A/N: The Twilight characters and world belong to Stephanie Meyer. Period.

This story is rated M for language, adult situations, themes, and lemons. If these things make you uncomfortable, please don't read. No one under 18 please.

Thanks to RemyKilday and Siobhan2006 for pre-reading.

Thanks to my Schwoogie-Muffin, HammerHips, for being exactly that. SCHWOOGIE-MUFFIN!

Chapter 35: Sun Shine

It's a new day
It's a bright day
Even when you stand in the dark
It's just that
You've been broken into fifty pieces
Today is gone
I'm the only light that you see
You need someone
I know all you needed was me

-"Sunshine" by All American Rejects

Jasper POV

I couldn't ask her.

She'd come home manhandled and bruised and worried about how I'd react… and I'd jumped down her throat without thinking…

Not to mention the fact that I completely chickened the fuck out.

We didn't fool around that night, but Sage did come in and lay with me for a while before going back to her own bed. I could tell the day had drained her and I worried that she'd start shutting me out again, but I was pleasantly surprised Friday morning when I woke up to her kissing my neck and rubbing my back.

"Hi." I mumbled.

"Hi." She answered quietly.

"What time is it?"

"Just after seven." She sighed and I groaned. "I wanted to spend some time with you before I had to leave for therapy."

I groaned again, this time in disappointment at the reminder, before I rolled over and deposited her on her side of the bed. I rolled to face her and pulled her to me, tucking her head under my chin and breathing in her sweet berry scent.

"I don't want you to go to O and E." I muttered sadly. "It was hell last time."

She snickered into my chest. "Jas, we weren't even together last time I had O and E."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure there was a point in there somewhere, but I don't see it."

She burrowed in closer. "You going to miss me?"

"I may die from it." I mumbled. It was half-true. I wasn't sure how I was going to survive.

"You wouldn't go and do that…" she sighed, craning her neck to kiss my mouth. "You wouldn't leave me alone to deal with Emmett."

I growled playfully and she laughed as I attacked her mouth, nipping, biting, sucking… I had to get it all in now, because Emmett was dropping her off at the Mental Health Clinic and she'd go straight from therapy with Doctor Cullen to her room in the ward.

I'd wanted to be slow, savor the moment, but I realized Sage had other plans when her hand slipped inside my sweats and squeezed.

"Fuck, Sage…" I groaned as she began long, languid strokes that were sending shockwaves through me.

"What? You're the only one allowed to touch?"

"No… I just… Oh… fuck!" I moaned. I couldn't form a coherent thought. My beautiful girl was stroking me, pumping me and I couldn't concentrate on telling her that I wanted to make her feel good when she was making me feel fucking incredible.

Now don't get me wrong here, I'm a guy, and masturbation comes with the territory, but Sage's hand on my dick was something otherworldly. I'd never been able to make myself feel as good as she did and I swore if I could bottle that feeling and sell it, I'd be set for life.

"Shit." I mumbled. "Sage… I'm close…" I tried to squirm out of her grasp, but she threw a leg over my hip to keep me in place and before I could do much more than thrust into her hand a few times, I was grunting and swallowing the moans as I climaxed into her hand. "Evil." I mumbled, pressing my lips to her forehead. "I had plans for you this morning and you just shot them all to hell."

"Mmmm… You think I didn't plan that?"

"Did you?"

"I want you to miss me."

"I would've missed you anyway."

"I haven't touched you in a few days… I wanted you to have a fresh memory."

"Evil." I sighed again, running my tongue along her bottom lip. "Just fucking evil."

She smiled and climbed out of bed to go wash her hands while I laid there and attempted to calm myself down.

When she was finished in the bathroom, she came back and climbed into my arms to kiss me long and slow. "Peter's coming down Monday." I groaned when she released my lips. "He says I obviously need to get back into shape if a little girl was able to trap me in a barn."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Seriously?" and then the corner of her mouth hitched up. "You seem to be in good shape to me." Her short nails raked down my chest and over my stomach, making me twitch as it tickled.

"Yeah." I rolled my eyes. "He's planning on dragging me on a road march."

I hated road marches. A seventy-five pound pack on my back and a five mile run. In combat boots. Peter's insane.

"So you're not picking me up on Monday." It wasn't a question. Her face fell and she began plucking at my shirt.

"You're kidding me, right?" I asked incredulously. "Of course I'm picking you up. I'll go with Peter after we get you back home…" I pulled her lips back to mine. "I may not be allowed to drop you off and give you a proper goodbye, but I'll be damned if I don't give you a proper hello." She gave me a half-smile and I sighed as she melted into me. "I miss you already."

"Don't do that." She chastised. "Don't start that now."

"I can't help it." I whined. "I want you here, with me. And I'm tired of having to hide out from Emmett, but I understand why." I added the last part in a rush because she'd opened her mouth to lay into me. I lightly stroked my fingers up and down her sides. "You should be able to sleep in my bed… and kiss me whenever… and not have to worry about your brother walking in."

We made out for another hour, saying goodbye as best we could, until she had to get up and get moving for the day. She'd packed the night before, thankfully, and only had to shower and get dressed before she was back in my room again kissing me one last time.

I watched her go from the front door, waving goodbye and trying to tell her with my eyes how much I'd miss her. Her look mirrored my own as she waved at me over the dashboard and then Emmett reversed out of his space and they were gone.

I sighed and headed back into the house, grabbed my phone, and dialed Peter.

"Fucker." He greeted me.

"You busy?"

"Depends."

"I have business to attend to… and I think I could use you."

There was a sound like he was sucking his teeth and then, "Misery Business?"

I snorted. Clearly Charlotte had been listening to Paramore. Sage had gotten her into the band.

"You could say that." I answered.

He groaned. "You gonna fill me in before or after I get my ass down there?"

"I'll tell you when you get here. I don't want you runnin' off half-cocked to do it yourself."

There was silence for a moment. "Who did what to her?"

I smiled. It was the first time his weird little psycho-gift didn't freak me out… mainly because it was common knowledge that I'd only ever fly off the handle for Sage.

"Just get down here." I sighed. "I'll see you in an hour." I knew he'd come. He thought of Sage as a sister, there was no way he wouldn't come.

And unlike her real brother, Peter and I would deal with the source, instead of with Sage.

An hour and a half later, Peter pulled into the parking spot Sage's Bug used to occupy and hopped out of his truck and up the steps to where I was sitting, waiting and smoking.

His eyes were glinting maliciously as he asked, "Did you enjoy your first taste?" I cocked an eyebrow at him and tried to keep the embarrassment out of my cheeks.

"Of what?" I asked innocently.

He smirked. "Of cherry pie." He answered and I couldn't help but blush. "Shit, now I'm gonna have to start talking you through all this shit."

"Really? Who talked you through it all?" I challenged.

"No one, but I had the balls to do it myself. You won't. You're too scared to lose her and you'll freeze up."

I was only mildly offended by that. It was probably true. I stubbed out my cigarette and stood. "Let's go." We climbed into my truck and he allowed me to get us onto the highway before I told him what was going on.

"So Michael saved the day, huh? You OK with that?"

"I don't wish the guy was dead or anything, Pete. And how can I not be glad he was there to step in?" he shrugged. "Am I absolutely thrilled that he came back into her life, however briefly? No." I admitted guiltily. It was something I could never tell Sage. I could never bring myself to look into her eyes if she were to know how truly jealous of Michael I was.

When I'd asked about their intimacy, it'd been fairly open-ended, and she hadn't felt the need to elaborate. I knew, at some point, possibly the morning our cars had been vandalized, that he'd had his hands on her…

In her?

And I didn't like to think of that. It made me want to punch something to think of someone else making her moan, smiling at that soft little "Ah!" she gave as came. I wanted those sounds, the look on her face, everything to be only for me.

"So…" Peter looked as though he were struggling with his conscience. "Are we scaring today or…" he trailed off to let me draw my own conclusions. It also couldn't be considered conspiracy if we didn't actually say it.

"We're not going to kill him. But I want him to understand he won't ever fucking touch her again." I answered quietly as I pulled the truck into the parking garage and parked. He followed me out and I immediately headed toward the Math building, knowing James would probably be there. From what I'd heard, it was his normal spot.

Peter went down the alley between buildings and I heard him call out, "Hey, you James King?"

"Who's askin'?"

I heard a rough thump and strode down the alley to where Peter had the lowlife pinned against the wall of the Math building. His eyes caught mine before raking over my face and he sneered.

"How's the Cherry? Sam go home and mount you so I wouldn't get the opportunity?"

Peter's eyes flashed to mine for a second and we were both thinking the same thing: Sam?

He seemed to cotton on not to show confusion though and turned back to James. I'd explain later. Obviously Sage had been too scared to use her real name in the event James kept a little black book… Sage was just too uncommon.

"You just gonna stand there?" he asked me. "I've had my ass kicked before, Gents, let's get a move-on. I've got product to sell."

Peter yanked him forward by the front of his shirt, spun him, and slammed him against the opposite wall. As he made to lunge, I clapped a hand over his mouth and forced his head back against the brick, with my opposite forearm pinning him by the neck.

"You. Don't. Touch. Her. Again." I whispered dangerously. "I will kill you next time."

But as I stared at him—while he smirked beneath my hand—a sense of nausea overcame me. I knew him from somewhere, sometime before that night at the club. I racked my brain, trying to place his face and it dawned on me:

Siblings… two brothers as different in appearance as Emmett and Sage. Light and dark. Boisterous and quiet. Good and evil.

King.

That was the key to it all.

"Fucking hell…" I murmured quietly. "You're Royce's brother. Jimmy." He simply grinned beneath my hand. "Peter," I called over my shoulder. "Call the police."

"Jasper, I don't—"

"Call the fucking police!" I yelled and I heard him fumbling for his phone. I turned back to James. "You're the one who told Royce where to find Rose…" his eyes told me that it was the truth. "How long have you been watching her?" I removed my hand but kept him pinned at the neck.

He smiled maliciously. "Since they put Royce away… I followed her here… And I told him where to find her." He licked his lips. "I was supposed to get the Cherry for all my hard work." I yanked him forward and slammed him back against the wall and he grunted as his head smacked against the bricks. "But that little cunt killed my brother."

"He had it coming." I growled.

"Police are on their way."

James simply smirked. "Don't worry, Jasper… you'll all be consumed in the cleansing fire soon enough."

What the…

"I knew it!" Peter yelled. "I knew it!" he shoved me out of the way and punched James. "You think that little bitch of yours is gonna come after us again? You're wrong, Asshole, the police picked her up this morning right as she was about to cross into Nevada!" he punched James again.

Well hell, glad to know Peter's keeping me informed!

The color drained from James' face immediately. "Where the fuck is Alice? Where is she?" he screamed and Peter clapped his hand over his mouth to muffle the screams spewing forth.

"Nice to know I've got all the info, Pete." I snarled.

"It slipped my mind in the clusterfuck of this bastard's doings with Sage." He shot me a grim look. "But they got her… She was spouting nonsense about the cleansing fire and you and how her savior would come for her… The police wanted to talk to you and Sage but I told 'em it'd have to wait 'til next week."

By the time the police arrived, James was in a bad way, but the amount of product he was carrying made it so we needed very little explanation. Peter explained that James had been hassling my girlfriend, had gotten rough with her, and was threatening her… that coupled with the drugs was enough to at least get him arrested and held for a while, though I couldn't be sure how long.

"Well," Peter sighed. "Let's go pick Sage up."

"It's Friday." I checked my watch. "She'll have just gotten on the ward now. She has until Monday."

"I don't think this can wait, Jasper." He shook his head. "Not now. Not anymore. You've got a full-blown fuckin' conspiracy here! Alice tried to kill you… on his orders… because Rosalie got his brother put away and because Sage killed him."

"Sage didn't kill anyone!" I snarled.

He shook his head. "Say it, phrase it, paint it how you want, but you know she pulled the trigger… She felt that recoil… she was covered in his blood as much as her own." His tone was placating, his head was down, and his hands were up in surrender, but he was still saying what he felt I needed to hear. "And you know, deep down, that there's no other way to put it other than she killed him. Otherwise, you'd have never let her blemish her skin with those tallies." I glared at him and he glared back and we stood in silence for several moments before he finally said, "I had to shoot a fuckin' horse, Jasper." His voice broke at the end. "I have never had to kill a horse… so we need to do everything we can to make sure that what happened to the horses… what happened to you… what happened to Rose… that has to be the end."

I took a deep breath and nodded.

Sage POV

"Did you think anymore on inviting Jasper to the family sessions?" Doctor Cullen asked me as I sat and stared off into space.

I blinked and looked at him. "No."

"Mind if I ask why?"

I shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"It does if you think it does." I rolled my eyes and he smiled.

"I'm not ready to share the messy stuff with him." I blushed and thought of a better way to word it, even though Doctor Cullen made no indication he caught the euphemism. "I'm not ready for Jasper to hear what I have to say…"

"You're angry with him."

"Kind of." I took a deep breath. "Mostly… I just want him to talk to me about what happened in Iraq. I know there was more going on than what he wanted me to believe… And when I found out about the IED… It just sort of opened a floodgate, you know? It made me wonder what else he was keeping from me. If he was ever in danger another time and just didn't tell me, I think I need to know…" I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. "I think I earned it… He tells me everything else." And then a thought occurred to me. "I want him to tell me how his mother died."

"He's never told you?" I shook my head, my eyes falling to my lap. Doctor Cullen leaned forward, pressing his hands together and balancing his chin on his knuckles. "Why do you find it so difficult to communicate this need with Jasper?"

I groaned and the buzzer went off as though I'd timed it that way. I made to stand, but Doctor Cullen held up a hand.

"I think we can be a little late to Group. Say what you were going to say."

"I guess…" I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I just wrote to him for too long… We never fought when we were writing to each other, so maybe I just never learned how to fight with him…" I thought a moment. "I don't like fighting with him… and I know that a lot of guys who come back from a hostile zone don't want to talk about it."

"Do you feel that knowledge compounds with your insecurity in communicating what you want from him?"

"Shit." I blushed. "Sorry. I think I was channeling our friend, Peter." He gave me an indulgent smile. "I don't know… maybe?"

"Would you feel more comfortable writing it down?"

"Come again?" I asked.

What's he want me to do? Put it on a sticky note for my file?

"In letter form. To Jasper." He cocked his head to the side. "Would you feel more comfortable expressing it in a letter?"

I had to think on that. "Maybe… Possibly… Oh, shit, you're giving me Therapy Homework, aren't you?"

Shame. I liked Doctor Cullen for his lack of homework.

He simply smiled at me. "More like… a project. You don't have to do it while you're here… and you can take as much time as you need to express what you need to… but yes, I think you should try it."

Fuck.

"If you're not comfortable with it, we could do a more intensive analysis."

Doctor Cullen had pulled that one on me before... with Emmett.

Fuck.

"Just because one joint session went well doesn't mean another one would be a good idea." I slumped.

"Why do you say that?"

I groaned. "Because Jasper and I don't play well with others."

"Peter and Charlotte?"

"Peter tries to fix us individually… not us."

"Ah. I see."

I sighed. "I'll give the letter a shot…" and then a thought struck me. "I don't have to give him the letter… do I?"

"Only if you want to." He assured me, standing. I stood as well and grabbed my bag. "Come on. It's too late to get you to your room, so we'll just get you to Group and worry about getting you on the ward later." He opened the door and followed behind me as I exited the office.

"Doctor Cullen!" a nurse called from the front desk. "Sage McCarty has a visitor."

We exchanged glances and I shrugged my shoulders.

Who the hell would come and visit without an invite?

Doctor Cullen escorted me out to the waiting area and my eyes immediately locked on Jasper and Peter.

Before I could get too close, Doctor Cullen took my arm and pulled me aside. "I thought you didn't invite him for Group."

"I didn't…" I was watching Jasper watch me. He seemed on edge. "Please don't mention it, Doctor Cullen. He'll be hurt."

Doctor Cullen sighed. "Alright… but I am wholly against lying."

"Omitting." I corrected.

"Lie of omission." He corrected me and I slumped. "Don't try that on me, Sage. Remember?" I nodded and we approached Jasper and Peter.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked as Jasper leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"There's been a development." Peter grumbled. He was glancing anxiously around the room and his eyes kept going back to a schizophrenic woman in the corner who was talking to herself. "They caught Alice… and we need to go down to the police station. They need to talk to you and Jasper." His eyes were back on the woman and he gave a shudder.

"Can't it wait? I've got Group?" I jerked my thumb over my shoulder, indicating the steel doors of the ward.

"I don't think so, Sage." Jasper replied, his eyes locked on Doctor Cullen.

"I'm sorry, where are my manners?" Doctor Cullen extended his hand. "Carlisle Cullen. Sage's Psychiatrist."

"Jasper Whitlock. Sage's boyfriend."

"Nice to meet you."

"And you."

Jasper seemed uneasy and nervous, but for reasons other than the schizoid in the corner.

"Doctor Cullen, I'm sorry to be doing this, and I know Sage needs to be here for her O and E, but—" the steel doors opened and several patients in my Group exited with their family and significant others. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, because I knew what Jasper was thinking.

"It's alright, Jasper. You need to provide as much help to the police as possible." Doctor Cullen tried to pick up the dropped subject. "Sage can skip O and E this month. I think we're OK enough for that." He tried to smile encouragingly.

We are?

Shit.

Why do I feel like I'm about to be executed?

Seeming to pick up on my shift in comfort, Doctor Cullen took me by the arm and led me away from them. "Sage, is there something I need to know?"

I gave a dark laugh. "Jasper doesn't take to kindly to being kept in the dark… and I have a feeling that not only not being told, but having to see that I kept this from him… There's going to be an argument."

"Only an argument?"

"Yes." I sighed. "Jasper would never hurt me, Doctor Cullen. You don't have to worry about that."

He sighed and appraised me for several moments before deciding I was telling the truth. "Alright. But you page me if—"

"If I need you." I finished for him. "And be mindful of my emotional climate, First Do No Harm, To Serve Man is a cookbook, and Oprah is not an alien who landed in Chicago." He smirked and I smiled. "Got it. Thanks, Doctor Cullen."

"Anytime. And Sage?" I turned back to him. "Monday." I nodded.

Jasper and Peter were waiting for me. Peter seemed to be muttering something under his breath to Jasper and as I got closer I caught a snippet of "don't fight with her now or you'll regret it. At least wait 'til you're home and settled for the evening."

I froze, afraid to go any closer because Jasper was almost quaking in anger. When his eyes found me again, he took a deep breath, squared his jaw, and said, "Let's go." And though his voice was hard, he held out his hand and laced his fingers with mine before pulling my hand up to kiss my knuckles.

"Jazz, about—"

"We'll talk about it later." He said quietly, guiding me into the truck. I made to climb into the back, but he immediately pulled my into my usual spot while Peter climbed into the back of the cab. "Emmett and Rose should be on the way to Forks by now." He commented.

I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. "I guess you get me for the weekend after all." He gave me a half-smile, but didn't comment. "Pete? You said they caught Alice?"

"Yeah, she's being held in a Looney Bin—sorry." He apologized immediately, forgetting that he'd just been to a Psych Clinic to pick me up. "She's being held in a…uh…"

"Psych Ward." I supplied.

"Yeah! Right… the… the…"

"Psych Ward, Peter. Say it. Psych Ward." Jasper deadpanned. "You're not going to offend her by saying it."

"I can't fucking say it! OK? I just can't!"

"Why not?" I asked.

He took a deep breath. "Because you're not fucking crazy and I do NOT get why you of all people need to be in a fuckin' Psych Ward with people who talk to themselves, roll shit balls, and lick walls! And I'm not gonna understand it so back the fuck off!"

I turned in my seat to watch him scrunched into the corner of the cab, his arms crossed, staring out the small side window.

"Pete? What's wrong?"

"Nothin'."

"Bullshit."

He sighed. "Maybe seein' the people there made it more real to me… but you're not crazy… and you spend your days in that place. You spend your free time in a nuthouse."

"It's not a nuthouse! Those are my—"

"If you fuckin' say those are your people, I swear to God, gentleman or not, I will backhand you into next week and kick your ass on Friday!" Peter growled. "Those are not your people!"

I took a deep breath and turned back around, unfastened my seatbelt, and slid over to the opposite end of the cab from Jasper and Peter.

"Sage," Jasper sighed, holding his hand out to me, but I pushed it away and buckled myself in. "Sweetheart, please?" I pressed my forehead against the glass and simply watched the passing scenery for the entire ride to Napa.

End Note: I like reviews. If you like teasers, leave me a review.