[A/N: Hi to all of you. I'm up late (Eastern Standard Time Zone) so I decided to post. I do love this story, and I'm glad so many of you are reading. I wouldn't hate hearing from a few more of you, but I appreciate what I can get. I'm not SMeyer. I'm just a gal with a habit!]

9. Jasper

Jasper was in Carlisle's kitchen once again. Carlisle had called him to come over, and he was looking forward to spending his day off with the man. The pressure of the final for his degree was weighing heavy on him, but spending time with Carlisle? That was the best idea in the world to help him calm down.

They were having coffee and talking about the reason Carlisle was taking time away from work. It was a surprise when Jasper heard it from Riley, and he was a little hurt he hadn't heard it from Carlisle himself. The news left him on edge because he didn't know where they were in the relationship if his prospective boyfriend hadn't told him of something so life altering.

They'd shared only two intimate encounters…the first a blow job from Carlisle with the second being a returning hand job in the shower. They hadn't had sex yet, nor had they actually communicated where they were in the dating realm. Jasper reasoned it was too soon for any types of declarations and he should just be happy for spending time with the man, but something in his mind wanted to nail down a label…and nail Carlisle.

The doorbell buzzed, and Carlisle went to answer it, moving calmly through the penthouse, which really intimidated the hell out of Jasper. When Carlisle returned, a tall blond walked in behind him. She had her long hair pulled up in a ponytail and she was dressed in red leather pants with a form-fitting, denim shirt and royal blue stilettos. She was hot, even Jasper could admit it. She was carrying a cloth grocery sack, and as Carlisle walked toward him, Jasper noticed he was carrying two of his own.

He stood from the table, feeling the nerves because the woman was eyeing him and making him horribly self-conscious. He slid his sleeves down his arms, hiding the scars Carlisle seemed to have accepted so easily. He didn't know why the man had been so understanding when Jasper told him the horrible stories behind each of the scars, but he was grateful for Carlisle's gentle and loving nature. It was one more hash mark in the 'Pro' column regarding a relationship with the gorgeous blonde.

"So, you're the jailbird turned chef?" the woman asked as she began unloading groceries onto the counter. Jasper saw sacks of various flours, along with eggs, milk, and various spices and herbs. She went to the cabinet and pulled out a small pot, filling it with water, placing it on the stove top, and turning it on before she pulled a thermometer from her bag. He assumed she wasn't waiting for an answer from him because she didn't look at him.

"Respect the yeast," she stated as she slipped the thermometer onto the side of the pan. Once she was finished unloading everything, she turned to Carlisle.

"Are you going to tell him who I am, or are we just going to play charades until he figures it out?" She wasn't mean, but she wasn't exactly cordial, Jasper observed.

"Oh, damn, sorry. Jasper, love, this is Rosalie Hale. She's a baker. She owns 'This is How Rosie Rolls', and she provides most of the bread for our restaurants. She trained in France, right Rose?" Carlisle asked.

Jasper could see the woman didn't appreciate being talked about as if she wasn't in the room. He chuckled at her cocked eyebrow. He could appreciate a strong woman. He'd grown up with the strongest woman he'd ever met. "Miss Hale, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure my boyfriend meant no disrespect. We're still working out the kinks in our…" he said before Carlisle slid into his arms.

"Boyfriends? You sure?" Carlisle asked quietly.

"Yes, baby. I'm sure. Do I need to ask? Carlisle, will you be my first boyfriend, ever?" Jasper joked in a fake voice with batting eyelashes as he pulled Carlisle into a hug.

The two men laughed, and when they heard a giggle, they turned to see Rosalie's demeanor had softened. "Ah, young love. Well, kinda. Anyway, let's get to it boys. We have bread to make."

That afternoon, Jasper talked to the woman regarding his grandmother's recipes, or lack thereof when it came to breads. He told her what type of bread each recipe would require, and they worked out a partnership of sorts. She agreed to work with him on his pop-up and provide the bread, if he agreed to contract with her when he opened his first restaurant. They shook hands and went about the business of making bread. Carlisle turned on some jazz and grabbed a good bottle of port later in the afternoon when the three of them sampled Jasper's grandmother's bread pudding made with a delicious brioche, chocolate sauce and all. They all smiled at the end result. It was amazing.

When Jasper walked into Queen's Way Diner later that week, he was surprised to see Maggie standing at the counter, ringing a ticket. It was seven in the evening, and he could see Riley was working away. He was quite proud of the boy for having not only become a great asset to the place, but gaining more confidence in himself. Jasper knew Riley would accomplish great things, and he'd hold up his end of the bargain by supporting the kid in anything he needed.

"Hey, Mags. What's brought you in? Liam okay?" he asked suddenly worried.

She laughed and pointed to the window. He saw Liam in the kitchen with what appeared to be a man dressed in a waitress uniform, the two of them clearly in an argument. "I told you, no mayo, darling. Learn to listen," he heard the person state.

"Learn to speak clearly, darling and I'll understand…no, wait, put it on the bloody ticket! I can't read your mind, you know," he snapped in return.

"That's Jessica, the new waitress I hired. She's pre-op, and she's just started taking hormones, so it might be a little difficult for a few months. I know you're not used to dealing with hormonal women, but learn to get along, okay? She's great at the job, and she loves the kid you hired and have apparently been paying behind my back. If I didn't love you and your food, I'd fire you.

"So, the reason I'm here? This thing you've been bitching about regarding your school graduation? Liam tried to explain it, but you know him. What the hell do you need, Jasper?" she snapped in the typical fashion to which he'd become accustomed when dealing with her.

He looked down at his hands, feeling them clam up. He'd never warmed up to being the type of person who asked for things or assistance of any type. The one time he'd broken down and asked for help, Carlisle had come through for him, but it had been a mess in the beginning. After Carlisle showed him how much he cared for him and got him to calm down, they figured some things out, and it ended up being one of the best nights of Jasper's life.

"I need a kitchen, and I need a location to set up a little restaurant so I can get reviews for my final project. I haven't found a venue, and it's going to cause me to not graduate. I can't stand letting down my mother and some other people I've come to know who have a lot of faith in me. I just can't find the right fucking…" he began a tirade.

When he felt a mist on his face, he looked up to see a squirt bottle in Maggie's hand, aimed at him. He laughed as he smelled vinegar. "Now I smell like a fucking salad," he taunted.

"Have it here," she told him.

He stopped laughing. "What?"

"I said, have it here. You take over the kitchen. We'll get the staff to work, and you serve your food. We can invite people by Tweeter or Snapgram, what the fuck ever. You need how many? We can close for an afternoon or evening and you do your thing here," she suggested. Jasper noted it was very uncharacteristic of her to be charitable in any way, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"You, um," he swallowed again, never expecting a handout from Maggie, "I'll pay for the food, but the restaurant won't make any money because I can't charge for the meal. Any tips people decide to leave will go to the servers because I can't afford to pay them. Hell, I haven't thought about…"

She grabbed his face and turned it toward hers. "I said, the staff will work. They'll volunteer so as not to upset your school thing. I've talked to everyone about it, and they're all on board. Just tell me what you need," she told him.

Jasper smelled something fishy, but he wasn't going to push his luck. It was the break he'd been trying to nail down, and he wouldn't question it. He was grateful, and he'd be lighting another candle at church on Sunday when he went with Lottie.

Jasper stood outside Carlisle's penthouse with a sour-cream chocolate cake he'd made that morning, still trying to nail down measures of ingredients for his grandmother's recipes. It was a Saturday, and he knew Riley wasn't working. It was the day after the boy collected his first paycheck at work, and he wanted to drop off the cake and a gift card to Bloomingdale's in support of how he'd felt about the kid. Everyone at the restaurant was proud of him, and Jasper wanted to show him he had support from people he didn't know well but upon whom he'd made an impression. The boy had changed so much since Jasper had first met him, and it made him happy to witness it.

When the door opened, Jasper was surprised to see a cool blond standing there in a pair of black yoga pants and a pink tank. "May I help you?" she asked with a thick accent.

"I'm dropping off a cake for Riley. Is he home?" Jasper asked.

She looked him up and down, not seeming to be happy. "Are you pervert? The boy, he's only seventeen. You have no business trying to date him," she snapped, making Jasper rethink his presence in the penthouse.

"I can assure you, it's nothing like that. I'm a friend of his and Carlisle's. I was just dropping off this cake," he responded as he headed toward the kitchen. He kept her in full view because he was pretty sure she was former KGB and could likely kill him without much effort.

"You are Yasper?" she asked.

"I, um, I guess? Jasper?"

"Ah, yes. They are in Bain looking at house," she responded.

Jasper thought for a minute, not exactly sure where she was talking about. "Bain?" he asked.

"Yes, there," she stated as she pointed to her left, which made no sense at all.

"Okay, why are they in Bain looking at a house?" he asked in confirmation.

"They move. They no longer like expensive, pretentious home. They now want house and yard, and I tell them I won't cross river. I crossed ocean to get here. I'm done with water," she snapped. Jasper considered her statement and held the laugh.

"Bayonne? They're in Bayonne?" he asked.

"Yes, yes. As I say, Bain. Over river," she told him again.

"Did they say why?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Mr. Cullen say he want home for Riley to make family. I say, this is home I'd like, but he say they want yard for bar-be-que and party. I tell them I won't cross rive, and Mr. Cullen say that's fine. He give me refer to who buys this place. You buying here?" she asked.

That comment brought a laugh from Jasper who was confused, but the pieces were coming together. A house wasn't a home, and he knew Carlisle was looking for a home. If he was looking at Bayonne, Jasper had a lot to consider.

"Okay. Thank you. Nice meeting you," he offered as he walked to the door to open it just as Carlisle was standing there with his key poised. Riley was behind him, and he was wearing a huge smile.

"Well, hello handsome," Carlisle greeted as he took Jasper's hand. Jasper pulled him into a hug, pulling Riley into his long arms behind Carlisle.

"We have a celebration to have for the working man in the family," Jasper stated quietly.

He felt a kiss on his neck, and he exhaled softly so as not to draw attention from the kid in his arms. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work. "Gross. Let me go and you two continue to perv on each other. I need to change. We've been invited to dinner by our new neighbor. She's very nice, and we don't' want to be late, do we Pops?" Riley asked.

Jasper pulled away, releasing them from his grip. He had no idea what to think, so he kept his mouth shut and allowed the Cullen men to rush off. "I'll just be going. Good to see you," he called as he left the penthouse.

He took the subway to Hudson and grabbed the ferry again. Once he arrived home, he saw his mother bustling around. "Momma, what's going on?" he asked.

"Oh! Jasper, get into that kitchen and fix dinner. I have some friends from the neighborhood who are coming for dinner at the last minute. I laid out chickens, but I'm not sure what to do with 'em," she explained as she worked about the house, dusting and straightening.

Jasper had no idea why she was working so diligently because he doubted a white-gloved finger could pick up a speck of dust from any surface in his mother's house. She kept it immaculate.

"Okay, how many are eating?" he asked, trying to hold off his annoyance. The whole day had gone off the rails, as he thought about it. He didn't like it.

"Eight, as a matter of fact. What can I do to help?" she asked.

"Christ, Momma," he complained.

"Don't think I won't wash out your mouth, young man. It's still my house," she reminded.

"Yes, Ma'am," Jasper stated as he went to his room and changed into shorts and a t-shirt because it was hot as fuck for the middle of May and his mother refused to use the air conditioner until July. That was likely the only thing he missed about prison.

He tied a bandana around his head after he pulled back his hair and went to the kitchen to see what the fuck he could put together for a dinner for eight at short notice.

He saw two whole chickens, but with the potential to grill them…his mind was racing, so he went with it. His mother left him alone, working out in her flower bed. He roasted potatoes and asparagus in the oven to make a cold salad, and he cut up the chicken to cook on the grill.

By seven that night, he had a respectable spread and a nicely set table in the back yard with a striped cloth his mother had produced. There were some candles on the table, along with a few torches around the yard.

Jasper heard the back gate rattle, and when he turned to see who was coming through, he saw Rosalie and huge man following her with a basket; Edward Cullen and Bella Swan with a basket of their own; and Carlisle and Riley. He was surprised at the attendees, and when Carlisle placed the cake box on the table to the side, Jasper laughed.

"Well, I'm guessing the party is for Riley first job, but why am I the one being surprised? How'd you ever meet my momma?" he asked.

"Sorry for the secret agent stuff, but we're here to support you. Your pop-up thing is in a few days, and we wanted to make sure you knew we thought you could pull it off. Consider this your dry run," Riley told him as Carlisle stood next to the boy, nodding in agreement.

Jasper laughed. "Great, so I only need to cook for forty-two more people. No problem."

The crowd laughed as they settled into the back yard of Lottie Whitlock's home. As Jasper watched his mother, he could see she was taken with Riley. She leaned into him and spoke in his ear, just as she used to do to Jasper when he was a boy.

Riley laughed and hugged her, making Jasper wonder what she was saying, but by the look on her face, he knew she'd never disclose it. It was something she liked to do with people she considered family, and as Jasper watched, he could see she considered Riley and by extension, Carlisle, as members of her family. His heart soared. He didn't think he'd be happier in his life.

[E/N: So, worlds have collided. What do we think? Please let me know!]