Walking hand in hand Carlisle and Esme enter through the whole, their ears meet with the sound of a fussing baby. Looking at her husband quickly, they shared a quick nod and Esme let go of her husband's hand and began walking towards the crib.
"She's all alone in here," Rose said, her voice cracking at the thought of the little baby alone.
Alice looked around the room quickly, noticing the crib, a changing table, shelves filled with toys and books. The walls were painted a pastel pink color, and there was a window that held white curtains. "They must be shining in fake sunlight to keep her healthy. They were taking care of her."
Esme reached the crib and bent down slightly to pick up Gracie. She noticed the little one smiling up at her, cooing. Her hair was longer than the picture she had, and she had grown a little bit older, but she still was a little baby. She reached her arms down to grab her, before getting hit with a strong contraction. Letting out a hiss, Esme placed her hands on her stomach, knowing she was busted.
"Esme!" Carlisle called after her, placing an arm around her back while placing his other hand over hers on her stomach. "Esme, what's wrong?"
Rose walked behind them as Esme began breathing heavily, trying to keep her voice intact. Rose reached down and picked up Gracie, holding her against her chest, watching her mother try to stand up straight again.
Before Esme could speak, there was a soft laugh on the other side of the room. They all looked toward the closet and saw a man walking out of it. He looked to be only a year or two older than Esme, with short shaggy brown hair, with auburn highlights dancing throughout. He looked to be about six feet with a square face. His eyes were what gave him away. They were golden. This man was a vampire.
Immediately Carlisle moved in front of Esme, pushing her slightly, for the rest of the family beside Rose to stand between the man and Esme. Rose ran over to hide behind Emmett, hoping to protect Gracie. The family was ready to fight to save the two humans in their presents.
"Talk about a monster in your closet." Emmett snored, feeling Rose's eyes Glaring in the back of his head.
"How rude of me, let me introduce myself. My name is Tempus, pleased to make your acquaintance," he said with a bow. The Cullen family noticed he was wearing a long velvet cape draped along his back, he was so tall, when he stood up straight again the bottom of the cape looked to be hovering inches above the ground.
It was quiet for a moment, before Carlisle took a step forward, greeting the new vampire. "Tempus, I'm Carlisle, please meet my family. This is Edward and his wife Bella. Jasper and his wife Alice. Emmett and his wife Rose, and this is my wife, Esme." Carlisle stated, gesturing to his kids and wife.
"Your wife? But she is human and very pregnant." Tempus stated amused, looking at Esme who finally stood up straight again.
"There is a long complicated story, but I can assure you once our child is born, Esme is fully a vampire."
"But I have noticed you have missed one," he said magnanimously, looking over to Gracie, who was snuggled up in Rose's arms. "Is she also yours?"
"She is our niece," Esme said quickly.
"Your niece you say, why would the Volturi ask me here when it is not their own human life?" Tempus asked.
"There has been a mix up that we have been working with the Volturi with."
"And why hasn't the baby girl's parents come to get her? Why did they send a full coven to do their dirty work?" he asked, intrigued in the reasonings.
"We are strong in numbers, it was insurance."
"I mean no harm, I merely get hired to do a job and I come to finish it," Tempus said.
"Do you know what they want with her, why do they want to change her age?" Bella asked.
A sickening smirk appeared on the man's face, but he remained silent.
"The Volturi is scared," Edward said, looking deep into the man's thoughts.
"How did you?" The man's smile quickly disappeared.
"The Volturi want to keep Gracie as their own, make her a mother to them, but they are impatient, they want her old enough so they won't be making immortal children." Edward continued.
"They want to keep her as a vampire slave?! They can't do that!" Rose exclaimed, holding Gracie a little bit tighter, careful not to hurt her.
"You see, my family is special, like you Tempus. Edward can read minds, you can't keep anything from us. Anything you think of, we will know." Carlisle said, his voice stern and proud.
"Please, you must know how unfair this is. A family is missing their baby, they are going to raise her right. She won't be living like a slave, she will grow up as a happy kid and be able to make this decision on her own. It's not fair to age her suddenly, to be in tortuous burning pain for days, and deal with being a newborn for so long. She won't have a human life to think about, she wouldn't have lived. Please, Let us take Gracie home." Esme pleaded, taking a step forward to have better eye contact Tempus. "Do you remember your human life, how simple and beautiful it was. How precious it was?"
"I...I do. I remember coming home from school on a cold winter's day, and my mom would be there waiting for me with soup already on my kitchen table. I remember how freeing being a kid was. ." Tempus's face for the first time twisted into a sorrow one.
"Then please, let us take Gracie home, to her family, so she can experience being a kid, and not live her entire existence in this castle," Esme said only a couple of feet away from the accent vampire.
Carlisle felt his body stiffen, watching his wife getting closer to the man who could hurt her with one finger. Esme's kind heart is what made him fall in love with her, be he always feared that would be her own undoing.
"You're right. Every child should have a childhood." Tempus said, bowing his head in defeat. "My mother was a kind, wonderful soul, much like you. She cared for and loved me with her whole heart, she always made sure I was safe."
"She sounds like a wonderful woman," Esme said a small smile spread across her lips.
"She really was. Is this little one's mother, is she as kind?"
"If not more. This baby will know nothing but love."
"Then I will let her go. You can take her to her mother, and let her live a long and happy life." Tempus said, turning around, his head still down, remembering the life his mother gave him as a child.
Behind him, the Cullen family begins to grab the items they will need to bring Gracie home. Emmett grabs a handful of clothes, Bella grabs some bottles, Edward grabs some blankets. Alice goes to grab the diapers, but as soon as her hand touches the box she is hit with a vision. Edward turns and listens to what her vision is about.
"Wait," Edward said softly, still trying to figure out Alice's vision.
Suddenly the older Vampire inhaled and spun around facing Esme again. "My mother may have been a kind, wonderful lady." He began his voice, getting harsher and rough with every work.
Carlisle heard the change a moment before it happened, he ran forward and grabbed Esme, lifting her and placing her on the far side of the room, using his own body to shield her from any danger.
"But she wasn't a good mother, my mother was a slut, only kept me around to help her look for her next 'friend'." Tempus's voice was suddenly deep and turning almost Demonic. "I won't let any kid grow up as I did!" he shouted.
In an instant, Alice got up from her spot and stood between him and Rose, who held Gracie close to her body.
"Alice, DON'T!" Edward yelled, but it was too late.
The room was filled with a violent scream that came out of Alice as Tempus placed a hand upon her cheek. Her body began bending in unnatural ways as her screaming of agony ripped through the quiet building. Her family could do nothing but watch. Once Tempus let go over Alice, her body collapsed to the floor.
Her family ran to her, noticing her face looked somehow younger, but she still held her vampire beauty.
"What was that?" Jasper asked, taking Alice in his arms and holding her close.
"Alice saw something in her vision she didn't want to happen. She sacrificed herself." Edward explained.
"What did you do!?" Rose screamed at Tempus. Her voice rough and horse, screaming loud enough to scare Gracie, who began crying into her chest. "What did you do to my sister?!"
Alice's eyes shot open. Realizing she was being held, she looked up at the man and began to scream. "Let me go, Let me go!"
Jaspar did as he was told while he and the rest of his family watched as Alice got up and looked at everyone. "Who… who are you, people. Where is my mom? Where is my dad?" She began to cry out.
"Oh no," Emmett said.
"How old do you think she is?" Bella asked.
"I'm not sure, her mind is racing too fast, maybe thirteen."
"Alice, Sweetie, please I need you to calm down," Esme said smoothly, watching her daughter struggle to breathe as she began to panic.
"How..how do you know my name? Where am I?"
"We are good friends of your parents, you were helping us babysit, but you hit your head." Esme stammered out, hoping she would believe it.
"Babysit?" Alice asked, her breathing beginning to even out again.
"Yeah, you were going to watch our baby while Mr. Cullen and I and the rest of our family get out of the house for a little while," Esme said, giving the most convincing smile she could.
"We need to convince Tempus to turn her back, but how? What can we offer him?" Carlisle asked Edward, who shook his head in frustration.
"Where's the baby?" Alice asked in a small voice.
"What?" Esme asked, confused.
"If I am supposed to be watching your baby, where is it?"
"Oh, well Rose is holding.." Esme looked up to where Rose was standing before to find her gone. "ROSE!"
Everyone looked around to find Rose, Gracie and Tempus had all vanished.
"Where did they go?"
"We need to find them!"
The Cullen family began to buzz with panic and what to do next.
"We need to find her!" Emmett roared.
"And we will, but we need to calm down and figure out where they may have gone," Carlisle said, noticing Esme seemed rather quiet.
"Well I am not just gonna sit here while my wife could be in danger," Emmett shouted, turning around and storming out of the room, the rest of his siblings close behind him.
"Carlisle," Esme stated in a small voice, causing him to look back at her.
"Don't worry my dear, we will find them. I promise, everything will be okay," he said, wrapping her up in a hug.
Once he let go, she looked up at him, her true fear showing. "No, Carlisle, My water just broke."