A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! (And thanks to those who had to reread the whole thing as it had been so long since I updated.) I now give you chapter seven; it's a short chapter, not much longer than the first one, so I do apologize for that, but I definitely knew exactly where I wanted to stop it. After this, we'll be really getting into the meat of the story, stuff I'm excited about writing, so I hope that'll motivate me to do more of it, right?

Anyways, as usual, standard disclaimers apply. I don't own any of it and I'm not making a profit. If only I could.

To The Night, Chapter Seven

It had been a long day. Lately, it seemed that every day was a long day, the hours until he could leave stretching out into eternity. Until now, Carlisle had lived for his job and the time that flew past while he worked. He had happily toiled away during those hours that other doctors preferred to spend sleeping or with spouses or loved ones. Especially since the addition of Bella - and Renesmee and Jacob - to the family, Carlisle had found himself even more conspicuously alone. Even his "granddaughter" had a mate! He had thrown himself into his occupation with such single-minded intensity that he'd begun to deeply suspect he would never have a mate of his own.

Until Harry. Now, he counted the minutes before he could race home and see the dark-haired vampire. He'd thought, at first, that it was just a passing fad, but Harry had been with them for nearly a month and Carlisle was no less enthusiastic about getting home now than he'd been his first day on the job. He could only wish that Harry seemed as excited to see him, but his mate was hardly more animated than he'd been when Carlisle first spoke to him. Nevertheless, there was a strong connection between the two, and this made Carlisle suspect that Harry wasn't telling him everything. It wasn't that Carlisle didn't trust him; he did, for reasons he couldn't explain even to himself. Yet Harry had told him he'd wanted to die the night Carlisle changed him, and Carlisle was afraid that hadn't changed at all in the past weeks.

If only Carlisle knew how to help him. But even if he had chosen to focus his practice on psychiatry instead of surgery - it probably would have been a smarter move for a vampire, but far less interesting to him - he didn't think he'd be any better off. He was too close to the situation. Just as surgeons weren't supposed to treat members of their own family, not that it was an issue with any of his children, he was fairly certain he couldn't do anything for Harry besides what any normal man would do for his mate. That, then, was the problem. He had only just met Harry; certainly he didn't know him well on any conscious level, but unconsciously, emotionally, Carlisle felt he had known Harry for his entire existence.

This was how he knew upon arriving home, before he'd even stepped out of his car, that something was wrong. He could tell by the scents that lingered in the car that Harry wasn't in the house, but there was someone who should know where he was. Alice was lounging on the couch in the living room, waiting for him. The television was on but she was clearly not paying attention to it, for she turned to Carlisle with a distant look in her eyes as he entered.

"Alice," Carlisle said, letting out a breath. She looked up at him, eyes focusing on him rather than some distant picture. "What's going on?"

"I knew you'd be home soon, Carlisle." Alice said, then paused for a moment. A smile twitched at her lips before turning to a frown. "Harry came downstairs today. To get to know the rest of us a bit. Nessie and I had gone out, and Rose and Jake were in the garage. Edward, Bella, Jazz and Emmett were here. They were all talking; Edward wanted to know why he couldn't read Harry's thoughts. And then they were speaking about magic, and …"

"And what?" Carlisle asked urgently.

"I don't know," she replied, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

Carlisle was momentarily silenced. He could only stare at her, his mind moving so quickly he couldn't keep up with it. "What do you mean you don't know?"

The girl shrugged. "I don't know. Nessie and I were just heading home and suddenly my vision cut off. Just like it did with the mirror when Harry first woke. By the time we got home Emmett was explaining to Rose and Jake. Apparently Harry showed them some magic and got really freaked out, ran out of the house.

"He's in the woods now," she added. "With Eddie and Bells and Jasper. He's just talking to them, I didn't really see about what. They're about a mile and a half in, northwest. It shouldn't be too difficult to find them. I can already see you arriving."

Carlisle nodded. He was confused by this turn of events; happy that Harry had come out of the room for something other than hunting, happy that he'd been trying to become acquainted with the family, but confused nonetheless. He couldn't quite figure his mate out. There was something about him that just didn't add up to Carlisle; his instincts were telling him something was off. He tried to ignore the feeling.

He couldn't ignore the feeling, however, that he needed to go into the woods and find Harry as soon as possible. He would have left without a second thought had it not been for the look on Alice's face, a lost, helpless look that he didn't think he'd ever seen on her before.

"What is it?" he asked. "Why aren't you out there with them?"

Alice blinked and forced a smile upon her face, but Carlisle could see it wasn't genuine. "I just don't think Harry likes me very much," she said.

Carlisle cocked his head. "What? Why would you think that? You haven't even spoken to him since he first arrived."

Alice just shook her head. "It doesn't matter right now. You go. There'll be time to talk later. There'll be time to make him like me."

Carlisle studied her closely for one last, long minute and then turned and rushed out of the house and into the woods.

Alice was right that it wasn't difficult to find them. Carlisle caught Harry's scent as soon as he'd entered the forest, and followed it quickly. Five minutes later, he stopped. Harry was sitting, leaning against a tree with his legs stretched out in front of him, looking up at Carlisle. Across from him sat Edward, Bella, and Jasper, just as Alice had said, also looking at him; no doubt they'd all heard him coming.

"Carlisle," Harry said, his gaze intense. "Hallo."

Carlisle's face broke into a grin, his body relaxing as he set eyes upon his mate. God, but Harry was exquisite, wasn't he?

Edward coughed then, interrupting Carlisle's thoughts. Jasper reached out and smacked him.

"We'll just, ah … be going now," he offered, and pulled Edward to his feet while Bella stood simultaneously.

Harry watched them go, and Carlisle watched as Harry smiled crookedly. Once the sound of the footsteps had faded into a distant patter, Harry looked back over at him and his smile faded. Carlisle resisted sighing and instead approached Harry, charred leaves and branches crunching beneath his feet. He realized that he was still wearing his good shoes from work and that they were half-ruined by now, but didn't care. Instead, he plopped down on the ground just far enough from Harry that hopefully he wouldn't be scared off.

"You came out today," he commented then, not knowing how else to begin.

Harry made a noise that sounded like a laugh, but Carlisle wasn't entirely sure. "If that's how you want to look at it," he said. "You said you wanted me to get to know the rest of your family."

"And so I do," Carlisle agreed.

"And instead I did all this," Harry concluded, waving his hand in a sweeping motion.

Carlisle took in the destruction around them. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed it, but simply that it hadn't seemed important compared to seeing Harry. Now, though, he was amazed by the sheer number of burnt, broken trees. It looked like a secluded hurricane had torn through this little patch of woods. "You did all this?" he asked.

"My magic." Harry frowned and shook his head.

Carlisle understood; he may not have known Harry for very long yet, but he already knew that Harry was very private. He had to give him time to speak about personal matters. With that thought in mind, he decided to change the subject.

"You looked like you were having a good conversation when I arrived," he commented.

"We were, I suppose. I was telling them a bit about Hogwarts. Stuff you've already heard." Harry paused. "Edward doesn't trust me very much."

"Edward just doesn't like that he can't hear your thoughts," Carlisle told him.

"Yes, I know that. He wants me to let him, but I refused. I can't …" Harry looked up him guiltily.

"You don't have to do anything like that," Carlisle said. "Edward will get over it. He'll get to know you and he'll trust you then."

"If you say so," Harry said, but he sounded unsure.

Carlisle frowned a little bit. "I've been thinking about it," he admitted. "And the thing about Edward is that, well, I think it's difficult for him that I haven't been … available lately."

Harry looked up at him in interest.

"Edward and I were both … alone … for a long time. He was the first one I turned, and it was just the two of us until Rose. She found Emmett in only a few years, and Alice and Jasper were already together when they joined us, so in a way it was still just me and Edward. We had each other; we had other things as well. I have medicine, Edward has his music. But neither of us had mates.

"When it came down to it, we had time for each other. When the others wanted to be alone together, when normal people would need to be sleeping, we had each other. I'll admit that it wasn't easy for me when Edward met Bella. He was always off with her, watching her, protecting her. But I was happy he'd found someone, and someone as pleasant and kind as Bella.

"I suppose … well, it was an adjustment for me, realizing that Edward wasn't just mine anymore, but I learned to see it that way because Bella was right there. I never had anyone, though, so even when Edward stopped needing me in that way, he didn't stop thinking of me like that. Now that I have -"

Carlisle broke off then, making an odd, choking sound in the back of his throat. "Well …"

He could feels Harry's eyes on him, watching, thinking, considering. His face held a plethora of emotions, each one winning out for but a few moments before another became dominant: fear, disbelief, shock, something akin to happiness (though Carlisle wasn't sure if he was simply imagining this one out of pure desire), before settling back into it's usual state. Denial. Carlisle wondered how long it would take the other man to realize what these feelings between them were. He wondered if they were as overpowering and consuming for Harry as they were for him.

"Well." Harry echoed Carlisle, breaking the tense silence. "I suppose you have been spending all of your free time with me."

"I have been," Carlisle agreed, looking into his mate's eyes. They were almost completely amber now, fading almost as fast as Bella's had. There was but a tinge of red left, ringing the pupil, and Carlisle knew he couldn't have seen it at all without the senses of a vampire.

"You don't have to, you know," Harry replied quietly. "I mean, if Edward needs you around, if … I …"

"Harry. I want to," Carlisle told him. "I turned you and brought you here. I convinced you to stay and now I'm getting to know you. I daresay I, ah, like what I've gotten to know so far. But certainly, if you feel you need more time alone …"

A guilty, pained look flitted across Harry's face, gone before it had graced his features for a moment, but Carlisle knew he had seen it. He felt like Harry had kicked him in the gut.

"Oh," he said. "Oh. You're planning to go."

Harry looked up at him. He seemed unsurprised that Carlisle knew. "Yes."

"You don't have to do that," Carlisle pointed out.

"I think I do," Harry replied. "I was supposed to be gone before you got home, but then Edward and Bella and Jasper came."

"I'm glad they did. I'm glad you stayed with them. If nothing else … if I can't change your mind … then I'm glad to have the opportunity to say good-bye."

Harry raised an eyebrow at him; the gesture was not disdainful, only curious. "What would you say to get me to stay?"

Harry looked despairingly hopeful, gazing up at Carlisle through long eyelashes. "I would say …" Carlisle paused, not wanting to say something that would only make Harry leave more quickly. "I don't understand everything that you've told me, everything you've been through, but I think you deserve some sort of happiness. From what you've told me, you've sacrificed so much since you finished school - what's that, ten years? - and maybe you shouldn't have to sacrifice anymore. Maybe it's someone else's turn."

Though he'd meant to be subtle and cajoling, Carlisle had barely been able to control the words as they flew out of his mouth. But God, he wanted Harry to stay. Needed him to stay.

A bitter laugh escaped Harry's mouth. "That would probably work for most people. For any sane person, but …" Harry's voice became slightly manic. "You don't understand. I can't just leave it like this. It's my fault."

Carlisle wasn't really sure how to respond to this. He honestly doubted that this was true. From what Harry had told him, this world of his, the wizarding world, was saturated with corruption; one person could not have inspired such violent hatred and irrational discrimination. Nor could a single individual have prevented it, especially not a young man who had only been finishing school when the current government began its powerful reign. But it didn't really matter whether it was actually true or not, for Harry believed it was. His mate's distraught countenance told Carlisle everything he needed to know.

Watching him, Carlisle was struck with a strong desire to reach out to his companion. He knew it wasn't a good idea; he remembered quite well how Harry had reacted when he'd touched him the first time and was observant enough to notice how Harry avoided being too close to him, angling his body so even their feet wouldn't come into contact when they were repositioning themselves on the bed or their arms wouldn't brush when they were hunting in the woods. But the urge was stronger than any yet, and the way Harry was looking at him, so stricken …

Slowly, he reached out his hand, inching it ever closer to Harry, who tore his gaze away from Carlisle to track its progress. He did not move though - if anything he was even more still than usual with a stiffness that did not suit him - and Carlisle took this as a good sign. He extended his hand farther, steadily paced, and a moment later he came into contact with Harry's own hand, covering it completely.

At first nothing happened, except for an immense feeling of satisfaction on Carlisle's part; then, when Harry didn't pull away, a jolt passed between them, working its way up Carlisle's spine. Surely Harry must have felt it as well, but still he didn't move. He was staring at their hands, as if it was the most intriguing and inexplicable thing he had ever encountered. Maybe it was; maybe he was feeling what Carlisle was feeling at this moment.

"Harry." Carlisle whispered, speaking as though to a wounded child. "Harry, I don't understand why you think it was your fault. But whether it was or not, ask yourself: do they deserve your guilt? None of them have cared enough to try and change."

Harry took his eyes away from their hands, looking up as Carlisle spoke. His amber pupils were bright and clear for just a moment before he released a stunted laugh, bitter and pained. Then they clouded again, and he jumped to his feet, breaking contact with Carlisle. He darted off into the surrounding woods but stopped a split second later, about fifty feet away. He leaned with his hands against a tree, head hanging between his arms. If he had still been human, he would have been gasping for breath, and his heart would be racing in his chest.

It was this reaction that confirmed in Carlisle a suspicion that had been growing in his mind, one he'd been very careful to keep hidden from Edward: there were things Harry wasn't telling him. Significant things. Certainly he couldn't be expected to recount every detail of his life, or even remember them all, after the change. But these things Harry was hiding, whatever they were, must be important; perhaps, as Edward suspected, dangerous. And though Carlisle knew this, understood it even, he didn't care. He still wanted Harry more than he'd ever wanted anything.

He wished, sincerely, that he could tell Harry this, but his mate would not believe him. Not yet. Carlisle needed more time to make Harry see their presently nonexistent relationship for what it was.

Steeling himself, Carlisle rose and straightened and purposefully made his way towards Harry, walking, not running. Though it took but a short time to reach him, every moment that passed was one in which Carlisle feared Harry would simply disappear. But when he stopped, less than an arm's length away, Harry was still there, hands burrowing so viciously into the tree trunk that he had caused pieces of bark to tear away, his face hidden from Carlisle's view.

Carlisle considered the situation for a long moment; trying to reach out to Harry again could be disastrous. His mate could decide to leave and never come back. But on the off chance that it would help, Carlisle could not deny his heart its desires and so he shifted his body, angling it so that he was half facing Harry and half facing the tree, and once again covered Harry's left hand.

Harry did not react, and there was a moment of stillness before Carlisle gently pried Harry's hand from the deformed bark and clasped it between both of his own, gently rubbing it as he brought it towards his chest. Harry's face, which had been turned to the ground, tipped sideways to look at Carlisle. The expression on his face was one Carlisle recognized well, both on his own face and many a time on Edward's: despair.

And though he'd seen it so many times, and been unable to prevent or cure it, Carlisle couldn't bear that look on Harry's face. He moved one of his hands away from Harry's and placed it on his mate's alabaster cheek. Harry was still for a moment, deciding how to react, then, seemingly involuntarily, leaned into the touch.

"Harry, you can't leave," he whispered. "It's not enough."

He knew that Harry could hear the pleading in his voice, but he didn't care at this point. He'd told Roaslie he'd give Harry a choice, but the truth was that he didn't know if he could.

Amber eyes met his, studied them. "I'm sorry, Carlisle. I can't stay."

Carlisle had been dreading those words. He'd thought his heart might shatter upon hearing them, but instead he just felt frozen.

"I have to go right now. But I'll come back when I can," he said softly.

"You'll come back?" Carlisle asked.

"When I can," Harry repeated. "If I can."

"How long?" the blond asked.

"I don't know." Harry said, reaching up to run his hand through his hair. "You'll still be here?"

"We'll be here," Carlisle assured him. "I'll be waiting."

Harry nodded, pausing for a moment before taking a step back from Carlisle and pulling his hand away. Carlisle wanted to say something, but he was out of words entirely, and he knew that nothing he said would convince Harry to stay.

Harry seemed to sense this, seemed to understand how difficult it was for Carlisle to watch him go. He reached his arm back out and brushed a hand down Carlisle's arm, gently squeezing his hand before letting go again. It was a ghost of a touch, and Carlisle closed his eyes in order to savor it, knowing it was the last time he would touch his mate for what might be a good while. Not forever, though; he wouldn't allow himself to believe that.

Then, in a whisper so low even Carlisle had to strain to hear it, Harry spoke. "If you're not, I'll find you."

Carlisle was comforted by those words, and by the knowledge that Harry must feel what he felt, even if still on some unconscious level. He listened for something more, for some indication that perhaps Harry had just experienced his revelation, but no further words were spoken. When Carlisle opened his eyes, Harry was gone.

So there you have it. Don't hate me! It wouldn't be much of a story if they stayed parted for long, now would it? Reviews are welcomed but not required!