Full Summary
A serious field accident ended Edward Cullen's career as a war correspondent six years ago, and left him with more scars than are visible to the naked eye.
After a personal and professional betrayal uprooted her life in Europe, Isabella Swan has navigated a sexist and elitist industry by smashing stereotypes and glass ceilings everywhere, one concert and one social media post at a time.
They have nothing in common, until their worlds collide one fateful day for an interview that can't be rescheduled.
What kind of havoc will Isabella's appearance wreak on Edward's monotonous, solitary life?
OlderWard. PianistElla. Set in Boston.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. We transition to fictional events with this chapter.
Big thanks to Team Momo who work tirelessly to help me make this readable.
Alice's White Rabbit and Midnight Cougar are in the editing chairs. AGoodWitch, IAmBeagle, Driving Edward and RobsmyyummyCabanaBoy pre-read.
Thank you for all the alerts and reviews! I treasure each and every one of them. Reminder that if you ask questions and are not signed in, I have no way of replying to you.
BEHIND THE IVORIES – CHAPTER 1
Breaking News – 3 March 2012
U.S. journalists wounded in Homs bombing arrive in Paris
Reuters Newswire
AMMAN/PARIS (Reuters) – The U.S. journalists wounded last week in the sustained bombardments of Homs by Syrian forces, which killed The Sunday Times correspondent Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik, have been safely evacuated out of Syria and have landed in Paris via a diplomatic flight arranged by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
After arrangements were reached in liaison with the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Red Cross, Edward Cullen, foreign correspondent for CNN, his field producer Katherine Caulfield, and freelance photographer Emmett McCarty were permitted to leave Syria and evacuated to Amman.
Edward Cullen, who reports say is in critical condition, received immediate and urgent medical care at one of Amman's hospitals. Caulfield and McCarty were both injured, but are in stable condition, and posted video messages to Twitter earlier today to reassure their families and friends of their well-being.
All three journalists will be admitted to the Pitié Salpêtrière University Hospital in Paris for further assessment and treatment.
Edward Cullen, a Boston native, an award-winning foreign correspondent, and formerly with PBS and The Associated Press, is the son of renowned The Boston Globe former political correspondent and current editor of The Globe's editorial page, Esme Platt-Cullen.
Katherine Caufield, also a Boston native, is the eldest child of former Massachusetts Governor, and current GOP candidate for an open U.S. Senate seat, Maxwell Caulfield III.
Emmett McCarty, a New York City native, was on assignment for The Washington Post. He won a World Press Photo photojournalism award in 2010 for his reporting on the West Bank.
Their families have released a joint statement.
"We are extremely thankful for the outpouring of support on behalf of Edward, Katherine, and Emmett at this trying moment in our lives. At this time, we will be making no further statements or offering any additional comments on their conditions as we work to bring them back home safely and give them the peace and care they need to heal from this experience and, hopefully, return to an active life and work as soon as they can."
Reporting by the Reuters Newswire Service in Amman and Paris
&&&IVORIES&&&
Breaking News – 3 April 2012
U.S. journalists and photographer wounded in Homs bombings repatriated to Boston
Boston Globe News desk
BOSTON – A month after their successful evacuation out of Syria, thanks to a flight arranged with the cooperation of Syrian diplomats and the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Edward Cullen, chief foreign correspondent with CNN, Katherine Caulfield, Cullen's long-time field producer, and Emmett McCarty, a freelance photographer on assignment with The Washington Post, finally landed back at Boston's Logan Airport earlier today.
The three members of the press sustained injuries—devastating, in Cullen's case—during the siege of Homs bombings where Syrian forces dropped missiles on the besieged city for nearly three weeks. One such sustained bombing destroyed a house used as a makeshift media center in late February.
The attack killed about a dozen people in total, including American-born, British-based renowned war correspondent Marie Colvin.
Cullen, Caulfield, and McCarty were welcomed by their families and local authorities. Out of the three, Edward Cullen, 33, sustained the most serious injuries; reportedly, the attack and consequent collapse of the Baba Amr media center left him trapped in the rubble for about eighteen hours. A compound fracture to his left leg, a traumatic brain injury, and broken back were the major causes of concern about his prognosis. Today, Cullen appeared alert, if reserved and overwhelmed by the welcoming crowd at the airport, but encumbered by a bulky cast still encasing his injured limb and confined to a wheelchair.
Cuts and bruises, plus a broken arm for McCarty, seem to be the worst injuries to report for Cullen's two colleagues, especially for Katherine Caulfield, whose father, Governor Maxwell Caulfield III, did not miss a photo op with the political press gathered at Logan as he welcomed his daughter home from Paris. "We are thrilled that Kate has been returned to us unscathed," the Senate candidate declared to a huddle of reporters.
McCarty, 30—much like the Cullens—did not provide any comments on his condition or his colleagues' as he pushed Edward Cullen out of the terminal in a wheelchair, flanked on either side by Cullen's parents—prominent Boston corporate lawyer Carlisle Cullen, and our own editorial page editor here at The Globe, Esme Platt-Cullen.
All three reporters expect to return on assignment as soon as possible.
Reporting by The Boston Globe Newswire Service in Boston
&&&IVORIES&&&
Media news – 15 April 2012
CNN's Kate Caulfield expected to join MSNBC as chief foreign correspondent
Politico
New York, NY—MSNBC is reportedly eyeing Kate Caulfield, currently a field producer in the foreign news division at CNN, to replace Irina Matthews as their chief foreign correspondent.
The network is negotiating with Caulfield after her recent accident during the ongoing Syrian forces attacks on the city of Homs last month, which left renowned war reporter Marie Colvin and about a dozen other people dead, and Caulfield herself, CNN foreign correspondent Edward Cullen, and The Washington Post photojournalist Emmett McCarty with varying degrees of injuries.
After returning to her native city of Boston last month, reports state Caulfield has recovered quickly from the slight injuries she sustained in the attack.
At MNSBC, she would step into the role previously occupied with distinction by the likes of Andrea Mitchell and Richard Engel, sources told Politico.
Caulfield, eldest daughter of the former Governor of Massachusetts and current GOP candidate for a U.S. Senate seat, worked alongside Cullen for years as his field producer. The two have also reportedly been in a romantic relationship for the last five years.
Both sides are still discussing Caulfield's new role, and an agreement has not been reached, a source told Politico.
It would certainly be a step up career-wise for Caulfield, an experienced field producer who has never reported on video on her own.
At the time of posting, our requests for comments from CNN's foreign news division were not returned. Caulfield's agent cited privacy concerns as the negotiations reportedly progress and her client prepares to return to the field "after the ordeal she suffered in Homs."
Cullen, spotted leaving Mass General Hospital after a physical therapy session, had no comment on the upcoming career move of his (possibly) former colleague and partner in life. The award-winning reporter is still convalescing from serious wounds he sustained after being trapped under rubble in Homs for eighteen hours after last month's attack.
Politico Media Reporting
Note: these articles were all lovingly concocted by yours truly, even if the publications do exist. And no, the real Andrea Mitchell and Richard Engel are not about to lose their jobs to a fictional character ;-)
They give us an overview of where some of our gang stand at the start of the story. More on that in chapter 2, which will post next Saturday.
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