A/N: *Peaks head out from behind pile of books* Hello... anyone still there? So I know it's been forever (months) since I updated this. Sorry. For those who don't read "That which Cannot Remain Silent" then you don't know that I moved to another country and started grad school so I've been busy. But I finally found time to write! Thank you all for reading this story and for all of your reviews. Okay, enough rambling from me. Hope this was worth the months long wait!

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all recognisable characters, no infringement is intended. Only the plot is mine.

Chapter Three

To Jasper the rest of the afternoon went by too slow. He took a nap, even though he wasn't tired. He ate dinner, even though he wasn't hungry. And he waited for Edward.

Margaret asked him what was wrong, but he didn't want to tell her what he was doing. He thought that she would warn him not to be cruel and play with Edward's heart. Or maybe he was worried that she would be fine with it. He wasn't sure which was worse.

At 6:30 he heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. Before his parents could ask him who it was, or even more humiliating, ask Edward in to talk, he grabbed his coat and rushed out the door to meet Edward.

"Hi," he said as soon as Edward had opened the door. Edward shut the car door and looked up at Jasper.

"Hello."

"Ready to walk?" Edward nodded and they walked side by side into the woods behind the house. Once they entered the woods, they began to walk along the edge of the tree line.

"How was the rest of your day?" Edward asked.

"Long," Jasper answered. He pulled his sweater tighter around him, blocking out the light breeze. Briefly he considered putting the jacket on, but with the sun still out, Jasper didn't want to get too hot, or seem like he overreacted to wind.

"Mine too," Edward said. He turned his head to watch Jasper, a small smile playing on his lips.

"What did you do?"

"Oh you know, filled out charts, set a broken arm, told Mrs. O'Neil down the street that yes her husband has to stick to his heart healthy diet and yes I'm aware that the food tastes like shit, no he can't eat a McDonald's burger ever day. The usual." Japer chuckled under his breath and tried to remember who Mrs. O'Neil was. Forks was a small town, and he was convinced he had met everyone even though he couldn't remember anyone's name.

"Which one is Mrs. O'Neil again?" He finally asked after coming up with nothing.

"She's the women who lives across from the church and has the small annoying dog that tries to jump over the fence whenever people pass. The thing causes hell on Sundays." Jasper remembered her now. He especially remembered her dog. His mother felt that it was important for Jasper to make at least one appearance at church. So on Sunday, Jasper reluctantly walked to church with his parents. Jasper hadn't been warned about the dog, though, so when he they walked past the fence and that damned dog jumped up almost to eye level and barked at him, Jasper was scared shitless. He wouldn't walk past the house after that.

"Nice people," Edward continued, "She loves her husband and wants him to be happy. Unfortunately, fast food makes him happy, and she doesn't want to say no to him. She keeps asking if there's something she can put in his food to make it taste like fast food, but still be healthy."

"She probably doesn't appreciate it when you tell her 'fat,' huh," Jasper said. Edward smirked and shook his head.

They fell into silence, walking next to each other, each lost in their own thoughts. Jasper breathed the fresh air, smelling the flowers and trees surrounding them. He loved smelling the cool air and the scents of the forest. It was one of the many things Jasper resented about his illness. He didn't want to lose this feeling, the feeling of being alive and surrounded by the best of nature.

"Jasper?" Edward grasped Jasper's hand to stop him from walking. Jasper tried to pay attention, but all he could focus on was the feeling of Edward's cool hand in his.

"Your hands are cold," Jasper said. He cupped Edward's hand in his own, trying to warm him up.

"Poor circulation. I always have cold hands." Edward's voice was deep and heavy. Jasper looked at Edward, seeing the dark desire in his eyes. Earlier in the kitchen when Edward looked like that, Jasper had been sure that Edward would kiss him. Instead he pulled away and there wasn't another opportunity. Until now.

Before Edward could pull away, Jasper leaned forward and pressed his lips against Edward's. Edward froze against Jasper's assault, but Jasper didn't stop. He tilted his head and opened his lips, trying to deepen the kiss. For a moment, he thought he felt Edward's lips move beneath his, but Edward quickly pushed Jasper away. Jasper tried to kiss him again, but Edward had his hands on his shoulders, holding him away.

Jasper glanced up questioningly at Edward. The kiss had been wonderful; he didn't understand why Edward had pulled away so quickly. His eyes appeared black and his face was strained and tight. Jasper brought his hand to Edward's face and brushed his thumb against his cheek, "Edward, are you okay?"

"I just need to use the restroom," Edward said. His voice sounded odd, cold, and it sent shivers down Jasper's spine. Edward backed away and darted into the forest faster than Jasper thought was possible.

Jasper stood alone in the woods, wondering what had just happened. He couldn't figure out why Edward had acted that way. Had the kiss been that bad? He had thought that Edward was attracted to him, but maybe he just wanted to be his friend. Had Jasper overstepped his boundaries?

After waiting for a few minutes, Jasper sat down on a log. He sighed heavily and leaned his chin on his hand. He wasn't even sure if Edward was still in the woods. All had been silent since Edward had left, and Jasper couldn't imagine anyone being that quiet. Not even a twig snapped, except the ones Jasper stepped on.

"Edward," Jasper called out hesitantly.

"I'm here," Edward said after some time. He sounded fairly close by, so Jasper stood up determined to find him and apologise.

"Where are you?" He walked straight in the direction Edward's voice seemed to come from. He got a few feet before tripping over a hole covered by leaves. Jasper closed his eyes and braced for impact, but instead landed in cold, hard arms. Edward pulled Jasper up against him, and Jasper's breath was taken away from the feel of Edward's chest pressed against his back.

Jasper quickly stepped away, remembering Edward's reaction to the kiss. He didn't want to make Edward uncomfortable or make him leave again. He couldn't explain his attraction to the man. Edward was beautiful, sure, but it was deeper than that. In fact, Edward's beauty nagged at Jasper's mind, he appreciated it, but almost seemed like a warning to stay away. It was Edward himself, how he spoke to Jasper, treated Jasper, that attracted Jasper to him.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked.

"Yes, thank you."

Jasper couldn't seem to look away from Edward. He still felt the adrenaline racing through his veins from his almost fall. Then he realised something, "How did you catch me?"

Edward cocked an eyebrow, "well, I reached out my arms, and— "

"That's not what I meant," Jasper interrupted, "you were far away. I heard you, and your voice was farther away. How did you get here so quickly?"

"I wasn't far away, Jasper, I was just speaking quietly. I was only a few feet away from you and was able to reach you as soon as you tripped."

Jasper wanted to accept that answer, but something about it didn't sound right, "No, the sound wasn't right. You were far away. And I didn't hear you around me."

"It's not important Jasper. I caught you, you're fine, let's continue our walk." Jasper didn't understand why Edward wouldn't tell him the truth. It couldn't be a big deal, he didn't understand Edward's hesitation about telling Jasper what was going on.

"Are you okay?" Jasper asked. Edward had been acting strangely, and it was beginning to unnerve him.

"I'm fine, now."

"Look, I'm sorry that I kissed you. I clearly read the signs wrong, somehow. I won't do it again. You don't have to be mad at me."

"I'm not mad. And…" Edward hesitated before looking Jasper in the eyes, "I did enjoy the kiss. I just… have control… issues. I'm working on them. For you, I'm working on them."

Jasper struggled to understand Edward, but gave up. He nodded and took Edward's hand and began walking again. He couldn't keep the conversation from his mind though, and Jasper's bluntness wouldn't allow him to let Edward off the hook.

"What the hell do you mean when you say 'control issues'? How could kissing be an issue of control?"

Edward halted, and Jasper turned to him. "I can't tell you. Not now."

"Why not?" Jasper insisted, "I want to understand. You liked kissing me, but you need to control yourself before we can kiss again." Edward nodded in affirmative, clearly stressed by this line of questioning. "Okay, but if you need to practice control, shouldn't you practice through experience?" Jasper thought he had finally hit the jackpot with this argument.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you need to practice control to kiss, shouldn't you kiss to get that control?" As an afterthought, Jasper softly muttered, "Debate that doctor."

He saw the smile flit across Edward's face before he composed himself, "that's not really how it works."

"What? That was a flawless argument. Come on, just tell me what's up."

Edward cupped Jasper's face in his hands. He stepped closer to Jasper and dipped his head down to bury his face into Jasper's neck. Edward breathed in deeply, and Jasper relished in feeling Edward's cold breath on his neck.

"I promise I'll tell you some day Jasper," Edward said into his neck, "But I can't. You're not ready."

"Would you stop talking in fucking riddles?" Jasper muttered. He felt Edward smile into his neck, before Edward pulled away and looked at the sky.

"It's dark," Edward said, "you should go inside. You never know what comes out a night."

Jasper snorted, "Please, the dark doesn't scare me. And I stopped being afraid of owls when I was 12."

"That's not what I meant," Edward said, then paused, "Wait. You were afraid of owls?"

"What? No." Jasper quickly denied. He turned his head to hide the blush spreading on his cheeks.

"What's so scary about owls? They're cute."

Jasper whipped around towards Edward, "What's so scary? That noise they make, fucking horrible."

"The hooting?"

"Yes, the hooting. Like a ghost crying. It scared the shit out of me. And don't even get me started on the huge yellow eyes." Jasper shuttered.

"But owls? Most people are afraid of bats."

"Bats are cute, like little mice who fly. And for the record, I'm not scared of owls, I just have a very healthy respect for them."

"Respect?"

"Yes. Anything that can hunt that quietly and swiftly should be respected."

Edward stumbled and braced himself against Jasper. He smiled at Jasper as he straightened himself and they continued walking.

"But the hooting," Edward said, returning to the conversation.

"Oh, God, the hooting," Jasper said, and he continued relaying the horrors of the owl and other animals that he didn't like, Edward's strange behaviour completely forgotten.

Later that night, though, Jasper couldn't forget the day's events. His inquisitive journalist mind kicked in, and he had to get to the bottom of the mystery. He created a mental list with every weird thing that had happened with Edward. He was always cold, though that could be explained with poor circulation. Really, really poor circulation, Jasper amended with a frown.

Next on the list was that Edward never seemed to eat anything, but with the exception of lunch earlier that day, they had never shared a formal meal. Edward was slim; perhaps he managed that by not eating as much as other people. Or maybe he just wasn't hungry whenever they were together.

He was fast. Inexplicably fast. Jasper knew, though it made absolutely no sense, that Edward had been nowhere near him when he had caught him. There was no rational explanation Jasper could think of that would explain how Edward moved so fast.

Finally, there was the odd behaviour Edward had displayed today. He seemed uncomfortable with the kiss, but said he liked it. And he had reacted to the kiss, even if only momentarily. He always tensed up when he got too close to Jasper, and on some occasions he would literally flee from him, like today.

Jasper even noticed, as outrageous as it was, that Edward's hair seemed to match the odd red that he occasionally saw in the woods outside his window.

Nothing made sense, and Jasper couldn't explain it, which pissed him off. There had never been a story he couldn't uncover, a mystery he couldn't crack, and Edward would be no different. Jasper turned over in his bed and vowed that he would figure Edward out, or die trying.

"Are you ready Jasper?" His mother's voice rose up the stairs.

No, Jasper though, but he grabbed a hat and went downstairs so they could leave. It was time for his second appointment with Dr. Cullen. Today they would be going over the tests he had done last week. Edward had called the day before to remind Jasper to have someone drive him this time, in case he got sick.

Jasper agreed, and was pleased that he did, because today was a bad day. Even inch of him hurt, his skin tingled and burned with every touch, and nausea assaulted him every time he moved.

Jasper knew that he looked as bad as he felt as soon as Edward saw him. Jasper hated that a concerned frown marred Edward's beautiful face, but he did enjoy that it was there for him. Edward walked up to him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Are you okay," Edward asked.

"Yeah, just not a good day today."

"If it gets bad let me know."

"Jasper?" Jasper's mother came up behind him and eyed Edward appreciatively.

"Err, mom, this is Dr. Edward Cullen, Dr. Cullen's son. We're um… friends," Jasper said. He didn't know how to introduce Edward to his mother. They hadn't discussed labelling their relationship. It hadn't progressed beyond a few light kisses, and with the limited timetable their relationship was on, boyfriends didn't quite seem right either.

"Hello Edward. It's nice to know that Jasper has made a friend," Margaret said, causing Jasper to blush. It was like he was back in elementary school, bringing a friend home to play for the first time.

"Mrs. Whitlock, it's nice to meet you properly. I've seen you around, but we've never been introduced." Edward placed a hand Jasper's lower back out of the sight of Jasper's mother.

"Oh call me Margaret, dear."

"Margaret," Edward smiled, "I wish we could talk more, but I need to take Jasper back."

Edward led Jasper back to the same room he had been in before. Jasper sat on the patient seat and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. He tried to breathe deeply and control the pain throbbing through his body. He sighed in relief when he felt Edward's cool hand on his forehead.

"Are you sure you're okay, Jasper?"

"Do I look that bad?" Jasper asked, trying to relieve the tension in the room.

"You look like you're in pain."

Jasper let out a bitter laugh, "My body is collapsing in on itself, so yeah, I'm in pain," he immediately regretted his harsh words when he saw the anguish in Edward's eyes. He quickly tried to assure him and see his eyes sparkle again, "but I've had worse, Edward. I'm fine now. I'll be fine."

Edward studied Jasper for several moments before opening his mouth to speak, but at that moment Carlisle knocked on the door and stuck his head in.

"Afternoon Jasper. How are you today?"

"Sucky. And you?" Carlisle chuckled and took out his chart.

"I've been better Jasper. We should get started, there's a lot to talk about today. I know your mother brought you here today, would you like her to sit in on our discussion?"

"No. No, this is my decision. My mom doesn't need any more guilt about what happens to me. I'll let her know later what we talk about."

"That's fine. I thought it might be more comfortable if we discussed this in my office. Would that be okay with you?"

Jasper agreed and Carlisle led him towards his office. As they walked away, Jasper stole a backward glance at Edward, who had headed back to the reception room to see another patient. Jasper wanted Edward in the room, he wanted the comfort and acceptance that Edward gave. Mostly though, no matter how much he didn't want his mother to be burdened with this, Jasper didn't want to do this alone.

"Right in here," Carlisle held open the door to his office and motioned to the seats in front of his desk. Carlisle sat down and opened Jasper's file. He looked up at Jasper, and Jasper knew it wasn't good news. He wasn't expecting good news, but there was still that little sliver of hope that maybe he would get better. That hope was lost.

"It's not good, Jasper," Carlisle said, the regret evident in his eyes.

"I assumed as much." Jasper tried to sound brave and kept his voice as steady as he possible could.

Carlisle looked down and read the chart again, "The cancer has spread too far. I could give you chemo, but I honestly don't think, at this stage, that it would do any good. It would just put you through more pain without any results."

"How long?" Jasper asked. He just wanted the facts. The room was getting very hot and he was having trouble breathing.

"Weeks. A month or two tops. I'll support you if you want to fight Jasper, but in my professional opinion, you'll have a better quality of life this way. It's up to you."

Jasper closed his eyes, trying to focus on the conversation. "I just—" Jasper took a ragged breath and composed himself, "Thank you Carlisle. You haven't told me anything my body hasn't already said. I just want to live my last few weeks as normally as I can." Jasper squeezed his eyes shut, "Can I step outside for a moment?"

"Of course." Carlisle led Jasper to the backdoor. Jasper collapsed on the back step as soon as Carlisle was gone. Jasper stared out at the trees surrounding the back to the hospital. He idly wondered if it was the same stretch of forest around his own home. In a sentimental way, Jasper liked that idea. The forest connected him to Edward even when Edward wasn't with him. But thoughts of Edward brought his mind back to his conversation with Carlisle.

He had known this would happen. There wasn't any reason that the news should shock him, but hearing it, and hearing that this time chemo would no longer work, seemed so finite. Jasper thought he had prepared himself, but deep down he knew that he would give anything to have his life back.

There was so much he would miss when he was gone. His friends, family, work, walking outside, having a warm cup of tea when he wanted to warm up, feeling those first tinges of love. Edward.

He had just found Edward. How cruel could life be? How could he find the one person he could see himself with, only to lose him weeks later. He wanted to spend time getting to know Edward, he wanted to go on vacations with him, have family meals, buy a house, grow old together… Jasper had resigned himself to a fate of early death, but that was before he had found something to live for.

The door behind him opened, but Jasper didn't look up. He didn't need to. Edward sat down next to Jasper and put his arm around him. Without needing any encouragement, Jasper dove into the security of Edward's arms, finally letting the tears out.

"I don't want to die," Jasper cried into Edward's shoulder, "I thought I was ready, I thought I was okay, but I'm not. I don't want to leave."

"Jasper," Edward whispered, "I won't let you leave me. I finally found you, and I won't let you leave. You're mine; you're going to stay with me. I promise."

Jasper stayed there in Edward's arms, drawing strength and comfort from the one person he truly believed could save him.

Interlude

He raced through the woods, having just run to Canada, hunted, and run back in a desperate attempt to relieve the stress and foreign emotions rolling around within him. Despite his hunt, he felt the pressure on his heart. As soon as Jasper had left the office, Carlisle had let Edward off, knowing he wouldn't be able to work on anything else.

It just wasn't fair. Edward had been waiting for him, loving Jasper before Jasper even knew Edward existed. When Alice had first seen a vision of Jasper five years ago, Edward was determined to strike out by himself and track Jasper down. His family had convinced him to wait, though. Alice had convinced him that timing was important.

So Edward waited, every day for five years thinking about the man that was his future and waiting for him to find him. Alice never had another vision of Jasper.

Two weeks ago the family had been sitting in the living room, when Alice shot up from her book and dazed off into space. Edward watched the vision take form: Edward, Carlisle, and another man—Jasper—speaking in one of the hospital rooms.

"He's coming," Alice said into the silence of the room.

"Who the hell is she talking about?" Emmett asked. He winced when Rosalie and Esme scolded him for swearing,

"Jasper," Alice breathed. Her eyes went wide with excitement, but Edward couldn't share in the mood. The vision took place in a hospital room, why would he be meeting his mate in a hospital room?

That question was answered the next day when Margaret Whitlock called the practice to set up an appointment for her son, Jasper, who was sick with terminal cancer.

Edward had held out hope though. Perhaps there was a chance that Jasper would recover. That he could live his life with Edward by his side. But now that he knew that wasn't an option, Edward knew what he had to do.

But what if Jasper didn't want it? Jasper didn't know what Edward was, but he knew that something was different about him. It was time for Edward to tell him, Jasper deserved to know his options.

But Edward wasn't able to answer one question: when Jasper knew what Edward was, would he let Edward save him?

So was it worth waiting for? Hopefully this answered any lingering questions about Edward, but there's still the question of what Jasper will say.

Until next time! ~AJ Kelly