A/N: Happy Sunday! Alrighty, first let me say that the response to the last chapter blew me away, but that I feel guilty! I'm officially done whining about reviews and story traffic. Next time I feel insecure, I'm going for the Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby and will spare you my tales of woe. Even if I only receive 1 review for the rest of this story, I'm going to keep writing it. Now, of course, don't let that keep you from reviewing, alerting, and favoriting - because I do so enjoy reading what your thinking!

Finally, someone or a few someones nominated my little melodrama for an 'Everything's Bigger in Texas' award under the category, 'This Fic is Going Places...' What? Really? :-)!!!!! Voting ends on April 19, 2010. If you are so inclined, the link to the voting page is on my profile page. If not, check it out anyway as there are a lot of great stories nominated and what looks to be some good readin'!

And now, I shall shut up and let you read. Enjoy!

Chapter 14 – Turbulence

02/01/2010, 08:45 – EPOV

I was standing in the hallway outside Jasper's room giving him some privacy while the nurses got him settled and checked his vitals and Foley catheter. I was a doctor and familiar with these procedures, but didn't think that my boyfriend wanted me in there while they emptied the bag attached to the Foley. I know I wouldn't have wanted him in there if it was me. Rosalie and Momma Whitlock had done an excellent job on his room and the look on Jasper's face when he was wheeled in was priceless. They had placed some of his favorite prints on the walls, some photos on the bedside table, and gotten a comforter in his favorite colors for the bed. Other than the medical equipment in the room, it looked like a normal bedroom and the delight at how homey the room felt was evident in Jasper's eyes.

Boyfriend…I had a boyfriend now. My heart rate sped up at the thought and the silly grin that always seemed to appear at the thought of Jasper broke across my face. We said we would go slowly, but after his confession that he was in as deep as me, I couldn't help myself. If I was being completely honest though, I was as scared as I was elated. What if I was moving too fast? What if Jasper wasn't ready for this? What if I was taking advantage of someone who was vulnerable and grasping on to someone familiar? The grin slid from my face and I felt the panic begin to set in. It was Jasper who asked if he could call me his boyfriend, so I had to have faith that he knew what he was doing. But what if he didn't? What if he regretted it? What if he felt pressured by me? Just two weeks ago we said we were both not ready yet here we were. God, I was such a freak. I felt like I was in junior high again and had to admit that I probably had the social skills of a seventh grader when it came to relationships.

I had slept with three people in my entire 34 years, including Jasper. How pitiful was that? And I had only been in what I would term a relationship with one of those men. I had met Demetri during my sophomore year at the University of Illinois and while I was attracted to him immediately, I had no clue how to approach him. It wasn't until we were assigned to work on a project together in our Psych 101 class that we became friends. I wanted him, but wasn't even sure if he was gay or not. I was absolutely shocked when he asked me out on a date and can still remember his self-deprecating smirk when he said that it had taken him nearly the entire semester to get up the courage to ask me out. Demetri was responsible for a lot of my firsts emotionally and sexually. We were together for almost two years but broke up when I made the decision to go to med school in California while he moved back to New York for graduate school. In the end, it turned out that he was more invested in our relationship than I was and we didn't part on the best of terms. Throughout our time together, he constantly complained that I wasn't emotionally available and now that I look back on it, he was right. But, I didn't feel a tenth of what I feel for Jasper for Demetri, so maybe that was why.

I had always kept my emotions locked up tight. My father was a man's man and I was an extremely sensitive child; it was a volatile combination. My father constantly told me to toughen up and act like a man, going as far as berating my mother for making me too girly. Luckily, Carlisle was still around during my early years and deflected a lot of my father's attention onto him. Carlisle was the son that my father always wanted – he was athletic, a total chic magnet, and had a wicked sense of humor. I was geeky and shy – into computers, video games, reading, and music. The majority of my interactions with my father revolved around him telling me how I needed to be more like Carlisle. I can clearly remember when my older cousin Felix came out to the family when I was fourteen. I had already begun to realize that girls held no interest for me, but my father's response insured that I kept my feelings locked deep inside. "Fucking faggots," he said to my mother as he watched Felix and his partner interact with my grandparents at a family reunion. He had grasped my shoulder tightly, leaned in, and said to me and Carlisle, "Thank God you boys aren't like that. I can't believe that your Uncle Aro allows them into the house. If you ever come home with a boyfriend, you'd better be ready to be on the doorstep with your bags packed." My mother glanced over at me and gave me a slight grimace. I was sure that she knew that I was gay, but we never discussed it – and knowing my father's feelings on the subject, I could understand why. Carlisle never said anything, just sat there eating his sandwich and not making eye contact with anyone. Later that day; however, Carlisle came up to me while I alone, reading under the shade of a huge oak tree, and said, "Edward, you know that no matter what, I'll always take care of you, right?" In that moment, I knew that Carlisle knew too, and was trying to reassure me that whatever I was, it was okay. Embarrassed, I looked up at him and said defensively, "I don't know what you are talking about." Carlisle just nodded and turned to walk away, but before he left he said, "Despite what dad says, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You love who you love, regardless of gender." Gesturing with his hand towards Felix and his partner, Carlisle went on, "We should all be so lucky to find a partner to love and share our lives with." I understood what Carlisle was trying to say, but the thought of being disowned by my parents was terrifying. I resolved then and there that my father would never know what I truly was.

Seth Clearwater, the therapist that Carlisle had referred me to, felt that I had begun this pattern of locking away my feelings due to my father; remembering that family reunion now, I had to agree. The problem was how to unlock them and not feel like I was going insane. Seth had given me some exercises to do that helped me stave off the panic I often felt when my long tamped down feelings began to rise to the surface. They helped some, but I still had a long way to go. What if I never got to the point where I could be completely comfortable with my emotions and with myself? Was it fair to be in a relationship with Jasper when I wasn't sure I would ever get there? I began using the deep breathing techniques Seth had suggested and tried to calm myself down. I had an appointment scheduled for tomorrow, since I was off, and decided to talk to him about my concerns.

The door to Jasper's room opened and the nurse exited, giving me a smile and letting me know that it was okay to go back in. I thanked her and turning around, noticed Carlisle walking towards me with an older gentleman wearing a lab coat and a man about Jasper's age in green scrubs. The younger man was absolutely gorgeous, with sandy blond hair and dark brown eyes. He was taller than both Jasper and me and on the muscular side. Of course, while I could admit that he was a very handsome man, he couldn't compare to my Jasper. Carlisle stopped in front of me to introduce the older gentleman and I watched as the younger man looked me up and down and then walked straight into Jasper's room.

"Dr. Stevens, I'd like to introduce you to my brother Edward," Carlisle said, gesturing towards me. "Edward, Dr. Stevens is the Physiatrist assigned to Jasper's case. He'll be working with the PT's and nurses to ensure that Jasper gets the best care possible. I also provided him with the information you forwarded over from Dr. Smith in Virginia. We've just finished the initial rehab plan and are ready to go over it with Jasper."

I shook Dr. Stevens' hand and replied, "It's great to meet you. Your facility is held in high esteem by my former colleague, Dr. Smith."

"That's good to hear," the doctor replied with a smile. "We are very focused on helping our patients attain results. I can assure you that we are going to do everything in our power to make sure Officer Whitlock regains most, if not all, of the functionality of his leg. Now, let's go in and see the patient," he stated, leading us into Jasper's room.

I was the last one in the door and looked past Carlisle and Dr. Stevens only to find Jasper sitting up in his bed laughing gaily at something the younger gentleman in the room was whispering to him. The man's head was close to Jasper's and his hand was on Jasper's arm. There was a familiarity between the two of them that seemed out of place if they were meeting for the first time. I felt a wave of insecurity as I realized that I hadn't ever seen Jasper look this lighthearted. Who the hell was this guy?

As if he read my mind, Dr. Stevens began by introducing himself to Jasper and then introduced the supermodel standing next to Jasper's bed. Apparently this amazing looking creature was to be my boyfriend's physical therapist for the next 2-3 months. I was going to kill Dr. Swan when I saw her next. She could have warned me that her friend Garrett belonged in films instead of working as a PT at RIC. This Garrett person was also a personable son of bitch and had easily charmed Carlisle as well. As Garrett stepped in front of me to shake my hand, he said, "Nice to meet you Edward. Bella's told me a lot about you! I'm glad we finally have the opportunity to meet. I'm really looking forward to getting to know you better."

"Ummm – thanks," I replied shortly, shaking his hand and squeezing it hard. I couldn't say that I was looking forward to getting to know him and really, I just wanted him as far away from Jasper as possible. I looked him dead in the eyes and was surprised to find them twinkling with amusement.

"Garrett is our best PT and has a lot of experience working with traumatic injury rehabilitation. I know that it is a bit atypical to have someone assigned to your case, Jasper, that you have a prior history with. Given the circumstances; however, I think Garrett is our best bet," Dr. Stevens informed Jasper. Wait? What prior history?

Jasper must have seen the look on my face and piped up from the bed, "Garrett and I know each other from outside of the hospital. In fact, we went to a game together just a couple of days before I was shot. I'm actually happy to have a familiar face and have no problem with him being the PT assigned to my case."

They went to a game together? I needed to find out if their outing was a date or if they were just friends. Because if it was a date, there was no way in hell I could compete against Garrett for Jasper's affections. I mean for God's sake, all you had to do was look at the guy and see that I didn't stand a chance. I walked over to a chair in the far corner of the room and sat as Dr. Stevens, Carlisle and Garrett start to fill Jasper in on the rehab plan. I was completely lost in my thoughts and not paying any attention at all when I heard Jasper's voice say, "Edward – why are sitting all the way over there? Come sit next to me." I looked up at him and saw the quizzical expression on his face. He gestured with his good arm for me to come and sit on the side of his bed. I went willingly, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him. I was surprised when he grabbed my hand, brought it to his lips for a quick kiss, and then redirected his attention back to the men standing before him.

I half-listened over the next 30 minutes as my colleagues outlined each step of Jasper's rehabilitation process. My mind was whirring, trying to process all of these feelings at once – jealousy, insecurity, possessiveness. It was too much. I felt myself begin to tense up against the panic and knew that I needed to get out of the room before I did something stupid like throw Jasper down on the bed to kiss him senseless and mark my territory, punch Garrett in the face, or burst into tears. During the next break in the conversation, I leaned in to Jasper's and whispered, "I need the restroom. I'll be back."

"Are you okay?" he asked, giving me a concerned look.

I mustered up a smile and nodded, then walked from the room. I headed into the first bathroom I found and placing my hands on the sink, leaned over and tried to catch my breath. I silently berated myself for being such an idiot. What the hell kind of boyfriend was I? At the first sign of trouble, I ran like hell. I hated that every emotion I felt was blown out of proportion. It was like when you turned the lights on in a dark room – at first the light was overwhelming until your eyes adjusted. Every feeling I experienced was overwhelming right now; I was impatient to adjust already. I inhaled and exhaled deeply a few more times until I felt the panic begin to dissipate. I needed to get back in there – I had promised Jasper that I would see him through every step of this process and had failed already. I splashed some cold water on my face, dried the excess water with a paper towel, and walked back to Jasper's room. I couldn't bring myself to go back in though, and just sat on the floor in the hallway outside of his room. Maybe I should let him go – I was no good to him like this.

Fifteen minutes later I heard the door open and glanced up to see Carlisle looking down at me in confusion. "Jasper's asking for you. Where have you been?" he asked.

"Bathroom," I responded tersely. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten," he said, looking at me strangely. "I need to get back to St. Bernard's – so make it quick if you still need a ride."

"I do – just give me a minute," I said and rising from the floor made my way into Jasper's room. He looked up at me as I entered and gave me a heart-stopping smile.

"There you are! I was gettin' worried. Everythin' okay?" he inquired, the smile fading from his face as he looked me over.

"Fine. Just tired. Look, I need to get going – I'm catching a ride back to St. Bernard's with Carlisle and he needs to leave now," I replied, walking over to his bed. I leaned down to give him a quick kiss and then said, "I'll try and stop back tomorrow afternoon."

"Ummm – sure. I'll see you tomorrow then?" Jasper asked hesitantly, looking at me with a worried expression.

"Yeah – I have an appointment with Dr. Clearwater in the morning and I'll come over after, okay?"

"Okay – thanks for comin' with me this mornin'. I really appreciate it," he noted. "Go get some rest – you look exhausted. Besides, I think I'm in good hands here."

"It sure looks that way," I said sarcastically. "I'll see you later." I walked out the door without another glance at Jasper and strode down the hallway. I hadn't noticed Carlisle standing by the door and had walked right past him. Backtracking, I said, "Ready?"

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yes."

We rode back to the hospital in silence. I was brooding and Carlisle was probably going over the procedure for his surgery in his head. As he pulled into the space next to my car, he glanced over at me and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Jesus! I wish people would stop asking me that. I'm fine – just tired," I replied, irritated. I got out of Carlisle's car and unlocked my own. As I sat down in the driver's seat, I noticed Carlisle standing next to his car, looking at me from over the roof. "What?"

"Don't do it, Edward. Don't build up those walls again…" he said sternly.

I just closed the door, started the car, and pulled out of the parking lot. I just wanted to go home and sleep. I would figure out what to do about Jasper later.

02/01/2010, 10:10 – JPOV

What the hell just happened? The greatest morning of my life had just turned into the worst and I didn't have the first clue what I had done. Sighing loudly, I pushed the hair out of my eyes and tried to think back over the events of the morning. He was fine when I asked if I could call him my boyfriend. In fact, he looked just as thrilled as I felt. The ambulance ride was okay, more than okay. Edward had held my hand and we had given each other soft kisses almost the entire way to RIC. My room was a great surprise and I couldn't wait for Rosie and my momma to get here so that I could thank them. Edward seemed to be delighted in my shock at my new digs and had smiled widely at my response. The nurse came in to get me checked in and to empty my Foley and Edward stepped out to give me some privacy. I hated that damn catheter, but knew that I wouldn't be walking to the bathroom anytime soon so it was a necessary evil.

The change in Edward's demeanor had begun when he returned to my room with Dr. Stevens and Carlisle. I was still in shock that Garrett was going to be my PT. My friend Kate had set us up on a blind date and we had gone out to a game a couple of days before I was shot. Garrett was a great guy, but there was no chemistry there – for either of us – and by the end of the night we had agreed that we would be friends but nothing more. Apparently Garrett's friend Kate was friends with Edward's boss Dr. Bella Swan. Dr. Swan had told Garrett that I was being transferred to RIC, that I was involved with Edward, and to take good care of both of us. Garrett had come into my room before the others to ask if I was okay with him being the PT assigned to my case. I told him that I didn't have a problem with it and then he leaned in to tease me about Edward. He asked me if it was serious and I replied in the affirmative with a silly grin on my face. Garrett asked me if I would be willing to share Edward with him, joking that since I had landed the most beautiful man on the planet it was only fair to spread the wealth. I threw my head back in laughter, and whispered back that Edward was all mine and that I had no intention of sharing him with anyone.

The door to my room had opened and Dr. Stevens and Carlisle entered, followed by Edward. I saw a weird expression flicker across his face and then his face went blank as Dr. Stevens introduced him to Garrett. Garrett was his usual charming self and flirted with Edward, who was in turn actually quite rude. While Dr. Stevens confirmed that I was okay with Garrett being my PT – Garrett must have disclosed our date to him – I noticed Edward giving me a confused look. I quickly explained that we had just gone to a game and reiterated what I had told Garrett. There was nothing between us so it would not be a problem having him doing the rehab. Carlisle and Doctor Stevens launched into a detailed explanation of the rehab techniques they would be using, but I couldn't concentrate because I couldn't see Edward. I realized that he had seated himself in the far corner of the room and wasn't looking at anyone. Finally, I interrupted the doctor and called Edward over to my side. Once he was seated next to me, I immediately felt better and began to listen to Dr. Stevens again. Throughout the conversation I could feel Edward growing more and more tense beside to me. His breathing became choppy and just when I was about to turn to him and find out what was going on, he excused himself from the room, saying he needed the restroom.

He was gone for almost 20 minutes and I asked Carlisle to find him for me. I was worried that he was ill; he had looked awful pale when he left the room. I heard voices outside of my door and when Edward entered, I knew immediately that something was very wrong. I asked him again if he was okay, but he just brushed me off – telling me he was fine. Any man or woman in a relationship knows that the word 'fine' means anything but that. I knew that he had been up all night and decided not to push him on it. He gave me a quick, almost perfunctory kiss and said he would try to come back tomorrow. This was not the same Edward I had grown accustomed to over the past three weeks. This Edward was cold and unfeeling and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what had caused the change.

Maybe he was regretting taking our relationship to the 'boyfriend' stage. We had both agreed to go slowly, but I knew now that he was it for me. If I was honest with myself, I knew it the day he came into the bar eight years ago. I was in completely and irrevocably in love with one Edward Cullen and could only hope and pray that he felt the same way. What if he didn't? And if he didn't, why the kisses this morning? Why the pet names? If he didn't want this, why did he say yes when I asked? I wanted to scream I was so frustrated. If I could only get out of this bed, I would go to him and demand answers. I picked up my cell phone from the bedside table where Edward had unpacked it so that I could send him a text message and find out what was going on. I was just typing in the message when my door opened again and Emmett entered. "What are you doin' here? I thought you guys weren't comin' until this afternoon?" I asked, closing my phone and setting it aside for later.

"I had to go sign off on some paperwork at the station and since I was down here, I thought I'd stop in to say hello and see how you liked your new digs. I'm only here for a few minutes and then I'm off to pick up your parents and Rose. Where's Edward?" he queried, looking around the room as if expecting to see Edward standing next to me.

"Good question," I responded with a sad smile. "He was here, but he bailed."

"He bailed? What the hell are you talking about?" Emmett laughed. His laughter trailed off when he saw the expression on my face. "What happened?"

"I have no fuckin' clue," I said with a scowl.

One thing I could say for Emmett was that he was an excellent listener and he didn't say a word as I recapped the events of the morning for him. When I was finished, he sat there quietly for a few moments and then said, "Are you sure you passed the detective's exam?"

What the fuck? I spill my guts and he's talking about the detective's exam. "Yes, fucker, I'm sure I passed. What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm not so sure, because I don't even need to be a fucking detective to know your boy has turned green with jealousy," he replied with a smirk. "Come on man, how are you so dense? What was the first thing Edward saw when he came into your room?"

"Me laughin' with Garrett…" I said, beginning to get the picture.

"What would you think if you saw Edward in the same situation? Especially if you just found out that the person you are seeing was out on a date with this person just a few days before you met?"

"I'd wonder what was goin' on, but I would ask him about it," I insisted. "I wouldn't just go cold and leave."

"Yes, but that's you. Maybe Edward's not as secure in your feelings for him as you seem to be in his for you," Emmett advised.

"That's stupid, I asked him to be my boyfriend, not the other way around," I argued.

"True, but Edward strikes me as much more sensitive about these things. I mean, you are a laid back kinda guy but you aren't always the easiest person to read and you don't always volunteer a lot of information. From what I know of Edward so far, he wears his heart on his sleeve and is pretty shy. I think he may have given you the cold shoulder to try to protect himself from his own feelings," Emmett stated and then snorted. "Jesus Jasper. Just take away my man card now – I'm becoming fuckin' Oprah!"

I laughed along with him, but then sobered as I thought about Emmett's perceptions of the situation. Maybe he was right, but Edward wasn't here for me to call him on it and I didn't know if he was coming back. "How do I fix this?" I asked.

"Hell if I know," Emmett joked. "But I do know one thing – that man cares about you too much to stay away. He'll be back."

"And if you're wrong?" I questioned.

"Then I'll go knock some sense into him for you, seeing as you can't get up right now to do it yourself," he promised.

We chatted a little bit more about the station and the fact that Emmett was starting at his new precinct tomorrow. Our suspension had been lifted after Internal Affairs finalized their interview with me last week and as our Captain had assured us, we had both only gotten a slap on the wrist and a notation in our personnel files. I was happy that Emmett was going back to work – I knew that he loved the job just as much as I did.

I yawned loudly as the stress of the morning and my lack of sleep the previous night began to catch up with me. Emmett excused himself saying that he needed to go pick up my sister and parents and that they would return later in the afternoon. I used the controls to push the bed back into a reclining position and closed my eyes, thoughts of Edward's behavior and what it meant running through my head. I would give him some space today, but he and I were going to have a conversation when he returned tomorrow – that is, if he returned. Either way, I wasn't letting him walk away without a fight.

A/N: As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated! Have a great week and I'll see you next Sunday. :-)