A/N: Here's another one-shot. Like all the others, it is a song-fic based on a song with dancing. This time the song is "Can I Have This Dance" from High School Musical 3: Senior Year. I do not own Carlisle, Esme, Edward, or any part of the High School Musical series. So no copyright infringement intended. I'm posting a YouTube link to the song on my author's site so those without it can listen to it during the proper section. I highly recommend you do!

Please read and enjoy!

-Wish

Today, of all days, was a special day. Today, was the anniversary of the day I made the kindest, smartest, most loving, most beautiful, most wonderful woman in the entire world, mine. Today was Esme's and my anniversary. It seemed hard to believe that we'd already celebrated 75 years together. That was more than most human couples. And not a year went by that I didn't love Esme more each day. She is still my everything. She's the love of my entire existence. And unfortunately, she's out right now.

She, Alice, and Rosalie went to the spa for what I had planned tonight. We'd get on a plane, late so that there were fewer humans. We were taking what travelers refer to as a "Red-eye" flight, an overnight flight, leaving fairly late and landing in the early morning. Not that the time would matter to us. We didn't sleep anyways. I booked the flight, mainly to ensure that, when we landed in Rio de Janiero, there would be no risk of us getting caught in the sun.

From Rio, we'd board the yacht we always had anchored in the harbor there, travelling across water to Isle Esme. It was my gift to her, 25 years ago exactly, for our 50th Anniversary. It was her private getaway, where there was no need to hide from the sun or from people. The only humans who went to Isle Esme were the maintenance that upkeep the place when we weren't there. But they wouldn't be there, while we were. Esme and I would have an entire week to ourselves, no humans to tempt our thirst, and no teenagers to walk in at the worst time. It would be just the two of us.

I was excited just thinking about the opportunity to spend time alone with my lovely wife.

There was a knock at my office door. "Carlisle?" I was surprised to hear Alice. The girls must've come home already.

"Come in, Alice," I called.

My youngest daughter pushed open the door to my study and slipped inside, closing it behind her back.

"What can I do for you?" I asked, gesturing for her to take a seat in one of the chairs across my desk.

"Just so you know, Esme's not home yet, I just left her with Rose for the last bit. I just wanted to ask you about something."

"Go ahead," I encouraged.

"It's about, when you treated Esme, before she was human. It's just something Esme told me about once."

"Alright…"

"Esme said, when she was in the hospital, you gave her a book, Paradise Lost. She showed me the copy."

I nodded. I knew Esme had the book. It'd been the one thing she'd retrieved from her human life. Edward had gone with her and gotten it while I was at work. We'd still been in Ashland. At the time, I had been worried for them, not because I was afraid for their safety, but rather because both of them were still young to the vampire life. Edward had only been a few years old, and Esme had been a newborn. It was amazing that they'd been able to get the book without having any accidents.

Alice continued, "She also said that you…took her dancing, though it's hard for her to remember the details of it. I was wondering, if you could tell me about it. You were a vampire then."

I knew which memory Alice was speaking of, and I could recall it as easily as if it'd happen the day before, not over eighty years ago. I remembered having to hide away that day, because it'd been sunny. I'd come in after the sun had set, going right away to check on my favorite patient. Esme had been sitting up late, a reading lamp leaning over her shoulder, providing the only light in the room. It'd looked like heaven was shining down on my angel through the darkness of the mortal world. I'd stood in the shadow of the doorway for a moment, content to just watch her.

When I'd finally built up the courage to open the door and go in, I'd teased her, just to see her radiant smile. At the time, the feelings I had for her scared me. She was only a teenage girl. And I was over 200 years old. She would grow up, and I would never change. I'd known it wasn't a good idea to spend time with her because I would be leaving her for Chicago soon. But I couldn't help it.

"Cease I to wander where the Muses haunt; Clear Spring, or shade Grove, or Sunny Hill,; Smit with the love of sacred Song…," I murmured absently, recalling the passage Esme had been reading when I'd come in.

"Excuse me?" Alice broke through my thoughts, bringing me back to the present.

"That's what she'd been reading, that night," I explained. "It's a passage from Paradise Lost. She was up later than she should've been, reading. The copy I gave her had been one of the few things from my human life."

Alice nodded, gesturing for me to continue.

"The day before, I'd run into Sarah, one of Esme's friends, who'd told me that Esme liked to dance. I figured that she might like to get out of the hospital, even for a little while. It'd been sunny, so I was forced to wait until nighttime to take her out."

"Where did you go?" Alice asked.

"A park. There was one a few blocks down from the hospital. I pushed her in a wheelchair, down to the local park and we wandered a bit." I chuckled, thinking of what Esme had said as we walked. "She'd thought I was "otherworldly" under the moonlight." When I'd first heard it, a brief pang of fear had clutched at my heart. But I didn't show it to her, thinking it better to laugh off her comment. "I'd been forced to change the subject, and told her I was moving to Chicago."

"Right, this was just before you found Edward," Alice commented.

"Yes. Esme had been very upset. I hadn't realized just how close I'd become to her, during our brief time as doctor and patient.

"I stood in front of her in her wheelchair and bowed, asking her to dance. Of course, she must've thought I was crazy. Her leg was in a cast and we were alone in the middle of the park, with only the sound of the crickets and a few passing cars. But she agreed.

"I picked her up, holding her so that she didn't have to stand on her injured foot. She was so light and fragile, and her skin was so warm." I found myself drifting off again in the memory of her body against mine. It'd been the most intimate thing we'd done and I'd been scared to death I would hurt her. I knew I wouldn't have a problem resisting her blood. I was more afraid of my own strength, of accidentally crushing her, of hurting her.

"We didn't have any music," I said. "I listened to the rhythm of her heart. It was so strong, so vital. It was like everything else faded away, and it was just Esme and I. I felt her heart beat like it was a part of me."

'And they go dancin'
Around and around without any cares
And her very first true love is holding her close…'

Alice sighed, seemingly as caught up in the moment as I was. "What happened after that?"

"I took her back to the hospital and checked on her through the night while she slept. The next day, I left for Chicago."

Alice nodded, her eyes far away now. I could tell she was most likely searching the future for something.

"Is that all you need?" I asked.

"Oh, yes Carlisle, thanks. And Happy Anniversary to you two. You'll have a great time at the island."

Alice left the room with a small smirk as I groaned. I didn't need Alice looking into Esme and my future there. That was private. But then again, between Edward's mind-reading, Alice's visions, and Jasper's empathy, nothing was truly private anymore.

I heard a car pull up to the house and Rosalie and Esme climbed out. My heart soared at the thought of seeing my angel again as I left my office to meet her at the door.

She looked happy as she walked in, but her smile grew ten times as she looked at me. I scooped her up in my arms, laying a kiss on her forehead and then her lips. "How was your time with Alice and Rosalie?" I asked.

"Nice," Esme replied.

"Everything's ready for the trip," I told her.

"Where are we going?" Esme asked. I still hadn't told her yet. Alice had packed for her.

"It's a surprise," I told her, grinning. She was so beautiful as she looked up at me, attempting to read my expression. "But I assure you, you'll like it."

"I'd like any place, as long as you were there, Carlisle," Esme replied, standing on her toes to kiss me back.

"Well you will miss your flight there if you don't go," Alice put in. "Edward put the bags in your car this morning, Carlisle."

"Thank him for me?" I asked Alice. Edward, Emmett, and Jasper had been gone for the day, hunting together. They were scheduled to return that night.

"Fine," Alice replied. "Now go," she urged, literally pushing us out the door. Esme laughed as we got in my car to go to the airport.

"She means well," I said.

"She always does," Esme agreed.

We sat, curled up on the couch in the house on Isle Esme, enjoying our last day before we had to return to our family. As promised, it'd been a wonderful week. I was rather reluctant to return, content to just stay with Esme, holding her in my arms, smelling her sweet aroma, feeling her skin on mine.

"I love you," I whispered in her ear.

"I love you too, Carlisle," she replied, leaning into my chest. "Thank you, for planning all this. But you were wrong."

I frowned, looking down at the angel in my arms. "How so?" I inquired.

"I didn't like this weekend, I loved it," she corrected, chuckling.

"Oh, well my mistake then," I apologized.

"You'll have to make up for it," Esme almost purred.

"Whatever you wish, I will do to remedy this wrong I have done to you," I promised. "I'll do it right now, if you want me to," I offered.

"No, not just yet," Esme replied. She sighed, watching the sun as it set on the ocean. She looked pensive.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

"It's something Rosalie brought up, before we left. Do you remember the hospital in Columbus?"

"Of course, like it was yesterday." I remembered the talk I had with Alice before we'd left.

Esme nodded and stood. I didn't like the loss of her body against mine, but she reached her hand out to me. I took it and she pulled me up.

'Take my hand, take a breath
Pull me close and take one step
Keep your eyes locked on mine,
And let the music be your guide.'

Esme took my hand in hers and wrapped her other arm around my shoulder. I took her lead, wrapping my free hand around her waist and pulling her closer.

'Won't you promise me (now won't you promise me, that you'll never forget)
We'll keep dancing (to keep dancing) wherever we go next'

It was reminiscent of the time we'd danced in Columbus. Except this time, Esme didn't need me to hold her up. She was strong, just as strong as I was. I didn't have to worry about breaking her.

"Wait," I said.

"What?" Esme asked her expression curious.

"I have to do this right." I stepped back, dropping her hand. Esme looked dismayed, but I only smiled, bowing. "May I have this dance?" I asked her.

'It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance'

Esme smiled and took my hand and I pulled her close once more, resting my hand on her perfect hip. Without any music, we flowed into a slow waltz.

'Take my hand, I'll take the lead
And every turn will be safe with me
Don't be afraid, afraid to fall
You know I'll catch you threw it all'

As we danced around the living room, I marveled at my luck. I was married to an angel. I had her all to myself. And even death couldn't take her from me.

'And you can't keep us apart (even a thousand miles, can't keep us apart)
'Cause my heart is (cause my heart is) wherever you are

'It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance

'Oh no mountains too high enough, oceans too wide
'Cause together or not, our dance won't stop
Let it rain, let it pour
What we have is worth fighting for
You know I believe, that we were meant to be'

I didn't have her heart beat to dance to before, but my body still remembered the song and I kept pace with it almost religiously. It was our "Sacred song". I could've gone on forever with my angel, dancing, flowing around the room. Neither of us would get tired. But I soon sensed our dance coming to a close. We ended back where we started, just in front of the couch, Esme wrapped in my arms.

"I think I'm ready for you to, how was it? 'Remedy this wrong you have done to me'."

"Oh?"

Esme smiled at me mischievously and began pulling me away from the living room.

'It's like catching lightning the chances of finding someone like you (like you)
It's one in a million, the chances of feeling the way we do (way we do)
And with every step together, we just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance (can I have this dance)
Can I have this dance

Can I have this dance

Can I have this dance…'

A/N2: Okay, I know some of you don't like the whole "Fade to black" thing, but this fic is rated K+ and I want to keep it that way. So sorry!

I don't know if this is the last Dancing One-shot, but I'm running out of songs that have to do with dancing and that fit Carlisle and Esme's relationship. But if you have one that you hear and think "That is Carlisle and Esme for sure" then PM me with the title and the artist (if you can) and I'll see if I can write a fic for it.

I hope you enjoyed reading this one and please REVIEW!

-Wish