How did it come to this?
All this noise and all these lies,
All this talking through the nights,
All this expectation
Now it's making me neurotic,

Sometimes it's like I'm a world away
Sometimes I feel a world away

Hey maybe you are oh so slightly OCD
A little out of reach, my friend
I said, yes that's partly true,
But jokes aside, please stay with me,
It's just my way of compartmentalising
All the things I see...

Take That *sir Gary Barlow...Droooooool* Eh, Cullen1007?

xxxxx

Warning: cussing, bad grammar and a discipline theme run throughout this tale. :)

xxxxxx

How Did it Come to this?

Jason was kneeling on the grass and was digging very messy holes as the sudden loud smacks he could hear from the house followed by Jasper's hasty bawling were making him on edge.

Jasper was crying...how could that be? He had never known his sire to cry like that before... Esme touched his hand before he destroyed her garden and he looked down and smiled shyly. "We could say critters did it?"

"A very big critter my dear. Are you okay Jason as Jasper will be alright."

"I don't understand as Jasper was punished already." He began to dig the grass absently and Esme kept an eye as he got closer to her baby snap dragons.

"Yes...that was just a warning to behave as Jasper can get worked up easily at times and illegal substances do not help him keep a check on his emotions." Esme said this trying to bite down the words she wanted to say; yet he was not her boy and it felt wrong.

After today she knew they would have to start laying down consequences and hoped that he would not run away. Jasper has been more settled over the last month and knew it would be detrimental to his healing if Jason ran away. Esme wondered if Jason knew this and that is why he continued to be so complacent of their rules.

"Yes but –"

"No buts." She said sternly as she watched Jason. "Jasper was told to go straight to bed and stay put. Jason our children do as they are told or else face consequences and it is put in place to protect them and keep our coven safe from attack and from ourselves."

"But it was my fault Ma'am I threw the pillow and broke the lamp and it was me teasing Jasper. It seemed fun to try and break the tension and I hate that he got into more trouble because of me." He absently began to stroke the petal on the nearest unsuspecting plant, until Esme reached down and took his hand in her own and rubbed it.

"That is your problem sweet heart, not all the time is play time. You must realise there is a cost to keep you safe, to keep us all happy. You do worry me Jason. I feel that you need a guiding hand before you end up in a situation that you cannot handle."

Jason looked at Esme shocked that she would care what happened to him as he was a stranger who had disrupted her coven and flower bed. "Will he be okay Mrs Cullen...What is going to happen to Jasper? I forced him to take the smoke."

"Call me Esme and yes he will be fine. Carlisle is very cross with him at this time as Jasper made a promise to us many years ago that he would not touch that filth again." Esme's voice was sharp and Jason flinched knowing it was all his fault.

"Jasper will be punished for his indiscretion and forgiven." She said more softly to ease the worried boy. They will get through this; our methods are not as insensitive as some covens Jason as you know... They seem harsh to you yet it is dealt with love. Has nobody ever guided you? Corrected you with care to keep you from harm?"

"I don't remember maybe my Mama." He shrugged and gazed into the trees. "People just like to hurt me Esme they always have and I do not know what it is about me that creates such hatred. I hear Jasper crying and it reminds me why I never stay anywhere for long."

He looked at Esme's sad face and grinned. "Don't stress lil lady I do just fine. I am nothing if not resourceful."

"You must have felt loved to have come back to find Jasper."

"Yup...well sort of, I know Jasper cared for me and it made his life hard with Maria. He would hurt me a lot to stop her from getting at me and then he would stay away after and ignore me. It was being ignored after a beating that always evoked the feelings of being wretched and unworthy."

"Ahh, sweety."

"Weird though this one time I had had enough and I taunted and got Maria's favourite goon into a fight. I just wanted him to finish me I was done."

"What happened?" Esme said sadly as she understood; as they all have felt the same at one time or another. That feeling of becoming so low that the light goes out and her heart went out to this poor lonely boy.

"Jasper must have sensed something was not right because he followed me and went behind the bastard and finished him."

"Language, Jason." She chided gently.

"We had to burn the body and act like we had not seen him. He was not good Esme, very wicked. Jasper was furious with me for putting myself in such harm and he thrashed me hard but it was different."

"How so?"

"Afterwards, I remember wanting to find somewhere quiet to rest, I would have gone and found a friendly face but there was none left. Jasper's face was often anything but friendly...just blank."

"My poor boy."

"He was different that night, Jasper stayed with me until I drifted off. He put his arm around me Mrs Cullen, Esme and it felt nice. He said he loved me and did not want me to do anything more stupid than usual. I always remember that night. I had felt like I could not take no more, but jasper gave me hope that there was someone who cared for me and I tried much harder to keep out of trouble...I used to imagine us running away together like Peter and charlotte had already done."

He became silent for a moment. "Then Jasper was gone, he left me..." He looked stricken for a moment before his features turned back to his normal happy one and he shrugged and swiped at a stray tear.

"So I left too, I knew if I stayed Maria would kill me without Jasper's protection. I have never looked back Esme as it is what Jasper told me to do. I wish Jasper could do that too."

"Only forward." She smiled and removed the mini spade from Jason before he wrecked the garden.

"Exactly Mrs Cullen..."

The following few days passed without too much incident; only there was an uneasy feeling within the house when Jasper was around and the others were strained.

Alice avoided her Dad whenever she got the chance and Edward was actually trying to include Jasper more in his plans. The pair of them only added to Jasper's growing anxiety over facing Carlisle and so he retreated more often to his room to be alone.

Carlisle had taken on more shifts at work just to keep busy as Jasper was projecting his fears onto his Father each time he tried to drift off and Jason looked at the leader as if he would attack the boy at any moment.

Alice had clearly seen her husband's punishment as she had done with Edward, after his suicide attempt. She was upset and angry with him and he knew she was getting herself close to a good telling off.

Esme understood and agreed that Jasper needed a severe punishment as this was no minor infraction of their rules and it was not a first offence either. However, she was also avoiding him and that hurt him deeply as this was one of the hardest decisions that he had had to make in a very long time.

He needed Esme's support and guidance. They both remembered how Jasper had been after he had killed that hiker and he had nearly succumbed to his darker side. The boy's emotions were so enhanced that even coffee has sent him over the top on occasions or in deep depressions that only a good smack would cure.

This had to be done as how else could he allow his son to remain as Second in Command? It would pain him to do so but the boy allowed his emotions to lead him and had become more erratic lately. He had had to restrain his son last month and in doing so his coven were split up.

Taking Esme's advice he had let the incident go...However, it had not sat right with him as he was worried over Jasper's inability to stop and think when he was worked up. He kept thinking back to his little daughter who had been caught up right in the middle of Jasper's turbulent emotions and would have been hurt.

After all, it would not have been the first time he had used excessive force with a sibling...Alice, had been a shock as if he could lose control with his wife, what of Esme?

Jasper had always needed consequences for his wrong decisions as he could not move on without punishment and forgiveness...Had he truly forgiven him for his behaviour that night? He thought he had but maybe Jasper sensed otherwise and that only added to his wrong choice in the clearing. If that was the case he had let his son fall without catching him and setting him straight so that it did not happen again.

His soldier stood for honour, integrity and truth yet also wanted to remain the boy, making the wrong choices and having to be reprimanded time and time again. He needed to know that Jasper had a check on himself no matter what the situation was.

The boy had crossed a line that was not going to be easy to put right not without sacrifice to both of them.

Carlisle was angry and needed Jasper to have a fitting punishment because he never would have believed it if he had not witnessed it with his own eyes that Jasper would ever dare to be so openly disrespectful. The boy had gone back on his honour and had a good reason to be anxious.

He looked at the bedroom wall and knew his son was in the next room, curled up on his bed and needing his Father's comfort. He could not give it to him and hated this feeling that he could not put on his brave face and go to his son.

He considered moving the punishment forward to put Jasper and everyone else out of their misery. The boy was still sore and he wanted him to heal properly first as he needed all his physical strength. His mental state may not hold out and he decided to ask Jasper what he wanted to do.

He could hear Edward quietly playing a solemn tune downstairs and frowned at the sound. His first born had been giving a great deal of attitude spying on his thoughts and understanding just how much trouble his brother was in. After all Edward understood better than any.

Today had been the final straw when a flippant remark too many had passed Edward's lips when they had all been at the cottage. He had marched the boy outside, pulled his pants down as he would not do it himself and gave him a good hiding and a very stern telling off.

Edward had been mortified that Carlisle had done that with his daughter and Jacob in the cottage. Of course the irritated Elder knew that Edward thought he was safe to openly disrespect him as his daughter was there to prevent him from getting smacked...but not anymore!

Emmett and Rose were being supportive and asked if there was anything they could do as they were both contrite since their punishments and knew how hard this was on their Dad.

He had asked them to take Jason out as much as possible to hunt and keep away from Jasper's emotions as both boys were angst and kept disappearing. They had all been warned of the consequences if Jason smoked in their company and hoped that he would never have to go through with his warning.

He looked at his phone and contemplated giving Eleazar a call to seek some advice...He would be ashamed to admit Jasper's current antics...yet needed advice about Jason. He was under no illusions and knew it was that boy who had encouraged this negative behaviour.

Carlisle remembered that his friend had gone away and put his phone on the bed and sat on the edge, resting his elbows on his knees and rubbing at his temples as he felt a phantom headache coming on. What would his friend say? 'That the bambino was a lost boy who needed guidance and compassion eh?' This made Carlisle growl as he knew it was the truth.

The headache was named Jason...He felt guilty for the thought as soon as it had entered his mind. The boy deserved a home as much as the rest of them and knew he needed to take him for a discussion on their rules as clearly he keeps forgetting them very quickly...all that smoking.

Jason was becoming guarded from Carlisle and very nearly growled when he was reprimanded for his disrespect only a few hours earlier. Rose had appeared in a flash touching Jason's arm and soothing him. They had been a God send and had eased his burdens and he was indebted to them.

Still growling softly as he continued to rub his aching temples he tried to tune out Edward's Funeral March... A new wave of fear gripped him and he clutched his stomach and breathed slowly to combat Jasper's nerves.

The music had abruptly stopped and the stool noisily scraped back from the piano. Carlisle could hear the gouges being created in his new wooden floor and tsked.

He stood up and went over to the wall and lay his cheek against the paper and was hit once more with Jasper's warring emotions. He groaned and backed away from the wall and headed to the door. He could hear Esme comforting Edward. The poor boy was suffering doubly because of his gift as he whimpered in his mother's safe arms...

Carlisle knocked softly and listened to his boy's quiet drawl for him to come in. "Yes Papa...please bring the punishment forward." Jasper sat up on the bed and looked sadly at his Elder. "I need you to forgive me...please. I keep trying to feel it and I am not feeling anything. You are bl-blocking me and it is killing me." Jasper swiped his eyes on his naked arm and stood up.

"How did you know what I wanted to ask you?"

"I sensed your indecision Papa and hoped that is what you wanted."

Carlisle sat on the bed and beckoned his boy to sit down and rubbed his bare knee. He noted he was only in his shorts and asked him if he was up to his punishment if he did bring it forward?

Jasper nodded, averting his eyes. "Y-yes Papa I am not sore anymore."

"Well Jasper all I can say to that is you are lying to me and to yourself." The boy blinked and moved back over the bed and pulled the duvet over him. "I want to discuss the options with you and then if you do want to bring it forward, you can come to me when the discomfort is more tolerable."

"Please Sir, I can take it." Jasper urged as he could not wait any longer.

"When you are healed, we will discuss it. I am going to give you two choices and whichever you decide is fine with me."

Carlisle watched his boy closely as he knew that his next words would hurt deeply. "The first choice as we have just discussed would be to bring your punishment forward as we need to move forward."

Jasper watched his Father as he had gone silent and was blocking him."Papa."

"The second option is to forget the punishment and resign your post as Second in Command...Jasper please son do not look at me like that. Being with Jason reminds me that you need to be with your siblings, just enjoying yourself and not having the constant pressure of –"

Carlisle gasped with shock at the force of anger that was flooding him, he began to take quicker breaths as was starting to panic. The boy was blank and just stared at him through jet black eyes.

"Jasper...calm yourself." Carlisle sat tall and regulated his breathing. "This is not helping...you must ca-"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! HOW DARE YOU CARLILSE!" The boy shot off the bed, growled deeply and put his fist through the wall, thick plaster dust clinging to his bare skin and hair.

"Jasper Whitlock Cullen!" He moved forward to reach his child before he destroyed the room.

"Carlisle Cullen!" Jasper snarled "I am an EMPATH you fool so don't tell me to calm down again I am sick of that fucking word...calm, calm, fuckin' calm."

"Listen to yourself Jasper...I only want to talk to you, sensibly. Come back over to the bed and sit down and we can talk as you are frightening everyone with this behaviour. Let us talk..."

"What is the point? You have made up your mind as you are the boss, I get that...But you remember that I have been by your side. RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE all these years and you DARE to threaten to remove my rank. It is me that has saved this coven CAR...FUCKIN...LISLE! You, have the audacity to –. "

The boy's shouts were cut off by Esme and Edward bursting through the door to find Carlisle openly distraught as the boy was choking him with anger and grief. Jasper put his fist through the wall again and snarled when Edward moved forward.

"Jazz, calm down."

"Edward." Jasper mumbled and backed against the wall. "Don't you start too."

Carlisle stood tall and eyed Jasper and was relieved to see the boy calming down. "Leave us please." He said quietly and gestured for them to go. Esme was about to argue when Carlisle said out and pointed to the door. The parents glared at each for a moment before Esme ushered a reluctant Edward from the room.

Edward turned and rushed passed his mother and went to his brother who was shaking with rage. "Jazz."

Jasper looked at Edward and took a deep breath. "Edward..." He mumbled and threw his arms around himself. "I fucked up."

"I can see that." Edward said quietly and smiled; reaching his brother he wiped dust from his cheek. "You're a mess boy." He mimicked his brother and Jasper smiled.

"Edward I have asked you to leave...Now please do as you are told." Edward turned to his Dad and glared at him.

"I can help Dad, I know exactly how he is feeling and thinking...please just let me-"

"No Edward I have asked you to leave, quietly."

"Dad if you would just listen –"

"One"

"Daad"

"Two..." Edward reluctantly went to his mother who was waiting to take him to the cottage...

Once alone Carlisle looked at his son who crouched in the corner and told him to stand up and look at him. Jasper did this slowly and stood to attention, yet he averted his eyes.

"Jasper...Come here." Jasper was trembling with anger and hurt and remained fixed to the spot. Sighing, Carlisle moved forward and went slowly to his child and embraced him.

Jasper began to cry and clung on to his Father as he had been afraid that he had lost his love. He cried tears of relief when he was washed in reassurance and wrapped in Carlisle's un-breaking love. The boy relaxed for the first time since he was caught red handed in the clearing.

"I'm sorry Daddy, so sorry..."

"I know son...Shush, there there; all will be well once more, you will see. I was not trying to insult or hurt you Jasper. I am giving you the opportunity to just be Jasper and not have the pressure of leadership. It was not meant to be insulting and I am very sorry that is the way you have taken it."

Jasper looked at his Father startled at the revelation and squeezed him tight and buried his face against Carlisle's neck, the blonde hair tickling Jasper's nose. "I ca-can't control myself."

"I have noticed my boy and we need to find new ways to help you cope...Let us go on a hunt and discuss the two options in detail...There is much to take in and I do want you to sensibly think about the options."

Jasper nodded and mumbled into his Dad's shoulder that he understood. He was pulled away reluctantly from the embrace and told to stand tall. Carlisle rubbed his arms.

"I love you so much Jasper. Nerveless, I can not let this incident in here go...You will answer to me young man for this display...not tonight and the only reason that you are not already feeling the strap on your bare backside is because you are about to face a severe punishment and this infraction can wait as I know that you are sorry and you are already forgiven."

"Sir. I would expect no less than to receive punishment for how I behaved in here. Thankyou kindly for not letting me get out of it." The boy said shyly.

"I want you to remember son..." Jasper's eyes opened wide at the tone. "NEVER speak to me like that again! Do you understand? Unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated or your temper tantrums."

Jasper bowed his head ashamed and sniffled. Carlisle pulled the boy's chin up and held it firmly and moved into his space. "I am ashamed to say that you came very close to getting your face slapped." He said this firmly as he watched Jasper intently for his complete compliance.

Jasper was shocked at those words yet knew Carlisle meant it and felt shame grip him tight. He began to tap nervously on the faded scar, given reluctantly by Carlisle many years ago.

"Jasper." Carlisle took his boy's hand and held it to his own chest. "Maybe you might want to think about putting some clothes on, you are leaving very little to the imagination." He smiled to ease Jasper's nerves.

The boy suddenly looked down and chuckled..." I forgot..."

Review please please please...:)

A/N it was just a shortish one to bridge the upcoming punishment, because I know I have not updated in a while. Me sorry:)x