Disclaimer – Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer

AN – Sorry for the delay in posting, a family holiday on a tropical island interfered. I hope to get Chapter 3 out soon (currently with my wonderful Beta). Please note that this story will contain violence in later chapters; I will provide a warning at the start of chapters that do.

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything - Plato

Chapter Two

One week after their arrival, Edward had an audition at the Conservatory. Carlisle insisted on accompanying him.

"You don't need to escort me, you know. I'm sure I can find the way all by myself," grumbled the younger vampire, but really he was just very nervous and not at all irritated with the other.

Carlisle knew there was no need for him to go with Edward, but he wanted to show his support for (and interest in) his mate's activities. And while he had a hard time admitting it to himself, he was actually the more nervous of the two. He had always been so proud of Edward's musical talents! He was keen to have him explore his potential. After all, he told Edward, he had his medical practice. It was only right that Edward embrace his own passion.

Perhaps more than anything else, Carlisle wanted Edward to have something of his own - something independent of Carlisle - that would ease Edward's total reliance on him. He couldn't help but feel that Edward's lack of anything outside of Carlisle's world had been the real cause of their rift. And he was determined to avoid another rupture in their relationship.

But the real reason for accompanying Edward was that he was unwilling to stay home alone - simply because it would mean being alone. Since Edward's return, he had had difficultly being by himself, especially at home. The six months Edward was away were the loneliest in Carlisle's long and lonely existence; he had avoided the house as much as possible during that time.

The emptiness he felt when Edward was apart from him had become even more pronounced earlier that week. Edward had gone into town to perform some errands; Carlisle wandered aimlessly from room to room unable to focus. Sitting on the porch after visiting every room in the house for the fifth time, he wondered whether Edward had missed him at all while he was away at work in their former homestead. Edward always appeared actively occupied each and every day, which disturbed and depressed Carlisle. He wanted Edward to pine just a little for him as well. That seemed only fair.

But he knew things would be right when he started back to work. He desperately needed something to do! His first shift at the hospital was the following day. In the meantime, he would be happily employed escorting Edward, a duty which would have been even more pleasurable if he had been able to hold his mate's hand.

Arriving at the conservatory they entered the main building and were met by a staff member. Edward was escorted to a side chamber in which resided a grand piano which, he was informed, was there for the purposes of his warm-up and preparation. Carlisle was directed to a vacant waiting room on the opposite side of the hallway. The room was fairly stark and uninviting and contained half-dozen high-backed wooden chairs surrounding a large fireplace, the mantle of which housed a large clock which had, in Carlisle's view, an exceptionally loud tick.

Edward had no need to warm up or review his pieces; instead he chose to play some of his more relaxing compositions in attempt to calm his nerves. His favorite was a piece he had written the previous year inspired by Carlisle stretched out on the ground watching the stars. Carlisle hearing 'his' piece from the waiting room smiled - thank you love. Edward responded his voice full of love "Thank You." He continued to play until interrupted by a second staff member inviting him into the main hall for his audition.

Waiting patiently Carlisle focused his attention on the audition hall, listening to Edward play the three pieces required for the audition - two classical works and one of his own compositions.

He smiled to himself and recalled how the last piece had caused a small amount of consternation and a large amount of disruption to the household.

One of the key requirements had been the submission of a copy of the original composition score weeks before the audition. The task itself should have posed no real problem. However, due to Edward's infallible vampire memory, he had never bothered to score his compositions before. Uncertain how best to proceed, he had become obsessed with translating the chosen piece to paper in meticulous detail. In the end, the sheets of music, scraps of paper and splattering of ink drove Carlisle to distraction and he had banished Edward to the back porch to complete the task.

Carlisle, absorbed in Edward's performance in the next room, was chuckling quietly to himself when the calm of the waiting room was broken by the arrival of a young man of around twenty years and a lady who could have only been his mother. Like Edward, the young man showed signs of nervousness as he was directed to the warm-up room while his mother joined the vampire in the waiting area. Sitting a few seats away from Carlisle, she threw him a quick, stressed smile and settled into a chair clearly intending to wait for her young man as well.

He smiled politely back at her and then returned his focus to the audition room. He was disappointed to hear that Edward had stopped playing and was now engaged in conversation with two others. He recalled Edward mentioning that this part of the audition was expected to last only half an hour, after which they had agreed to walk over to the hospital so that Carlisle could collect the paperwork for his shift the next day. Repositioning himself unnecessarily in the chair in a show of making himself comfortable, Carlisle turned his thoughts to the hospital and the information he had received from the governors earlier in the week.

He became distracted by the restless shifting of the woman and, looking up, realized that he had been so focused on his thoughts that he had not noticed that Edward had been talking to the audition committee for close to an hour.

He shared a glance with the other occupant of the waiting room, and noticed that her nervousness was acute, probably a result of the longer wait.

Clearing her throat she commented quietly, "They seem to be taking some time."

Carlisle turned to face her. "Yes, they are. My brother only expected the interview stage to go for half an hour."

A small smile played on her lips; she extended her hand. "Mrs. Mary Parson. My son William is auditioning today." Carlisle took her hand and although he had been sitting by the fire he was aware of her reaction to the coldness of his touch.

"Carlisle Cullen."

"Ah, the new doctor?" And when he nodded in acknowledgement, she, too, nodded as if this piece of information explained a great deal. Carlisle wondered what gossip had already been circulating about him and made a note to ask Edward to ferret it out.

On release of his grip, Mrs. Parson unconsciously rubbed her hand on her skirts as if to remove the chilled sensation of his touch. In that same moment, Edward emerged from the hall.

"How did it go?" asked Carlisle.

"All right, I think. They will contact me within the week." Edward responded briskly, not willing to discuss it further. He was certain that Carlisle would be annoyed with him over a slight slip he had made.

Carlisle turned and introduced Edward to Mrs. Parson; they shared pleasantries, and then took their leave, wishing her well and her son success in his audition.

As they left the building, a parting thought from the lady caused Edward to sigh.

Noticing his reaction, Carlisle inquired, "Do I want to know?"

Edward shrugged. "Let's just say that once again you will have an influx of requests by female patients to see you exclusively. Mrs. Parson intends to tell her circle of the 'charmingly handsome' new doctor." He sighed. Looking at Carlisle, he saw both amusement and exasperation in his mate's look. "I know, I know," he exclaimed, "I should not let it get to me. I am trying."

Frustrated that he could not take Carlisle in his arms, he wrapped his own tightly across his chest.

Brushing Edward's arm lightly, Carlisle tried to sooth his distraught mate. I love you and only you. I understand that these things upset you, and in a small way I think it is flattering that you get so jealous. But it pains me to see you upset, love, so I ask that you try not to take others' flights of fancy to heart.

Edward relaxed his pose, and looking up at his mate, he murmured, "I love you" and allowed himself to be led out of the Conservatory grounds in the direction of the hospital.

On completion of Carlisle's errand - which included, to Edward's irritation, a tour of the entire facility and introductions with every doctor, nurse and orderly on staff - they returned home.

While walking, Edward described his audition in greater detail. "I thought for a moment I had made an error when they asked where my music was; I thought they had not received the scores we had sent. But then I realized they meant the music I was to play from. They were dubious when I told them that I would play from memory, but seemed pleased afterwards." Carlisle shook his head; it had not occurred to either of them that Edward might require copies of the scores as props, but it sounded like no harm had been done.

"Why did you take so long at interview?"

"Well…" Edward paused, looking at Carlisle guiltily.

Carlisle sighed. "What did you say?"

"The maestro and I were discussing different styles of music and the origin of pieces. I started talking about some of the music that we had heard in Europe. We were talking about Jazz in Paris and I mentioned the music we heard on Bastille Day."

Carlisle groaned, now knowing the source of the boy's guilt. "Edward, how old did you say you were?"

"Twenty-two," the young vampire whispered.

Carlisle groaned again. It could have been worse, Edward could have said 25. "I thought we had agreed on 19 or 20." He raised an eyebrow at the abashed being beside him.

"I know, it just seemed unreasonable that I would have been concentrating on music in Paris at the age of 11! Indeed, one member of the panel thought that if I said anything younger than 13, I would have been telling a falsehood, so I had to go with 13!" He stopped walking. Checking that there was no one around, he clasped Carlisle's hand. "I am sorry if I have already caused problems for us here".

Carlisle raised their joined hands, gently brushing Edward's cheek. "It's not a problem. We can work around it. It was just a surprise….and you know how I feel about those!" He smiled and kept Edward's hand in his own the remainder of the walk, trusting the other to warn him if they needed to separate.

~*.*~

The hospital had requested that Carlisle have his house connected to the local telephone party line to ensure that they could contact him directly rather than sending a runner. Edward had not been keen on the idea at first as he had liked having Carlisle to himself at home with limited intrusion by hospital duties. He had grudgingly accepted that the telephone had advantages as he found himself waiting close by, the day after the audition, hoping that the conservatory would call. He was surprised at his own level of anticipation and had a number of times found Carlisle watching him with a bemused fondness.

Carlisle had surveyed Edward throughout the day, quietly ecstatic that the young man was enlivened by the prospect of studying music again. That said, he had been a little disappointed when Edward declined his invitation to walk with him to the hospital for his first day. Edward always walked Carlisle to his first day at work since their return from Europe to Vermont in 1921. The custom was something Carlisle quite enjoyed, regarding it as Edward's manifest support for his occupation.

Not wishing to upset his mate, Carlisle had tried to make light of his disappointment. "What? Don't you want to meet the remainder of my new colleagues?"

Rolling his eyes, Edward had snorted. "I really don't need to hear the same thoughts about you from a new group of hospital staff."

"Not jealous are we?" He smiled half jokingly, kneeling on the floor in front of him, running his hands along Edward's arms. He knew Edward struggled with the thoughts of the female ("And male!") hospital staff with regard to Carlisle.

Edward raised an eyebrow and had just opened his mouth to retort when the distinctive ring for their phone along the party line trilled through the house.

The telephone rang once, paused, and then rang again.

Carlisle looked at Edward wondering why he had yet to answer. He was surprised to see him frozen in position, staring at the ringing phone with a look of pure panic in his eyes.

"Shall I get it?" Carlisle asked softly. At Edwards's slight nod, Carlisle walked to pick up the receiver.

"Cullen residence. Dr Cullen speaking." He paused, "Yes, Maestro. You are ringing regarding my brother, Edward?"

But Edward shook his head frantically when Carlisle offered him the receiver. The older vampire gave him an exasperated look, but returned to the party on the other end. "I am sorry, Maestro, Edward is unable to come to the telephone. May I give him a message?"

Another pause, Edward felt his head would explode with anticipation.

"Certainly, Edward will be at your office in one hour, thank you." Carlisle returned the receiver to the cradle. "Well, that was unexpected! Have you any idea why they would need to see you again?"

Edward could not speak, and only shook his head in response to Carlisle's question. Surprised by his own emotions, he grasped at Carlisle and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Carlisle, astonished at the panic on Edward's face, tried to soothe him. "I am sure everything is fine, Edward. Maybe they just need to clarify something. I will walk you there on my way to work, and should you need to talk to me afterwards, well, you know where to find me!"

Nodding at the plan, Edward went upstairs to change. When he came back down, he was more settled. He wrapped his arms around Carlisle and lightly kissing his mate's soft lips and said, "I'm ready."