Hey everyone! I know this story has been done for a while now, but this outtake is especially for CentauRita, who went through all 45 chapters of this and reviewed every single one. Really. That's dedication, and she made me smile, so I wrote her her very own chapter. Enjoy!


EPOV

I wake up earlier than usual for a Saturday, probably due to the fact that the space beside me on the bed is cold. I open my eyes, searching for my husband of two years, not finding him in the room. I sit up and stretch before getting up to see where he's gone off to. I walk downstairs into the kitchen, looking out the window and seeing him perched on the porch swing, sans shirt in the cool breeze of spring, staring out at the horizon. I pour us each a cup of coffee before going to join him. "Morning," he murmurs, putting an arm around me as I snuggle up beside him.

"Morning," I reply, kissing him softly before resting my head against his shoulder. "You're up early," I remark. "How long have you been awake?"

He nods, shrugging. "Not that long. Had a dream, and couldn't sleep after."

I frown. "A nightmare? Why didn't you wake me up?"

He smiles a little. "No, not a nightmare. It wasn't bad at all."

"Then why couldn't you sleep?" He shrugs silently, his fingers drawing light patterns on my arm as he stares at nothing with a look I've come to know. "You've got your thinking face on," I tell him. "What's that about?"

He sighs softly. "It was just a weird dream, that's all. It was about us."

"Was there something wrong in your dream?" I probe gently, trying to figure out what's gotten into him.

He shakes his head. "No, nothing wrong. Just…different."

I kiss his cheek lightly, growing more concerned. "Come on, you know you can tell me, whatever it is. What's wrong?"

He hesitates. "Well, it was…more than just us. People who…don't exist yet."

"Are you saying we had kids in your dream?" I ask. He nods slowly. "What's wrong with that?"

He sighs. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong with it. I guess I've just been thinking about it a lot lately. I know it's something we talked about once. I know it's something you want."

"And is it still something that you want?" I ask. "We don't have to have them now, or ever, if you don't want to."

Jasper thinks for a moment. "I do still want to have kids with you," he says quietly. "It's just…There's so much involved. So much to think about. So much that could happen. And once we start, there's no going back. Up until relatively recently, I couldn't even take care of myself. How am I going to take care of someone else? And what if I screw up? Babies are so….small, and helpless. What if I hurt them? And…" he pauses, having to take a breath. "I guess it's just a little scary."

I wrap my arms tighter around his waist. "We don't have to do anything until you're ready to," I tell him gently. "But I understand why it scares you. I think it's a little scary for anyone. But you're not who you used to be. You've grown so much. And you won't have to do it all alone. You're right; it is a lot of work, and a lot of risk. But we'd be in it together, like always. We'd make it work."

He looks at me hesitantly. "You…really think I'd be good at it?"

I smile at him. "I think, whenever you decide you're ready, you'll be an excellent father."

He thinks for a long time. "I think…" he says finally, "I think I'd be ready…If you were."

"Baby, are you sure? I don't want you to say you're ready because you think it's what I want."

He smiles. "I'm not. I really think I'm ready. As long as I have you, I can do anything."

I grin, softly pressing my lips to his. "And you'll always have me, so you don't have to worry. And Jasper?"

"Hmm?"

"Happy anniversary."

He chuckles softly. "Happy anniversary, love. What are we doing today?" he asks before yawning.

He knows I have secret plans I haven't told him about, and I know he has some of his own, but right now all I want to do is be with him. "First? Getting you back to bed." He laughs, allowing me to pull him up from the swing and back upstairs. I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him down to the bed with me.


JPOV

Why is adopting a child so hard? Everybody's always complaining that we have so many kids in orphanages that we don't know what to do with, but adopting one of them is so complicated and takes so long, not to mention that half of the agencies think that Edward and I are an abomination, so that rules them out. I sigh, resting my head on the desk, and it's all I can do to keep from banging against it. Edward comes up behind me, wrapping his arms around my neck. "I take it your research is not going well."

I nod. "It's not. We'll be ancient by the time we even start! And that's after we can find an agency who doesn't hate us."

He chuckles, kissing the back of my neck softly. "Come on, take a break." I allow him to pull me over to the couch, snuggling up with him. "So what have you found so far?" he asks.

"That I think I know why we have so many kids waiting to be adopted. It's because the agencies won't let anyone adopt them unless you pay thousands of dollars and wait twenty years and are a perfect heterosexual family," I mumble against his neck.

He laughs softly. "I guess that kind of rules us out, huh?" I nod, feeling myself start to relax the way only Edward can make happen. "You know," he says, I've been doing some research of my own."

I look up at him. "Really? Did you find anything?"

He nods slowly. "Well, I know we said it doesn't really matter if our child is biologically ours, but it still could be, right? We could find a surrogate. And it might be…easier for them?"

"Easier?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Well, I was adopted, and don't get me wrong, I love my new family, but it was kind of hard growing up knowing I had another family somewhere, even if they weren't good people. Like when you go to the doctor's office and they ask if something runs in your family, and you don't know. Or when you go through biology and do those squares where you have to put if your parents have blue or brown eyes, and you can't remember and you can't ask anyone. It wasn't always easy. Whatever child we have will be different enough with us as parents. And if adoption is going to be so much hassle, why not make it ours?"

I nod slowly, considering this. "I guess it would be simpler if it was ours." I hesitate, not wanting to ask the question that's bothering me. "Edward, do you think it'll be…too hard on it?"

He frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Well, like you said, having two dads will make it different, no matter how we have one. Do you think it'll be bad for them because of us?"

He shakes his head, hugging me a little tighter. "No, I don't think so. I mean, things are different now than they were when we were kids. People are more open now. And yeah, they might still feel a little different. But every kid feels a little different sometimes. That's just childhood."

I nod. "I guess you're right. It's just…a lot to think about."

"It is, but I think we'll get through it. So what do you think? Should we check out surrogacy?"

I smile at him. "Yeah, I think we should."


EPOV

Jasper and I have been sitting on this couch in the office for hours now, screening women who might carry our future child. We're supposed to be writing notes, but as the time drags on, Jasper's focus starts to wane with his patience, and he's moved from drawing frowny faces next to the names of the women who made a face when they saw us to full out doodling on his page. I can hardly blame him; none of the women we've seen so far have been anything too inspiring. Before we call for the next one, I reach over and poke him, chuckling when he jumps. "How are those notes coming?" I tease gently.

He laughs. "About as well as these interviews. I'm pretty sure everyone we've seen just wants a paycheck. How many more do we have?"

"Just a few more, I promise. Then we can go home and…do other things."

He glares at me playfully. "That's not helping me focus, you know. Except now I'm thinking about completely inappropriate things."

I chuckle. "Patience, love. Here, you can even pick which one we see next." He looks over the three names not crossed off on our list before pointing to one. "Melody Adams?" I call. Slowly, the door opens to reveal a young woman who smiles when she sees us. "It's nice to meet you Ms. Adams," I say.

"Please, call me Mel. Everybody does," she replies brightly as she takes a seat. "It's nice to meet you too."

Jasper looks up at her cheerful tone, and I can tell he's interested. "We have a couple of questions for you," I say. She nods, waiting. "Firstly, why are you interested in being a surrogate?"

She smiles. "I can have kids, but I know how hard it is for couples who can't. My sister couldn't, and she had the hardest time. This is something I can do to help other people who can't."

"Do you have a problem with helping a gay couple?"

She shakes her head. "Nope. Have they really been giving you people who do?"

Jasper snorts, turning his paper around to show her all the frowny faces. "Uh-huh."

She laughs. "Well I'm terribly sorry about that. No, I have no problem with it."

I smile. "Good to hear." She passes all the usual questions with flying colors. "Well," I say finally, "Do you have any questions for us?"

She thinks for a moment. "Why do you want to have a child?"

Jasper looks at me before answering. "We love each other very much. We've had to go through a lot to get here, and now we just want to share our love with someone else."

Mel smiles. "I think that's the best reason I've ever heard."

I look down at the list, noticing the one final name we haven't called yet. When I point it out to Jasper, he groans. "Do we have to?" he asks. "I've already decided."

Mel and I both laugh. "I guess we don't have to then," I reply, which makes him smile.

"Good, because clearly I picked the best one on the list. So let's go home and do…other things."

I smile. "Alright then. Mel? It looks like we'll be in touch."


JPOV

Once all the final paperwork goes through, Edward and I sit in another office, to do probably the weirdest thing either of us has ever done. A nurse beckons us into a room in the back to explain things. "Have you decided which of you is going to father the child?" she asks.

I look at Edward. "We thought we'd both try and just…see what happens," he explains.

She nods. "Alright then. You'll be in rooms five and six. There's a collection cup on the counter. When you're done ring the buzzer and someone will come get you. Right this way." She ushers us into our rooms, closing the door behind us. I look around the room, going to sit down in the chair before thinking of all the other men who've used this room and deciding against it. There's the cup thing on the counter, and…what is that? Are those dirty magazines? Is it really someone's job to put those out? I wonder if whoever does it is just really sick of sex by the end of the day. Wait, why am I thinking about this? Focus Jasper! Maybe I could if this wasn't so similar to that scene from the Matrix, the one with the little robot worm thing. Ugh, okay, this is weird. I can't do this.

Just as I'm starting to freak out, there's a soft knock on the door. "Jasper, open up, it's me." I open the door to find Edward standing there. He lets himself in before locking the door again. "I thought you might be freaking out," he says, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I kind of was, actually," I admit. "This is so weird! I don't know if I can do this." But even as I say it, I can feel myself relaxing against him. He kisses my neck softly. "Edward, what are you doing?" I manage.

"Helping," he says, as if it should be obvious.

"I don't think this was the way they…intended for this to go…"

He chuckles. "I'm improving on their design. Relax."

I pull him closer. "Not like I can help it…with you and your voodoo magic."

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Voodoo magic?"

I grin. "Yes."

He shrugs, kissing me softly. "I can live with that." Slowly, he trails kisses around my neck, his fingers finding the button on my jeans.

"Ed…ward," I manage, "We're going to get in so much trouble for this…"

He chuckles softly. "No one has to know, Jazz."

He manages to push my jeans and boxers to the floor in one swift motion, moving behind me. I gasp softly as I feel his teeth at my neck, his long fingers wrapping around my length. I can't help the low moan the escapes me as he give one long, slow stroke, leaning back against him for support. It isn't very long before he has me whimpering softly, teetering on the edge. "Jasper, love?" he laughs. "You might want to get that cup." But I don't have the focus to get it, so he reaches around with his free hand, just barely positioning it in time. When I'm done he sets it down again, holding me against him. "More fun that way, don't you think?" he teases.

I turn towards him, laughing. "Much more. But you know what's even better?" He shrugs and I grin. "Getting to return the favor."

A while later, with both cups filled, we call for someone to bring us back. The nurse who appears raises an eyebrow at us, her eyes traveling over the side of my neck, where I'm sure the imprint of Edward's teeth is still visible. She says nothing about it though, and soon we're back in the car, heading home. Edward looks over at me. "Do you think she knew?"

I laugh. "She knew."


EPOV

Together, we sit with Mel in a white room, awaiting the prognosis. They've already done every test known to man, and they're taking forever to tell us what's going on. Though he looks calm and collected, Jasper's knee bounces up and down nervously. When the brush of white coat slips through the door, he freezes. There is silence for a moment while the doctor stares down at her chart. "Well?" Jasper asks hesitantly.

The doctor takes a breath. "Well, according to all of our tests…" She suddenly breaks out into a grin. "Congratulations. You're pregnant."

Mel claps, turning and hugging us both. Jasper seems to melt into his chair, tired of waiting. "Do you feel better now?" I ask him.

He laughs. "Not really. Now we have nine more months of waiting to deal with."

I nudge him lightly. "Try to keep it together until then, okay?"

"No guarantees," he teases.


Well there you have it folks. CentauRita, I hope I did you proud. And if anyone else has an idea they wanna see, feel free to let me know!

Love,

TheSongSmith