I get it." She smiled sweetly at me. "I'd do anything to protect Elizabeth and Anthony, have almost died for them and Edward a couple of times now." She laughed dryly. "We'll have to trust Carlisle and Grace's guidance on this. Just try to focus on how much you love us all and keep protecting us your main priority. Maybe don't focus on how angry you are at the Volturi. I don't want them to get into your mind again, Dad." She sighed worriedly.

"You are never going to lose me again, I promise, Bella." I swore to her.

"Good." She smiled before giving me a sweet hug. "I guess I should head back inside. I should make sure Elizabeth is okay. She was a little rattled by all of the packing earlier."

"One more question." I added. "Grace send you out here?" I smiled knowingly, still watching the trees, as she reached the backdoor.

"Guilty." Bella pled. "Night, Dad." She cooed before shutting the door behind her.

Half a minute later, I had a feeling that I was being watched alert my instincts.

"Hello, Lovely." I smirked, catching Grace as she attempted to sneak up and surprise me.

"Hi." Grace smiled widely at me as she slipped in between me and the deck railing, effectively cutting off my view of the tree line. "Have I ever told you how it drives me wild to see you and Bella happy together?" She purred, kissing her way up my neck as she pulled me tight against her.

"Maybe a time or two." I grinned as her hands slipped inside my jacket and began to roam my sides. "You know, attempting to seduce me isn't going to change my mind about the Volturi, right?" I chuckled.

"Attempting?" She frowned up at me. "I thought I was doing quite a good job at it." She pouted.

"A very good job." I nodded, feeling the familiar daze I experience when her stunning eyes are zeroed in on me. "It's just something I'm not going to be able to get over, Honey. I'll go, of course, but I'll be watching our family like a hawk trying to keep everyone safe. I'll try not to let my anger get the better of me, but I'll protect this family above everything else." I swore to her.

"I know." She nodded. "That's one of the reasons I love you so much." She smiled beautifully before giving me a long drawn out kiss. "Now come inside and help me finish packing before our flight." She teased, pulling me with her towards the door by her hold on my waist.

"Why does my intuition think you're just trying to get me alone in our bedroom so you can pounce?" I teased her back, running my fingers through her hair to spur her on.

"Because your intuition is always right." She giggled and I practically chased her upstairs to our room.