The Inauspicious Beginnings Of A Prince
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 11
Esme was now sure that there was nothing in this world quite like holding your child in your arms and comforting him. She had longed for such since she had awoken in this new vampire life, arms bereft and aching for the child she knew instinctively was supposed to be there.
"Oh my Jasper. My child. You'll never know the true depth of my love for you, but it is without measure my son. And I'm so sorry for whatever hurt we put you through, my little boy who's now a man. I'm so sorry. If I could but turn back time I would do that for you. Just for you."
She felt his arms tighten around her as his shoulders shook in silent sobs that he tried valiantly to suppress.
She heard him then, his voice tight with his tears. "I wish you could too Mom."
Her heart literally leapt in her chest for it was the very first time she'd ever been called "Mom" and she rejoiced in it. She turned her head and kissed his hair, her eyes closed in her quiet joy.
"Esme?" She heard rushed footsteps approaching and almost groaned in frustration as Jasper backed out of the embrace quickly with his head down.
She held a hand up to stop him, but Carlisle kept coming.
"Esme? What's wrong? What's going on? Has something happened? Why are you crying? What has he done now?!"
Her eyes closed and her head dropped as Jasper rushed off to his car and sped out of the drive as quickly as he could.
Raising her head in disappointment and defeat, she gazed at Carlisle.
"Why do you jump to such conclusions where our son is concerned Carlisle Cullen? Why would you ruin such a beautiful and profound moment in our lives with such words of doubt and accusation? Why?"
She walked slowly into her garden, leaving a dumbfounded Carlisle standing, as if frozen, behind her.
~o0o~
Jasper didn't have a clue where he was going, he just knew that he had to go.
He'd never, in his life, felt so vulnerable and he hated it.
He was way stronger than this and felt embarrassed at having opened himself up in such a way.
He growled in frustration and wiped the last traces of tears from his face.
He had to stop doing this.
I t just seemed as though Esme could get under his skin like no one had before.
Taking deep breaths, he beat back the raging emotions until he felt in control once again, his eyes going cold as he thought of the last words he had heard Carlisle utter.
His lip curled in contempt
.
O f course he would automatically think that he'd done something to Esme.
It seemed to him that Carlisle only saw those things in Jasper that he disapproved of.
True, Jasper admitted to himself, he really didn't give the man much to go on aside from the bad, but it seemed that Carlisle was unwilling to go looking for anything redeeming either.
Jasper settled back in his seat, one hand on the wheel as he sped to no where.
Well, if the man wanted to see the bad, Jasper decided, then that's what he would get.
He chuckled to himself.
After all, he wouldn't want to disappoint Daddy, now would he?
~o0o~
Carlisle was weary. He had no idea a vampire could feel this way. In all of the hundreds of years he'd been alive, he'd never experienced such a sensation, not even dealing with all of the many medical emergencies; hell not even an epidemic had made him feel like this.
But bring home his seventeen year old son and he now understood a depth of mental fatigue that had been unfathomable to him before.
Add to that the fact that he had no idea why his beloved wife was so infuriated with him and he was ready to go back to bachelorhood.
He'd only wanted to ensure that no harm had come to her.
After all, Jasper had been antagonizing him every chance he got so it only stood to reason that he might try the same tactics with his mother to.
Carlisle sat forward on the sofa, and stared hard at the floor between his feet. How is it that he had lived for so long and yet his ability to understand, much less fix any of this mess escaped him so completely?
His contemplations were interrupted by Edward as he entered the room with a dark look on his face.
"Carlisle, you may want to go check the little guest cottage here on the property. I'm getting some thoughts from some, well, I'll just go with the term people for now, that don't belong here."
Carlisle dropped his head back down and nodded slowly, sighing out a breath as he heaved himself from the sofa and tried to prepare himself for whatever he'd be facing.
"Carlisle?"
Edwards hesitant voice pulled his attention back once again and he looked to his first son. "Yes Edward?"
"Would you like me to get Emmett and join you so that you don't have to deal with this on your own?"
Carlisle gave him a wan smile. "That would probably be best Edward. Thank you son."
Edward simply nodded and left to go get Emmett.
Making their way to the small cottage, they could now hear some very unsavory sounds coming from within.
Well, unsavory depending upon your perspective.
When they arrived, they spotted two cars parked nearby; Jasper's Porche and a small Honda.
Carlisle sighed. It seemed that his son was indeed entertaining guests, and he would bet money they weren't playing board games.
Feeling bold, Carlisle decided against knocking and simply entered; the scent of sex assaulting him immediately.
He glanced at Edward and Emmett and they gave him a nod, looking toward the sole bedroom. Steeling himself for what he would find in that room, Carlisle moved toward it, throwing the door open and gasping at what he saw.
His son was engaged with, not one but two women, but that was not the disturbing part to Carlisle. No. The really disturbing part was the fact that these girls were from the local reservations of the Quileute and Makah; one being an elder's daughter.
Both girls gasped in alarm when they finally noticed that they were no longer alone, diving for their clothing that was scattered about the room while clutching the sheets and blankets to cover their nakedness.
Jasper grinned.
"Well hello Carlisle. Come to join in? I didn't know you had it in you but I'm game if the girls are." He looked at the girls who were now staring at him in shock. "What do you say girls?"
"Jasper? You told us your name was Volturi, not Cullen. You said nothing of being part of the Cullen family!"
Jasper sat up with a frown.
"That's because my last name is Volturi and not Cullen sweetheart. We didn't exactly go into depth on family trees if you'll remember doll. I distinctly remember you begging me to get to the good part sooner rather than later." She blushed and looked down.
The other girl spoke up then. "So it's true then? You're a part of the Cullen's?" She looked disgusted by the prospect.
He smirked and leaned back against the pillows, naked as the day he was born. "Just visiting for the year sweetheart, but yes, they are who I'm staying with."
Carlisle grabbed Jasper's clothes and tossed them to him before looking at the girls again.
"If I'm not mistaken, you are Leah Clearwater, a tribal elders daughter, correct?"
She nodded and he shook his head. "You girls should go get dressed and make your way home. I'm not sure how we are to handle this but I'm certain there will be repercussions from this."
Leah jumped in quickly.
"You can't possibly mention this to anyone from the rez! This has to stay between the people in this room! If this got back to them, you'd have the entire tribe down on you. We'll just go our separate ways and never mention it again. Ever."
With that, she and the other girl made their way into the bathroom, dressed and rushed out, throwing glances Jasper's way.
Jasper was just tucking in and zipping up when the girls made their way out.
Looking to Carlisle, he smirked.
"Well Pops you certainly have a knack for ruining my fun. I see I'm going to have to find a more private location."
Carlisle rounded on him. "What were you thinking?! You knew didn't you? You knew who they were and you did this deliberately!"
Jasper raised his brows, a grin on his face.
"Of course I did it deliberately. Did you see them? They're hot, not to mention they were all for sharing, and sharing is caring Pops, or so I'm told. After tonight, I would tend to agree."
Jasper began to walk out the door but Carlisle grabbed his arm.
Jasper froze, his demeanor changing as if someone had flipped a switch.
"If you value that hand, I suggest you remove it from my person. I won't tell you again."
Hardened jade met gold as Jasper stared straight into Carlisle's eyes. "Don't ever touch me."
Carlisle felt a chill crawl down his spine at the look in his son's eyes and the tone of his voice. Both spoke of death and he had to suppress a shudder, as he dropped his son's arm.
Jasper continued on his way and Carlisle glanced from Emmett to Edward who were still somewhat in shock at what just happened.
It was Emmett that broke their tense silence.
"Did all that really just happen? I mean, he was just in bed with two of the tribal girls! One of whom is an elders daughter for gods sake! If it ever got back to their council of elders that a vampire slept with two of their girls….." He trailed off, shaking his head.
Edward ran a hand through his hair before looking at Carlisle.
"Perhaps we should consider moving Carlisle? Emmett's right. This is a disaster just waiting to happen. Secrets have a way of getting out and we are essentially relying on those two young girls to keep a rather large one. What happens if they get a little tipsy at one of their parties or one of them is beset by guilt and decides to fess up? I believe it's a matter of 'when' and not 'if'."
Carlisle groaned and grabbed the back of his neck in frustration as he began to pace the room.
"Let's think about this for a minute. While I agree with you on the surface, the one consideration is that they do not know that he is Vampire and unless his fangs are descended, he doesn't look like a vampire. His scent is absent so even if they do have active shifters, they wouldn't be able to tell. He's already told them that he doesn't live with us and that he's merely visiting for a year, so we're covered in that aspect. He legally goes by Caius' name and will continue to do so I am certain."
Carlisle glanced at both Edward and Emmett.
"I think we're relatively safe. Yes, they'll be upset if they discover that two of their daughters were intimate with someone associated with us, but as long as they never discover that he's Vampire, then we can simply apologize for his indiscretion and be done with it. It's not as though they'll be able to do anything about it. The girls were not harmed in any way and they were not forced."
Edward sighed.
"I hate to be the one to bring this up Carlisle, and especially at a time such as this, but have you discussed contraception with him? We don't know his practices in that regard and he certainly shouldn't rely on any of the women he beds. I'm assuming that he's able to procreate since you were able to."
Carlisle was nodding.
"I have not." He closed his eyes and sighed. "It's just one more issue that I will have to address with him, and very soon it would seem. You were right to bring it up and I should have thought of it myself. Thank you."
Edward nodded and Carlisle gestured to the door.
"Let's get back to the house. I still have to try to speak to Esme."
Closing the door behind him, he dropped his head and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking at a casual pace.
"What a mess."
Edward and Emmett looked at each other over Carlisle's drooping form. They'd never seen him look so defeated and weren't quite sure what they could do to help. They both felt like observers and it was a very frustrating position to be in, especially since they were affected by all the goings on.
Emmett sent a silent question to Edward.
'Should we get involved at this point? Should we confront Jasper?'
Edward shook his head discreetly. He didn't think it was time. They would continue to watch and step in only if Carlisle and Esme lost control of the situation. For now, he could only see things worsen if they were to become involved. It would seem as though they were ganging up on Jasper and that would only polarize Carlisle and Esme further.
No, they needed to let them work it out with their son.
~o0o~
Jasper laid on his bed, thinking about his day. Despite the drama and angst, he felt it had been productive.
During his drive, after he'd regained control, he'd found himself in a deserted area so he'd pulled off at the nearest trail head parking area and locked up his car.
He'd then made his first run to search for his brother and was heartened by what he'd found.
The cave they'd lived in still looked maintained and recently inhabited. His first priority was leaving the letter that he'd written in an obvious place.
Then he'd scouted around for a while, but was unable to find his twin; that was alright for now. He now knew he was still out there and he still knew where he was living.
He smiled to himself as he felt hope bloom within. It was only a matter of time until he found him. He could feel it.
~o0o~
The boy came back from his swim feeling refreshed. He loved this time of year because it was still warm enough to get into the water, and he really loved being clean rather than dirty all the time.
He placed his bag of scavenged goods off to the side and flopped down on his bed of sleeping bags to relax while he tried to get a brush through his hair.
These were the times he wished his brother were here as they used to do this for each other. It just seemed easier that way. Not to mention that his brother used to cut some of it off when it got too long.
Finished with his hair, he tossed the brush toward the bag and laid out on his bed, brow furrowing when there was a strange crackling, like paper, under his head. Reaching around, he felt and grabbed the paper, pulling it out.
His eyes widened and his heart leapt as he saw the word 'brother' written on the front.
Quickly unfolding it, his eyes scanned the page soaking in the words from his precious twin. He had come for him, and he would be back!
It seemed that his brother had to be careful because the people who had taken him all those years ago might try to follow him so he couldn't set up a day to be back.
It's okay, he thought to himself. He'd be sure to stay close to the cave from now on so that he wouldn't miss his brother the next time he was able to come. He would do anything to see him again.
~o0o~
The next day Carlisle found Esme out bright and early working in her garden.
He approached her slowly.
He hadn't the heart or the patience to go to her the previous evening, choosing instead to sequester himself in his study and do some mindless reading.
It had done him a wonder and he felt refreshed.
"Es? May I speak with you my Love? I'd like to talk through the problems between us rather than leave them to grow. I love you Esme, and I hate that we aren't speaking."
She'd been watching him carefully since he approached and her heart went out to him when she saw how affected he'd been by recent events.
She was still upset about his careless words spoken in haste the day before but she hated the distance too and wanted it resolved.
Rising from her pallet she removed her gloves and gathered him into a hug, laying her head against his chest.
"I love you too Carlisle and I really hate it when we have disagreements. It's not good for us nor is it good for the family. It affects everyone. But I must tell you that your hasty words yesterday did untold amounts of damage where the damage is already great. You hurt him at a very vulnerable moment Carlisle. He had opened up to me. He had called me Mom and had let me see real emotion from him and your reaction rebuilt his walls even higher than before within seconds. I don't think he'll let even me close to him now. I tried earlier and he's avoiding me. He's not rude, but he's very closed off again, maybe even worse than before."
Carlisle sighed and nodded.
"Perhaps I should just avoid him and allow him to avoid me then. Every time we speak it seems to be a disaster or an opportunity for him to provoke me. I'll back off Es, and allow you two to get to know each other without my interference. I'm honestly at a loss and can't think of any other solution."
Esme caressed her husbands cheek and nodded in understanding.
"Perhaps some distance and time to cool everyone's ire would be for the best. You can always try again later when things are settled into more of a routine."
He nodded and looked down placing his hands in his pockets.
"Esme, there's an issue that must be addressed with him. It simply cannot wait.
Last night, I found him in the guest cottage with two girls from the reservation. They were having sex Es, all three together."
He met her eyes and felt vindicated somewhat at the shock he saw in her face.
"The issue Es, is that I haven't spoken to him about contraception and I'm unsure if he's taking the proper precautions in his exploits."
She blew out a breath with raised brows.
"Goodness. Well, yes I agree with you. We must make certain that he's being careful. I'm certain he's not ready for fatherhood."
She embraced her husband.
"I'll speak to him about it Carlisle. I'm sure he's aware of the subject, but I'll make sure."
He leaned down and kissed her, running his fingers through her hair.
"Thank you Es. Let me know if there's anything I can do or if there's anything I need to get."
He gave her a small smirk and she rolled her eyes and smiled.
"I will my love. And thanks for putting the father/son talk off on me, by the way."
He merely gave her a small grin and walked back to the house.
~o0o~
Jasper packed a small bag of things he thought he might need.
Some fresh, and more importantly, decent clothes, a set of scissors, socks, shoes, a pen, an empty journal, a flashlight, hair products, and other grooming items; just a general mix of what he thought his brother would like and need.
He'd stop at the local store before leaving to pick up some batteries too.
It would have to do for now until they figured out what he wanted to do.
Now to get out of here without anyone questioning him.
He sighed. That was the challenge, but he had to try. He was beyond anxious to see his brother. It was worth the hassle and the risk.
~o0o~
Bella smiled to herself as she slid the last drawer shut. She was done settling in and it hadn't taken as long as she'd thought it would. She still had plenty of time to figure out dinner. She headed downstairs to the kitchen and scowled at the empty cupboards and fridge.
Lovely. Now she faced a trip to the local market. In that hulking red piece of shit that Charlie bought for her to drive. Heaving a sigh, she grabbed her keys and headed out.
Once inside the store, she grabbed a small hand basket, intending to get just enough for dinner and get the hell out of this place. She hated to shop. Period. But she hated fast food more at this point, so necessity drove her.
Armed with a basket of chicken, pasta and vegetables, she remembered that she needed batteries for the many dead flashlights that were stashed in just about every drawer in the house.
Why have them if they don't work? Good question.
Standing in front of the battery display, she tried to remember what sizes she needed.
Just as she was about to reach for a pack she felt the hair rise on her arms as if an electrical charge was building in the air. It was an odd feeling so she turned to look around and her breath caught.
Jasper was about done with waiting for this girl to choose batteries. How difficult can it be for gods sake? He was just about to reach around her when she turned and he heard her breath hitch.
"It's you!"
His brow furrowed. "What do you mean, It's you? Look, I just need batteries, so if you could either get yours or move out of the way, that would be great."
"Okay, first of all I don't remember you being this rude, and second, don't you remember? We met when I was camping with my dad in the redwoods? I twisted my ankle and then we met and talked until my dad came for me?"
Realization dawned for Jasper and he smirked. It seemed that his brother was making some moves on this girl.
He took a closer look at her and mentally shrugged. Yeah, she was okay. But right now, he was in a hurry, and she was in his way.
"Look, I'm sure you probably attend the local high school, right?"
She nodded and opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off. He was pressed for time after all.
"Great. I'll see you there and we can reminisce all you want, deal?"
He stuck out his hand and she shook it, both of them taken aback by the surge of energy they felt on contact.
He'd think about that later too.
Reaching around her frozen form, he grabbed the batteries he needed and hurried to the check out, Bella staring after him, the first hints of a scowl forming on her face.
"Asshole." She muttered and went back to perusing the batteries.
Esme was now sure that there was nothing in this world quite like holding your child in your arms and comforting him. She had longed for such since she had awoken in this new vampire life, arms bereft and aching for the child she knew instinctively was supposed to be there.
"Oh my Jasper. My child. You'll never know the true depth of my love for you, but it is without measure my son. And I'm so sorry for whatever hurt we put you through, my little boy who's now a man. I'm so sorry. If I could but turn back time I would do that for you. Just for you."
She felt his arms tighten around her as his shoulders shook in silent sobs that he tried valiantly to suppress.
She heard him then, his voice tight with his tears. "I wish you could too Mom."
Her heart literally leapt in her chest for it was the very first time she'd ever been called "Mom" and she rejoiced in it. She turned her head and kissed his hair, her eyes closed in her quiet joy.
"Esme?" She heard rushed footsteps approaching and almost groaned in frustration as Jasper backed out of the embrace quickly with his head down.
She held a hand up to stop him, but Carlisle kept coming.
"Esme? What's wrong? What's going on? Has something happened? Why are you crying? What has he done now?!"
Her eyes closed and her head dropped as Jasper rushed off to his car and sped out of the drive as quickly as he could.
Raising her head in disappointment and defeat, she gazed at Carlisle.
"Why do you jump to such conclusions where our son is concerned Carlisle Cullen? Why would you ruin such a beautiful and profound moment in our lives with such words of doubt and accusation? Why?"
She walked slowly into her garden, leaving a dumbfounded Carlisle standing, as if frozen, behind her.
~o0o~
Jasper didn't have a clue where he was going, he just knew that he had to go.
He'd never, in his life, felt so vulnerable and he hated it.
He was way stronger than this and felt embarrassed at having opened himself up in such a way.
He growled in frustration and wiped the last traces of tears from his face.
He had to stop doing this.
I t just seemed as though Esme could get under his skin like no one had before.
Taking deep breaths, he beat back the raging emotions until he felt in control once again, his eyes going cold as he thought of the last words he had heard Carlisle utter.
His lip curled in contempt
.
O f course he would automatically think that he'd done something to Esme.
It seemed to him that Carlisle only saw those things in Jasper that he disapproved of.
True, Jasper admitted to himself, he really didn't give the man much to go on aside from the bad, but it seemed that Carlisle was unwilling to go looking for anything redeeming either.
Jasper settled back in his seat, one hand on the wheel as he sped to no where.
Well, if the man wanted to see the bad, Jasper decided, then that's what he would get.
He chuckled to himself.
After all, he wouldn't want to disappoint Daddy, now would he?
~o0o~
Carlisle was weary. He had no idea a vampire could feel this way. In all of the hundreds of years he'd been alive, he'd never experienced such a sensation, not even dealing with all of the many medical emergencies; hell not even an epidemic had made him feel like this.
But bring home his seventeen year old son and he now understood a depth of mental fatigue that had been unfathomable to him before.
Add to that the fact that he had no idea why his beloved wife was so infuriated with him and he was ready to go back to bachelorhood.
He'd only wanted to ensure that no harm had come to her.
After all, Jasper had been antagonizing him every chance he got so it only stood to reason that he might try the same tactics with his mother to.
Carlisle sat forward on the sofa, and stared hard at the floor between his feet. How is it that he had lived for so long and yet his ability to understand, much less fix any of this mess escaped him so completely?
His contemplations were interrupted by Edward as he entered the room with a dark look on his face.
"Carlisle, you may want to go check the little guest cottage here on the property. I'm getting some thoughts from some, well, I'll just go with the term people for now, that don't belong here."
Carlisle dropped his head back down and nodded slowly, sighing out a breath as he heaved himself from the sofa and tried to prepare himself for whatever he'd be facing.
"Carlisle?"
Edwards hesitant voice pulled his attention back once again and he looked to his first son. "Yes Edward?"
"Would you like me to get Emmett and join you so that you don't have to deal with this on your own?"
Carlisle gave him a wan smile. "That would probably be best Edward. Thank you son."
Edward simply nodded and left to go get Emmett.
Making their way to the small cottage, they could now hear some very unsavory sounds coming from within.
Well, unsavory depending upon your perspective.
When they arrived, they spotted two cars parked nearby; Jasper's Porche and a small Honda.
Carlisle sighed. It seemed that his son was indeed entertaining guests, and he would bet money they weren't playing board games.
Feeling bold, Carlisle decided against knocking and simply entered; the scent of sex assaulting him immediately.
He glanced at Edward and Emmett and they gave him a nod, looking toward the sole bedroom. Steeling himself for what he would find in that room, Carlisle moved toward it, throwing the door open and gasping at what he saw.
His son was engaged with, not one but two women, but that was not the disturbing part to Carlisle. No. The really disturbing part was the fact that these girls were from the local reservations of the Quileute and Makah; one being an elder's daughter.
Both girls gasped in alarm when they finally noticed that they were no longer alone, diving for their clothing that was scattered about the room while clutching the sheets and blankets to cover their nakedness.
Jasper grinned.
"Well hello Carlisle. Come to join in? I didn't know you had it in you but I'm game if the girls are." He looked at the girls who were now staring at him in shock. "What do you say girls?"
"Jasper? You told us your name was Volturi, not Cullen. You said nothing of being part of the Cullen family!"
Jasper sat up with a frown.
"That's because my last name is Volturi and not Cullen sweetheart. We didn't exactly go into depth on family trees if you'll remember doll. I distinctly remember you begging me to get to the good part sooner rather than later." She blushed and looked down.
The other girl spoke up then. "So it's true then? You're a part of the Cullen's?" She looked disgusted by the prospect.
He smirked and leaned back against the pillows, naked as the day he was born. "Just visiting for the year sweetheart, but yes, they are who I'm staying with."
Carlisle grabbed Jasper's clothes and tossed them to him before looking at the girls again.
"If I'm not mistaken, you are Leah Clearwater, a tribal elders daughter, correct?"
She nodded and he shook his head. "You girls should go get dressed and make your way home. I'm not sure how we are to handle this but I'm certain there will be repercussions from this."
Leah jumped in quickly.
"You can't possibly mention this to anyone from the rez! This has to stay between the people in this room! If this got back to them, you'd have the entire tribe down on you. We'll just go our separate ways and never mention it again. Ever."
With that, she and the other girl made their way into the bathroom, dressed and rushed out, throwing glances Jasper's way.
Jasper was just tucking in and zipping up when the girls made their way out.
Looking to Carlisle, he smirked.
"Well Pops you certainly have a knack for ruining my fun. I see I'm going to have to find a more private location."
Carlisle rounded on him. "What were you thinking?! You knew didn't you? You knew who they were and you did this deliberately!"
Jasper raised his brows, a grin on his face.
"Of course I did it deliberately. Did you see them? They're hot, not to mention they were all for sharing, and sharing is caring Pops, or so I'm told. After tonight, I would tend to agree."
Jasper began to walk out the door but Carlisle grabbed his arm.
Jasper froze, his demeanor changing as if someone had flipped a switch.
"If you value that hand, I suggest you remove it from my person. I won't tell you again."
Hardened jade met gold as Jasper stared straight into Carlisle's eyes. "Don't ever touch me."
Carlisle felt a chill crawl down his spine at the look in his son's eyes and the tone of his voice. Both spoke of death and he had to suppress a shudder, as he dropped his son's arm.
Jasper continued on his way and Carlisle glanced from Emmett to Edward who were still somewhat in shock at what just happened.
It was Emmett that broke their tense silence.
"Did all that really just happen? I mean, he was just in bed with two of the tribal girls! One of whom is an elders daughter for gods sake! If it ever got back to their council of elders that a vampire slept with two of their girls….." He trailed off, shaking his head.
Edward ran a hand through his hair before looking at Carlisle.
"Perhaps we should consider moving Carlisle? Emmett's right. This is a disaster just waiting to happen. Secrets have a way of getting out and we are essentially relying on those two young girls to keep a rather large one. What happens if they get a little tipsy at one of their parties or one of them is beset by guilt and decides to fess up? I believe it's a matter of 'when' and not 'if'."
Carlisle groaned and grabbed the back of his neck in frustration as he began to pace the room.
"Let's think about this for a minute. While I agree with you on the surface, the one consideration is that they do not know that he is Vampire and unless his fangs are descended, he doesn't look like a vampire. His scent is absent so even if they do have active shifters, they wouldn't be able to tell. He's already told them that he doesn't live with us and that he's merely visiting for a year, so we're covered in that aspect. He legally goes by Caius' name and will continue to do so I am certain."
Carlisle glanced at both Edward and Emmett.
"I think we're relatively safe. Yes, they'll be upset if they discover that two of their daughters were intimate with someone associated with us, but as long as they never discover that he's Vampire, then we can simply apologize for his indiscretion and be done with it. It's not as though they'll be able to do anything about it. The girls were not harmed in any way and they were not forced."
Edward sighed.
"I hate to be the one to bring this up Carlisle, and especially at a time such as this, but have you discussed contraception with him? We don't know his practices in that regard and he certainly shouldn't rely on any of the women he beds. I'm assuming that he's able to procreate since you were able to."
Carlisle was nodding.
"I have not." He closed his eyes and sighed. "It's just one more issue that I will have to address with him, and very soon it would seem. You were right to bring it up and I should have thought of it myself. Thank you."
Edward nodded and Carlisle gestured to the door.
"Let's get back to the house. I still have to try to speak to Esme."
Closing the door behind him, he dropped his head and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking at a casual pace.
"What a mess."
Edward and Emmett looked at each other over Carlisle's drooping form. They'd never seen him look so defeated and weren't quite sure what they could do to help. They both felt like observers and it was a very frustrating position to be in, especially since they were affected by all the goings on.
Emmett sent a silent question to Edward.
'Should we get involved at this point? Should we confront Jasper?'
Edward shook his head discreetly. He didn't think it was time. They would continue to watch and step in only if Carlisle and Esme lost control of the situation. For now, he could only see things worsen if they were to become involved. It would seem as though they were ganging up on Jasper and that would only polarize Carlisle and Esme further.
No, they needed to let them work it out with their son.
~o0o~
Jasper laid on his bed, thinking about his day. Despite the drama and angst, he felt it had been productive.
During his drive, after he'd regained control, he'd found himself in a deserted area so he'd pulled off at the nearest trail head parking area and locked up his car.
He'd then made his first run to search for his brother and was heartened by what he'd found.
The cave they'd lived in still looked maintained and recently inhabited. His first priority was leaving the letter that he'd written in an obvious place.
Then he'd scouted around for a while, but was unable to find his twin; that was alright for now. He now knew he was still out there and he still knew where he was living.
He smiled to himself as he felt hope bloom within. It was only a matter of time until he found him. He could feel it.
~o0o~
The boy came back from his swim feeling refreshed. He loved this time of year because it was still warm enough to get into the water, and he really loved being clean rather than dirty all the time.
He placed his bag of scavenged goods off to the side and flopped down on his bed of sleeping bags to relax while he tried to get a brush through his hair.
These were the times he wished his brother were here as they used to do this for each other. It just seemed easier that way. Not to mention that his brother used to cut some of it off when it got too long.
Finished with his hair, he tossed the brush toward the bag and laid out on his bed, brow furrowing when there was a strange crackling, like paper, under his head. Reaching around, he felt and grabbed the paper, pulling it out.
His eyes widened and his heart leapt as he saw the word 'brother' written on the front.
Quickly unfolding it, his eyes scanned the page soaking in the words from his precious twin. He had come for him, and he would be back!
It seemed that his brother had to be careful because the people who had taken him all those years ago might try to follow him so he couldn't set up a day to be back.
It's okay, he thought to himself. He'd be sure to stay close to the cave from now on so that he wouldn't miss his brother the next time he was able to come. He would do anything to see him again.
~o0o~
The next day Carlisle found Esme out bright and early working in her garden.
He approached her slowly.
He hadn't the heart or the patience to go to her the previous evening, choosing instead to sequester himself in his study and do some mindless reading.
It had done him a wonder and he felt refreshed.
"Es? May I speak with you my Love? I'd like to talk through the problems between us rather than leave them to grow. I love you Esme, and I hate that we aren't speaking."
She'd been watching him carefully since he approached and her heart went out to him when she saw how affected he'd been by recent events.
She was still upset about his careless words spoken in haste the day before but she hated the distance too and wanted it resolved.
Rising from her pallet she removed her gloves and gathered him into a hug, laying her head against his chest.
"I love you too Carlisle and I really hate it when we have disagreements. It's not good for us nor is it good for the family. It affects everyone. But I must tell you that your hasty words yesterday did untold amounts of damage where the damage is already great. You hurt him at a very vulnerable moment Carlisle. He had opened up to me. He had called me Mom and had let me see real emotion from him and your reaction rebuilt his walls even higher than before within seconds. I don't think he'll let even me close to him now. I tried earlier and he's avoiding me. He's not rude, but he's very closed off again, maybe even worse than before."
Carlisle sighed and nodded.
"Perhaps I should just avoid him and allow him to avoid me then. Every time we speak it seems to be a disaster or an opportunity for him to provoke me. I'll back off Es, and allow you two to get to know each other without my interference. I'm honestly at a loss and can't think of any other solution."
Esme caressed her husbands cheek and nodded in understanding.
"Perhaps some distance and time to cool everyone's ire would be for the best. You can always try again later when things are settled into more of a routine."
He nodded and looked down placing his hands in his pockets.
"Esme, there's an issue that must be addressed with him. It simply cannot wait.
Last night, I found him in the guest cottage with two girls from the reservation. They were having sex Es, all three together."
He met her eyes and felt vindicated somewhat at the shock he saw in her face.
"The issue Es, is that I haven't spoken to him about contraception and I'm unsure if he's taking the proper precautions in his exploits."
She blew out a breath with raised brows.
"Goodness. Well, yes I agree with you. We must make certain that he's being careful. I'm certain he's not ready for fatherhood."
She embraced her husband.
"I'll speak to him about it Carlisle. I'm sure he's aware of the subject, but I'll make sure."
He leaned down and kissed her, running his fingers through her hair.
"Thank you Es. Let me know if there's anything I can do or if there's anything I need to get."
He gave her a small smirk and she rolled her eyes and smiled.
"I will my love. And thanks for putting the father/son talk off on me, by the way."
He merely gave her a small grin and walked back to the house.
~o0o~
Jasper packed a small bag of things he thought he might need.
Some fresh, and more importantly, decent clothes, a set of scissors, socks, shoes, a pen, an empty journal, a flashlight, hair products, and other grooming items; just a general mix of what he thought his brother would like and need.
He'd stop at the local store before leaving to pick up some batteries too.
It would have to do for now until they figured out what he wanted to do.
Now to get out of here without anyone questioning him.
He sighed. That was the challenge, but he had to try. He was beyond anxious to see his brother. It was worth the hassle and the risk.
~o0o~
Bella smiled to herself as she slid the last drawer shut. She was done settling in and it hadn't taken as long as she'd thought it would. She still had plenty of time to figure out dinner. She headed downstairs to the kitchen and scowled at the empty cupboards and fridge.
Lovely. Now she faced a trip to the local market. In that hulking red piece of shit that Charlie bought for her to drive. Heaving a sigh, she grabbed her keys and headed out.
Once inside the store, she grabbed a small hand basket, intending to get just enough for dinner and get the hell out of this place. She hated to shop. Period. But she hated fast food more at this point, so necessity drove her.
Armed with a basket of chicken, pasta and vegetables, she remembered that she needed batteries for the many dead flashlights that were stashed in just about every drawer in the house.
Why have them if they don't work? Good question.
Standing in front of the battery display, she tried to remember what sizes she needed.
Just as she was about to reach for a pack she felt the hair rise on her arms as if an electrical charge was building in the air. It was an odd feeling so she turned to look around and her breath caught.
Jasper was about done with waiting for this girl to choose batteries. How difficult can it be for gods sake? He was just about to reach around her when she turned and he heard her breath hitch.
"It's you!"
His brow furrowed. "What do you mean, It's you? Look, I just need batteries, so if you could either get yours or move out of the way, that would be great."
"Okay, first of all I don't remember you being this rude, and second, don't you remember? We met when I was camping with my dad in the redwoods? I twisted my ankle and then we met and talked until my dad came for me?"
Realization dawned for Jasper and he smirked. It seemed that his brother was making some moves on this girl.
He took a closer look at her and mentally shrugged. Yeah, she was okay. But right now, he was in a hurry, and she was in his way.
"Look, I'm sure you probably attend the local high school, right?"
She nodded and opened her mouth to say something but he cut her off. He was pressed for time after all.
"Great. I'll see you there and we can reminisce all you want, deal?"
He stuck out his hand and she shook it, both of them taken aback by the surge of energy they felt on contact.
He'd think about that later too.
Reaching around her frozen form, he grabbed the batteries he needed and hurried to the check out, Bella staring after him, the first hints of a scowl forming on her face.
"Asshole." She muttered and went back to perusing the batteries.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.