A/N: This is a companion story to Ginormous. My intention was to add a second chapter to Ginormous but, as I wrote the second chapter, the

tone became angsty (damn you Jasper!) and did not fit in with the smutty humor of the first chapter. So, to avoid giving you whiplash, dear reader,

I chose to post this as a companion story. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Turpentine Baptism

Jasper looked at Reneesme from the corner of his eye. Yes, the girl was still staring at him and it was causing feelings of antagonism to boil up from his gut.

He knew she wasn't studying him in order to discover some weakness she could exploit, a way to gain control over him, or to take him down, but he couldn't

help the reaction her staring was causing in him. Not after all those years with Maria and the newborns.

He got up from the chair and walked upstairs, softly closing the door to his and Alice's bedroom.

Alice looked up from her sketch pad. "Why the frown?"

"Nessie. She keeps staring at me. It's unnerving."

"Oh. She's trying to imagine what you look like with your clothes off."

"Excuse me?" How could Alice say something like that? And with no trace of jealousy or exasperation in her voice?

"She walked in on Rosalie and Emmett while they were having sex and she got an eyeful of Emmett in the buff.

Now she's wondering what you look like underneath all your clothing."

"You're joking, right?"

Alice grinned and shook her head. "Make sure you lock the bathroom door when you take a shower."

Reneesme caught the jean jacket and tossed it on Rosalie and Emmett's bed. Rosalie had been struck with the urge to clear out her closet and,

since everyone else was out of the house for the day, Rosalie had recruited Reneesmee to help. But she didn't mind because something had been on her mind

(except for when her father was around!) ever since she had accidentally walked in on Rosalie and Emmett a few weeks ago.

"Do Alice and Jasper ever have sex?"

Rosalie's laughter rang out. "Of course they do!"

"Are you sure?" Reneesme wasn't convinced. She had crept past Alice and Jasper's bedroom at various times and had heard nothing with the exception of the two talking

to each other in hushed voices.

Rosalie stepped out of the closet with her arms full of shoes. "Last week I walked into the garage and saw the two of them—"

"In the garage!" Reneesme's eyes widened.

Rosalie nodded her head once and smirked. "Of course by the time I walked in Alice had seen that I was going to interrupt them.

They had pulled themselves apart but I could tell what they'd been doing in there." Rosalie dropped the shoes on her bed.

"How? I mean they could have been in there for some other reason. Maybe they were going to take Alice's Porsche to Port Angles or Seattle."

Rosalie ticked off the reasons on her fingers. "They were nowhere near Alice's Porsche. Jasper wouldn't look me in the eye—that's a major tell right there.

And Alice had this impish smile on her lips as she dragged Jasper out of there by the hand." Rosalie smoothed down her jacket.

"Alice told me Jasper absolutely hates that we can hear it when he and Alice have sex so they don't do it in their bedroom too often."

"So they go to the garage?" Reneesme didn't think that sounded too romantic. It was cold and smelled like oil.

"Not usually since I'm in there most of the time. They'll spend the weekend somewhere "catching up" or they'll go up in the mountains for the day if Alice is impatient."

Alice giggled as she watched Reneesme's plans became more elaborate and more absurd. Jasper squeezed her closer into his side

and kissed her temple. "What is it? You've been giggling all afternoon."

Alice kissed Jasper's lips. "It's nothing."

"What stupid thing is Emmett going to do now?" Jasper asked.

Alice felt Jasper's surprise when she said, "Wrong." She bit back a laugh when she saw an image of Jasper drenched with Hershey's chocolate syrup

and feathers sticking to him. She supposed Nessie wouldn't want to "hurt" Jasper by pouring tar on him.

Reneesme angled the paint can so it would look like an accident. "Jasper!"

Jasper sped into Reneesme's room and looked up at Reneesme standing on the ladder. "Does Esme know you're painting your room… red?"

"Um, yeah…of course."

Jasper raised his eyebrows at her.

"I dropped my brush. Will you hand it to me?" She pointed at the brush on the floor. The one coated with red paint.

As Jasper bent down to pluck the sticky brush from the wooden floor Reneesme pushed the paint can.

He looked up at her and started to say, 'You got paint on the floor,' when the paint can tipped over. He raised his hand to catch it but the can had up-ended

and red paint rained down on his hair and face, streaming down his neck, back and chest. Jasper stood up and rushed toward his and Alice's bathroom.

Reneesme jumped from the ladder and landed on her bed, letting the springiness of the mattress propel her forward as she raced out the door to follow Jasper.

Jasper ripped the towel from the bar and blotted at the tacky paint. He hoped he had been quick enough about it to keep paint from leaking all over Esme's floor.

He glanced at himself in the mirror; the red wetness matted his hair, stained his face--he stopped breathing as a particularly horrid memory played out in front of his eyes:

His mouth was drenched with it, it ran down his neck, coated his hands; the girl's shrill scream devolved into agonized gurgling but that sound was inconsequential

next to the hissing of her warm blood shooting from the clumsy wound he'd gouged in her neck. It sprayed all over him. The blood struck his face and immediately cooled.

It soaked into his hair, matting it. His hands were sticky with it.

The smile on Reneesme's face disappeared when she pushed open the bathroom door and saw Jasper standing in front of the mirror shaking.

"Jasper?" He turned his head slowly and looked at her with wide, black eyes.

But he wasn't seeing Reneesme. He saw that pretty auburn-hair girl with the sunny smile and the cornflower blue eyes. Jasper sank to his knees

and leaned his forehead against the bathroom counter. Why hadn't he listened to Peter? Why had he insisted on doing things his way? Why had he told the girl his name? His real name?

"Esme!" Reneesme turned and sped downstairs.

She ran outside. "Esme! There's something's wrong with Jasper!"

Esme stood and brushed the dirt from her knees and patted her gardening gloves together before she peeled them off. She quickly followed Reneesme.

She noticed red spots on her floor but knew from the smell that it was paint and not blood. She filed that tidbit under to-be-dealt-with-later.

Jasper was sitting with his back against the wall, his knees drawn up, and his face buried against his arms. Esme saw he was covered in the same tint of red she'd seen on her floors.

Esme shot Reneesme a questioning look.

"I was painting my room. It was an accident."

Of all the colors to choose! Esme knelt down in front of Jasper and placed her hands lightly against his forearm.

"Jasper, I'm sure Alice is on her way but would like for me to call her anyway?" Jasper shook his head.

"What's wrong with him?" Reneesme whispered. It was paint! It wasn't as if she'd dropped a burning torch on him.

But, at this point, she felt just as guilty.

"Go to the garage and look for turpentine or paint thinner and bring some of Rosalie's shop rags with you."

Once Reneesme had left Esme said, "Bad memories?"

Jasper wrapped his arms around Esme's waist and buried his face against her shoulder. Esme hugged him closer.

She could only guess at what was causing Jasper to feel such pain—he confided in Alice only but Edward also knew some of the details of Jasper's past.

"We'll clean this off and you'll be as good as new," Esme murmured.

Baptism with turpentine instead of Holy Water? Japer let out a short, bitter laugh.

Reneesme rushed in with the turpentine and rags and laid them on the floor next to Esme.

She watched as Esme soaked one of the rags and gently scrubbed Jasper's face first. She concentrated on his hair next, using most of the small can.

Then she gently wiped down the front of his neck. Jasper's clasped Esme's wrist when she reached to unbutton the top of his shirt.

His eyes locked on hers.

Esme gave him a small smile and then said, "I'm sorry Jasper. I wasn't thinking."

Jasper slid her hand into his and held it briefly, squeezing softly before letting go. "I can manage the rest by myself," he said, gently pushing Esme away.

He stood up and held out his hand to help her up even though they both knew she did not require any help.

Esme herded Reneesme through the door and closed it.

Jasper plugged the sink and poured the turpentine over his hands. The clear liquid turned pink as it filled the basin. Jasper closed his eyes against the unbidden memory

but still he heard Peter's voice saying "Jasper, what have you done?" Jasper looked at himself in the mirror; his reflection glared back at him with red eyes.

He slammed his palms against the mirror as if he were trying to shove that other Jasper away from him.

It cracked and then dropped like sheets of ice, shattering as the pieces struck the counter.

"Why on Earth would you choose to paint your room red? And without consulting me first?" Esme asked.

She poured Reneesme a glass of apple juice and pushed it toward her.

"I like red. And I thought you'd say no."

"That's because red belongs in a bordello, not a teenaged girl's room."

"You sound like Charlie," she groused.

They both heard the growl followed by something shattering. Emse pulled out her cell phone and pressed 4; Reneesme slid off the bar stool. "How far are you?" she asked Alice and then shouted, "Nessie, don't—"

Reneesme ignored her and was bounding up the stairs taking them two and three at a time. "I'll call you back." Esme pressed 'end' and shouted, "Reneesme Carlie Cullen, you stop right this minute!"

Reneesme pushed open the door and immediately collided into Jasper. He grabbed her by the upper arms to keep her from falling on her backside.

She stared at the raised, crescent-shaped scars. They were everywhere! And they over-lapped. She had seen the ones on his face, neck, and hands.

And she knew Jasper favored wearing long-sleeved shirts with collars to hide the scarring… but she'd had no idea...how could she have?

And now she saw.

Jasper had heard Reneesme coming upstairs and he had moved to close and lock the door. He hadn't realized just how fast she was running. The door was swinging open.

She slammed into him.

And he was in a pair of boxer shorts, completely exposed.

Her innocent eyes widened and he braced himself against the anticipated feelings—fear, loathing, disgust-- but she surprised him.

She was angry and saddened but the anger was foremost and it was blazing from her, threatening to sear his soul.

"Reneesme Cullen..." Esme's eyes widened when she saw Jasper. She inhaled sharply. "Jasper…I'm so…so sorry…Carlisle and I had no idea…"

He felt Esme's sorrow rush toward him but it did not weigh him down like the next emotion: pity. He didn't want her pity. He'd deserved what had been done to him.

Jasper concentrated on Reneesme feelings, and foolishly allowed her anger to feed his own, allowing it to build until he was shaking with it. He snarled and propelled Reneesme toward Esme.

"I don't want nor do I deserve your pity. Now get the hell out and leave me alone!" He slammed the door on them.

Jasper pulled his ringing cell phone from his pocket. He knew from the bubbly ringtone that it was Alice calling. He also knew it would hurt Alice's feelings if he ignored her call.

He wasn't in the mood to care. Not about her. Not about anyone. Not about anything. Not right now.

He threw the phone at the wall.

He had to leave.

Before they started asking questions. Before Reneesme pestered Edward until he relented and told them everything.

Everything. Jasper could live with Reneesme's anger. What he couldn't live with was the look on Esme's face and the ache.

The one he would feel every time she looked at him and remembered.