Rose and Emmett made their way down the empty corridor, with a panting Esme, slowly following them. The pain in Esme's stomach has subsided, but she had a hard time standing completely straight up. She began to worry she might be going into labor. Lost in her own thoughts and worries, Esme bumped into Emmets back, who swung around quickly, wrapping his arms around her protectively.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry," Esme said, taking a step back, releasing herself from her son's grip, leaning her back against the wall.
"Do you hear that?" Rose asked in hush tones, almost too quiet for Esme to hear.
"Hear what?" She asked. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Rose raised her hand to stop her.
Without a word, Rose slowly turned down a corner, her back sliding silently against the wall. Leaving Emmett and Esme looking after her, both confused and curious. Following her lead, both went after her.
"Rose, I don't hear anything, except for the people outside," Emmett announced, his deep voice echoing off the empty walls.
"Exactly, it's quiet. The whole time we were looking for Gracie there had always been some sort of noise. The Volturi are never this quiet and that worries me." Rose admitted, turning a corner, Esme, and Emmett right behind her.
Once they all turned the corner, they found themselves in a nearly empty room, except for a throne that was in the middle of the room, facing towards a door. Esme was the first one to step fully inside the room. Looking around she noticed there was a light layer of dust on the floor, thick enough for her to leave behind footprints. Walking closer to the throne she noticed there were some holes and scrapes in the material.
"I wonder what happened," Emmett stated, stepping behind his mother.
"Was this Tia and Benjamins doing?" Esme asked in a soft whispering voice, hoping her accusation was incorrect.
"I don't know, the scent is gone, meaning this took place a while ago. I don't want to stick around to see if anyone is coming back. Come on, I think we should all continue forward." Rose said, walking towards the door the throne was facing, not waiting for them to follow.
After an hour of walking down empty hallways, only to be met with more empty rooms, Esme was beginning to feel defeated and really wanted to sit down. The pain she was feeling would come and go at random times. Esme was about to suggest they go on without her, while she sat down somewhere and waited for them to come to get her when Rose suddenly stopped walking and her body went impossibly still.
"Rose? Are you okay?" Esme asked, putting a small hand on her shoulder to get her attention.
"I can smell her," Rose stated.
"You can?" Where is she? Is she close?" Esme asked, suddenly getting anxious to keep moving.
"She's not alone," Rose growled. "I want you guys to stay here. Emmett, please watch over mom while I go ahead and make sure the coast is clear," she said moving out from her mother's hand and began walking a little bit faster down the long corridor.
As soon as Rose reached the end of the hallway and turned through another door, Esme felt her stomach tighten, and a stabbing pain hit her through her back. Unable to keep herself composed, she leaned forward, grabbing onto her stomach and let out a moan of pain.
"Mom?" Emmett asked, his voice laced in worry and confusion. "Are you okay, what is going on? Do you need to sit down?"
With the help of her son, Esme grabbed onto his hand and slid down the wall, till she was sitting on the cold hard ground. She didn't care that she was getting her clothes dirty, or that she made herself look vulnerable in front of her son.
"Is it the baby? Is she coming?" he asked, he voice rushing out of him
"I am not sure, Maybe. This was the first bad one I have had, so I think we are okay," she said, trying to convince herself more than her son.
"Wait, have you been in pain all day?"
"No, only since we have left the main entrance."
"Okay, stay here, I will go get Rose. She was right, we really shouldn't have come this far without dad," he said, standing up quickly, ready to go find Rose.
"No!" Esme said in a tone that sent chills down his spine. "Please don't get Rose. I promise I am okay. It is too early anyway, there is a large chance this is false and go away soon. Please promise me you won't tell Rose, she won't continue to find Gracie and we are so close to getting her."
"But"
"No, no but's. Promise me, Emmett. We are gonna be leaving soon anyway, once we get Gracie, then I will tell your sister everything."
"Okay, I promise, but if you get worse, I am saying something to her. "
"Deal, now please help me off the ground before she comes back."
Emmett grabbed onto Esme's hand and her back and helped her back to a standing position. Esme continued to lean her back and her head against the wall, wishing she had her vampire hearing so she could listen for Rose to make sure she was safe.
After a few minutes, they heard Rose, walking down the hallway. They started walking toward her and met her halfway down the hallway.
"I think I found Gracie," Rose said unable to keep the smile off of her face. "Come on."
Walking down the hall and through a set of doors. They continued to make their way to long hallways and more rooms. Esme's heart began to beat wildly in her chest. This whole thing would be over soon. Gracie will be reunited with her true family. Turning one more corner they came face to face with a blank wall.
"This is it," Rose said proudly, placing a hand on the hard wall.
"Rose...this is a wall. Where is Gracie."
"Mom, remember when we told you about the first time we found her. How we would hear her, or catch her scent, but we were always led to a wall. Well, this is one of her walls to her bedroom. We haven't figured out how to get in just yet." Emmett said, standing next to Rose.
"What do you suggest we do? Break down the wall?" Esme asked.
"Exactly," Emmett said, a smirk forming on his face as he rolled up his sleeves.
"Wait a minute. You said someone was with her, are they still in there?" She asked, slightly worried if they break the wall down they would be attacked.
"I can't smell them anymore, just Gracie," Rose said.
"Stand back ladies, this might get loud." Emmett jokes before he ran full speed into the wall. There was a loud bank and Esme swore the entire castle shook. Looking back at the wall, there was a slight crack in it, and a low growl came from Emmett once he realized he didn't break through it.
"Emmett, that was really loud, what if someone hears us, there has to be a better way to get inside." Esme voiced her concerns.
"Mom, you have to trust us, nothing is going to happen," Emmett said.
She watched as Emmett ran full force into the wall again. Hearing the loud bang, echo off the walls like a bomb. As soon as the sound hit her ears, Esme felt a hand softly grab onto her shoulders.