Disclaimer – Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

AN – Two chapters in two weeks! Trust me this is unusual, real life will impede again soon. Thank you to my wonderful Beta who in the middle of a very full real life is able to help this tale along.

Please note that this story will contain violence in later chapters. I will provide a warning at the start of those chapters.

Edward stood looking between the two men.

He was torn between the two men he loved and respected the most.

The Maestro! His mentor, and guide to the world of teaching.

Carlisle! His husband! The source of his passion and eternal love.

~*.*~

Chapter Six

Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance is sculpted into something - Frank Zappa

Edward looked back at Carlisle, unsure what the other expected him to do in front of the packed ballroom. Any refusal to play would insult both the Maestro and the Conservatory. Also Carlisle continued grip on his arm would soon draw attention to them.

"Carlisle, there are people around us, we cannot make a scene." His voice - the slightest of vibrations heard only by the intended recipient – pleaded for cooperation.

He could feel the anger and frustration in the others thoughts. "Carlisle?"

Carlisle sighed. There does not seem to be any chance of bowing out gracefully from this. I am unhappy, but accept that you were clearly unaware he was going to do this.

Now released from Carlisle's grasp, Edward walked slowly to the platform and quietly murmured to the Maestro, "This was supposed to be about the school and its students. I am not sure it is a good idea."

The Maestro looked at him, shocked. "Nonsense! I am sure Dr. Cullen would agree it is an excellent opportunity for the parents of future students to see how talented you are and all that you have to offer their children." He then delivered the most compelling reason: "And considering your age, it may help."

They both looked over at Carlisle, the Maestro with a smile and Edward with worry. Carlisle was increasingly unhappy. He was worried at how the older man had found additional ways for Edward to be integrated within the community, without Carlisle having the opportunity to vet the situation as being appropriate for the volatile mind reader.

But looking at the two on the platform, he forced a smile. It is OK, I am here.

Edward went to the piano, sat and started playing the first piece in George's set.

Slowly the room become quiet as the music permeated the room. Carlisle glanced around, proud of his husband's talent and how he could literally own a room within seconds. At the conclusion of the set of three pieces, there was a hush throughout the audience, followed by rousing applause.

Beautifully played, Love. Thank you!

Edward threw him a grateful smile and went to leave the piano stool, when the Maestro came up and held his arm.

"I am sure you would like to again thank Mr. Cullen for such a wonderful performance..."

Uh! Oh! Thought Carlisle.

He is going somewhere with this.

"It will not surprise you to know that this young man, with such a wonderful talent for performing, is also a fine composer. I would like you to join with me to impose on Mr. Cullen one more time, and ask him to share with us one of his original works."

As the crowd started to applaud, Edward looked up at Carlisle, now truly panicked. There was nothing he could do while the Maestro held him fast.

The old man looked at Edward. "Surely you will not disappoint them?" He followed Edward's gaze to Carlisle, who was scowling. Leaning down, he confided, "I am sure Dr. Cullen will not allow you to pass up the opportunity to become more accepted by the local community."

Hearing that quite valid argument, Carlisle sighed in resignation. It seems we have no choice. How about you play your audition piece, it is less…personal.

Edward groaned internally. They were all 'personal', even if Carlisle was not aware of that.

Turning back to the keys he started to play, all the while watching Carlisle. The other was clearly agitated - not at Edward, but at the Maestro and himself. Carlisle felt he should have protected Edward from this sort of manipulation.

On completion of the piece the room was once again silent. This lasted for a heart beat before the room erupted in applause. Edward swiftly hoped off the piano stool and the platform, as the string quartet returned for another set. Carlisle made a move towards his mate, but was blocked by the crowd. He was unable to get to Edward as the other was whisked away by the Maestro to meet keen investors and patrons of the musical arts.

Ghosting Edward and the Maestro around the room, Carlisle caught the others eye. Do you need me to assist?

He was disappointed with Edward gave an emphatic shake of the head. No!

Clearly the young vampire felt obligated to continue. Instead of continuing to trail the other, Carlisle set himself up in an area where he could view the entire room. Monitoring Edward's progress, he looked for any signs that the young vampire should at any point require his aid.

While to keeping an eye on Edward in the crowd Carlisle was approached by a woman who was familiar to him. He recognized her as Mrs. Pearson, whose son William had auditioned on the same day as Edward, and who was now a member of Edward's class.

Greeting her cordially, they struck up a conversation. She clearly loved her son and wanted what was best for him. She talked about how proud she was that Will had been able to get into the conservatory. She shared with Carlisle her concern over her son's original plan to join the military (the reduction of service numbers since the war had put paid to that option) and that to her great relief, Will had focused on his music instead.

Carlisle was taken aback at the similarities between Edward and Will. Had Edward not gotten sick and subsequently become Carlisle's mate, it is possible the young man's life may have continued in a similar direction as Will's.

Mrs. Pearson then continued to express her gratitude to Edward for providing Will the opportunity to practice.

"Sadly," she confessed, "The household piano was damaged recently and poor William had been struggling to undertake the required rehearsal time. Mr. Cullen's kind offer to stay back with Will to allow him to practice has reinvigorated and inspired him. Since meeting your brother, Will has redirected his efforts and now seeks to become a music teacher or tutor. I for one am eternally grateful to your brother for his contribution to this change of heart in my son."

She sighed, "I do not suppose it will be possible for the present arrangement to continue once Mr Cullen's bride arrives. It would not be fair to impose on his time so, when he would much rather spend it with his new wife."

Carlisle could only nod at the observation. Feeling uncomfortable about what he had discovered Carlisle redirected the conversation to the performances of her son, which they both agreed were excellent.

After a time Carlisle begged his leave and wandered the room once again looking for Edward. Catching sight of his mate, he noted that the mind reader was starting to show the small signs of stress obvious to Carlisle, indicating that his mate needed to leave and rest. Carlisle made his way to where Edward was trapped by two society matrons and their husbands, all of who were gushing over him and his work.

Interrupting smoothly, Carlisle pleaded for his brother's release as they "had a commitment the next day which required them to retire." They both bowed and swiftly exited the room, studiously avoiding the Maestro who, Edward had observed, was looking for him with the intent to show him off to another investor.

On exiting the building, Edward placed his hand of Carlisle's arm, thanking him for the rescue. Carlisle, distracted by the evening's events, brushed off the others hand and headed off with a huff, oblivious to the hurt that flashed across the young vampire's face. They slowly made their way home with no further contact, each deep in his own thoughts.

On entering the house, Edward almost ran to his piano and started to play with a frenetic zeal. Carlisle wandered into his study, listening to the pain oozing from the instrument.

He was sorry for his behaviour at the ball.

He was not cross with Edward. The young vampire had been placed in a position where he could not refuse.

He was angry at the Maestro for not allowing Edward to back out gracefully, instead putting him front and center of the proceedings, parading him around like some sort of prize. Sadly, he had taken his irritation out on his mate who - given the tortured sounds coming from the piano – was manifestly as distressed as Carlisle at the turn of events.

Carlisle had also become very concerned with Edward's growing commitment to his teaching role and the conservatory as a whole, particularly in light of his conversations with the mothers of two of Edward's student's.

After his conversation with Mrs Pritchard, and Carlisle's creation of Edward's fictional fiancé, he suspected Kitty's mother would redirect her endeavours to some other unsuspecting young man. Even so he felt he would need to keep an eye of the situation, just in case the woman thought her daughter could 'steal Edward's heart away' from his mythical future bride.

The very need for the conversation and resulting subterfuge was of great concern to him. Edward needed to show more care in not favouring one young woman over all others. By limiting his attentions, he could reduce the risk of a young woman forming an infatuation. Carlisle was glad to be able to stop it before a firm attachment on the part of the young woman was made and Edward's pleasant good nature could be confused for a returned of affection.

The second conversation with Will's mother had been a bit of an eye opener and raised even greater concerns. Carlisle had not been aware of how much time Edward had spent tutoring the boy. On one hand he was inordinately proud of his mate for accepting his role and all its responsibilities so completely; on the other hand, he was becoming increasingly concerned for the young vampire: the time Edward was putting into his formal teaching duties and informal tutoring (and this particular student), was distracting him from his other obligations, needs and pleasures.

He made a note to monitor the relationship between Edward and William to ensure that the boy did not impose too much on Edward, and that his desire to maintain the teacher/student relationship did not create a conflict for them. They could not afford to have close friendships with humans, it was simply too big a risk to take.

During his ruminating, the music had slowed and finally ceased. Edward had remained perched on the piano stool, so Carlisle rose and made his way to the music room.

He walked up to Edward. Placing his hands on his mate's shoulders, he spun the young vampire around to face him and then knelt on the floor in front.

But before Carlisle could even think of anything suitable to say, Edward began:

"I am sorry that my playing at the ball was distressing to you, it upset me to see you so angry." Head down Edward hadn't wished to see the anger and disappointment in Carlisle's eyes. Carlisle was aghast, how could he not have seen that Edward would think Carlisle was angry at him.

Carlisle ducked down so as to be able to look his mate in the eye.

"Love, I am not angry are you. I am angry at the Maestro for his maneuver and cross at myself for not being able to protect you when you were put in such a difficult position."

Edward looked away and sighed. Carlisle gently grasped his chin and lifted Edwards head so they were now looking eye to eye.

"What is it, love?"

Edward looked up. Carlisle was startled to see that the young vampire looked like, would he be able to, he would cry.

"It's alright Edward, you can tell me," he soothed.

Edward took a deep breath, inhaling the unique scent of his mate, along with the familiar smells of their home.

"I must admit, I was upset at the Maestro manipulating me into playing at the ball. I didn't like the change in plan and I was frightened of how I would feel and react to my playing in public. But I was more worried about your reaction. You looked so, were so, angry. I was upset that I would hurt you."

He paused. "The thing is, once I started playing," he stopped almost looking to steel himself. "…I found that I enjoyed it.

"I wouldn't object to doing it again."

The last part was said in a whisper.

Carlisle rocked back on his heels, sitting on the floor. Where was Edward's insistence that he not perform in public? Where was the desire to keep it between the two of them?

A part of him knew he should be proud of Edward, that the young vampire had conquered his phobia, and was more willing to embrace sharing his music with others. However the dominant overprotective part of him remained possessive of Edwards playing in front of others, particularly his compositions.

The compositions had been created during their decade together. The compositions were cherished and dear to them both.

They were Edward's way of articulating the evolution of their relationship. They were the sum of their life together, from the routine of day-to-day to those egregious events that their relationship barely survived.

Carlisle was Edward's muse. In return Edward's compositions and performances were his gift to Carlisle.

Edward's sudden willingness to open up that private space to others evoked trepidation in Carlisle. The vampire felt, in that moment, something exceedingly precious and intimate had been taken from him.

~*.*~

March 1928

It was coming up to eight in the morning. Carlisle was wandering around the house waiting for Edward to get home. He was a little peeved that Edward had not as much as raised an eyebrow when Carlisle had told him he would see himself home this morning, and that Edward was welcome to stay later at the conservatory. He hoped that his constant reminding would be enough for his mate to recall he wanted Edward home by eight am.

Carlisle hoped the other would not get lost in his work. It was getting a bit annoying that he could not now rely on Edward to keep to time. Maybe it was his fault. Apart from his work, much of their time together - prior to living in Oberlin - had been without reference to the time of day. Edward had been able arrange his activities however he liked. Nonetheless, Edward should have known by now that the time one arranged with another was a form of contract. (Unless, of course, there were extenuating circumstances, as was so often the case for a doctor.)

As the clock struck eight, Edward wandered into their home. He was a little surprised at Carlisle standing just inside the door, "Is everything alright, Carlisle?" he enquired. He knew he was not late, Carlisle's repeated insistence that he not be late home had distracted him so much over the evening and early morning, he had ended up just sitting and thinking, before packing up to come home just prior to the requested time.

"We are going away. I know I usually plan something...umm, intimate for the day of our anniversary and I decided that in homage to our new lives here, I would do something different.

"I am whisking you away for a week's romantic holiday."

He was ecstatic at the look of surprise on Edwards face, something this big was often difficult to conceal, but the combination of his skills and Edwards distractions at work, meant that he had done what he thought was impossible. He took Edwards hands in his own," I have made all the arrangements, contacted the Maestro to get cover for your classes and everything that we will need is already at our destination.

Edward was stunned and a little peeved at Carlisle's. It was one thing to pack the luggage. It was another to reorganize his whole teaching schedule. He knew he was being ungrateful, such care and attention by his mate should please and flatter him. But for some reason he felt like he had been handled, that Carlisle had interfered in his work. He also realized that there will be a couple of things that would have been missed.

"I will need to make a couple of phone calls."

He moved to the phone, to have Carlisle lightly grab his arm. "As I said that is all sorted."

He shook off Carlisle's grasp but seeing the other frown, added soothing, "Carlisle, there are a couple of arrangements that I need to reorganize."

"What sort of arrangements? The Maestro was clear we had covered it all. Are these outside of teaching?" The last was tinged with a hint of suspicion.

Edward shrugged, "I was to start some tutoring work this week with a couple of students that the Maestro hoped might join the masters program. He wasn't aware of the timing so was unlikely to mention it. Also Will and George have been coming in before and after class to get in some extra practice, it is unlikely they will be allowed in the room out of class times while I am away."

Carlisle was not at all pleased that he was not aware of these other arrangements. Why would Edward not tell him of them? Why did the Maestro not mention the tutoring work? Or the extra practice time for the two boys?

I wish you… Carlisle caught himself.

"I wish you had told me of these. I had wanted to get this all arranged for you."

"You did, thank you. I had not mentioned either to you, because the first is fairly new, indeed the tutoring was not due to start until next week." He placed his hand gently on Carlisle's arm. "The rehearsal arrangements have been ad-hoc and unofficial and are easily changed."

Edward turned to the telephone, "Just let me make some calls and we can go."

Carlisle sat the in the chair beside the telephone, arms crossed, waiting for Edward.

Waiting for Edward seemed to be his normal state of being at the moment.

He had planned and organized everything, to only find out he didn't know what everything was. He huffed as Edward finished his call with Maestro…and now for the call to his students.

"Hello, Will. It's Edward." [Edward? What happened to Mr. Cullen?]

"I am sorry but we will need to cancel our extra sessions next week, with George as well." [So this is what he has spending his time doing! Why am I only finding out about this now?]

"No, another time wouldn't work as my brother [partner, lover, husband] and I are going away for the week."

"No, I am sorry. I didn't mention it last night, I didn't know until this morning." [Why should that be his concern? Why should he mention his comings and goings?]

"I know you don't want to get behind. How about we organize some extra sessions went I get back." Carlisle's eyes tightened, the idea was to give Edward a break not have him create more work (more time away from him) later.

Edward's eyes shot to Carlisle's face, startled. Carlisle's cursed himself, the control he had with his thoughts was slipping with his irritation.

"Again, I am sorry about the late notice. Do your best in the mean time and I will see you when we get back." [He definitely needed to talk to Edward again about spending too much time with his work.]

"Goodbye" and he rang off.

"Right!" he said rubbing his hands together, "That is done. What now?"

Edward knew it was irrational to be aggravated at Carlisle for organizing the surprise, but he had so much to do. He didn't dare mention the other solo tasks he had planned for the week, knowing Carlisle's patience was wearing thin.

Carlisle shook himself out of his mood.

OK!

It wasn't the start he had hoped for, but Edward was with him now. He could just pick it up from here, pretend that the last hour did not happen.

"Well," he said coyly, wrapping his arms around Edward's waist. "I have a little anniversary present for you."

Edward received an image of a lake in his mind, a boathouse and boat. His face light up "A boat?"

Carlisle nodded, keeping the thought of the boat on the water firmly in mind.

He held out his hand to Edward. "Shall we?"