April 14th, 2023

Esme's POV

My family had all gathered in the living room. Carlisle was seated beside me, his arm draped behind me over the back of the couch. Despite my protests, like every year, my family again was spoiling me with gifts. My birthday. It was early Friday morning. The kids had to go to school, Carlisle had a conference to attend at 10. And they had insisted on me opening my gifts before they left. Well…all except my husband, who's exact words were "Your gift from me comes later,".

In my hands I held the gift Ness and Jacob had given me.

"It's beautiful, thank you so much," I gushed and smiled at my granddaughter and her love, who had come to see her for the weekend. Ness beamed as I slipped the delicate bracelet over my wrist, opposite my family crest bracelet I always wore. The small band made of gold was thin and, in the center, the word "MOM", but the "O" was a paw print. I smiled.

"It's from us, but with the pack in mind," Jake said, and I looked up, our eyes meeting.

"I love it," I told him, and then smiled at Nessie, "Thank you,".

I felt Carlisle's hand press against my back softly.

"Emmett, you're last," Rose said, as Emmett smiled, reaching over the coffee table to pass me a small rectangular box with a bow around it.

"I wasn't sure what to get you, and I found this thing in a pawn shop the other day, and thought it was unique enough for you to add to your collection," he said as I pulled the ribbon off the box. I lifted the lid carefully and revealed the item inside.

A necklace. An odd looking one. The pendant was gold, constructed of three loops set within one another. It wobbled as I held the two little knobs that protruded from either side of the outer loop. Each of the three loops was set on its own axis. X,Y, and Z. The outer most and second loop had an inscription on it. The very center loop was a circle that held a tiny three-dimensional hourglass, and you could see the sand inside. Little stars decorated the space surrounding the hourglass. The pendant dangled from my hand by a long gold chain, that was much too long for anyone to sensibly wear around their neck.

"It's very intriguing, Emmett, very unique," I said, and slipped it around my neck. Sure, as I knew it would, it hung past my belly button, "It's lovely, sweetie," I told him, "Thank you,".

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost 8:30. I gasped.

"Oh my gosh, you guys need to get moving, you'll be late for school," I said and stood up. My children agreed and all gave me quick hugs before grabbing their things and heading out the door. Which left me, my husband who remained in his spot on the couch, and the scattered papers and ribbons. I sighed and turned to Carlisle. He chuckled lightly with a smile. "Don't you have to be on the road soon?" I asked him, wondering why he hadn't moved as well. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down onto his lap, making me giggle lightly. His fingers grazed my sides through my dress.

"I just want a moment alone with my wife, is that crime?" he chuckled, and rubbed our noses together. I smiled and sealed his lips to mine. We kissed each other softly for several long seconds before I broke our lips apart.

"I thought my present was coming later," I smirked as he moved his lips to my neck, grazing the little silver scar he had left behind.

"It will," he mumbled, inhaling my scent heavily.

"Carlisle," I mumbled, barely audible. He chuckled and pulled away. I sighed again stood up from his lap, "Darling, I don't want you to be late for your conference," I said, and pulled at his hands, until he rose to his feet. He embraced me in a hug.

"For you, love, I'd miss work every day," he smiled, and pressed our foreheads together.

"Not today, you aren't," I chuckled, pressing my hand to his chest and pushing him away gently. He rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Ok, ok, I'm going," he said and gave me one last kiss before sauntering towards the door and pulling his coat off the rack, slipping it on as I picked his bag off the bench and handed it too him.

"I'll be home early this afternoon. We can all hunt together," he smiled, and kissed my cheek, before opening the door, "I love you," he said, as I held the door open.

"I love you too," I replied, and with that, he stepped out the door. I smiled watching him climb into his car, and I waved before closing the door and hearing his car pull out of the driveway.

I turned around when the rumble of the car faded into the distance and saw the disaster that lay before me. I sighed and began cleaning up the ribbons and paper I had piled on the floor. My other children's gifts sat on the table. I smiled to myself.

The books from Bella, the clothing the from Alice, and shoes from Rosalie. The sheet music of the new song from Edward, and Jaspers very sweet and beautifully written at great length, card. I smiled at the bouquet of white roses in the crystal vase from my husband. I looked down at the bracelet from Nessie and Jake on my wrist, and it made me smile again. I greatly adored and appreciated that the entire pack felt I was a maternal figure in their lives. My fingers gently tapped the center of the necklace Emmett had found. Such an oddity but it was Emmett, and I still loved it.

I threw the paper I had collected in the trash and cleaned the dishes in the sink from Ness and Jake's breakfast. As I wiped the counter down, I gazed out the kitchen window. The sun was peering through the clouds, casting down rays on the grass in the back yard. The outdoors called to me as I set my rag in the sink and wandered out through the sliding door onto the deck. The sun beamed down on me every time it poked through the clouds. A small group of songbirds zipped by as I leaned over the wooden railing, smiling as I heard the pattering of a deer's hooves on the ground, the gentle, content snorting. I wasn't hungry, and it was rare that animals wandered close to our home. Most creatures sensed the danger of a den filled with apex predators and steered clear. Though on the rare occasion when I was alone, something would always find its way into the yard. I watched, remaining still as the doe approached slowly, her head low, nibbling the grass as she stepped lightly. She looked up when the birds suddenly scattered, and I smiled, beckoning to her, and she froze, her dark eyes meeting mine before she darted back into the woods, disappearing through the trees. I sighed to myself, and looked down, seeing the hourglass in my necklace catch the light. I smiled and lifted the pendant, holding it by its two little knobs on the side. The rings all lined up, forming a perfect pendant. I lifted it up to eye level and held it up in the sun, admiring the little sand grains as they shimmered.

The pendant wobbled ever so lightly, and I tilted my head, spinning the little knobs with my pinched fingers.

And suddenly I felt off, the world around me was shifting strangely. I looked up, seeing the doe again, but she was galloping out of the trees…backwards. I gasped, dropping my pendant, and fell backwards onto my butt, startled. Everything stopped spinning and the dizziness was gone.

"Jesus," I exhaled, as the shock from the fall subsided.

I looked around me, the world was carrying on. A flock of birds zipped past.

But I was staring at something unusual. I was looking at the back of…my outfit? I glanced down at my self and furrowed my brow, standing up very slowly. I was confused as ever. What had just happened?

I carefully walked around, seeing myself, a mirror image of me, leaning over the balcony as I just had been a moment ago, smiling out at the back yard. She didn't seem to notice me by her side. I let my gaze follow hers, seeing a doe nibbling gently on the grass as she walked along.

What was happening? An out of body experience? Did I faint? No, vampires don't…can't faint. I was experiencing what felt like déjà vu. I watched this mirror me. She smiled as some birds in the tree scattered and the doe looked up, and then towards us as she beckoned to him, making her dart into the tree line. Then she reached for her necklace and held it up. I watched as it shimmered in the lighten, and she watched it wobble, before turning the little knobs just as I had.

She fell to the ground, landing on her butt, startled. But nothing around me had happened like the first time.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. I had to be having an out of body experience.

"Jesus,"

I opened my eyes at the sound of my own voice. Mirror me glanced down at herself and furrowed her brow, standing up slowly.

"Let me help you," I said, extending my hand, reaching for her upper arm, but it just fell through her, as if she was a ghost. She didn't give any indication of hearing me either. She floated around the spaces in which I had moments ago. I reached for the necklace, as I kept my eyes trained to this ghost me, watching something that wasn't there. I lifted the pendant, holding it up as I had before, grasping both knobs.

Slowly I turned it in the opposite direction, away from me, and I felt dizzy again, but watched mirror me as she sped up, copying my actions until.

Boom…

I felt a thud in my chest as this ghost of her collided with me, the moment I hit the ground again, and then she was gone.

As if she had caught up to me, and then disappeared. My eyes fell to the pendant, still grasped between my fingers. I inhaled in shock, and pulled it off my neck, tossing it away from me, onto the ground. It lay there, still. I was breathing heavily, in panic, scared slightly.

What the hell had just happened?

So a little introduction. I've always wanted to do a "Cullen's go back in time" centered around Carlisle and Esme but couldn't think of a logical way to do so. Then the Time Turner from Harry Potter popped into my mind and I decided to go for it. So because the Time Turner is the only Harry Potter element of this Twilight based story, I won't be listing it as a crossover fic.

I only proofread once so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I often write late at night, after work, and have up to ten chapters prepared before I start publishing, so I only go back and edit right before publishing each one.