The normally azure blue sky was darkening with every step as we made our way to my mothers house. The birds all flying towards their homes rapidly seeking shelter from the looming storm. I shivered slightly from the cold winds as I wondered if those birds were the ones I had heard singing this morning.

Their melodies in the air died down as they huddled away from prying eyes, for warmth and security. My Mother's house was off into the country side where houses were spaced apart by a mile or so, the perfect location for my father to put her.

I held in a sigh as it almost made it past my lips, as I glanced over at Nate. If he had seen me he made no moves of recognition or even respect for my presence around him. His body gave off a harsh emotion making locals watch the two of us as we walked down the street. His whole persona had turned into the professional boss I had wanted at the beginning of our journey.

Now the feeling just gave me a foul taste in my mouth and watery eyes as I watched him distance himself away from me. I looked inward trying to find my own persona that had been lost since meeting him, the business side of me that pushed my emotions into the dungeon of my mind.

I flickered my gaze to his lips remembering the taste of them on mine, wondering if he was upset with me for crossing the line. But then I took a look back remembering who I was talking about, the man I fell in love with almost five years ago. The scruffy college boy I began to know and love, Allen Walker, and the sleek business man, Nathaniel Richmond, were one in the same.

Nick had been right all along they both held the warmth in their voice, and while their eyes may have been different colors their gaze was still the same. I tore my gaze from him finding myself only feeling more alone as I watched him.

"We are here Emily." We stopped in front of a ragged old gate that blocked our path from a small quaint cottage, garden and stones lined up as a pathway to the door.

Tears threatened to leak from my eyes as I realized how close I was, finally, to seeing the woman I had missed for so long. I looked towards Nate overcome with emotions and threw my arms around him, he tense immediately to my touch. I felt a spike of anxiety knowing he had never reacted to me in such a way before.

"Don't cry Emily, today's a happy day." He muttered his arms relaxing around me for a moment before he backed away from my arms.

"Happy Day." I muttered mostly to myself as I took ahold of the gate in front of me, feeling dread overwhelm my body. I shook my head violently heading inside the gate to look at the gardens more. Finding peppers and tomatoes, herbs of all kinds and flowers of many colors.

Nathaniel stayed behind the gate watching me as I walked to the door, almost tripping over the stone pathway. I brought my hand to the door taking a large gulp to shoved down the negative feeling in my stomach. I gave two brisk knocks to the wooden door, watching as it slowly inched open from the force.

I looked back towards Nate seeing his face soft with a small content smile settling on his face, encouraging me to continue on my path. I turned back to the door easing my way inside looking straight past the staircase and into the hallway, which had a side road leading into the living room.

"Alana? I was hoping I could talk to you?" I questioned as I glanced into the living room which was empty of anyone, I walked further down the hallway hearing the front door close behind me.

It opened up to the kitchen and dining room which were both as empty as the first, I looked out into the backyard debating going out their to try to find her but noticed how beautiful all her flowers were. I turned around running my hands along the furniture as I past, smiling to myself as I walked up the stairs.

I stumbled my way into her bedroom looking towards her dresser to find old pictures of our family. I smiled finally feeling happy knowing that she lived here now, and she still loved us even though its been so long. I took the photo of her and me off the dresser rubbing my thumb over the two of us.

I walked around the room trying to find more recent items when my hand fell to a locked drawer on her nightstand. I tugged on it multiple times but it wouldn't budge from its spot, I bent down running my finger over the lock which was such an interesting shape. The closer I looked the more I realized that I had seen the pattern before, and it was sitting in our hotel room back at Paris.

Flashback to when Emily was four right before her mother was sent away...

"Now my baby, take this. It was your Grammy's wedding ring," She paused letting me look at the stone. It was a pretty blue stone woven with a pretty red stone, made out of gold. "Your Grandfather found this one day and knew it was meant for your Grammy and him." She tried to make sure I followed along as best as my tiny brain could, I nodded along wanting her to finish the story.

"His birthstone was this blue stone here. Grammy's was this red one, and he told me one day if I truly believed I was in love then I should use it. My baby I love you and I want you to take care of this ring alright?" She asked me as she put the ring on a chain and around my neck, I smiled happily at her and danced around the room.

"Ok Mummy!" I squealed out in delight as she scooped me up into her arms with just as big of a grin. She tickled my stomach slightly as we bounced around my bedroom, laughing as we went.

"So my baby, if you ever need a bit of guidance know it will always be here." She touched my nose lightly tapping it and then tapping the ring that now hung around my neck. I nodded wanting nothing more to live in this moment forever with my mummy.

End of Flashback...

I jumped up from the ground knowing that something important had to be residing in the drawer, she told me the ring would bring me guidance. This was no coincidence she chose the ring as the key for a reason, and now it was going to help me find where she went.

The ring had never left my side always being a reminder that my mother was with me even if she was gone from my life. Now it was the only thing that could take me back to her, no longer needing a reminder of her.

I quickly bounded down the stairs jerking the door open and running to the gate. I was frozen into shock looking all around me for the one thing that was missing. The air in my lungs was knocked out as I looked around rapidly.

I glanced down at my watch trying to see how much time had past since I entered the house, the air in my lungs jumped into my throat finding it had been over an hour. A voice in my mind echoed saying he had left me, and that's why he had been so cruel to me.

"Nate?" I questioned hoping that he was just trying to scare me, a joke it had to be right. My head went from side to side rapidly but I refused to listen to the seed of doubt that settled back in the depths of my mind.

I quickly made my way back to the car heading towards the hotel, if Nate had disappeared maybe it had something to with my mother's disappearance as well. I could never believe that Allen Walker would leave Emily Montgomery, not for anything on this earth. Because when I first met him he was an outcast, a loner, and I could never believe that he would leave me.

Flashback...

Nick had asked all of our group to meet up for some odd reason, he refused to tell us anything and quite frankly it kind of pissed me off. I could be home right now reading, but of course he always has to bring a little bit of fun into our lives. I chuckled a bit at the thought of him juggling phones again or the horror Sierra felt when he tried have her join his kissing both in high school.

Nick approached with a shaggy fellow behind him, his hair was a mess to say the least and he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. His whole body looked ready to slump over any second, either he was high or he was taking some difficult classes.

"Everyone, this is Allen walker we met in our stocks class when they partnered us up. Allen this is Caleb, Noah, Dai, Martin, Sierra and finally Emily." He seemed a bit out of place and he obviously didn't want to be here but alas here he was most likely because of Nick and solely the need to not be annoyed by his pestering ways.

I was the first to speak up as I think everyone was wondering the same things I was, "Nice to meet you Allen, I hope Nick Hasn't bothered you to much... I know he can be rather annoying sometimes." He brightened up with that statement responding with a wholehearted laugh.

"Yeah, he basically dragged me here instead of having us do our project for class." He smiled at me before looking towards the others of the group. Now don't get me wrong we can socialize with others as well as the next guy, but we know what Nick is trying to do with this one and we were concerned...

After all we had been so careful in choosing our ranks for our dream team and well adding another just seemed wrong. I am positive that's exactly what was floating through everyone's mind but, I took a glance at him, he looked almost like a lost puppy as everyone watched him. Sigh, I suppose it all falls to me to get the ball rolling, after all if Nick choose him then there was something that made him do so.

I sling my arm around his shoulder, and he jumped slightly at the break in the touch barrier. I looked towards the group, determined to get them to be welcoming, Dai was the first to break and smiled at us.

"We're not really used to having new people in our group, but I hope we can be good friends. You don't happen to like art do you?" Dai was the artistic one of the group, a prodigy in all meaning of the words but a little awkward in social situations. I was proud of him for making the approach.

"I love art though, I must confess I'm pretty lousy at making it. Though I am always up for it, if you'd like to give me some pointers?"

Dai brightened up with that, nodding his head rapidly with a smile on his face. Allen smiled back, the tension melting from his back.

End of Flashback...

After that I guess we all just got used to having him around whether it was in class or on the roof near a fire. I knew in my heart that after all I had told him about my mom in the past that he would never leave me.

I quickly parked my car slightly worried on how I had actually gotten to the hotel safely with my mind up in the clouds. But my mind quickly swiped that thought away focusing on the tiny ring that I knew was settled at the bottom of my purse in the room.

I looked up into the sky remembering everything my mother and brother would say and for once I knew I couldn't do this alone. I knew that I would need more than the guidance of a tiny ring, but the guidance of God. Because something in my gut, or paranoia, told me that were ever Nate had gone... he was with my mother to.

**************

Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost.

                                             -Erol Ozan

Hello my readers, man I was fighting the clock on this one... But I managed to get it in before that clock struck twelve so I was able to keep this schedule of every Fridays. I hope you all enjoyed it!!! Love you all my beloved readers.