Carlisle's POV:
March 27th
It's a quiet day in the E.R. today and I only had one appendectomy this morning. So I decided to go catch up on paper work so I could go home early and spend time with my family. I was working about an hour when there was a knock on the door.
"Come in" I say.
"Carlisle, do you have a moment?" Dr. Green asked as she peeked in my office door.
"Of course Catherine, please come in and have a seat. I was just catching up on my paperwork. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I was talking to Tony and mentioned you wanted to plan a trip for your family. He has an idea for you and your family especially Jasper, if you think they would be interested."
"An idea for the family especially Jasper?"
"Yes, but I told Tony that he should talk to you and Esme himself about it. Would you both be available tomorrow afternoon, say around 4:30. I am on until 3 tomorrow and Tony thought it would nice for all of us to sit down to discuss it together. How about our house if that is okay?"
"I don't see any problem with the time. Let me call Esme and I will let you know if we cannot make it. Otherwise we will be there."
"Sounds wonderful Carlisle, we will talk soon."
"We will and thank you Catherine."
'I wonder what kind of idea Tony has for us. I know he is Jasper's history teacher because Jasper keeps telling us about how he is actually looking at the Civil War from both sides, not just the Unions side. I am glad I let Seth transfer to Forks High School with his siblings so if something is going on the kids will not know. I better call Esme.'
I call her and have to leave her a message to call me. She had mentioned something about taking Bella out for some mother/daughter bonding time as she likes to call it. A short time later she calls me back.
"Carlisle, is everything okay? I got your message, something about Mr. Green and Jasper. I waited until Bella was going to the bathroom to call you back. She would be so upset if something happened with him." Poor Esme sounds panicked.
"Darling please calm down, everything is fine. I am sorry I scared you. Catherine just came to see me and said Tony has an idea for us and especially Jasper and wanted to talk to us about it. She was wondering if tomorrow at 4:30 will be okay. I told her I wanted to check with you first, but I did not see any problems."
"Oh, that would be fine. Please ask where they would like to meet."
"She suggested their house; please don't say anything as we do not know what it is about yet."
"I won't I promise, Bella is coming and she wants to say hi."
"Okay put her on"
"Hi dad"
"Hi baby, are you having fun with mom?"
"Oh yeah, I actually found a present for Jasper, for Easter. It's a book about the Confederate Army; Mr. Green mentioned this author and I found a book that just came out. I hope he likes it dad."
"Oh Bella Boo, I am sure he will love it for 2 reasons. First it's from you and second it's about the confederacy."
"But it has a lot about Gettysburg and he wasn't there. That is why I am kind of worried."
"Stop worrying, I am sure he will love it. Oh baby I am being paged, please tell your mom I had to go and I love you both. I will see you tonight."
"Love you too dad, by and be careful."
"I will, you too. Bye baby and love you too."
I hang up and check my pager, E.R. wants me to call.
"Forks Community E.R., Mary speaking."
"Hi Mary, its Dr. Cullen returning a page."
"Hi Dr. Cullen, one moment for Dr. Jones please."
"Hi Carlisle, I was wondering if you would be available for a moment. We just had a 3 car accident called in. It sounds like nothing major, but you never know."
"I'll be right there Rick."
'Glad I finished when I did, maybe I'll leave after we're done.'
The accident was not bad, 2 needed minor stitches and 4 were just shaken up. The worst of them for me was a scared 4 year old little girl who had a box hit her arm. Luckily she was in her car seat. Her arm was very bruised and a bit swollen but not broken. I let her pick form our new ice pack, she picked a black and white kitten. I explained to her parents how to fill it and placed it on her arm. She then gave me a hug with her good arm. I love this kind of payment, so sweet and sincere.
It was going on 4:15 now.
"Rick if everything is good I am going to go now."
"Thanks Carlisle, we should be good now. Dr. Conner will be here at 5. Have a good night, oh and a good day off."
Thanks, I will be at the reservation clinic tomorrow, Leah is doing some of her clinical hours with me there. I don't know who enjoys the time more her or me, even if it means physical and vaccination time."
"Good luck my friend, better you than me."
"Thanks, I'll see you in 2 weeks."
I drove home and was there by 4:45. Jasper was waiting on the porch.
"Hi Jazz, what's going on?"
"Nothing papa, I just wondered if … Never mind, I'm sure you probably want to wait for momma, just forget it."
"Hey there young man, you know you can ask me anything so do not let me hear you talk like that again. Okay?"
"Okay, sorry papa, I just wondered if we could go hunting together? Just you and I."
"Sure baby, let me go shower and change, then if your momma is not home I'll leave her a note or else we will go around 6:00. Okay?"
Jasper's eyes brighten at my words.
"That would be perfect, thanks papa."
"I'll meet you here no later than 6 then. Why don't you go find your brothers and play for a while?"
"There off hunting, and Alice is reading her magazine. Maybe I'll go read a book."
"Okay, I'll find you when I am ready."
"Thank you papa, papa?"
"Yes"
"Would it be okay if Seth and I wrestle if he is in wolf form?"
"As long as you both remember you are brothers. If either one of you get hurt come and get me right away. If you don't I will think it was intentional, and you don't want that. Okay?"
"Okay papa, thank you."
Now he surprises me with a big hug.
"I mean it papa, thank you."
"Jasper you are very welcome. Now just be careful."
I kiss his forehead just as Seth comes through the woods still in wolf form. He was barking and his tail wagging.
"Seth papa said we can wrestle if you want? We just have to be careful."
I then see 1 very happy vampire son and 1 very happy wolf son who I thought would lose his tail in excitement. As I walk inside Esme greets me.
"Hi Carlisle"
"Hello darling, how was your day."
"Wonderful, Bella really enjoys going to the bookstore and she even has a good eye for material for the new furniture. Though I think it's more of a hobby for her."
"Well I think she can relax more when our pixie daughter is not shopping with her. She loves spending time with you, you know that dear."
"The feeling is mutual, I told her today anytime she wants mother/daughter bonding time she just needs to ask."
"Speaking of time, Jasper and I are going hunting in a while. I have a feeling something is on his mind."
"I had the same feeling, I am glad he asked you. I was thinking about suggesting it. Take you time I think he needs his dad right now."
After I shower and spend some time relaxing with Esme, it's time for our hunt. As I step outside, and Jasper is waiting, his eyes look like he has something on his mind.
"Where is Seth at?"
"He went to change and help momma with dinner."
"Oh okay, are you ready Jazz?"
"Ready papa, where should we go?"
"How about we head north for a while?"
We take off running keeping up with each other. After about 2 hours 4 deer, an elk and a moose Jasper is finally ready to open up.
"Papa can I ask you a question?"
"Of course you can, what is it my little soldier?" As I say this poor Jasper's eyes get so sad. I can feel his pain even though he tries not to let me.
"Jasper, come here and sit with me son."
I sit next to a large oak tree he comes over and sits next to me, I pull him closer.
"Now tell me what's going on my baby boy, please take your time and talk to me."
Jasper takes a few deep breathes then begins.
"It started in history class this morning. Mr. Green gave us an extra credit project to do if we want since the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg is this year and well …" Jasper put his head down and looks like he wants to cry. I lift him into my lap and hold him close so he can soak all my love up. He takes a deep breath and starts crying slightly.
"I should have been there papa, I should have fought. If I see names I knew…I should have been with them, papa."
"Jasper, listen to me please. If you were there, you would not be here with Alice, or your momma, or siblings. Jasper I would not have the greatest pleasure of calling you my son, my baby boy. I am so sorry you are hurting my soldier boy, and we will always be here for you. Is this what has been upsetting you so much?"
Jasper shakes his head no and leans back against me before continuing.
"What if I do it, what if I work on the extra credit and Mr. Green doesn't like it. What if he doesn't agree with my paper or like my project? What if he doesn't agree with me?"
"Well how about telling me what it's about. Maybe I can help you."
Now my baby, my soldier boy leans into me taking a calming breath before he looks up at me.
"Well he said if we want over our East break we can watch "The North and The South" or "The Blue and The Grey" and write a paper on it. Then if we really wanted we could watch both and do a paper on each. Each paper is worth 100 extra credit points each. Then we can do a third comparison paper and talk about both movies, or we can team up with 1 or 2 other people and do a presentation. He said the presentation would be used to raise our lowest grade up one grade. I could change my B to an A papa. Then he said we had until May 15th for the paper and May 20th for the presentation."
"Well Jasper how about if you want you and I can spend a couple of evenings watching it together? Then after you write your paper I can look it over for you."
Jasper turns completely to face me and says; "You would really do that with me papa, you would watch the movies with me?"
"Of course I would, why would you even question that son?"
"Because I'm sure you could find something more important to do" he says sadly.
"Wait one minute young man, I don't ever want to hear that again. I am never too busy to make time for you, your siblings, or any of our family. Yes, I may have to ask someone to wait a little, but I will always make time for you and anyone in our family. Do you understand me young man? Because I can promise I have another way to make my point if I need to."
I may have been a little harsh here but I know my boy and sometimes I have to be a little harder with him.
"I understand papa, I'm…I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like it sounded. Truly I didn't, I guess I was just surprised by the offer."
"Why baby?"
"The one movie is almost 7 hours and the other is over 23 hours. So I was surprised when you offered to spend that much time with me papa. But if the offer is still good, I would love to watch it with you."
"Jasper, the offer is always good, all you or any of you have to do is ask me. Okay, now I need to say I am sorry I should not have gotten so mad at you. Why don't you tell me what else happened in class. I have a funny feeling there is more."
Jasper looks at me questioningly, like how did I know.
"You're projecting son." I say with a smile. I then pat my knee and he happily claims his spot again, as he did his eyes lit up like a child on Christmas morning.
"There was 2 other things papa; one was actually kind of funny."
"What's that?"
"So you know Bella sits next to me right?"
"Yes", I start with a chuckle.
"Well Angela and Lauren sit in front of us, and while Mr. Green was talking about the extra credit assignments Lauren made a remark. She thought she was quiet enough, but Mr. Green heard her and well….I didn't laugh papa, I swear, but the look on her face when Mr. Green turned around and looked directly at her and said that there a quiet a few people who may want to think about doing it because their grades are iffy at best. He then told her that he wanted to speak to her after class. Papa I swear I wanted to laugh so badly, but I did not."
"Well I am very happy you did not, I would hate to have to punish you for doing that. So what else happened? I have a feeling there is something else." I say as I am tickling his ribs. After he stopped laughing, a sound I will never get tired of listening too he continued.
"Well Angela ignored her and turned around to talk to…well I thought to Bella. But papa I was wrong, she wanted to talk to both of us. Papa she asked me if I wanted to work with her on the project. That we could team up and the 3 of us, Bella, Angela and I could work together on this project. She said she's nervous about the Civil War test and could use the extra credit points. I was surprised on both, that she asked me and she was nervous. She answers a lot of the questions and is always raising her hand."
"Well maybe she has test anxiety, a lot of people do son. So what did you tell her, as if I have to ask? The way you are talking I think I know."
"I said I would love to, Monday we are going to meet before class and decide what to do. We want to tell Mr. Green next week."
"Jasper, I am so happy for you my baby, so very happy. I know whatever you come up with it will be fantastic. Now as for your papers, I truly believe as long as you are respectful Mr. Green will be fine. Every time your mother or I talk to him he has nothing but high praise for you. I am very proud of you as I know history can be hard for you."
As I am saying this to him, I pull him in a big hug which he happily returns to me. After a few minutes Jasper moves off my lap and sits next to me.
"Thank you papa."
"For what baby?"
"For being you and loving all of us, for loving me and being my papa."
"My pleasure baby, my true pleasure. Now as you know I am at the Reservation Clinic tomorrow so I can stop by and explain to Mr. Green that you are worried about this because you were born and raised in the south. That your views may be slightly different, but you want to do this report and project. I am sure he will be very understanding."
"Thanks papa, I think I would feel better. Maybe we can find a way to show the views of both the North and South sides in our project."
"I think that would be very interesting, but talk to Bella and Angela and then if they like the idea talk with Mr. Green."
"I will on Monday."
"Are you better now son?"
"Just one more thing papa."
"What's that?"
Before I know it Jasper pulls me in hug that would rival Emmett's.
"I know I don't tell you enough and I'm sorry about that, but I love you papa. More than you will ever know. I love you."
"I love you too my baby boy, I love you and I am actually very happy you didn't go to Gettysburg because now you are my son, my beautiful, beautiful son."
Jasper beams with my words, I know he can feel how much I truly love him.
"Why don't we head back home, then we can relax tonight. Tomorrow I will talk to Mr. Green for you and I would like you to order the movies, I'm sure Alice will help if you want."
"No, I think I can do that papa or she will have me buying every civil war movie out there." Jasper says laughing.
"Your right baby." I agree laughing with him.
We then head home racing each other laughing and talking all the way. Once home he goes right to his mom and gives her a hug and kiss before heading upstairs.