Let the Rain Come Down

As before, I have researched extensively for this chapter. Any factual errors are mine to best serve the story in my head. Apologies.

Disclaimer: All characters owned and created by Stephenie Meyer.

Thanks as always to mxpi1970 for the beta.

~o.O.o~

Chapter 4

Edward's POV

Elated, I left the market straight after clean-up and made my way home, feeling hope fill me - a trapped bird stretching its wings in preparation for flight. To add to my good mood we would have hot food from the soup kitchen the next day, giving me even more reason to smile despite the bitter cold. Clutching my bag from Esme, I opened the door and looked over to our bed for Jasper. With some concern I saw it empty, my eyes scouring the small room and finding no trace.

"Jas?"

Trying not to overreact, I put down the bag and hurried out to the small, shared bathroom, the only other place he could be. Pushing the door ajar, I saw him then, shivering on the cold floor in that icebox of a room, clutching at his side, his face a ghastly shade of pale. The relief when he saw me was immense, his eyes hollow, his breathing shallow. I wanted to ask what had happened: how long had he been here? But now was not the time. Crouching down, I gathered him to me, my arms supporting his weight and lifting him, gently as I could, to his feet. Despite my care he still screamed, tears pooling and breath hitching, irregular and raspy, and I hated myself for adding to his pain.

I made a decision then and there.

Holding his trembling body to mine, I walked him back to our room and sat us both down on the bed before wrapping the knitted blanket around him, rubbing his shoulders to warm him up.

"Let's get you dressed. I'm taking you to a doctor." I smoothed back his dishevelled hair, my thumbs wishing they could wipe away the purple smears under his eyes that marred his beautiful face.

I expected an argument and was ready for it. I wasn't at all prepared instead for the tears that scalded his pale cheeks, his head down, defeated and exhausted. I held him, pressing kisses to his hair, cheeks and forehead, murmuring words of reassurance and comfort while rocking him in a gentle motion, my hands stroking his back whilst his tears flowed unchecked down my neck.

I held him until he was cried out, his sobs fading to soft snuffles against my chest.

"Come on, love; let's get you ready."

My whispered words helped galvanise him into wakefulness, arms tightening around me for a breath before releasing. I could see from his lowered head that he felt ashamed and embarrassed for letting go. No way was I allowing that, not after all the times he had comforted me during my nightmares, holding me close and whispering to me that it was all going to be okay. I straightened his hair, my finger resting under his chin to raise his tearstained face to mine, and kissed him feather-light until I felt him respond to me, pressing back with gentle kisses that warmed my soul. Once I had him calm and breathing steadier, I left the bed to fetch a cool washcloth to sponge his reddened eyes and cheeks, following each touch of the cloth with a kiss until his helpless smile spread across his face.

Once I was satisfied he looked a little less red and puffy, I helped him out of the clothes he'd been wearing to sleep in, giving him a sponge bath to freshen him up before gathering some clean clothes and helping him dress, pulling on his boots for him.

He stood, slow and careful, and zipped up his jeans.

"Where are we going? The clinic I use won't help us. It's a sexual health clinic."

I realised then just how much faith he was placing in me to have the answers.

"It's okay. Esme gave me the address of one. Not the one I used when I was… "My voice tailed off and I shook myself. "After the attack, I mean." I met his gaze. "Anyway, it's quite far from here, but there's a bus that goes almost all the way. I have the fare – I'll take the rest of our money for meds. I don't know if we have to pay, I didn't before. They treated me like dirt, but they fixed me for free. We don't tell these new people what you do – they don't need to know. We'll say you work at the market with me."

I couldn't see them look at Jas with the same contempt the others had shown me, assuming I was worthless, cheap trash deserving of what I got in that alley. "They're open late so we'll get in. Might be a wait to be seen though, but if Esme says they'll help, they'll help. I trust her."

Jasper nodded, looking wan. I stroked his cheek.

"Are you hungry? Before we go you should eat something. You need energy, love."

He shook his head before looking at me.

"I could use a drink – I wasn't able to reach."

I mentally berated myself.

"Of course." I leapt up and filled a glass with water, placing it in his hands, He downed it in seconds and handed it back.

"More?"

An apologetic nod.

I felt my stomach drop.

"How long were you in there, Jas?"

I refilled the glass and handed it to him. He answered between thirsty gulps.

"I don't know. A while though. The sun moved around from the window."

That means at least a couple of hours, probably more than that. He was so cold. Hell. I should never have left him when he's so sick.

I knew that regret was pointless, that I couldn't have stayed, not with responsibilities, but the guilt – it ate at me, a rat gnawing at my insides.

"I should have stayed with you."

He shook his head.

"You couldn't have known. I had a coughing fit, doubled over, and I grabbed at the basin, but I missed. I tried to get up but I couldn't reach the handle. My chest really hurt when I tried…"

When he had had enough water, I helped him to his feet and retrieved our money, trying to appear in control, trying as hard as I could not to show how scared I was. I doubted he was fooled for a minute, but he allowed me the illusion of bravery and l loved him for it. I pocketed my phone and the number as an afterthought.

We walked at Jasper's pace towards the bus stop a couple of streets over. However, we hadn't gotten far when a car slid to a stop beside us, the window already down. The driver was middle-aged and paunchy, his face far too interested in what we were doing.

"Blondie? Been looking for you. Are you free later? I could sure use a little…"

I glared, turning to shield Jasper with my body, but instead of just taking the hint, the guy stayed there, ignoring me, his eyes fixed on Jasper's white face.

"Are you sick? You better not be sick because I paid good money and I don't want to catch anything. You swore you were tested and…"

I felt anger like I'd never known bubble up inside me. Of course this parasite only cared about himself. Reining in my vitriol, I held Jasper to me and turned to face the driver, almost spitting the words in his face.

"He is not sick. Some asshole decided to beat him up to get out of paying. I need to get him to the emergency room as I think he might have broken ribs."

The lie came easily, Jasper's white, pained face lending believable credibility to the story. The bastard looked relieved – relieved – and drove away without another word.

I felt Jas' breath in my ear.

"I'm impressed."

I shook my head, still shaking with fury.

"I hope he isn't one of your best tippers because I never want to see that asshole again."

His warm hand squeezed mine and pained, wheezy laughter surprised me.

"He's a ten buck blow job: no respect, no manners, no tip. Like most of 'em to be fair. It's no loss. At least he knows I'll be indisposed for a while now."

My teeth ground together, my words escaping through clenched jaws.

"You're worth so much more."

He sighed, falling silent. All I heard was his breath rattling through his chest, the crackling of his lungs loud in my ear.

We both knew I was right, but knowing it didn't change the harsh reality of our situation.

~o.O.o~

We sat and waited for the bus to come, glad we had wrapped up warm. I made sure that Jas' scarf covered his nose and mouth to keep the cold air from his poor lungs. The wind burrowed beneath our layers, icy fingers finding every hole and loose thread in our clothes. Huddling together, I pulled out the envelope from Esme with the address for the clinic written on the reverse, keeping it in my hand to tell the driver. The address was unfamiliar and getting lost was not an option with Jasper as sick as he was. Hearing a rumbling engine in the distance, I saw the downtown bus approaching and stood to flag it down. Helping Jas to his feet, we stepped forward and waited for the hiss of the opening door. No one disembarked and so we boarded, me showing the driver the address of where we wanted to go. He looked at me, then Jasper, and nodded. I paid our fares without flinching before guiding Jas to an empty seat. I sat, a bag of nerves, watching the streets pass by, taking us to the outskirts of town, far beyond our usual haunts. On the way I saw the Goodwill store and mentally noted its location for another day. Out of sight of other passengers, I took Jasper's gloved hand in my own.

Not long now.

Our destination was a short walk from where the bus dropped us, the driver giving me quiet directions when we made to leave. I was grateful for his help and hoped he knew it, knew that that his one small act of consideration had made a difference in our day. We stopped more than once on the way, Jas' breathing hurting him too much to keep going for long, coughing in the cold air only exacerbating his pain. I supported him, pressing kisses to his hair and temple, waiting until he nodded that we could continue.

The clinic was a in a rundown building off of a main street, the lights shining out of grimy, frosted windows. The sign told us we were in the right place and I led us both inside, into the typically depressing interior in all its orange plastic-seated splendour, the floor scuffed and of uncertain colour or vintage. Old notices and health posters adorned the walls, their sticky tape peeled off in places to leave them sagging. Jasper collapsed into a chair, and I approached the woman behind the admit desk. She looked at me through thick glasses, her hair pulled back from her face.

I swallowed, feeling my bravery waver.

"My friend is sick. Can we see someone please?"

With a smooth movement, she produced a form and a pen, sliding them across the desk toward me.

"Fill this out."

I nodded, intimidated, and returned to Jasper. It took us some time to answer as many questions as we could, leaving any we couldn't. I hovered over the in-case-of-emergency box until Jasper quietly spoke.

"That's you."

I stilled, before writing my details in the box. Fishing around in my pocket, I found the paper and wrote in my new cell phone number. Jasper's eyes widened.

"What's that?"

"I'll explain later. It's not important right now. You are."

The question of employment was a shameful one for Jasper and I wanted to put down my job, but Jasper refused. He wouldn't lie about what he had to do. He reasoned that the sex clinic knew what he did and so there was no point in pretending here. Before I could argue, he insisted I wrote 'sex worker' in the box, a resigned look on his face.

"It shouldn't matter – who are they to judge? Not everyone gets to have their dream job."

Insurance was a big no. Also no Medicaid. I was terrified about how we were going to pay for this. I just had to have faith. Trembling, I walked back to the desk and handed over the form and pen. The woman took it and, without a word, walked through a door to the side, closing it behind her. Looking around, there was only one other person in the waiting room and he appeared to be asleep. I hoped that meant we would be seen soon.

We waited in the cold, plastic chairs, huddled together, Jasper's cough forcing him to lean against me to not fall over whilst he doubled up in pain.

The door opened, a different woman appearing, clad in a white coat, a form in her hand.

"Jasper Whitlock?"

I helped him to his feet to follow her. He stopped when I tried to let go of his hand. Looking at the doctor, he spoke with all the confidence and dignity he could muster.

"Can my partner come too?"

I started, but Jasper's hand held mine tight. The doctor seemed unperturbed by the request.

"Of course. Follow me please."

The examination room was bright and sterile looking. We sat down in the chairs across from the doctor's own, and waited while she flicked through our form. My thumb rubbed over Jas' knuckles.

"So what seems to be the problem, Mr Whitlock?"

She can't have failed to note Jasper's colour, or lack thereof. I looked at him, waiting for him to explain. Hesitant, he told her about his pain, showed her where it was, explained how he could only sleep on the one side, how his neck ached, how the cough almost rendered him faint with the pain. All the time he held fast to my hand.

When he fell quiet, I explained how we knew where to come.

Her eyes smiled along with her lips.

"Esme Platt?" She's sent a few folk our way. She knows we will help those in genuine need."

I relaxed a fraction. If this woman knew Esme, she must be trustworthy.

She asked Jas to raise his shirt and listened to his chest. I didn't like her frown, or Jas' quiet scream when she palpated around his ribs with gentle hands and asked him to take as deep a breath as he could. Sitting back, she indicated he could lower his shirt.

"You have decreased breath sounds on the right side. It sounds to me like a case of pleurisy – with a possible effusion. Without an x-ray I can't be 100% sure. The good news is that you don't have a collapsed lung which was my initial concern."

I felt shaky. I had had no idea he was so sick. I felt so small for trying to treat him at home with hot honey drinks, thinking he just had the flu.

You knew it wasn't the flu. You wouldn't have lain awake worrying for hours if it was that simple.

I shook my head a fraction. The doctor was talking again.

"It sounds like there is a small amount of fluid on your lung – I'd like to treat this with antibiotics and anti inflammatories. It should clear up, but if you aren't feeling any better at the end of the course, or if you start to feel worse, come straight back. Okay?"

If it were possible, Jasper had gotten paler. The doctor headed for the side room marked 'dispensary' and I took the opportunity to press a reassuring kiss to his temple.

"You're going to be fine now, love."

He looked worried, and I wasn't surprised. It brought home to me how different this could have been if he had been living alone still. I put the thought out of my head. He had me and I had him, and that was how it would be from now on. He leaned into me, his voice uneven and rough.

"Thanks to you. If you hadn't made me come…"

"Shhhh."

The doctor returned, clutching a paper bag.

"There's enough here for two weeks. Make sure you finish the course, even if you feel better before then. Come back if you don't, like I said. Rest, fluids, and more rest. No working, no unnecessary trips – stay in the warm. Understand?" We both nodded. "This is what happens when a chest infection goes untreated."

She looked at Jas, her face stern, and he wilted beneath her gaze. I spoke up.

"Sorry, doctor. We had no idea what was wrong or where to go to find out until Esme told me about this place."

She tightened her lips.

"Make sure to thank her – she's done your partner a great service sending you both here. This would have gotten a lot worse without treatment. Now those meds might well cause insomnia - it's a known side effect. If so, try to rest anyway. You need it. And be sure to eat well. As it starts to improve, try taking deeper breaths. It will hurt, but you need to make sure the lower portion of the lung is inflated. "

She handed over the meds and I took them, my worried eyes huge in my face. She read me easily.

"There's no charge here."

A wave of relief washed over me and my knees almost buckled. I tucked the bag into my coat and fastened it up tight. I struggled to find the right words to express the extent of my gratitude. Jasper however, did not. He was gracious.

"Thank you, doctor, for the treatment and for not judging us. It means a lot."

She smiled, and I struggled to hold in the tears that threatened to overspill. I nodded and forced out a thank you over the lump in my throat. She showed us out and I thought I caught her watching us walking down the path, Jas leaning on me, my arm wrapped around his waist.

~o.O.o~

It had grown colder and I wondered if it would snow soon. The thought had me huddling closer to Jasper while we waited for the next bus. The ride home saw Jas' head on my shoulder, the rumbly sway of the warm bus lulling him into a light slumber. Soon we were at our stop, and I woke him with a gentle shake.

"C'mon, love. Time to go." Bleary-eyed, he stood and let me support him down the steps.

The frigid air helped reawaken Jasper, and we were soon home. After getting him comfortable, wrapped up, and into bed, I opened the bag of meds and read the instructions on the packets.

"You take these three times a day, love – with food. I'll make you something to eat for lunch before I leave each day, okay? Even if it's just a slice of bread and honey."

He nodded in understanding, and I set to preparing a quick meal from our canned goods. Soon we were feasting on stew with potatoes and vegetables. Scraping my plate clean, I remembered.

"It's the soup kitchen tomorrow. Wonder what they'll be cooking?"

His crooked smile flashed in my direction while he speared a piece of potato with his fork.

"No idea, but it always tastes better when you don't have to cook it yourself. Is it wrong to hope for more cake?"

I felt my grin touch my ears at his enthusiasm.

After cleaning up, I made sure he took his tablet with plenty of water. He smiled at me and my heart swelled to bursting with love for him, forcibly replacing the fear I had harboured for so long. Leaning in, I pressed my lips to his and felt his immediate response, his warm breath fanning my cheek, his lips moulding to mine for just a second or two. Just like always, the outside world fell away leaving just Jas and me, floating high above the clouds, drunk on each other.

We broke apart, Jas breathless but smiling, his forehead resting against mine.

"I'll never get tired of that."

I smiled at his words, bashful, overcome by my feelings for him.

"Me either." My thumb touched his lower lip before I replaced it with my lips, taking one more slow drink from them. With a sigh, I sat back.

"I should get ready for bed."

He nodded.

"You have work tomorrow." He bit his lip. I could read him easily.

"Don't think about money. We've almost got the rent covered. I might also have found a possible solution to help with that."

He looked surprised, but hopeful.

"Is it to do with the phone?"

In all the worry I had forgotten to tell him about Esme and Tanya. I nodded and filled him in on my day, on my upcoming job trial and my tentative hopes for work. The smile that lit his face sent warmth coiling through my veins. He pulled me into an awkward hug, his chest so painful, yet not enough to stop him. His lips were against my ear, whispering over and over again.

"So proud of you, so, so proud…"

I choked on my words, so scared I was getting both our hopes up to fail.

"It's not definite, love. It might not work out."

"It will work, I know it. I have faith in you." His hand cupped my face, gazing deep into my eyes. "I think you're amazing and only good things should ever happen to you."

Lost in his gaze, I whispered the only words that made sense to me.

"You're the best thing."

He swallowed hard, biting the inside of his lip and nodding, his eyes abruptly shiny.

"Same."

We kissed again, our cheeks wet, hands cradling each other's faces.

~o.O.o~

I kissed him good morning, and got myself washed and dressed for the day ahead.

Then it was Jasper's turn. I helped him to the bathroom before returning to make us both cups of coffee and a peanut butter sandwich. No matter how little we usually ate, Jasper now needed food to take his meds and I would make sure he got it. The coffee was far superior to our usual dust, and we both savoured the taste.

Leaving Jas was a wrench that morning, every part of me wanting to stay by his side. On a positive note, I would be back with lunch that we would eat together before my stint at the market later. I hoped that his appetite would improve - he needed to regain the weight he had dropped. It hadn't gone unnoticed to me that his jeans last night had been looser, dropping lower on his hips. He had slept quite a bit from what I could remember, the clue being that I had slept too. It was too soon to be the meds, and I wondered whether the short trip out in the cold had simply tired him out enough to get some proper rest for once.

I had slept holding him safe in my arms.

Tearing myself away, I looped my scarf round my neck and fished my gloves out of my pocket. The November winds bit straight into my skin when I stepped outside, looking for purchase in my bones. It would soon be Christmas – our first Christmas – and I still wanted to do something special for Jasper, something for us. I still had my idea, I just needed funds to pay for the bus trip. What I had planned was too far to walk in the cold at night.

Smiling to myself, the empty tub in my hand, I felt upbeat. Jasper would get well now, we could soon have more money coming in, and we had each other.

No matter which way you cut it, life was on the up now and we deserved it.

We were good people.

~o.O.o~

The soup kitchen was as busy as before, and I joined the queue. When I was within sight of the table, I looked for Esme and frowned when I couldn't see her anywhere. Then she appeared, a scarf around her hair and a beaming smile for the endless stream of hungry folk, and I breathed again. The food smelled amazing, rich and warm, and I could see the volunteers ladling out what looked to be mince or stew. My stomach rumbled in encouraging tones. Once I reached the guy serving, I held out my tub and the plates in my hand from before. The guy smiled and nodded, serving out two portions of what turned out to be beef chili and boiled rice. He packed them into the tub and covered them before sending me down to Esme, who was handing out desserts.

Seeing me, she stepped aside and let another volunteer into her station.

"Edward! How are you? How's Jasper doing?"

I smiled, unable to not do so in her comforting presence.

"We went to the clinic last night. He has pleurisy. The doctor gave us meds for him. I can't thank you enough. She said she knew you and that we were lucky to have you looking out for us. I couldn't agree more quite honestly. She was lovely and didn't treat us like…" I paused. "Like… you know."

She nodded, her head tilted to one side.

"She's a good doctor, and I'm so glad Jasper is finally getting treatment. He's going to be off his feet for a while by the sounds of things. What is he going to do with himself while you're working? He must get lonely."

I sighed.

"I know. I need to get him something new to read. He has two books and he's read them so many times. The doctor said he might have trouble sleeping with these pills, and he's going to get so bored on his own."

"Oh! Well, I have an easy suggestion then. Do you see the woman over there with all the boxes? That's Lillian. She collects ex-library books from around the county and distributes them to the homeless. She makes her way around different soup kitchens and hostels, collecting books people have left and dropping off fresh ones. She's a one-woman mobile lending library." Esme chuckled. "She's popular, as you can see."

My head spun in the direction of her nod, and I saw a group of people crouched around boxes on the far side of the room. Esme reached out her hands.

"Leave your food with me and go choose something before all the good ones are gone."

Mouth open in surprise, I handed over my tub of food and headed over to the throng to see what was on offer. If it meant keeping Jasper sane and entertained, I'd take anything available. Closer inspection revealed boxes of biographies, fiction and magazines, disappearing in handfuls to the grateful masses. Not willing to waste any time, I bent down and skimmed through some titles before I found some fantasy authors, similar to the books Jasper had at home. Looking up, I saw Lillian smiling at me in encouragement and I held up my finds. She reached to her side and fished out a paper sack, handing it over for me to fill, encouraging to me to take whatever I wanted. Stunned, I dropped five paperbacks into the bag, nodded my thanks with a dazed smile, and went back to Esme to collect our meal.

"Found something good?"

I nodded, my happiness evident on my face.

"People are so amazing. To do this for others is so generous – so thoughtful. I never knew…"

She shrugged, her head tilted.

"That's just it. People don't know that help is out there. It's just knowing who or where to ask."

Without thinking about it, or questioning it, I walked around the table and pulled her into a hug, somehow knowing she would not protest. Her arms tightened around me in an answering hug before she rubbed my back. Straightening up, she smiled, her affection evident.

"Okay. So I've got your dessert – it's chocolate cake today – and also some sandwiches as we got a lot of donations this week. Would you and Jasper prefer cheese or ham?"

More food?

"Cheese would be wonderful, thank you."

I took the packet she handed me and placed it, with the slices of cake, on top of the books. She lifted my tub and I took it, making sure I was able to carry everything safely.

"See you next week, Edward. Take care of each other and send my love to Jasper."

"Thank you, Esme. I will. Give Rosie a hug for me."

The words didn't seem enough.

Beaming like a child at Christmas, I headed for home, and Jasper.

~o.O.o~