A/N: First off, big smoochies to rmhale and breeze1213 for pre-reading and really, beta'ing this chapter for me. You totally made this chapter 500% better than it was and I appreciate you both so much!

So, a bit of a sad note here. Skip ahead to the story if you want, I won't mind, I promise. :) I just need to mention this and then we can all move on. My mom, who lost her battle with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) one year ago tomorrow, is the only reason I started writing this story at all. She was the most creative person I know - a painter, a weaver, a chef, and a writer - and some days she had to be wondering how the hell she got stuck with a logical, math loving, computer nerd for a daughter. One of her greatest wishes for me was that I embrace my creative side and so before she passed, I promised that I would at least try to honor her request. So, 28 chapters in I've learned a tremendous amount about myself, made some really amazing online friends, and know that she's up in heaven snickering at me for honoring her with a chapter full of lemons. She would have gotten a huge kick out of the fact that I'm writing anything, much less slash. QAF was her favorite show and I like to think that she would have totally enjoyed this, not that I would ever have let her read it! :) She was not only my mother, but my best friend, and while I miss her beyond words, I hope she's proud of me for trying. Thank you to all of your for your kind reviews, your alerts, and your support. I wouldn't have gotten this far without all of you, so I greatly appreciate you all for helping to honor my mom's wish for me. :)


Chapter 28 – Respite

04/28/2010, 06:21 – JPOV

I woke up before Edward and laid there for fifteen minutes just watching him. After a night of confessions, tears, anger and acceptance, my love was finally sleeping peacefully. The little wrinkle that always appeared between his eyebrows when stressed was gone and the lines of tension around his mouth had disappeared. He looked innocent, boyish even. Grinning, I watched as his lips quirked up in a half-smile and he mumbled my name in his sleep. He flexed his fingers, as if reaching for something or someone, and then pushed his face further into the pillow. I knew that if I stayed, I'd eventually say or do something to wake him up and he needed as much rest as possible. Carefully, I edged my way out of the bed. Edward reached for my pillow, curling himself around it the same way he wrapped himself around me when we slept. I quietly picked up my clothes from the floor and headed into the adjoining bathroom.

I got myself dressed and somewhat cleaned up and then snuck past a still sleeping Edward to the door. Exiting the bedroom, I crept through the quiet hallway and down the stairs to the kitchen, desperate for some coffee. I wasn't sure if Esme and Carlisle were already gone or still sleeping, but I figured she wouldn't mind if I raided her kitchen for caffeine. Rounding the corner, I stepped into the room to find Esme seated at the island, clutching a steaming mug and staring into space. Wrapped up in a bathrobe with bunny slippers on her feet, she looked as exhausted as I felt. Not wanting to disturb her, I half-turned to leave when she called out to me.

"Good morning, Jasper. Can I get you a cup of coffee?" she asked quietly, rising halfway out of her chair.

"Mornin' Esme," I responded, waving her back down. "Don't get up, I can get it myself if you point out where the mugs are," I offered.

She nodded towards the cupboard next to the refrigerator and sat back down. I retrieved a mug and poured myself a cup, then walked over and topped hers off. The cream and sugar were resting in front of her on the island, so after replacing the carafe, I grabbed a spoon and took the seat next to her.

"How's he doing?" she asked softly.

"Better. Finally sleepin'," I replied as I doctored my coffee. "How's Carlisle?"

"Already off to work, he had an early surgery," she noted. "I think he's more relieved than anything else. He was sure that Edward would cut him out of his life once he knew the truth," Esme added softly.

"I don't think that thought ever crossed Edward's mind. Honestly, I think he was more shocked than anything else. He's spent too many years believing that Carlisle is somehow infallible. Learning that his brother is a mere mortal was a bit of a revelation I think," I stated with a wry smile. "Hopefully he'll now realize that he's been holding himself up to a standard that's not attainable."

"Well, I think Carlisle finally comprehends that Edward is no longer a child in need of protection. They both are going to have to change their perceptions of each other," she observed. "And how are you doing?" Esme asked, looking at me intently. "That couldn't have been easy for you to sit through either."

"Easier for me than him," I said. "I just want to fix it, Esme. That's what I do, I fix things. At work, if there's a problem, I go out and fix it. I can't fix this." I shrugged my shoulders and continued, "I can't force him to see what a beautiful, lovin', and compassionate person he is. He needs to learn it on his own." I clenched my fists at my side and blurted out, "Most of all, I'm so angry! That wonderful man has spent years thinkin' he was somehow not good enough when he's a hundred times better than most people I know. How can someone do that to their own child?" I asked helplessly.

Esme reached over and rubbed my shoulder consolingly. "I know, Jasper. When Carlisle first told me what his parents had done I just wanted to find them and kill them. Unfortunately, they were already dead. You can't fight with ghosts though. The only thing you can do is support the one you love the best you can." She took a sip from her coffee cup and smiled over at me. "It's not going to be an easy road for either of them, but I think it can only get better from here. The truth is out in the open now and that can only be a good thing."

I nodded and took another sip from my own mug. With a sigh, I said, "I just wish we could get away from it all for a little while. He's so tired – he's been workin' through all of these pent up emotions and supportin' me through all of my crap. I just want to do somethin' for him to give him a break for once. He's always takin' care of me and I want the chance to return the favor. To show him how much I love and appreciate everythin' he's done for me."

"Jasper, you show him you love him every day. Don't think for a second that he doesn't know that. Hell, a person only has to look at you two together to see how much you love each other," Esme noted with a grin. "But maybe a weekend away from all of this is a good idea. You've both been through a lot in the past few months. Carlisle and I have a cottage on the lake, in a small little resort town in Michigan called South Haven. It's only a couple of hours drive from here. Why don't you and Edward go spend a couple of days there this weekend? The tourist season hasn't really started yet, so it should be fairly quiet. It'll give you both a chance to decompress and just be with each other."

It sounded perfect, but I was pretty sure that Edward had to work this weekend. Then both of us were going to be booked up with my physical therapy appointments, his therapy sessions, and his work. Esme was waiting on my response, so I regretfully said, "As lovely as that sounds, I don't think we can. I'm pretty sure Edward has to work this weekend and then we're all booked up with appointments and such." I was disappointed. It would have been wonderful to have Edward all to myself in a cozy little cottage for a couple of days.

Esme nodded in understanding. A moment later her eyes lit up as she jumped up from her chair and grabbed her cell phone. She dialed a number and then walked away. I wasn't sure what she was doing. Maybe she remembered an appointment or needed to talk to her daughter? I went over to the coffee pot, refilled my mug and sat back down, losing myself in a daydream of Edward and I making love in front of a fireplace in some little cottage on the lake. Esme pulled me from my thoughts when she sat back down and announced, "All taken care of."

Curious, I asked, "What's all taken care of?"

"Edward has Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night off. He has to work Thursday night, but you can leave when he gets out of work Friday morning. If you come back Sunday afternoon, he'll have plenty of time to rest before he goes back to work on Monday," she said with a grin.

"I…really…how?" I sputtered out.

"There are a lot of perks that come with being best friends with your brother-in-law's boss," Esme answered with a wicked grin. "Bella owes me a few favors. Besides, she was more than happy to accommodate Edward; after all, he did save her ass when Newton was suspended."

I pulled Esme into a hug and exclaimed, "Thank you! I can't tell you how much we both need this."

She hugged me back and whispered, "No, thank you Jasper. Without your presence in Edward's life I don't think he'd have gotten this far, this quickly. Because of your support he's been able to confront his past and in doing so, is giving both himself and my husband an opportunity to finally put this to rest." She released me and wiped away the few tears that had escaped. I realized then that last night had been as difficult for her as it had been for me.

"What about you? How are you holdin' up?" I asked, worried about her.

She shrugged and replied, "I've had a bit more time than you to come to grips with it all. Of course, that doesn't make it an easier really. Like I said before, I'm just happy that all of the secrets are out now. Now, do you want this to be a surprise or do you want to tell him?"

Considering it for a moment, I directed a beaming smile at Esme. "A surprise I think. I owe him one," I replied with a smirk. We spent the next half hour ironing out the details and she promised to call Bella back to let her know not to give away the surprise. Esme and Carlisle rented out the property during the summer months when they weren't using it, but she assured me that because the season hadn't started yet we weren't displacing any possible tenants. She made arrangements to contact the property management company and have them prepare the cottage for our arrival on Friday. After she'd provided me with a key and directions, I hugged her once more and headed back upstairs to my boyfriend. I had a lot to accomplish between now and Friday.

04/30/2010, 07:32 – EPOV

I was anxious to get home. A miracle had occurred and I actually had three days off in a row. Bella caught up with me this morning to tell me that she'd rearranged the schedule for some reason and when I checked it out, I almost fell out of my chair. Instantly my mind started wandering to all of the wonderful things I could do to Jasper with unlimited time on my hands. I pressed down a little harder on the accelerator and sped home to him.

This week had been the week from hell and I was happy it was finally over. I was exhausted. The strain of confessing the events of childhood to Jasper and finally discussing my father with Carlisle had taken its toll. To top off an already stellar week, the ER was packed Wednesday night and by the time I finally made it home, I just dropped into bed and slept until I had to go to work again. Last night had been more of the same. Through it all, Jasper had been an absolute Godsend, making sure I got enough rest and something to eat, and most importantly lending an ear when I just needed to vent or his arms when I needed comfort. I wouldn't have made it through this week without him and I thought about what I could do to show my appreciation.

I was still running various ideas through my head when I finally reached the apartment. After stowing the Volvo in the garage, I entered our building and ran up the stairs, eager to get to Jasper. It felt like it had been weeks instead of days since we'd really had some time to ourselves and I couldn't wait. I unlocked the door and walked into the foyer, dumping my keys into the bowl on the small table. I looked up to see Jasper standing in the doorway to the living room and raked my eyes over him appreciatively. He was wearing jeans and nothing else. My teeth sunk into my lower lip as I tried to stifle a groan. The utter sexiness of the man standing in front of me was enough to bring me to my knees. He approached me slowly and I flashed him a smile in greeting. Never would I tire of the way his eyes lit up when he saw me. Reaching out, I pulled him towards me. Once I had him in my arms, I pushed him back against the front door. Tangling my fingers through his hair, I gripped it firmly, holding his face still as I ravaged his mouth and pressed myself against him. The taste and feel of my Jasper said home to me like nothing else would and I groaned at the sheer pleasure of his body against mine.

Not one to be outdone, Jasper quickly reversed our positions and ground his hips into mine, pushing me hard against the door and immediately sending my heart rate soaring. I ran my hands down his back to his perfect ass and pressed him further into me. Now it was his turn to groan as our cocks finally made contact through our layers of clothes. I lost myself in the sensations of his body against mine until Jasper finally pulled away, gasping for breath. "Mmmm, good mornin' babe," he said roughly, pressing his lips to the underside of my jaw.

I kissed him again, softly and replied, "Good morning, baby."

He stepped back out of my reach and I pouted. He eyed me warily and said, "Uh-uh. I have plans for us and we'll never get to them if you keep this up." I raised an eyebrow at him and grinned, leaning back against the wall, giving him my sultriest look. His eyes glazed over but to my disappointment, he shook himself out of his stupor and glared at me. "Nope. Not fallin' for it. Go get in the shower, babe," he ordered. "Fuckin' scrubs and fuck-hot glasses," I heard him mumble under his breath as he shooed me towards the master bathroom.

When we reached the bathroom, I removed my glasses and began to pull off my scrubs. I felt Jasper watching and decided to entice him into the shower with me. Pulling the scrub top up and over my head slowly, I ran a hand over my abs watching Jasper's eyes follow the motion. I then hooked my thumbs into the waistband of my scrubs, turned around and lowered them to the ground. My ass was bent over and on display for my lover's benefit and the loud groan I heard behind me was my confirmation that he was watching my every move. Soon I would have him exactly where I wanted him. Standing up and turning towards him, I smiled when his gaze fell to my semi-erect cock. I walked over to the shower and opened the door, turned on the water and adjusted the temperature. Looking over my shoulder at Jasper, I noted the tell tale bulge in his jeans. Reaching down and stroking myself slowly, I asked, "Sure you don't want to join me?"

"Shit…" he groaned, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth, worrying it as he tried to decide. Jasper's face was so expressive and I watched as a myriad of emotions played across his features: indecision, love, and lust. His eyes narrowed as he continued to watch my hand's progress up and down my shaft and then, much to my delight, I heard him mutter, "Fuck it." He pushed his jeans down and off of his body and strode over to me.

Instead of stepping into the shower, he pulled me into his arms and reached down to remove my hand from my cock. "Mine," he growled as he took over where I left off. He pushed me backwards toward the counter top and kissed me deeply, asserting his dominance. I wasn't going to argue, coming to the realization that dominant Jasper could set me on fire like nothing else in this world. "Your cock is mine. Your ass is mine. You are mine," he stressed once he finally released my lips and my dick. I panted, anxious for what I knew was coming. He turned me around to face the counter top and mirror above it and said, "Bend over."

Moaning, I did as he ordered. Looking up in the mirror, I watched his lust darkened eyes as they ran over my ass. I pushed my hips back towards him as he reached into the drawer and pulled out the lube and a condom. The coolness of the lube felt amazing against the heat of his hands as he spread my cheeks. I closed my eyes as I felt two fingers penetrate and begin to stretch me.

"Look at me when I'm fuckin' you," Jasper demanded and I looked into the mirror to see his eyes trained on the movement of his fingers. I pushed back against them, needing more friction and reached down to take my cock in hand again. He slapped my hand away and growled, "No touching. You're goin' to cum from my cock alone."

He added a third finger and brushed up against my prostate. When I cried out and clenched around his fingers, he smirked at me in the mirror and said, "Oh Edward, I'm going to fuck you so hard." After a few more brushes of his fingers against my sweet spot, I started begging.

"Please, baby. I need you," I moaned out pitifully. His eyes caught mine in the mirror as he leaned over my back to nip at my earlobe.

"Ready?" he asked softly, a bit of insecurity playing across his face. Until now, our lovemaking had always been slow and gentle. I knew he was asking for permission and I nodded.

"Fuck me, Jasper. Hard," I hissed out, knowing my words would push him to let go of his worries and take me as he wanted. He bit my shoulder gently and then reached down to grab the condom. After he sheathed himself he grabbed the lube and coated his erection liberally. Jasper took his cock in hand and when I felt him at my entrance, he pushed in slowly. When he was fully seated within me, he reached down to grab my hips and pulled me back against him.

I moaned loudly as he began to move, his hard dick brushing against my prostate with each forceful thrust. I bent over further to adjust the angle and felt him penetrate deeper. Tilting my head up, I watched as he lost himself to the sensations and increased the pace. "Fuckin' hell Edward, you feel so fuckin' good… so tight, so warm," he ground out, his eyes closing as he concentrated. My cock was throbbing and I reached down again to give myself some relief.

Jasper must have felt the movement of my arm and I gasped as his eyes opened and he glared at me. "What did I fuckin' tell you, babe? Mine…" he snarled and placed my hand back on the edge of the counter top.

He continued to pound into me and I began to lose control, overwhelmed by the feeling of his body pressing into mine. I began to plead incoherently, "Please… baby…harder."

Jasper moaned and increased his pace yet again while reaching around to tweak my nipple hard with his fingers. I cried out at the mix of pain and pleasure. Our eyes locked in the mirror and I was stunned to realize that he was right, I was going to cum and he hadn't even touched me. I felt my abdominal muscles begin to tighten and knew I was close. "Jasper…" I cried wantonly, wanting him to cum with me. I began meeting his thrusts with a hard backwards push of my hips and felt his grip on me tighten.

"Fuck yes…" he hissed, leaning over my back and placing open mouth kisses on my shoulder blades as he tweaked my nipple again. "Fuckin' cum, Edward. I'm so fuckin' close babe," he moaned out. When I felt his teeth bite down on the nape of my neck, I lost it and exploded, screaming out with pleasure. I clenched my inner muscles around Jasper's cock and sent him over the edge with me.

We collapsed against the counter, panting for air. Jasper laid his cheek against my back. I'd never been so thoroughly fucked in my entire life and I'd enjoyed every second. Once we'd caught our breath, Jasper pulled out slowly and discarded the condom. He turned me around to face him and kissed me reverently. "You okay?" he whispered when our lips parted.

I stuttered out a laugh and replied, "I'm more than okay, baby. That was fucking amazing." Leaning up against him, I added with a wink, "I think we're going to need to do that again and soon."

Jasper smiled, rolled his eyes, and said, "You're goin' to have to wait. You've already made us late. Now clean up and join me in the shower so we can get out of here." He nodded towards the cupboard below the counter top and I grinned cheekily.

"That's your fault," I teased. "I should make you clean it up," I added with a smirk. I wet a washcloth as Jasper stepped into the shower. Once I'd wiped down the cupboard and tossed the cloth into the hamper, I joined him. We washed each other gently, and I tried to figure out Jasper's plans for the day. "Where are we going?" I asked as he washed my back.

Jasper pushed me under the shower head and replied, "Nope, not tellin'. It's a surprise."

I could tell by his expression that I wasn't going to get it out of him, so I quickly turned my attention to finishing up. Looking over my shoulder at him, I asked quietly, "How's your leg?" This was the first time he'd really put any strain on it and I wanted to make sure he hadn't overdone it.

"Just fine," he reassured, leaning back to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. A few minutes later we were finished and drying off. We walked into the bedroom and I realized that I hadn't seen Cletus since I'd come home. Of course, I'd been pretty distracted but it wasn't like him to disappear like this.

"Where's Cletus?' I asked curiously. I was convinced that the cat was jealous of Jasper after he'd destroyed a pair of Jasper's sneakers, a CD, and a book. Not to mention he'd hacked up a fur ball on Jasper's favorite CPD sweatshirt. When Jasper first moved in I thought they were getting along pretty well, but their relationship had taken an adversarial turn over the past week. I wasn't sure how I'd react if Jasper had gotten rid of my cat. Cletus could be a pain in the ass, but I still loved him.

"Emmett's," he replied nonchalantly as he began pulling on his jeans.

I spun around to look at him and said, "Emmett's? What the hell is he doing over there?"

"We're not goin' to be home this weekend and someone needed to take care of him. Alice is goin' to some dance this weekend, so Emmett was the only other choice. He can't be drivin' over here every day so he took him to his place," Jasper related with a shrug.

"We're not going to be home?" I asked in confusion.

"Nope, we're bustin' out of this joint and goin' on a mini road trip," my boyfriend said with a grin.

I grinned back and then stopped, as another thought came to me. "How did you know that I didn't have to work this weekend?" I asked suspiciously.

"I have my ways, Edward. I have my ways. Now, get dressed so we can go already," he demanded, looking ready to jump out of his skin with anticipation. I was excited as well at the thought of time away with my partner, but I was also exhausted. And to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was up to a long car ride. I got dressed though and sat down at the end of the bed as Jasper hauled out a suitcase that he'd evidently already packed.

He looked over at me and sighed. Sitting down next to me he leaned his head against my shoulder and said, "It's only a couple of hours drive and you can sleep the whole way. I just wanted to get you away from everythin' for a couple of days. Are you up to it?" he asked quietly. "Once we get where we are goin' we can just relax. I'm not plannin' on runnin' us around like crazy," he reassured.

I kissed the top of his head and replied, "Ignore me, Jasper. That sounds wonderful. I'm just tired. I'm sure I'll love whatever you have planned."

He rose from the bed and pulled me up with him, giving me a gentle kiss. "Let's go then. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can start our weekend of R & R." He stepped away and gathered up the suitcase and a duffle bag. I grabbed the keys and my phone and we locked up the apartment and headed out to the garage. Jasper loaded the suitcase into the trunk and put the duffle bag in the back seat. Once we were settled, he started the car and we took off.

He headed towards the highway, but pulled off at a Starbuck's first to collect a coffee for him and a chai latte for me. As we waited for our drinks in the drive-thru, he pulled out his iPhone and plugged it into the car stereo. Thumbing through the menu, he selected a play list and I was surprised to hear soft classical music begin to pour out of the speakers – Jasper was more of a classic rock, country music type of guy. I glanced over at him and he smiled shyly. "I figured this would help you to relax," he offered as he collected the drinks from the person manning the drive-thru. He placed them in the cup holders and pulled forward. Reaching behind him, he pulled a small pillow out from the duffle bag and handed it to me. "Put the seat back and try to get some sleep, babe. I'll wake you when we get there."

I made myself comfortable as Jasper got onto the freeway, took a sip of my latte, and placed it back in the cup holder. Turning in the seat so that I faced him, I whispered drowsily, "I love you, baby."

I felt his hand brush across my forehead softly and lost myself to the feel of his touch and the soothing sounds of the classical music. The last words I heard before I passed out were, "Love you too, babe. So much."


A/N2: As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated! Until next Sunday... :)