New chapter! Yay!


As we approach Carlisle's office, Jasper grows tense again. I rub his back gently. "Don't worry," I tell him. "The future is very clear. It will all be fine. And I'll be with you the whole time. You'll be okay."

He nods and slowly knocks on the door. When we enter, Carlisle sits at his desk, tapping his fingers idly. He smiles. "Ready to get on with it?" he asks. Jasper nods and sits down on the couch, pulling me with him. "Alright," Carlisle says, "I thought we'd try with a good memory first. I figured it might make it a little easier for you when we dive into the tougher stuff." Jasper nods, relieved. He closes his eyes, relaxing against me as Carlisle starts his counting. When he reaches ten, Jasper's whole body relaxes.

"Alright Jazz," Carlisle starts. "Let's start with a good memory. Go back to the first time you met Alice. Put yourself back in that diner. What happened?"

Jasper is quiet for a long moment. "I don't know why I even went in there," he starts. "I suppose it seemed like the human thing to do. I didn't know what to make of her at first. She just waltzed right up to me, and with my background I didn't know if I should be afraid or not. But the second she opened her mouth, I knew she was the one I'd spend eternity with. She told me I'd kept her waiting." He smiles softly. "I didn't know what to say to that. So I apologized."

I grin, remembering his 'My apologies, ma'am' as he continues.

"She told me all about you. About the strange life you lived. And I felt so much hope."

Carlisle nods, writing on a pad. "And why do you think you felt that way?" he asks.

Jasper pauses. "I spent so many years running away from this monster I was. I'd try to abstain until I couldn't stop myself anymore and I went on a rampage and hated myself more. But then she told me about this other way, and I thought that maybe I wouldn't have to be a monster anymore. She saved me in every way."

Carlisle nods. "Thank you. We're going to more on to some more serious stuff now. Remember that you're safe." Jasper nods. "Jasper, I want you to go back to the night you were changed."

His brow creases, and he grips my hand tighter. "There are girls," he murmurs.

"And what are they doing?"

He frowns. "Just…" he gasps suddenly, grabbing at his neck.

"It's alright, Jasper," Carlisle murmurs. "Remember, you're here in my office with Alice and I. They can't hurt you. Do you understand?"

Slowly, he lowers his hand. "Yes, thank you." He relaxes slightly.

"So," Carlisle prods, "She bit you?" He nods. "And what happened after that?"

Jasper grimaces. "After that I burned. She moves me somewhere, but then she left. It was a few days, I think. And then when it got worse, she came back."

"And what did she do then?"

"She's…talking. She's saying that I was stronger than she thought. That I was going to be useful." He whines softly, rubbing his throat. I massage his back gently, and he calms. "It stopped."

"The burning or the thirst?"

"The burning…" Suddenly he becomes panicked. "Please don't make me continue!" he pleads. "Not yet!"

Carlisle nods. "Okay son. We can end here for today. I want you to slowly leave that memory and come back to the present. Clear your mind of everything other than my voice." He begins counting, and when he finishes Jasper opens his eyes and hugs me tightly.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I just couldn't. It was too overwhelming."

Carlisle pats his shoulder gently. "Don't be sorry. I promised I wouldn't push if you thought you couldn't handle it. You did very well. Thank you."

I kiss him softly. "I'm so proud of you, love. How do you feel?"

He smiles. "Okay. Not bad."

I take his hand and lead him from the room. Back on the bed in our room, I climb into his lap. "So what was it like?" I ask.

"It was...strange. And sometimes I got kind of lost in the memory and forgot where I was. But it was nice to be able to talk about things. Even the things I forgot about. It was interesting."

"You don't mind being hypnotized?"

He laughs softly. "Not really. I have a feeling I wouldn't be able to talk about it any other way. And I wouldn't be able to put myself back into the memories. Plus, you were right. I do need to work on my trust issues, and this is a pretty big step."

I nod in agreement. "It is. I'm proud of you."

"He's happy, you know. These are the two things he's always wanted: To help me, and to learn more about me."

'That's good," I murmur. "Maybe now you can be closer and have the relationship you want with him."

He playfully raises an eyebrow at me. "'Maybe'?"

I grin. "Okay, definitely. Just keep talking and it'll happen."

He smiles and hugs me. "Thanks for convincing me to do this. You were right, I do need it."


Once again, please please review! I love all your feedback!

~TheSongSmith