ONELASTSUNSET

Chapter One- WAITING

May 28, 2009

I'm looking out of the plane window and see a damp, but green forest line coming into view beneath. After the past three years I've spent in a desert, the moist, cool serenity of a Washington summer is exactly what I am looking for to ease my tired mind. I stretch my leg out carefully, doing my best to avoid aggravating my busted knee, the reason why I am currently flying back home for the summer, after two long years of fighting.

Summer. It is always seen as a new beginning, a chance to start over. When I recall all of the 22 summers that I had endured in my life, the one that comes to mind the most is the summer of 2006, when I was 20 years old. A lot of things happened that summer; some tragic, some blissful, some unexpected. The thing that I remember the most, was also the last thing that I expected to happen.

I met the love of my life, in the form of a barely sixteen year old girl named Alice.

Don't start telling me about the law or about statutory rape or any other of those terms; believe me, I've heard them all. I did not fall in love with her because she was sixteen. I did not go looking for her to fall for me. I had no intention of letting our relationship grow as far as it did. But that summer seemed to have a mind of its own, and despite my morals and failed attempts at staying away we still fell in love. Perhaps if we hadn't, a lot of things that summer may have been different. I'll let you be the judge of that.

I'm looking out of the plane window, and the ground is coming slowly into view. I'm reminded of a similiar landing on a plane just like this, three summers ago, when all of this heartbreak and adventure began.....

____

May 12, 2006

I exit the gate slowly, my duffel bag draped over my shoulders. Years ago, when I was a kid, I had imagined my return from the Army. My mom and Walter would be waiting at the gate, with Rosalie in tow, and they would scream upon my arrival and hug me. Rosalie would beg me not to leave again. Mom would get tears in her eyes and stammer that I looked handsome. Walter would shake my hand and tell me that I had made him proud.

But things never really work out the way you want them to.

A single person is sitting in the arrival gate area waiting for me, and her head is bowed to her knees. When she sees me coming, Rosalie springs to her feet and, just like I thought she would, embraces me with all the strength she has. She shook with sobs and I dropped my bag to pull her into my arms and tuck my head down protectively against her. Other people stared at us as they passed but we were oblivious to their attention.

"Come on." I murmured after awhile, and we separated. Rose wiped at her eyes timidly and I reached down for my bag. "Let's head home."

There would be no parents waiting of us now. Rosalie and I were orphans.

My biological father, Jasper Whitlock Sr., had died when I was two from a brain aneurysm. Four years later, my mom had found love again in the form of a kind man named Walter Hale. My mother smiled again for the first time since the funeral and within the year I had a baby sister, Rosalie Hale. Walter's job got transferred to a firm in Seattle, so when I was 16 and Rosalie was 12 we moved from Houston to small town in Washington. Being the only kid with a Southern drawl was a little aggravated at first, but I only had to put up with it for two years. Then, I joined the army, like my dad, in hopes that in two or three years I could go to college.

College was a far off, forgotten idea now.

Walter and Jane Hale were killed last week when a drunk driver struck their car on their way home from grocery shopping. The roads in Forks are always slick with rain, and against a swerving drunk they never really stood a chance. So now, Rosalie, at sixteen, needed a legal guardian or she would be placed in foster care. I left the army with honor from my superiors to watch my baby sister until she graduated. We were going to have to work hard if she wanted any chance of getting into college. Walter made a modest amount, but never enough to support a college tuition, especially after funeral expenses. It was not my college that I was worried about now. If Rose wanted to go to college, which I know she did, we were both going to have to work, and she was going to have to try for some sort of scholarship. I recall her mentioning that if her volleyball performance continued to improve, she might be able to get herself a scholarship to a local college. This broke my heart, because I know that she had always dreamed about going abroad or going to New York for school.

I was 20 years old, and I was the man of the house.

The next week or so was a blur, full of black clothes and condolences and casseroles for dinner. I was referred as Jasper Hale on several occasions, and while it usually bothered me I just accepted it. I think my dad would understand that being a Whitlock wasn't as important as being Walter's stepson at the current moment.

Things did start to get back to normal eventually. Rosalie still had a few weeks of school left, and even though they offered her the rest of the year off she wanted to go back. She did not want to start her junior year behind in the fall, so we prepared for her to return to school on Monday morning. The old truck that had been mine from high school needed some serious repairs, so I fixed what I could myself, and if it needed professional help I would take it to my friend Peter's garage.

Monday, May 22, 2006, Morning

"Do you honestly think you can get that old thing working?" Rosalie asked, her voice thick with doubt. She set her books on the bed of the truck and gave me hard stare before glancing at her watch. "Maybe I should just take the bus?" she suggested.

"You," I pointed with the wrench that I was holding. "Have too little faith." I slammed the hood down and gave her an excited look. "That should do it." I wiped the grease off my fingers and opened the driver's side door, turning the key into the ignition. The sound of my old engine purring to life made me twinge with nostalgia, remembering the many times where Rosalie and I would speed off together in the car on our way to school. It seemed terribly ironic that we were doing it again under such circumstances.

"You out do yourself Jasper." Rosalie murmured sarcastically, letting herself into the passenger's seat. I chuckled as I prepared to pull out the drive way. Simultaneously, we both stopped what we were doing and put on our seat belts. We exchanged an awkward glance, both soundlessly recalling that seat belts could have saved our parents lives. I hastily flipped on the radio and we started on our way.

"Shouldn't you be getting your license soon?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

Rosalie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I have my permit.' she replied quietly. 'But I don't want to doing any driving just yet." She did not meet my gaze and I frowned.

"That's understandable." I said out loud, more to myself then to my sister, who didn't reply. I decided that a different subject was probably a better idea. "So, got any after school plans?" I enquired casually. I was hoping to do some job hunting today, and didn't want her to have to come home to an empty house.

"I'm going to Emmett's after school." she answered, her voice returning to a more even tone. I had yet to meet my sister's boyfriend, and it made me a little apprehensive that she would now be able to spend a lot more time alone with said boyfriend, but I knew there was nothing I could do about it. "Do you want to meet at the diner at six? I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to eat more casserole."

"You're right about that.' I smiled at her. "I've been dying to meet this Emmett guy. Its about time he and big brother were introduced.'

"Jazz." Rosalie said warningly. "Don't do anything stupid." her tone turned sharp, and for a moment she look murderous. I gave her an amused smirk. I had forgotten how rebellious and headstrong my teenage sister could be. Times like these, it seemed like sixteen and twenty were a lot more than just four years apart. She was still a child, and I was just about grown up.

"I'm going to do some job hunting." I announced to her, as we pulled into the parking lot. "Wish me luck'.

She gave me a pretty smile. "Don't be an ass. Then you'll be fine." I laughed at her remark as she slid out of her seat and out the door.

"Good luck!" I called out to her, beeping the horn. Several people turned to look at me and Rosalie gave me a reproachful stare. I grinned crazily at her and she stuck out her tongue, before waving her arm in farewell.

Evening

My so called 'job hunting' had been a total bust. They say that a high school diploma alone will never really get you that far, but I didn't expect to be as completely screwed over as I had been today. Sure, people took pity on my situation, and they gave some respect because of the whole army thing, but most every place I went interviewing at I was told that unfortunatly, without a college degree, I was not eligible for employment. I was given several pitying smiles and told that after I did graduate college I should be sure to come back and reapply.

So that's how I came to be pulling into Peter's at quarter to six, empty handed and disappointed. Peter was a real decent guy, and I'd worked at his garage back when I was a kid. He and his wife, Charlotte, were very kind, heartfelt people who treated me like family. Pete was only seven or eight years older than me, and he'd been working at the garage since his father had left him the place. I found him out back, working on an old Chevy pickup.

"Well well well, if it isn't that Whitlock kid. " Peter grinned at me and walked away from the truck, wiping his greasy hands and then extending his arms to embrace me. I did, knowing that while I would probably smell like oil when I got home, it would be worth it. "How've you been kid? Are you feeling alright?" Pete had been there at the funeral, had clapped me on the shoulders and told me that Walter and my mother, and my Dad for the matter, would all have been proud of what I had accomplished.

I shrugged at him. "I'm okay. Things could be worse, you know, but they could be better." I sighed and leaned against the counter running a hand through my disheveled hair. "I can't get a job anywhere Pete." I confessed to him. "Everywhere I go, people are asking about college, and if I don't find somewhere decent to work, Rosalie ain't never gonna go to college." I groaned and closed my eyes. "How I am supposed to tell her that I couldn't get a job? I told her this morning that I went applying today!"

Peter punched me affectionately on the shoulder. "You know, I have been needing some help back here during the weekdays. Hell, even on the weekends, you come in early, and I could certainly find something for you to do." I looked up at his kind, sincere face and once more felt so incredibly moved by the amazing guy that Pete was.

"I can't ask you to do that Pete." I protested, not wanting to take away from his own work just because of my financial problems.

"Yes you can." Peter objected. "And you will. Look, if you find something better, you can leave, no second thoughts." he gave me a hard look. "Its better than telling that baby sister of yours that you are still unemployed."

"You're right." I found myself agreeing, heaving another sigh. Jasper Whitlock, full time mechanic. I never would have expected that to be what I did with my life. "I really appreciate it Pete, honestly."

"Don't mention it." Peter shook it off with a wave of his hand. "I gotta get back to work. You wanna stay for dinner? Charlotte's cooking?"

"I'd like to Pete, but I have to meet Rosalie at the diner, I'm just about late actually." I gave my watch a frantic look. "But we'll get together soon, okay? I'll bring Rose along as well."

"I'll look forward to it." Peter agreed, shaking my hand. I smiled at him and exited the garage, heading back toward the trunk. "And kid, be here at 8 sharp, 'right, because starting tomorrow, you work for me." I beeped the horn in agreement and waved goodbye, starting my drive towards the diner.

I was still apprehensive about telling Rosalie about the job at the garage. The pair of us had grown up working around cars. We'd put together this truck with Walter right after we moved here. My older motor bike, that I'd ridden more back in Houston where it was dry, was still out back in the shed, where we had out workshop. Maybe one of these days I would get that old bike out again.

Still, as a pulled into the diner, I was feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. I was trying so hard to be everything Rosalie needed in a guardian, but still, I didn't think it was enough. I yet to officially come to terms with the fact that Walter and Mom were dead; it was more like they had just gone on some sort of impromptu vacation. I hadn't even cried at the funeral. The last thing I wanted though, was for Rosalie to see me breakdown. If that meant bottling up my emotions and putting on a fake smile every morning, than that's what I would do.

It was raining, of course, when I exited the truck. I took my time walking inside, wondering if I would have to call Rosalie to find where she was sitting or if I would be able to spot her. It looked kind of crowed inside. My watch told me I was running a bit late. My time at the garage with Peter must have been longer than I'd thought. I pushed the double doors to the diner opened and squinted at the inside. There was no signs of my sister, though the appearance of one person made me completely forget about her.

A beautiful girl was sitting at the counter, with short, spiky hair and stumpy legs that dangled and did not reach the floor. She jumped to her feet when she saw me, and I wondered why this stunning creature would be heading my way, and praying to God that she was. She walked right up to me like we had made a pre-arranged engagement, and smiled when she was withing inches of me.

"You've kept me waiting a long time." she said teasingly, and I felt my heart shatter at the thought of causing this angel any sort of discomfort. It did not occur to me to wonder how the girl knew who I was. All I wanted to know was her name, and why she had such an overwhelming affect on me.

Unable to think of anything to say, I dipped my head and spoke in a clumsy, accented words, 'I'm sorry, 'mam."

She just grinned up at me. "I'm Rosalie's friend Alice. Emmett surprised her with these back stage concert tickets, and she told me to come here and meet you. She said you weren't answering your phone."

I did not consider for one second what she said about my phone. All I was doing was processing what she had said. She was my sister's friend. My sixteen year old, sophomore in high school, sister's friend. I had no right to be ogling her, and she certainly had no right to be ogling me.

Yet ogle me she did. "I don't about you, but I'm starving. After waiting for you for so long, I'd say you owe me a meal." And then, she did something most unexpected. She extended her hand to me.

I should have recognized the danger signs then. I should have politely declined, perhaps leaving her some money for a burger. I should have taken into thought that this was a sixteen year old girl, and that there was certain standards that came with sixteen year old girls. I could have prevented all the heartbreak and trouble that was to come this summer if I just walked away.

But I didn't. I took the hand.

And in the moment, not only did I walk into the biggest adventure of my life, but I also felt, for the first time since the death of my parents, like there was any kind of hope for the future.

Still feeling slightly awkward and apprehensive, I slid into a booth across from Alice. She set down her purse beside her and gently tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear, sneaking a glance at me while she did. My heart accelerated. My head told me to stop right away, and that what was going down her would only lead to trouble. If Rosalie was having dinner with some twenty year old, I would surely beat him up. No doubt that Alice's brother, or father, or any concerned parent for that matter, would probably beat me up if they saw me here.

Yet oddly, I made no move to end the encounter, and instead looked with mild interest at a menu.

The waitress took our order. A burger for me, a salad for her. I wondered if I was just being paranoid, or if the waitress did look suspicious as she eyed the company that I was keeping. I was half suspected her to yell 'child molester' and drag me away.

Instead she came back two minutes later with drinks and said she would return shortly with our meals, giving me a flirty wink as she passed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice glare at the waitress's retreating back. For some reason, this pleased me.

"So," I began, taking a tentative sip out of my Sprite. Only a couple more months I'd be able to just get a beer like I wanted to. "You said Rosalie and Emmett went to a concert?" Despite the fact that my moral compass was not exactly pointing North today, it did not mean I was not concerned for my sister's well being. Plus, I needed a conversation point to break that awkward tension between us.

Alice set down her ice tea. "Yeah. They went to this show up at the Metro Dome. Rosalie loves Between the Trees." she smiled fondly and played with the straw of her drink. I found it adorable.

"Between the Trees?" I repeated, the name unfamiliar to me. Then again, I was not really up to date with the current music industry.

"You haven't heard of them?" Alice smiled once again, and the sight of it tugged at my heartstrings. "I'm not surprised. They're fairly unheard of. Rose and Emmett are into that whole out of the box, non mainstream music."

This did not suprise me. Rosalie was never much for following the crowd and always liked to do her own, unique things.

"What about you? What kind of things to you listen to?" Alice inquired. I was trying not to contemplate on how much this was seeming like a date. Instead, I tried to convince myself that it was nothing more than just buying my sister's best friend some lunch. Like a gentlemen.

"I listen to a lot of different things, but I've never gotten into hip-hop or rap." The current music on the radio today irked me. It all sounded the same and lacked lyrics and riffs that could grab my attention. "If I had to name favorites, I'd say Collective Soul, uh, Green Day, Blink 182, and Our Lady Peace."

Alice nodded. "Collective Soul are interesting." she agreed. A girl who listening to Collective Soul? Was this fate? "My personal top picks are probably Relient K and We the Kings." She must have recognized the complete incomprehensive look on my face, because she added "I'll burn you some CDS." the prospect of having more contact or conversation with her gave me thrill and anticipation, even though once again, my conscience told me that I should not pursue any further contact. 'Of course, you can't forget the classics. The Beatles. The Kinks."

God, how could I have found a girl like this? Most of the girls that I talked to had never even heard of the Kinks, let alone would list them as a favorite. Why was it that the more I talked to her, the more I was getting pulled closer and closer and never wanting to back down?

"How old are you?" I blurted out unexpectedly. I hope that she did not realize the reason I wanted to know her age was because I was so attracted to her.

"I'll be sixteen in August." she answered. This girl was only fifteen! She was probably not even a sophomore yet! Jeez, I was such a pervert! And yet, she didn't seem to see me as one. "And you?"

How much did I long to say seventeen! Or eighteen. Or even nineteen. Because if we were both teenagers, maybe this wouldn't look so bad. The age difference between sixteen and nineteen seemed so much smalled and insignifcant than that between twenty and sixteen! "I'm twenty." I answered, seeing something that almost looked like disappointment flash in her eyes.

The waitress returned with our food. I thanked her and stared down at my burger. It did not look much better than any of the caseroles that Rose and I had been surviving off of the over the past week, but I was too hungry to care. For a few minutes, there was silence between us as we both ate. She must have been just as hungry as I was. I noticed that her salad had no chicken or bacon or any sort of meat in it at all. Perhaps she was a vegetarian?

"Jasper," her voice has softened now, and it sounded a little uncomfortable. She tucked her hair behind her ear again, in what I was beginning to recognize as a sign of nervousness. 'I just thought I should say,' her voice got lower still. "I'm uh, I'm really sorry. About your parents.' She did not me my eyes and blushed a little.

The mention of my parents brought me a little closer to reality once again, and was beginning to realize that I needed to end this evening quickly if I knew what was good for me. I cleared my throat. "Thanks.' I muttered, also not meeting her gaze, and surprised by the burning in the back of my throat. Suddenly losing my appetite, I pushed my plate away from me and stared thoughtfully at the ice cubes that were melting at the bottom of my glass. I could feel Alice's eyes on me, but when I looked up she appeared to be completely engrossed in her meal.

I picked half-heatedly at fries for another ten minutes, whilst Alice continued to eat her salad. We did not resume our conversation. At last, she finished her food and reached for her purse, pulling out a wallet. My father would never forgive me if I let a lady pay for own meal, financial problems be damned. I placed my hand on her wrist to stop her and we both flinched at the contact. Static electricity, that's what it had to be.

"I got this one." I muttered, trying once again to avoid her gaze. "I did keep you waiting, after all."

Alice smiled nervously at me and placed her wallet back in her bag, "I'll be sure to make it up to you sometime."

Oh jeez. I wanted nothing more than to ask this girl how exactly she planned on making it up to me, but the better part of me was screaming to back down. Trying to balance between the two, I managed a small chuckle and replied 'We'll see about that.'

The waitress returned, and gave my untouched burger and then myself a dirty look. I slid a twenty to her and then gave her a half smile. Any annoyance she had with me vanished and instead she blushed and walked away, turning around as she did to wave a goodbye in my direction. Alice coughed behind me. She was reaching for the bag again, now extracting a cell phone.

"I've got to call my dad for a ride." She explained, beginning to dial a number.

"I'll give you a ride." I shot out, before I could stop myself. Damn, why was I acting so impulsive, especially with a girl who wasn't even old enough for her driver's license? Alice looked intently at me for a minute, as if she was sizing me up. Then, hesitantly, she slid the phone back into her bag.

"Alright." she said boldly, and an excited smile lit up her face. I instantly decided that I would take whatever means necessary to be near this girl again, just so I could have another look at that killer smile of hers. She stood up, and it struck me again how short she was. It seemed to make her appear even younger, which was not a very good thing for my current state of mind. She tossed her bag over her shoulder. "Lets go."

I led the way out of the restaurant. If it had been Rosalie, I would have slung an arm arcoss her shoulders or placed my hand on the small of her back. Neither of these things seemed appropriate, yet I was looking for any excuse to touch her again. I gave the cloudy sky a wary look as we headed to the truck. I was surprised that she did not show more adversion to getting soaked in the rain. Most girls I knew ran for cover and would be sprinting through the parking lot right now.

I clamored into the drivers seat and turned on the igniton, thankful that the old beast decided to start for me. I flipped around for a good radio station and stopped when I heard an old Dylan song. As I pulled out, I saw Alice crinkle her nose in distaste.

"What?" I teased gently. "Not a fan of Bob?"

She shook her head. "I just don't really get the attraction to him. I can't get really focused on anything that comes out of his mouth, let alone understand it." I could tell that if I let her go, she could ramble on this for much more time.

"Well then, it will have to be my mission to find a Dylan song that you will be able to appreciate." I flashed her a smile, and she grinned crazily at me in disbelief.

"That'll be the day." she teased lightly.

"I'm always up for a challenge." I murmured lowly to her, and she turned slightly pink and looked at the floor. I adjusted the volume on the stereo and took a glance out the window. More views of the green Forks countryside came into view. "Where I am going, now?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, clearly not understanding what I was asking of her.

"Where's your house?" I inquired, trying to remember if she mentioned where she lived at all.

"Oh, right. Um... take a right up here." she gestured with her finger, and I pulled into an obscure dirt road off of the main street. It was a private road, so I assumed that she must have one of those old style, really expensive homes. Sure enough, after driving for about a quarter of a mile, a beautiful stone home came into view. I tried to remember if I had ever seen this house before when I lived her as a kid, but was coming up blank.

I stopped the truck outside the house and waited. "What time should Rose be home?" It did not occur to me until now that it was a school night and she probably had homework to do.

"My brother should have her home by ten at the latest." Alice answered.

"Your brother?" I searched my brains to recall if Alice had told me that Emmett was her brother. I don't think that she did. This made the situation all the more awkward. I could not possibly be feeling anything for a not-even-sixteen year old, let alone a sixteen year that was friendly with my sister and related to said sister's boyfriend.

"Yeah." Alice smiled timidly at me once more, then cleared her throat. "Thanks for dinner. Maybe will see each other again some time?" Her hopeful voice both excited me and scared the crap out of me.

"I'd like that." I found myself saying, dipping my head to her. She did not seem to find my remark the least bit off color. Instead, she waved goodbye to me and slid out of the truck. I saw a figure in the doorway and suspected it was her father. I turned on the ignition once more and beeped farewell. Alice and her father both waved once more as I pulled away.

I contemplated the feelings that I had felt for Alice as I drove home. I tried to convince myself that it was just my reaction to the first girl I had spoken to since I returned from the War. It was not going to amount to anything. Under no circumstances should I allow it to amount to anything. For her own good, I should probably to my best to stay as far away from Alice as I could respectfully achieve.

With this in mind, I got back and turned on a baseball game while I waited for Rosalie to return. At five after ten, I heard a car in the driveway. Deciding against snooping on my sister's goodbye to her boyfriend, I waited for her to come inside. Within five minutes, I heard footsteps outside and then the front door opened and shut. Rosalie put her rain soaked jacket in the closet and came into to say hello.

"Did you have a good time at the concert?"

"Yeah. It was really cool." Rosalie sat her bag down and plopped next to me on the couch. "You weren't upset about me bailing on dinner were you?"

I recalled once more the dinner with Alice. "No." I answered quietly, unable to keep a contented grin from reached my face. "I didn't mind at all." If Rosalie noticed my expression, she didn't comment on it.

"How'd the job hunting go?"she asked, and I sighed. I was hoping she would forget to ask me about it and I could put off telling her about the garage job.

"I'm working at Pete's." I told her sheepishly, not meeting her gaze. She touched my shoulder gently.

"Hey," her voice was soft. "I'm happy for you." she smiled and I did my best to smile back. She reached for her bag and started towards the stairs. I watched her go. Right then, she had seemed older, almost like an adult. How could a teenager seem like a kid at some points, and an adult at the other?

And once again, despite my resolutions to stay away, I was myself wondering about the short teenage girl, and hoping that somehow I would find the opportunity to see her again.

End Chapter One

So, here is my first at a multi-chapter fic. I hope the idea is something believable. I'm not exactly certain how wrong a 20/16 year old relationship is legally, but morally I know that it would cause some issues. I debated making Jasper older, like 22 but then he was too much older than Rosalie and I didn't like that. If their is any aversion or recommendations about the ages, please let me know.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight. The title to this story is taken from Romeo and Juliet, which I always am not claiming any ownership of.

In Chapter Two: Jasper's new parental status is put to the test as he meets with a social case worker from Rosalie's school. Meanwhile, Rosalie and Emmett prepare for the prom, and Alice and Jasper have an unplanned interaction that only increases their attraction to each other.

Review.

-mayday