Thank you to everyone who reviewed or put this story on alert! Extra thanks and naked Jaspers to Thesoundandthefury for beta'ing for me. For those who asked, I do not know how long this story will be, currently I am working on Chapter 14, so longer than that!

Jasper's POV

This was weird. It had been a pretty uneventful day for me . . . but let's face it, most of my days are uneventful. I had attended therapy in the morning, an exercise in patience that mostly consisted of me staring blankly while the therapist tried to get to the root of my problems. Didn't like him, didn't trust him, was sure as fuck not going to tell him anything. I'm pretty sure he's working for Social Services anyway, trying to figure out if I'm going to sue the system. He's probably waiting for me to say something that he can twist around so that it looks like Maria had no choice but to do what she did. You know, I was bad from the start, and she was just at the end of her rope with me. Then there was lunch, which I ate without complaining, a nap, and schoolwork. I don't know why I even bother trying. I'm so far behind now that it will take an act of God for me to pass my junior year.

I had a brief moment of hope when Nurse Sanders told me that I had company. Peter had just gotten his driver's license, and had promised to come see me as soon as his foster parents let him have the car. They seemed cool enough, and he liked them a lot, but they were worried about him driving an hour each way alone. They had brought him twice to see me already, which was nice of them. Pete had even promised to try and bring Charlotte one day. It would be difficult, since they were in separate homes, but if anyone could talk his way into it, it would be Pete.

It was hard to imagine that he would have gotten the car so soon, but I didn't really have anyone else to visit me. I didn't have any friends at school, just my foster siblings, and I didn't want any of the little kids to see me in the hospital bandaged up, or with IVs stuck in me. They had probably forgotten about me by now, anyway.

When she said it was a doctor, I wasn't surprised. I was apparently quite a miracle (funny, it didn't feel that way when I hadn't slept for three days, or my brain was trying to pound its way out of my skull), and doctors were forever coming by to look at me or run more tests. But then she introduced his wife, and that theory was blown all to Hell. I might not have much privacy anymore (literally, I couldn't bathe or pee by myself for the first two weeks; it doesn't get much lower than that), but I was pretty sure that doctors weren't allowed to bring their wives along when they examined patients. I belatedly remembered my manners and stood, waiting for a signal to tell me what to do.

They were young, really not looking much older than I did. The man was blond, and studying me in that way that seemed to be unique to doctors. Like I was a person, yes, but also a fascinating compilation of muscle and bone, someone that could have had anything in the world wrong with me if only they were there to see it. His blue eyes were warm, though, and when he smiled at me, I found myself wanting to smile back. I didn't, of course, but a small part of me definitely wanted to. He extended a hand. "Hi, Jasper. I'm Carlisle, and this is my wife Esme. It's nice to meet you."

I reached out and touched him for the smallest amount of time that could possibly be considered polite. "Pleasure to meet you, too." It was an outright lie on my part. I didn't understand why this man was here, and not knowing made me nervous. I wished he would just look at me like a piece of meat, the way the other doctors did, tell me how brave I was, and leave.

I caught movement from the woman out of the corner of my eye and spun to look at her. "Nice to meet you, ma'am." She didn't extend her hand and I didn't offer mine. In fact, she didn't move any closer than the doorway. Good for her; this room had been my sanctuary for the past month, and I didn't want it invaded.

The nurse left, leaving me alone with these strangers. I straightened my back and studied them in silence. They had sought me out, so they must want something from me. All I had to do was wait for one of them to spit it out. I felt confident I could outwait them, considering that I had nothing but time. Finally, the doctor gestured to the small table and set of chairs by the television. "May we sit?"

Like I had any choice. Adults would do what they wanted, whether I gave them permission or not. The best tactic was to just give in, at least on the surface. Later, when they weren't as watchful, you could do what you wanted. "Fine." I sat back down on the bed, closing my textbook.

I noticed the way Carlisle put his hand on his wife's back, as if she might need guiding. It could be an affectionate gesture, but it could be more. I filed that little tidbit away to think about later. The doctor leaned towards me and I reflexively drew back. "Jasper, have you given any thoughts to where you might be going after you get out of here?"

Sure, lots of them. Unfortunately, it didn't matter what I thought. My options now were to stay in the hospital until my birthday, go to another foster home, or go to a group home. The hospital wouldn't keep me for any longer than necessary, considering what it cost per day for me to be here, so that option was out. I could go into another foster family, but people weren't exactly lining up to take abused teenagers who were getting ready to age out of the system anyway. So it looked like a group home for me, which I guessed was all right. The only drawbacks there were that security would be tighter, and I wouldn't be able to see Peter or Charlotte like I wanted. The doctor was still looking at me, acting like he actually cared about my answer. I was suddenly shy in his presence, afraid of saying the wrong thing, so I shrugged and looked down at the blanket on the bed, wiling my hands not to shake. Why did he care anyway?

His next words answered my question. "Jasper, Esme and I were contacted by the head of Social Services to see if you might consider coming to live with us in Forks. I know it's a big decision, so I thought we could get to know each other a little today."

Believe me, doctor, if you got to know me, you wouldn't want anything to do with me. I'm damaged and weird, and that's not even counting the physical stuff. And where the fuck is Forks, anyway? Is that even in the state?

They were both watching me expectantly, like they were actually interested in my answer. What was I supposed to say? Did they actually want me, or were they just doing the boss man a favor? My chest felt painfully tight, and a headache began to form behind my eyes.

Esme smiled gently at me. I had always been quite attuned to people's emotions, as knowing someone's mood could be the difference between a beating and getting off lightly. Her mood was calm, with a slight undertone of anxiety, as evidenced by her tight eyes and they way she kept glancing at her husband. "Maybe we could go out and get a bite to eat while we talk. You don't have to decide right away."

I wasn't sure how I felt about that either. It was hard to believe that the doctors would just let me walk off with a pair of strangers, but he was a doctor, and they seemed to get whatever they wanted. As boring as the hospital could be, I at least knew I was safe here. No privacy also meant that no one would be able to hurt me. But out there, with these people? Anything could happen.

I shook my head softly, more to clear my head than to actually refuse. I was afraid to go with them, something I could never admit to anyone besides myself (and possibly Pete, but he was closer to me than any brother), yet I was also afraid not to. Time had faded most memories of my birth parents, but I could clearly remember my mother and her absolute terror about leaving our apartment. Appliances could break, we could run out of food, and still she would be unable to leave that small comfort zone. Was I going to end up the same way?

"It's all right if you would rather stay here, honey." Esme must have read my emotions as clearly as I read hers. Of course, I wasn't exactly subtle about showing mine off. Charlotte always laughed and said I wore my heart on my sleeve — or, more accurately, in my eyes.

"No, I'll go." I could see in her eyes that she really wanted me to, and I didn't want to upset her. Not because I loved her, or even really liked her, but because I didn't believe in burning bridges. I might allow this strange couple to take me to their house, and if they did, I didn't want her to suddenly remember my rudeness later. Experience had taught me that punishments were always much worse if you tried to avoid them. I gave her my best 'darling' smile (faked, but she didn't need to know that). "Now?"

"Are you hungry now? It's probably a good idea to start out a little early and beat the crowds." Carlisle was looking at me strangely, as if he wasn't as fooled by my act as his wife was.

Was I? I didn't really think about it. I had been forced to ignore my hunger so many times that my body wasn't very good at telling me when it needed to be fed any more. A lot of times there wasn't much food left after I fed the little kids, so I ate whenever they were done. Here the food came at regular intervals, whether I asked for it or not. I couldn't remember the last time I had even had the choice of eating something just because I was hungry. But the doctor had mentioned it was good to leave now, and that was good enough for me. "Yes."

"Okay, then. Where would you like to eat?"

It was a simple question, but it threw me into a minor panic. No one, absolutely no one, asked for my opinion on anything. They were already watching my every move, trying to decide if I was good enough, and I didn't want to choose the wrong place. "I – I don't know." My gut started to churn, but I forced that down. I could think my way out of this, I was sure. "I don't know any restaurants."

The both softened instantly. Dr. Cullen nodded. "I didn't think of that. What kind of food do you like? Chinese, Italian, Mexican, American? Anything sound particularly good?"

My mind spun. I just didn't know, and I was starting to feel cornered. "I like everything. Why don't you guys tell me what's good?" I quickly wiped my palms on my jeans, trying to hide how sweaty they had gotten. I dropped my eyes from his, resisting the urge to lower my entire body. I hated to show weakness to him, but sometimes it was better to live another day.

"I think I know a steakhouse that would be good. You do eat meat, don't you? No dietary restrictions?" His blue eyes probed at me, but I wouldn't look up.

Of course I ate meat. I ate everything. Fuck, if I was a picky eater, I would have starved to death a long time ago. At my house, you ate what was there, or you didn't eat. If you were lucky. If you weren't (and I frequently wasn't), there wasn't anything to eat. "That's okay."

Esme relaxed visibly. "Get your coat, honey; it's cold out there."

I grabbed the fleece jacket that used to belong to Peter and put it on cautiously. I still had a little bit of trouble managing buttons, as my right hand wasn't a hundred percent functional. Close, though — close enough that I could fool someone if I tried.

"You might need something warmer, Jasper. It snowed last night." Carlisle was looking at me in a way that suggested he wasn't entirely fooled.

"This is what I have." I knew that it had snowed last night; I had a window, didn't I? I didn't mind the cold, though. I was used to it. I stared into his eyes, trying to banish the pity I saw there.

"All right, then we're ready." Esme broke the tension between us.

I followed the Cullens out of my room and down the hallway. Though I had been in the hospital for more than a month, I seldom roamed the halls. My room was a safe point, a place I knew intimately. The halls were twisted and filled with strangers, any one of whom might be dangerous. Better to stay in one place, with a single door that could be monitored constantly. Plus, I had passed out on a few occasions, and I was terrified of what could happen to me while I was unconscious. Far better to stay on my in my room, or at least on my floor, where the nurses seemed to like me. Well, at least they pretended to, and did an excellent job of keeping me safe.

I looked from one to the other as we walked, taking the chance to observe both of them without them being able to look back at me. I noticed they way Carlisle walked, with his head high and his pace steady. He was a strong man, and others noticed that. He was an alpha male, probably a chief of his field, or possibly a surgeon. Some specialty where he was the unquestioned boss. Even through the thick jacket, I could see the muscles when he moved. I wondered what would happen if I disobeyed the boss's orders.

Esme was more of a mystery. I noticed there was slight jerkiness when she walked, as if there was something wrong with her legs or hips. It was very, very subtle, so subtle that it took me a few minutes of watching to be sure. What was wrong with her?

Carlisle stopped us at the front door to the hospital. "Why don't you two wait here while I get the car?"

That confirmed my suspicion that there was something wrong with Esme, something that would make it difficult for her to walk the distance to the parking deck. He couldn't possibly care about the fact that I would be cold, but his wife's comfort would be paramount to him. I considered that caring a very good sign, one that was very hard to fake. He probably wouldn't turn out to be actually abusive, maybe just a little distracted by his job. That was good also, as he wouldn't be breathing down my neck all of the time. I could take care of myself. I'd been doing it for years already.

Esme and I stood together in sort of an awkward silence. She looked as though she wanted to ask me a few things, but something held her back. I didn't even know why they had bothered to come out here. Anything that was at all important about me could be learned by reading my file, which I was sure they both had total access to.

I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye and jumped away from it. Esme lowered her hand, which I could now see she had intended to put on my shoulder. Great job, Jasper, act like a total nutcase in front of her, that way she'll definitely want to take you home. I ducked my head. "Sorry."

"It's all right, honey. I shouldn't have done that." Her dark eyes told me she actually meant it. "But Carlisle is here with the car."

Sure enough, I could see a sleek-looking car parked in the pick-up zone. I wasn't that familiar with the fancier cars, though I was pretty good at fixing up Maria's old clunker, but I knew this one was expensive. Without being asked, I held the hospital door for Esme, then bounded ahead to open the passenger side car door for her. She smiled and got in. "What a gentleman."

I didn't show it, but I was pleased that she had noticed. My mother (my real mother, not any of the foster moms) had wanted to raise her son to know how to treat women. One of the few memories I had left of her was her helping me hold the door in some building for a bunch of older women. "Remember, Jasper, a nice boy always lets a lady go first." Whenever I held a door for a woman, or was helpful in any way, I could almost feel her hand on my back again. I guessed that was one of the reasons I had put up with Maria for so long. I liked making people happy, even if it made me miserable.

"Before we get there, do you have any questions for us, Jasper?" Carlisle met my eyes in the rearview mirror before I could look away.

Sure, I had a few. How about why they were willing to take a brain-damaged teenager rather than the cute babies I was sure they qualified for? Or maybe why they wanted to foster in the first place? Experience had taught me that very few did it without ulterior motives. Sure, not all of them were in it for the convenient punching bag, or the monthly check. Some did it to keep a niece or nephew in the family, some to try and save a wayward child. Some did it because they couldn't have a biological one or afford an expensive infant adoption. Knowing why they did it went a long way towards knowing how to handle them later.

If we had still been at the hospital, I would have thrown those questions at them. Better they learn what I was now, rather than once I was legally in their home and they had no way to get rid of me. But I wasn't in the hospital. I was in their car in a city I knew nothing about. It would be dark very soon, and if they threw me out of the car, I was as good as dead. Nervously, I clutched at the leather seat.

"Are you all right, Jasper? You look very pale all of a sudden. You don't get carsick, do you?"

I wished Esme wouldn't mention getting sick, as I didn't want to give my body any ideas. I waited another few seconds, until I felt sure I could open my mouth without revisiting lunch, and nodded. "I'm fine. It's just been a while since I rode in a car, and I think I threw my body for a loop."

That was actually a plausible explanation. When I first woke up, I got dizzy and nauseous from doing simple things like sitting up and walking around. Apparently, my entire nervous system had suffered a shock, and it had forgotten a few things. The worst of it had passed, but he didn't know that.

"Do you need me to pull over for minute?" Sure, don't want the freaky kid puking on the expensive leather.

"I'm okay now." I didn't want him to pull over for any reason. Maria had once left Peter and me on the side of the road, forcing us to walk home. Pete got us lost, and it was dark by the time we made it home, only to find out she had locked us out of the house. It was not an experience I was eager to repeat, especially with snow on the ground.

"All right, let me know if you feel sick again. We're almost there." Carlisle seemed distracted by making a left-hand turn.

I traced a finger along the seat, trying to think of a question that wouldn't be totally offensive. Finally, I thought of one. "Where's Forks?"

They both laughed. Esme leaned over the seat, forcing eye contact. "You would be surprised at how often we get asked that. Forks is about an hour from Port Angeles. It's a really small town, maybe only twenty-five hundred people or so."

Great. Small town meant everyone would know everyone and I was going to be the walking freak show. Being a foster child was akin to having a scarlet 'F' painted on your chest. You were always viewed with a little suspicion, as if it was your fault that things had gone wrong.

Esme continued talking, apparently unaware of my nerves. "We don't actually live in town, though. We have a house in the woods, with plenty of room to run. You need it with four teenagers!"

That had been one of the questions I was afraid to ask. "I'll have foster siblings?"

"Yes, we have — " Esme was cut off by Carlisle.

"We're here."

I noticed that we were able to park up front, due to the handicapped placard on the rearview mirror. I made sure to open the car door for Esme again, as that had made her happy the last time.

The hostess gave us a huge smile and welcomed us to the restaurant. "Smoking or non?"

Carlisle spoke before I could. "Non."

She seated us and took our drink orders. Once she was gone, Carlisle looked at me. "I don't know if you smoke or not, Jasper, but I don't allow it in the house. If you want to, you will have to take it outside."

I appreciated him laying the rules out from the beginning, rather than waiting for me to screw up. "I don't."

"Good. Order whatever you want." A silence fell as we all scanned the menu.

I nervously looked down the listings. True, I would eat anything, but everything on the menu was so expensive. Maybe I should wait to see what the Cullens ordered before I chose anything. Chicken was the cheapest, but I ate an awful lot of that at the hospital. Maybe a hamburger?

Esme noticed that I seemed upset. "The steak here is really good. Or the salmon. Do you eat seafood?" Her tone was gently encouraging.

"What are you having?" My tone wasn't much more than a whisper, but it was all I could force past my locked-up throat. I was going to fuck this up right here, I just knew it.

"Steak, I think. Why don't you try the ribeye?"

My throat got even tighter. "Okay." I noticed that the menu was wavering, courtesy of my trembling hands. I put it down on the table and my hands in my lap. Pull it together, Jasper. Nothing's going to happen to you in a restaurant.

We ordered (I did get the ribeye) and retreated back to our silence. I gulped at my soda, just to have something to do, and tried not to make eye contact. Esme spoke again. "I was telling you about the rest of the family, right?" I nodded.

"Well, first there's Edward. We've had him since he was three, and he's sixteen now. He plays the piano; he's very talented. I guess you could say he's the baby. Alice is sixteen also, but she'll be seventeen in a few weeks. We adopted her nine years ago." A smile touched her lips. "Alice is . . . well, there's no real way to describe Alice. You just have to meet her. Nothing in the world gets her down. She's just a ray of sunshine."

Sounded interesting. Or possibly extremely annoying. I took a risk and raised my eyes to meet hers. She didn't react to me this time, so I felt confident enough to hold her gaze. I tried to smile at her, though I sure it came out as more of a grimace.

"Then there are Rosalie and Emmett. Rose is nineteen and Emmett just turned twenty. We've had them since they were thirteen and fourteen. Rose is taking courses at the community college in auto repair, and living at home with us for right now. Emmett's a senior this year, and we're not sure what he's going to do after high school. They keep us on our toes, certainly. Oh, and Rose and Emmett are dating, so don't let that surprise you." She flushed a little. "If you decide to come, I mean. I don't want you to feel like you have to."

Luckily, I was saved from having to answer by the arrival of our food. I busied myself cutting the food into microscopic pieces, watching both Cullens out of the corner of my eye. They had stopped focusing so much on me, which was good. It made my throat loosen enough so that I could eat. The food was fantastic, and I had to remind myself to not gulp it down as fast as I could. The Cullens were not going to be impressed with my usual table manners.

We ate in silence for a few minutes, until Esme spoke. "Your file said you liked animals. Which one is your favorite?"

I hadn't expected her to ask that. I had thought she might ask about my grades (poor), my attitude (not much better), or my plans for once I aged out (nonexistent), but what my favorite animal was? I had spent most of the ride over coming up with convincing answers to those questions, but now I was adrift.

Esme shrugged. "Come on. If I were to tell you we were going to the zoo right now, where would you go first?"

"Kiwis." The words came out before I thought, which was often dangerous. But Esme was smiling at me, so I continued on. "They're funny. They don't fly, you know. Just run around in their little stubby legs."

"Kiwis, really?" Carlisle looked interested. "I always liked the monkeys."

"I like the polar bears. Carlisle and I took the kids to D.C. one year and we saw the pandas; they were neat, too." Esme was clearly lost in her own memories. I was superfluous now, so I was able to relax and finish my last bits of food. "I guess you were hungry."

Not really, but I had learned to eat everything on my plate, since I wasn't guaranteed a next meal. "I guess."

Suddenly Carlisle swore softly. "Shit. I promised the hospital I would have you back by six-thirty, and it's nearly that now. I'm sorry, Jasper; we're going to have to cut this short."

I was surprisingly disappointed. "S'okay. I have homework to finish anyway." Or at least to try and finish, as I could feel a headache building up at the base of my skull. Usually I took pills as soon as it started, but I didn't have any medication with me now. I hadn't wanted to say anything and risk cutting their dinner short, but it would probably be a good idea for me to get back to the hospital soon.

The Cullens paid the bill without comment and we got back in the car. The ride back was tense, with none of us willing to break the fragile peace. When we pulled into the parking deck, Esme twisted around in the seat so she could look at me. "I wish we could have talked more. You're a very sweet kid, Jasper."

I could almost hear the unspoken 'but' in her voice. You're very sweet, Jasper, but a little more damaged than we were hoping for. Best of luck, though. I'm sure you'll find someone to take you. "Thank you. You're very nice, too."

We found a spot and parked. Esme raised a hand slightly, like she wanted to touch or hug me, but she must have remembered how I had reacted earlier, and she put it back down. "I hope you'll forgive me, Jasper, but I'm not going to be able to take you back inside."

Again, the curiosity about her rose up. I guess it didn't matter much, though; I wasn't going to ever see her again. "That's all right. Thank you for dinner."

I got out of the car, slightly surprised when Carlisle appeared at my side. I was grateful that he did that, as my sense of direction was somewhat lacking, and I didn't want to try and find my way back to my room alone. Luckily, he seemed to know the way, and I found myself back at the nurses' station on my floor. They all greeted me like a returning hero, which made me want to duck behind Carlisle. I had come to learn that being the center of attention usually led to bad things happening.

I turned to Carlisle. "Thank you very much for dinner, sir, it was good." I wasn't sure what else to say. He hadn't said anything further about wanting to take me home, so I was assuming that I had done something he didn't like. I figured that 'Thanks for the chance, no one else has even given me that' wasn't the right thing to say, but what was? Probably nothing.

He raised one eyebrow. "I have to come out here tomorrow to do a consult on a pediatric case. Would it be all right if I came by to see you afterwards? That way you could have a chance to think about things."

"Okay." I would have been happier if my head wasn't pounding like it was. Black spots began to dance on the edges of my vision, and I knew I had a limited amount of time to go lay down. "I'll be here all day, not like I have anywhere else to be."

"If you think of any other questions, you can ask me tomorrow. I know you felt a little put on the spot, and I'm sorry about that." He gave me a little wave. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye." Even though it was probably a mistake, I watched him go down the hallway and disappear. The nurses all squealed as soon as he was out of sight. "Good job, Jasper, he's really hooked! And what a cutie pie! Did you see those eyes!"

I knew things were going to dissolve into a detailed discussion of every part of Dr. Cullen's anatomy, and I didn't want to have to listen to that. So I made my pitiful way to my room, which seemed very empty at the moment.

The textbook was still on my bed, but I pushed it to the side with a shudder. The pain pills were horribly bitter, but they worked quickly, making me feel sleepy and quiet. I needed to focus on what had happened today, because I knew it was going to be very important later, but my mind was getting fuzzier by the second. I barely had the energy to strip down and put on a pair of pajamas before I collapsed into bed. I would be all right, and there would be plenty of time tomorrow to worry before Carlisle came back, if he came back at all. A part of me almost hoped that he wouldn't. With a pitiful-sounding sigh, I curled up in bed and let sleep take me.