REPOST: Apologies, dear readers! It has come to my attention that FF (or maybe it was me…it's possible) has scrambled some critical chapters. At least one chapter got duplicated and one was even missing altogether. Rita (my editor lady / beta) and I decided it would be best to take down everything and repost in the correct order so that the drop down chapter numbers and the actual chapter titles match.

If you are already reading this story, and are totally confused, please note that what is NOW Chapter 13 was the missing chapter. If you read from there, it should be all good from there on out.

Once again, apologies for all the confusion!

The Songs of Angels

Chapter 1

"I don't give a damn, Edward! Ya're workin' ta hard, ta long, an' fer what? There's only so much ya can do in a week, lad."

"Look, I appreciate your concern, but it's uncalled for."

"Uncalled fer?" Carlisle exploded, his thick Irish brogue growing stronger with his anger. He was desperately trying to get through to the man before him, whom he had loved as his own son from the moment he was born.

"That be why yer secretary came ta me in tears, is it? Ya bit the lass's head off fer doin' somethin' ya ordered her ta do. I know Esme. She's the best damn secretary there be. She's been wi' this company fer 25 years an' she was ready ta quit because o' ya. She has taken a lot from ya, lad, but I've never known her ta cry!"

"I apologized for that," Edward replied in his usual cold tone of voice. He didn't feel a bit of remorse or regret for any of his actions, including snapping at Esme.

"Apologized? Is that what ya called it? A halfhearted, half mumbled 'sorry', as ya blew past her desk? Ya were better than that, Edward!" Carlisle said. He intentionally used the past tense hoping something would strike a chord in Edward." They call ya 'The Heartless Lion,' did ya know that, laddie? They say ya be cold, hard, unfeelin' an' ruthless. Did ya be knowin' that?"

"Yes, I know it," Edward replied. He was proud of it, too. Damn proud. "You have to be, in this business, or lose your shirt."

"Perhaps, at times, ya do, but not in yer private life. Ya have no private life, Edward. Ever since Rosalie left, ya've had no life a'tall," Carlisle said. Edward glared at him with vicious, cold eyes at the mention of her name. For a moment, Carlisle thought he was going to snarl at him. Carlisle was done tiptoeing around this boy and he ignored the look Edward gave him.

"Ya've turned cold an' uncarin' towards everyone an' everythin'. The only thing ya do is work an' I don't believe ya do that because ya enjoy it."

"What's all this about, Carlisle? What are you driving at?"

"I think ya work so hard because yer tryin' ta prove somethin' ta Rosalie an' ta yerself. I think ya be workin' so hard because ya've given up on everythin' else, except for money, because it's the only thin' ya have left ta hang onta. Ya don't even work for money because ya love it; ya do it ta prove somethin' ta her."

"That's absurd!" Edward replied. Although, something inside him told him that Carlisle had hit the nail right on the head. However, Edward refused to listen to that voice and he immediately silenced it.

"An'," Carlisle continued "I think if ya keep goin' the way ya're goin', if ya keep working this hard fer nothing, yer goin' ta wind up a very wealthy man in a very early grave."

"Meaning?"

"No hidden messages, Edward. Yer killin' yerself an' I hate ta see that happen." Carlisle sighed heavily. He already knew the answer to the question he had asked and, in knowing that answer, he knew what he had to do for Edward's sake, even if it meant Edward would hate him for it. He sighed heavily once more then cleared his throat. "I don't suppose I could talk ya inta takin' a vacation, could I? A very long extended vacation?"

"A vacation? Have you gone mad, old man? A vacation? Now?" Edward exploded.

"I figured ya'd react that way, lad. So, fer yer sake, I'm pullin' rank."

"Pulling rank?"

"Aye, Edward. When yer Da died, God rest his soul, he left ya an' me controllin' interest in this company, but he left me 1% more than he left ya so I'd have final say in things until I felt ya were capable o' handlin' things on yer own. He made me promise not ta turn the company o'er ta ya until ya straightened out yer life. I've been ready ta give ya that control an' I've been ready ta retire fer a long time now. But a promise is a promise, an' I always keep me word. Yer Da waited three years ta find the old Edward he knew an' loved. I've waited an additional seven years ta find him, but ya've buried him so deep inside yerself, I wonder if he'll ever escape. So, since I knew ya wouldna take a real vacation, I'm sendin' ya on a workin' vacation."

"What in Heaven's name are you talking about, Carlisle?" Edward asked, giving his old friend and business partner a cold glare.

Carlisle sat on the edge of his desk, hands resting on top of his walking stick. Edward could glare all he wanted, but Carlisle had known the boy since the day he was born and he would not be stared down now. He stared straight back at Edward as he answered the rude question.

"I'm sendin' ya ta open the new store. Ya'll have complete control o' everythin' an' ye're goin' ta stay there an' control everythin' until after the grand openin'. Everythin' ya need is in this file, includin' yer plane ticket. Ya leave first thing Monday mornin'," Carlisle dropped a huge file in Edward's lap.

"You can't do this, Carlisle! I own 49% of this company. You cannot make me take a job that is beneath my abilities in my own company."

"Ah, but it's still my company, at least fer now. I can an' I am goin' ta do it, Edward, an' there's nothin' ya can do about it. Thanks ta yer Da being a very intelligent man who had the foresight ta know just how stubborn an' bullheaded ya can be, he left me this tiny little stipulation in his will."

"Which is?"

"Simply put, as long as I have control o' 51% o' this company, I have the last say, even o 'er ya. I can even fire ya an' take away yer 49%, if I see fit. So, ya can take this job or lose this company altogether. It's yer choice, Edward."

"Is it? Dad sure put a lot of trust in you, Carlisle."

"Aye, that he did, lad, an' I'll no betray that trust, so don't be fooled fer a moment. I'll use everythin' he gave me ta see that ya are all right, that ya can survive an' lead a normal life wi'out Rosalie. Even if I have ta take everythin' away from ya ta make ya realize what ya have an' what ya could have. God knows, ya have enough money ta buy anythin' any 10 people could ever want. There's nothin' I can do about that, but I'm no' talkin' about material things, Edward. I am talkin' about love, laughter, life, happiness an' friendship. These are the only things in this world o' any real value. And yet, they can't be bought. Ya possess none o' these things, Edward. All ya have is a job an', if I have ta take that away from ya ta give ya these other precious gifts, then I will."

"You'd do it too, wouldn't you," Edward said sarcastically. It wasn't a question.

"Yer damn straight, I would! Yer Da an' I built this company an' when ya were old enough, we made ya a part o' it. Now, yer a partner, but we built it on love fer each other an' our friendship, love fer our wives an' our love fer ya. We built it on a friendship that lasted mor'n seven decades. We poured our lives inta it, but we continued ta live. Through the years, we've had happiness an' laughter because o' it. Since yer Da died, this place has become a machine. It has no heart, like it did before. I willna let ya tear the heart an' character from this place, like Rosalie tore it from ya. It means ta much ta me. Ya mean ta much ta me too, Edward. I can't stand here an' watch it happen an' no' say an' do everythin' in ma power ta stop it from happenin'. Take this job an', when it's o'er, come back an' we'll talk."

"And if I choose to get a lawyer and fight for what rightfully belongs to me? What then?" Edward asked.

"Yer Da thought ya'd try somethin' like that. He made sure his will was a legal an' bindin' document, free o' any an' all loopholes. If ya try that, I am ta take everythin' away from ya by yer Da's own wishes an' yer only hope o' getting' it all back is ta start at the bottom o' the ladder. Try that an' I'll take yer 49% an' ya'll get a sack boy position in the lower part o' Queens. I personally think it's a harsh thing ta do ta ya, but it was yer Da's decision, no' mine. But I'll stand by it because I loved him like a brother an' I love ya like ya were me own son. Take the job I'm offering ya, lad. It's yer only choice, an' it's a job I know ya love."

"This job will take a little over two years, if we are lucky. What happens if nothing has changed? If I haven't changed?"

"I don't know, Edward. God forbid that ta happen, but if it does…" Carlisle trailed off in mid-sentence. He didn't know what else to try, if this failed. He could only hope it wouldn't fail. Hope and pray.

Stunned, Edward just sat there and stared at his friend. The man he used to call Uncle Carlisle. He saw genuine love and concern in his eyes, as always. Carlisle was the only person in Edward's life he could call friend, but he hadn't been much of a friend lately, not in a long, long time; too long. In fact, he hadn't been very kind to anyone. Hell, he wasn't even polite. This whole idea of Carlisle's, though, was crazy. Without another thought or another word, he picked up the file and left.

Carlisle sighed in relief. He wondered what Edward would have done had he known the truth about the will.