"Gahhh!" Esme slammed her body back into the leather seats. She wished more than ever she had convinced Carlisle to buy a car with comfier seats. She felt sweat drip down her neck, down her back, causing her to stick to the seat.
She doesn't remember labor being this painful. Her stomach was hard, her back hurt, she couldn't seem to find a comfortable spot. She let out another groan as another contraction ripped through her body.
"Are you okay, Love?" Carlisle asked. His sickenly sweet voice made her heart jump but made her stomach want to vomit.
"Just Peachy" She replied, annoyed, but was covered up by her heavy breathing.
There was a small chuckle up front in the driver's seat, Edward, who had been silent most of the ride home.
"What's so funny?" Carlisle asked.
"She is wishing you would stop asking her that." He replied, laughing a little more at this mother's annoyance.
"I don't mean to bother you my dear, I just wish there was something I can do to ease your pain." He admitted.
"Women have been doing this for centuries, me included." Esme's joked, a breathless giggle.
Carlisle let out a small smile, before meaning forward to kiss her forehead. "That's my girl." He whispered to her.
Suddenly Esme twisted her face. "Owww" her voice was slightly higher pitched than usual and laced with pain.
"Just breath darling." Carlisle encouraged.
Another chuckle interrupted them.
"Another thing I am doing wrong." He said frustrated
"Darling, nothing is wrong, just…." Esme trailed ff, unsure of how to say what she wanted.
"Overbearing." Edward answered for her.
"I'm sorry Love, I am just overwhelmed"
"So am I" Esme admitted.
"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?"
"A lot." She smiled
"Please just tell me, I want to be able to help." he pressed.
"She's scared." Edward answered.
"Edward!" she scolded. "We have talked about this before."
"I know you hate it when I am in your head, but you are practically screaming up there with all kinds of different scenarios, fears, every emotion you can think of. Everything is going through your head. It's not healthy! You need to get it out somehow, even if that means I am the one who has to say it." Edward defended.
Esme remained silent knowing he was right, but she didn't want Carlisle to worry more. He was a Doctor, and has been for a hundred years, has delivered thousands of babies, he shouldn't be nervous. Her mind began to race faster, and her breathing became more labored.
"Esme, Darling?" Carlisle asked, noticing her frantic state.
"Panic attack." Edward said sorrowfully, unable to look at his mother he locked his eyes on the road.
"Jasper, could you.." Carlisle started to say before jasper nodded and locked his eyes on Esme, beginning to try and ease Esme's mind.
"Her mind is so full of everything." He struggled.
"That's on being your mother." Esme said, her breathing going back to normal.
Jasper too a deep breath in just has Esme let one out.
"How do you feel love?" Carlisle asked.
"Emotionally, numb, but physically I am still in pain." Esme said flatly.
"That's not good." Alice interjected.
"What do you mean?"
"Well a neighbor of mine that lives down the street from me had a baby and through her entire pregnancy she also felt sort of numb. She was happy to have a family but told me she felt almost indifferent about it. Once her baby was born she felt like her baby wasn't hers. She couldn't connect to her and went into a sort of depression because of it." Alice explained.
"Postpartum depression." Carlisle station . "Alice is right, that's not good at all."
Esme leaned her head back not in pain but almost relaxed.
"Jasper, how long do you think you can hold her like this?" he asked.
"Carlisle?" Edward asked worryingly, not liking where the conversation was going.
"I don't want her giving birth like this, just give her time to relax."
"I can do this for a couple minutes, one or two contractions. Hopefully that won't be too long.." he trailed off.
Suddenly Esme lurched forward, holding on to her stomach, letting a sharp gasp escape her.
"They are five minutes apart and are getting closer together." Carlisle stated out loud, holding on to Esme's shoulders. "How are you doing now, Love?"
"Still wishing you would stop asking me that." she answered honestly.
"I appreciate the honesty." Carlisle chuckled.
"I don't like this."
"Like what?"
"I don't like not feeling. I was feeling so many things before. Scared, exhausted, worried, but there were also good feelings. Excited, happy, love. I want to feel again. Jasper please stop. I want to feel all those things again." She pleaded.
Carlisle looked over at Jasper. "You heard her, let's give her back her emotions. "
"She has a lot going on right now. I don't think another panic attack would be good for her or the baby." He confessed.
Carlisle looked at Esme worried. He wanted her to have this baby and feel attached to her, but didn't want to put her health at risk. "Do you think you could release them slowly?"
"I can try"
"That's all I can ask." Carlisle watched as Esme's face slowly started to grow more and more panicked. He was about to tell Jasper to stop when she took a deep breath and smoothed her features.
"Thank you." She whispered.
Carlisle leaned over and gave her a kiss on her temple. "We will be home soon, Love."
"How soon is soon?" she breathed, getting ready for another contraction.
Carlisle looked over at Edward for an answer.
"Another 30n minutes mom, do you think you can hold on that long?" Edward asked, watching her through the rearview mirror.
"I believe so.." she hesitated.
"Love, if you let me check." Carlisle started to say before she interrupted him.
"No, no, no, that is perfectly fine if you don't check." She said quickly, her face turning red.
"Love, I am a doctor, I have been doing this longer than most people have been alive." He started smiling. "I am also your husband, I have seen everything my darling. Nothing to be embarrassed about.
"That's the exact reason I don't want you down there, seeing what is happening. I don't want to scar you." She said shyly.
"Honey, I have seen you plenty of times."
"Ew." Alice said quickly, cringing.
"My point is, you can't scare me, this is the birth of our daughter, and I'm going to be there through everything. Did you think you would give birth and I wouldn't be here for it?"
"Um no." Esme hesitated. "But I didn't think you were going to be my doctor, I thought you would be here holding my hand above my head." she admitted.
"Did you think you were going to give birth in the hospital?" he asked.
"Honestly, with everything going on right now and the past few months I guess I didn't think about it."
"I don't think you should give birth in the hospital. I want our daughter to be delivered as safely as possible, but I also don't want you to turn into a.." he trailed off looking at Alice, not wanting her to know who they are just yet. "I don't want you turning back to your normal self at the hospital and have them take her or you away. Benjamin said you would return to being normal after she was born and.." Carlisle stated, while holding her hand until Esme interrupted him.
"Benjamin and Tia! We should call them! I want them here for this."
"Love, I think it will be best if we don't tell them right now. We can tell them after the baby is born. We don't know what is going on back in Italy and they are getting themselves in trouble with chasing the Voltouri. I don't want to bring our daughter into this mess." Carlisle disagreed.
Before she could argue, another contraction hit her, and she spoke through gritted teeth. "But we owe our daughter to them. They helped with all of this."
"Which is why we have done everything we can to find Gracie." Carlisle defended.
"But." Esme started to say before Edward interrupted her.
"Looks like they decided for you." he said with a chuckle.
Everyone looked out the window to see they were back at their home. Looking toward the front door, Tia and Benjamin were standing there, smiling and waving.
"Thank God!" Esme said relieved.
"Of course." Edward heard his father think, annoyed. He made a note to talk to his father about it after things calm down.
"Wow, look at this house." Alice said bewildered.
Jasper chuckled, putting his arm around her before moving it away quickly as she flinched. "I'm sorry." he began to apologize.
"Who are Tia and Benjamin." Alice asked as the car came to a stop. "Are they doctors?"
"Something like that." Jasper laughed, while getting out of the car. "I will explain more once we are inside."
"Oh Esme!" Tia exclaimed, watching Carlisle help her out of the car. "You are practically glowing."
"I'm pretty sure.. That's sweat." Esme groaned.
"What are you guys doing here?" Edward asked.
"It's been a little while since our paths have crossed and I had a feeling we should stop by." Benjamin announced taking a step forward, addressing everyone. He noticed part of the family was missing.
Carlisle noted they looked more rested and almost happier then the last time he saw them.
Esme leaned down, now fully out of the car and groaned in pain.
"I think your intuition was right Ben, it looked as though Esme is in labor!" Tia gushed.
"I guess we did come on the right day."
"I would love to stand out and chat but I would be more comfortable inside were our private hospital room is." Esme breathed holding on to her stomach.
"Oh, of course." Benjamin said quickly before running at vampire speed to open the door.
"I'm a little slower these days." Esme jokes, walking toward her front door.
Once inside, Esme was in a hospital gown and laying down on the hospital bed. She heard the paper crinkle beneath her with every move she made. She heard footsteps coming down the hall. The feet was the first thing she saw, before seeing the white lab coat and then saw Carlisle's smiling face.
"Are we ready? He asked, his doctors voice up front.
"Ready for?" Esme asked, feeling rather silly, knowing she was about to give birth.
"Too have a baby." He smiled.
"I suppose."
"Alright." he clapped his hands causing her to jump. "First thing, we need to check how dilated you are."
Esme breathed hard. "Do you have to?"
"Esme, can you tell me why this has you so scared." he sat down on the bed, grabbing her hand, his doctor tone no longer in his voice.
"I just don't want you to look at me differently." she confessed.
"Darling, I already do. I used to see you as this strong, powerful, passionate, artist, mother to our adoptive children, and my wife." He said proudly.
"And now?" she asked.
"Now, I see you as all of those things, but you are so much more. You are more powerful and stronger than I ever thought. You are the mother of our very own children, and you have amazed me every step of the way," he admitted, smiling proudly.
Esme's eyes glistened with tears as she took a deep breath in.
"Now, may I check you."
All she could do was nod.
After a quick check, Carlisle determined she was 8 centimeters dilated. "Well my Dear, do you want to try and have an epidural? I can't help but notice you are in a lot of pain."
"No, Natural." she panted.
"Another amazement." he leaned down and kissed her sweaty forehead.
There was a loud bang downstairs followed by their children talking all at once. "What is happening?" Esme asked.
"I will go down there and check."
"Wait." She panicked.
"Don't worry, I will only be a minute." with that he was downstairs in a flash.
Once at the bottom of the stair, he saw Rose and Emmett were standing in the middle of their siblings."
Rose! Emmett!" Carlisle addressed both of them. He hugged Rose tightly. "I'm so glad you are okay."
"Me too." she hugged him back just as tightly.
"Where's mom?" Emmett asked.
They all heard a loud scream come from upstairs.
"About to give birth." Tia gushed.
"That didn't sound like a labor scream." Rose stated, looking at her dad.
In a flash they were upstairs, only to be stopped at the door. Wrapped tightly in s man's arms was Esme.
"Tempus! Let her go!" Carlisle screamed.