Dr. Carlisle Cullen (
ofthefamily) wrote2009-03-29 12:22 pm
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Carlisle-Esme, Pittsburgh.
Vampires don't sleep.
They do, however, sometimes find it relaxing to sit in a chair with a gramophone record playing in the background -- instrumental; an orchestra. Beyond that, there's no label on the record to dictate where or when the performance was recorded.
Carlisle's eyes are closed, his feet are propped up on a chair.
They do, however, sometimes find it relaxing to sit in a chair with a gramophone record playing in the background -- instrumental; an orchestra. Beyond that, there's no label on the record to dictate where or when the performance was recorded.
Carlisle's eyes are closed, his feet are propped up on a chair.
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"But why, Carlisle?" Esme asks. "Why me? Why Edward? Why now?"
She realizes that they aren't easy questions and almost expects him to refuse to answer.
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"I was tired of being alone. And...I thought you deserved a second chance."
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"It was just something I knew. The girl who hid up in trees to get away when everyone else in the world knew she'd have to come back down again -- "
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She's been through too much pain and loss.
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She closes her eyes, unable to look at him as she continues to speak, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I had a son."
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"And that's why -- "
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Because his time studying humans -- how they deal with illness, grief, loss -- he has to say this.
"You can't blame yourself for that. There are any number of medical reasons why the child was premature."
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That's not what Esme needs.
"Come here." Carlisle stands, gesturing for Esme to stand while he moves to the gramophone to put on another record. It's another instrumental. Harpsichord.
Carlisle sits down again, balancing what would look to be awkwardly on his hip so that Esme can sit next to him in the oversized chair.
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What are you doing?
"You will be alright, Esme."
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If she could cry, she would be crying right now.
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"Always let them hear your heart beating," the midwife would advise. "It's a comfort to them, bein' near something so living."
"Shhhh," Carlisle says aloud to no one in particular. "You're alright here."
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"You can't go backward. Try to make your life here. Please."
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"It was medically obvious when I saw you again that you had jumped," Carlisle starts slowly. "Edward told me about Charles. Not about your son."
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"It wasn't the life I wanted. I wanted to move out west and be a schoolteacher. My family... well, I couldn't bring myself to leave them. And then Charles went to the war. But he came back."
And was meaner upon his return.
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"But now you're here."
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Even if she won't be able to have children.
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I wanted to.
"Have faith that you can find something you can love here."
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Esme nods. "I'm not used to people doing nice things for me for no reason."
Or at all.
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