Jasper sighs as he carefully maneuvers AJ's tiny limbs to get him into the soft cotton onesie. His eyes burn from lack of sleep. AJ doesn't seem nearly as bothered, though. Jasper swaddles the three-week-old in a gray blanket with small green pine trees printed on it. He tucks his arms under baby and walks him back to the bassinet.

"You look like a little baby burrito." Jasper whispers to AJ.

Once AJ is safe in his bassinet, Jasper takes the notebook and pen from his nightstand, covers his whole body with his blanket, and uses his phone as a flashlight to jot down his note.

5:32 AM. Woke up crying. Changed, fed, burped. 3 oz bottle. Spit up. Changed

He can't finish it. His eyes are too heavy, and he quickly falls back to sleep.

AJ and Jasper both sleep soundly for the next two hours. The house slowly comes alive as Rosalie and Edward get ready for school. Esme and Carlisle wake up to eat breakfast with the family. Rosalie sees that her brother isn't awake yet, and quietly tiptoes into his bedroom. She pulls his blanket from his face and chuckles at his notepad next to him. Carlisle told Jasper to be aware of how much AJ eats and learn his patterns of behavior, so Jasper started this journal when AJ came home a week ago. AJ starts making cooing from his bassinet, so Rosalie moves the notebook to the nightstand and writes another note a few lines below.

7:28 AM. Best sister/Auntie ever gets AJ up, changed, and fed. Lets brother sleep in. You're welcome :)

She grabs an outfit from AJ's closet and carefully picks up her nephew. His baby blue eyes blink up to her as he yawns. She moves down the stairs slowly and carefully. The main floor of the house is already lively. She lays AJ on the living room floor near the diaper bag, changes his diaper, gets him dressed for the day, and carries him to the kitchen with the rest of the family.

"Good morning, Rose," Carlisle greats her, then shifts his tone to one of a higher pitch as he speaks to AJ. "Good morning, little buddy. Come here to Papa so Auntie can eat breakfast."

Rosalie reluctantly passes AJ to Carlisle but has to smile when she watches how he interacts with the baby. The normally stone-faced man is all smiles and baby talk as he entertains his little buddy.

"I heard you crying last night. Yes, I did. Oh, yes I did." Carlisle speaks to AJ in a sing-song voice. "Were you giving your Daddy a hard time? Oh, it sure sounded like it. It sure did."

"I heard him too," Edward grumbles. "Every three hours."

"He's a textbook baby when it comes to eating. Don't worry, Edward. He won't be waking up that often for long." Carlisle promises.

"Here, love," Esme says as she passes a bottle to her husband. "Edward, I can pick up some earplugs at the store today for you."

"Thanks, Mom."

Carlisle sits at the table with Edward, Rosalie, and Esme. He listens as Edward and Rosalie talk about school, laughing about how the principal tripped and fell in the middle of the cafeteria. Normally, Esme and Carlisle would discourage such mocking, but both remember how little concern Mr. Welsh had for Jasper when he was being bullied. Even once they're done eating, Rosalie and Edward stay at the table as the conversation shifts to the most popular topic in the house.

"So, when will AJ be able to play and stuff?" Edward asks. "He just kinda lays around right now."

"He'll become more interacted soon," Esme answers with a smile.

"Can I hold him?"

"He'll need to be burped." Carlisle says.

"Never mind, then. I've seen what happens when he's burped. He puked all down Jasper's back yesterday." Edward laughs. "I'll hold him later when he's all out of spit up."

Carlisle laughs along as he grabs a burp cloth, drapes it over his shoulder, and shifts the position in which he holds the little baby. As they four laugh downstairs, Jasper's eyes slowly open. He blinks a few times to focus his vision and stretches his arms out as he sits up. He leans forward to look into the bassinet, and gasps when he finds it empty. Before going into a complete panic, however, he spots his notebook and sighs when he sees Rosalie's handwriting. It's fine, he tells himself. AJ is in good hands with Rosalie. He looks at the time on his phone. Rose is going to have to leave for school soon, so he forces himself out of bed, throws on a different pair of sweatpants and t-shirt than the ones he wore to bed, grabs his notebook, and goes downstairs.

Everyone is happy. Rosalie and Edward are all smiles. Esme sits next to Carlisle, who looks cheerier than Jasper has ever seen him before. They're all loving little AJ. They laugh and play and sing to him. They hold him and someone is always ready to help feed or dress him. During the day, that is. As soon as night falls, Jasper's on his own. The help is fast asleep and Jasper is the only one who is up every three hours to feed him, change his diaper, get spit up on, and trying to sooth the crying.

"Morning," He greets his family as he enters the kitchen, grabs a plate, and sits at the table between Carlisle and Esme. He leans over to look at his baby and can't help but smile at AJ's chubby cheeks. He quickly reminds himself that he can't eat yet, though, and abandons his plate to go to the cupboard where AJ's bottles and formula are kept. AJ needs to be fed first.

"I just fed him, Jasper." Carlisle says as the tiniest little burp comes from AJ. Jasper knits his brow together.

"Why didn't he spit up? He spits up every time I burp him. Last night he spit up all over his pajamas and I had to change him." Jasper sighs. "How much did he eat?"

"Two and a half ounces."

Jasper scribbles the measurement in his notebook before filling his plate with food. He eats silently as the rest of the family chatters on.

"Do you want to hold him now, Edward? He shouldn't spit up at all."

"Yeah, sure,"

"Remember to support his head, dear."

Jasper looks down at his plate, his eyes growing heavier and his mood sinking lower. Maybe he should have stayed in bed. Rose and Edward have to go to school soon, and Esme's friend is picking her up for brunch and shopping in a few hours, but Carlisle has the day off. He could take care of AJ while Jasper goes back to bed. He could set his alarm to make sure he's up in time for his eleven o'clock class meeting, then do his schoolwork in the afternoon. His teachers would understand, especially because they all know of Jasper's situation.

Carlisle smiles proudly at Edward holding AJ. He snaps a picture on his cell phone, and it makes Jasper's stomach knot. Carlisle is a better caregiver to AJ than he is. He isn't tired and frustrated. He doesn't freak out when he gets spit up on. He's fast enough at changing AJ's diapers that AJ doesn't pee on him like he's done a time or two when Jasper changes him. Carlisle never looks at AJ with anything other than excitement.

No, Jasper tells himself, you're AJ's father. He can't go back to bed. Life is already going to be confusing for the little one. When AJ grows up, Jasper is sure he'll ask where his mother is. He has to do the father work and the mother work. Jasper has to be there for him every single day so AJ doesn't wonder why Papa and Gramma and Auntie Rose took care of him instead of his Daddy. He widens his eyes in hopes of forcing them to become more alert.

When it's time for Rosalie and Edward to run to catch the bus, Jasper leaves his seat and goes to the coffee machine. He pours himself a cup and takes a sip of the bitter black coffee.

"Since when do you drink coffee?" Carlisle asks, and is simply answered with a shrug. "I'll take care of AJ while you work on school."

"Oh, okay," Jasper nods slowly.

As Jasper forces down another sip of coffee and powers on his laptop as Esme says goodbye and leaves the house, he can't help but focus on Carlisle. Carlisle carries the baby to the living room, talking to him in that high pitched, cheery voice.

"We have to let your Daddy do his schoolwork, so it's going to be a Papa and AJ day, isn't it? Yes, it is. I get to hang out with my little buddy all day."

Why is it so easy for him? Carlisle's patience is usually holding on by a thread, but not when AJ is around. He's wrapped tightly around AJ's little finger. Jasper wanted to let Carlisle and Esme have AJ and raise him as one of their own when he first found out that AJ is his. Avery wouldn't have liked that, though, and Jasper knew he had to do the right thing by taking care of his son. Carlisle would have been a much better father than him, though.

Jasper grits his teeth as he logs into the school website. He tries to focus on his work, but he keeps looking towards the living room. Carlisle sits on the couch with AJ on his lap. He smiles and laughs and AJ coos back.

"Can you hear us, Jasper?" His teachers voice calls from the laptop and pulls Jasper's attention back to the schoolwork. His screen shows his teacher and five other classmates, all with smiling faces.

"Yeah, sorry." Jasper sighs.

"I heard your son got to come home from the NICU this week," The teacher says. "That's great news!"

"Yeah," Jasper nods.

"You sound tired. Have you been sleeping well?"

"No. I've been up with the baby every couple of hours."

"Well, todays lesson will be quick and maybe you can catch up on some sleep afterwards."

As the teacher continues with her lesson, Jasper tries to focus. He opens his school notebook and sloppily takes a few notes. He stares off into the living room. Carlisle has the television on with the volume low, and he's still chattering to AJ.

The lesson ends, and Jasper logs off. He can't do school today. He's too tired, and too bothered by Carlisle's interaction with AJ. He shoves his hands in his pockets and drags his feet to the living room. He sits on the couch, glaring over at his adoptive father.

"If you wanted to help so much," Jasper grumbles. "You could have taken a night shift with him."

Carlisle looks over to Jasper, his smile wavering.

"It sounded like you had it handled."

Jasper's lips curl into a scowl. Carlisle heard AJ crying in the middle of the night and just let Jasper deal with it all on his own? For six days Jasper hasn't been able to sleep for longer than four hours at a time. He's been dealing with dirty diapers, making bottles, changing soiled clothes, rocking and cradling AJ back to sleep. Carlisle wants to act like being a grandparent is the best thing ever. He was showing AJ off to all his friends at the hospital and is now playing Papa of the year in the daytime. He's a rotten faker.

"Of course I had it handled! No one else was going to handle it, so what was my other option?" Jasper questions angrily. He flings his arms in the air with frustration. Carlisle furrows his brow as he rhythmically pats AJ's back. "You could of gotten your ass up and helped me out!"

"Watch your mouth," Carlisle scolds him. "Esme had the baby monitor on our nightstand so we could hear if you needed help with AJ, just like you asked us to do. You had it handled, Jasper."

"You want to sit here and act like you're the best grandfather ever, like you really love AJ, but you only care when it's convenient to you!" Jasper tells him. With each word, his blood boils even more. His voice rises, and he leans forward towards Carlisle. "You're such an asshole! I hate you! If you cared about either of us, you would have been up last night!"

"Knock it off, Jasper," Carlisle orders him. He takes a deep breath and looks down at AJ. He can't lose his temper, not with this little baby in his arms. AJ deserves a calm environment. "Are you really going to throw a fit over this? In front of your son?"

"Shut the fuck—"

"Go to your room!" Carlisle quickly cuts him off. "AJ doesn't need to hear this!"

"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my Dad!" Jasper hisses back. Carlisle grits his teeth and his mind races as he debates on what to do next. He holds AJ tighter to his chest. He should have known Jasper was due for a blow up. The teenager can't go too long without throwing some sort of a tantrum.

"Go to your room until you're ready to be nice," Carlisle demands, attempting to mimic Beau's reaction when he caught Jasper throwing a fit in Texas. Instead of complying, Jasper clenches his fists.

"No!" Jasper shouts.

AJ fusses in Carlisle's arm, his tiny face scrunching up as he starts to cry. Carlisle wracks his brain as he tries to figure out what to do. He rises from the couch and gently bounces AJ in his arms. Beau was able to calm Jasper in no time. How is Carlisle supposed to do that?

"Where are you going?" Jasper questions angrily as Carlisle walks away. "I said, where are you going? I'm talking to you!"

Suddenly, it clicks. Carlisle knows what to do to put an end to this. He shifts AJ to one arm, he pulls his cellphone out of his pocket, dials Beau's number, and holds the phone to his ear.

"Now you can't even focus on AJ during the day? You have to get your phone out? If he's that much of an issue then I'll take him!"

"Hey, Beau," Carlisle smiles when Beau answers. "Well, things aren't going great right now. That's actually why I'm calling."

Oh shit. Jasper's face pales as he realizes what Carlisle is doing.

"I'll go to my room!" Jasper says quickly.

"Jasper is given me a hard time. He's copped an attitude that seems to have come from no where. He's starting to yell and is cussing around the baby. I was hoping you could talk to him. You can? Thank you so much," Carlisle holds his arm out, offering the phone to Jasper. "Your Uncle is on the phone. Come talk to him."

"Why would you call him?" Jasper asks in a rageful whisper.

"Come talk to him, Jasper."

"God, you're a prick!"

Carlisle presses a button on the phone screen before speaking.

"Beau, I put you on speaker. Jasper is refusing to come get the phone, but he can hear you now." Carlisle says.

"Jasper Elliot Whitlock," Beau's voice rumbles through the phone, making Jasper jump. "Get your ass on this phone right now!"

"Damnit, Carlisle," Jasper huffs as he rises from the couch. Carlisle meets him halfway and Jasper snatches the phone from him. "Hello?"

"What is going on? Why are you giving Carlisle a hard time?" Beau asks. Jasper turns the speaker function off and holds the phone to his ear to keep Carlisle from hearing Beau's scolding.

"He doesn't help! He said he would and he pretends that he's all about AJ, but he's a liar! But Uncle Beau! Ugh. Fine." Jasper scowls and hangs up the phone. He stomps over to Carlisle and passes it back to him. "Uncle Beau said I need to go to my room and call him back on my phone."

"Get to it, then," Carlisle says as he pockets his phone. Jasper spins quickly on his heel and calls Uncle Beau on his own cellphone as he goes up the stairs.

"Yeah, I'm going." Jasper mutters once Beau answers. "He keeps acting like he loves AJ, but he isn't up in the middle of the night with him! He isn't helping! Well, yeah, but that's different. He only helps when it's convenient for him!"

Carlisle tries to listen more, but as Jasper goes down the upstairs halls, his voice disappears. He looks down at the fussing baby. He shushes AJ and gently rocks him in his arms.

"Your Daddy is still just a kid, AJ," Carlisle mutters. "He didn't mean to make you cry."

As AJ settles down, Carlisle's frustration flairs up. What the hell? He just can't win. Nothing he does will ever be right in Jasper's eyes. If he cares too much, Jasper is sure Carlisle is trying to replace Avery. If he doesn't care enough at the right time, then he's a fake who doesn't really love anyone.

"You're still my little buddy." Carlisle says as he sits. AJ's blue eyes look up at him. "I do care about you."

Jasper had it handled. Carlisle was listening on the baby monitor. Jasper asked Esme and Carlisle to take the receiving end of the monitor so he could call for help if he needed it with AJ. Carlisle heard every cry and how Jasper soothed his son. He even chuckles to himself when he heard Jasper call AJ a baby burrito after changing his pajamas and swaddling him. If Jasper had any frustration in his voice, or called out for any help, he or Esme would have been up there in a heartbeat. Jasper was doing fine, though. His voice was tired, but calm. There was no sign of irritation or desperation that Carlisle could hear. He looks at the clock on the wall. It was just a few hours ago that he was lying in bed, dozing off after AJ's cries were answered and cared for and he was thinking about how proud he was of Jasper.

No matter how proud he is, or how mature he thinks Jasper has gotten, he can't forget that he's still only fifteen years old.

AJ's lips part in a big yawn before his eyes slowly blink closed. He falls into another nap, but Carlisle still can't take his eyes off of him.

He didn't expect to bond so quickly and so strongly with AJ. He wasn't excited about the pregnancy or the responsibility it would bring. Now, though, he can barely remember what life was like three weeks ago before the baby was born. His heart is filled with more love than he thought it could hold. He and Jasper spent every moment that they could in the NICU. Carlisle would sneak from the ER to visit his grandson while he was at work. Now that AJ is home, he gets to do so much more with him. He couldn't help but smile when saw how AJ pulled his family together. Emmett visits more, Rosalie spends more time at home than at Emmett's apartment, Edward is ready to watch AJ grow up, and Esme's eyes light up when she holds her first grandchild.

Well, at least he thought it pulled the family together. Maybe he and Jasper just aren't meant to be close.

Sighing, Carlisle refocuses his attention to the television. The local news station seems filled with sad broadcasts. A home invasion, a trial for a woman caught abusing her kids, a teenage girl kidnapped, a local school not having enough funding to repair the damaged football field. He clicks a few channels over until he finds a lighthearted sitcom.

"There, that's better. You don't need to hear all that negative stuff," He whispers to AJ.

One episode turns to two, and then a third. Jasper is still upstairs, and Carlisle can't help but to worry. What's taking him so long? Is he still on the phone with Beau? Standing, Carlisle walks carefully into his own bedroom where the baby monitor sits.

It's not really eavesdropping if Jasper gave Carlisle permission to keep the monitor, right? Is it wrong to listen in if Jasper doesn't have the baby with him? It can't be any more wrong than looking through Jasper's phone. Afterall, he's just making sure Jasper is okay. He sits on the edge of the bed closest to the baby monitor and listens carefully for Jasper's voice. There's no sound, though. The light on the top of the monitor is green, signaling that the monitors are on and connected properly. Is Jasper still in his bedroom? There's no possibility of Jasper sneaking out of the front door, and he couldn't have safely left the house from the second story. Or could he?

Carlisle is back on his feet and hurries up the stairs. He hesitates outside of Jasper's door, hoping to hear something. He hears nothing but his own nervous heart beating. He nudges the door open and lets out a relieved sigh when he sees Jasper curled up into a ball on the bed, fast asleep.

Thank God.

Carlisle returns to the lower floor and continues to care for AJ. About forty-five minutes later, he settles back on the couch to give AJ another bottle when he hears tentative footsteps coming down the stairs. He glances over to Jasper, who shoves his hands in his pockets and looks to the ground. He moves slowly to the couch, sits, and squirms nervously.

"Thanks for watching AJ," Jasper says quietly.

"Of course. It was no problem at all. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. Did you talk to Uncle Beau?" Jasper asks. Carlisle shakes her head no. "Oh. I thought he would have called you back once he got off the phone with me. He really ripped into me about giving you a hard time." Jasper admits, then tilts his head to the side. "Did you guys have that planned or something?"

"What do you mean?"

"Before today, did you guys talk about calling him when I start giving you trouble?"

"No, we didn't. Why do you ask?"

"Because he grounded me," Jasper sighs. "he said I can't ride my four-wheeler today and I had to stay in my room for an hour to calm down. I figured you two must have planned that."

Carlisle shakes his head no, and Jasper lets out a small laugh.

"It's kinda funny." Jasper gives Carlisle a sheepish smile. "He tells me I have to stay in my room just like he use to tell me to sit in time out when I was a kid."

Carlisle smiles and makes a mental note to call Beau when he gets a moment of privacy. Although he has no problem with Beau's grounding of the teenager if it produces results, he does have questions. How did Jasper respond when Beau gave him those restrictions? Did Jasper tell Beau everything that was said? Can Beau share the secret of how to build a secure relationship with Jasper so he doesn't push back against everything Carlisle says?

"Anyways, Uncle Beau and I had a good talk and he pointed out some things to me. I don't actually," Jasper hesitates, then lets out a huff. "I don't actually hate you. I know I keep saying that I do, but it's not true. I also know that you do care about me and AJ. He reminded me that even though you're not my Daddy, I still have to listen to you and I can't lose my head in front of AJ. I'm sorry for everything I said."

"Thank you for apologizing, Jasper." Carlisle says with a grateful smile.

"I don't know why it bugged me so much when you were taking care of AJ. I shouldn't have responded that way. You don't deserve to be treated that way, and I can't do that in front of AJ." Jasper says quietly.

"If you need help with him, all you have to do is tell us." Carlisle tells him. "We have the baby monitor set up just like you wanted it to be, so you just have to say you need help and we'll hear you. I heard you with him all night. It sounded like you had it handled, which is why Esme and I didn't go upstairs to help."

"I did have it handled. I think I'm just really tired and stressed and took it out on you. I'm up a lot with him."

"What if you bring the bassinet down here and he can sleep in my room tonight? You can catch up on your sleep." Carlisle offers. Jasper shakes his head.

"I have to take care of him. He's my baby."

"He is, but there is nothing wrong with taking a break."

Jasper reaches over and gently stroke the side of AJ's head. This confliction shouldn't be so strong. It's simple, really. He's a father, AJ's his child, he has to take care of him. Avery probably didn't struggle this much.

"If you're unsure, we can switch the baby monitors around. You can have the receiving end so you can hear if AJ wakes up." Carlisle suggests. "And if it doesn't work out and you want him back in your bedroom, I'll just bring the bassinette back upstairs. What do you think?"

"Alright," Jasper agrees hesitantly, then sighs. "He's only been home for a week, though. I'm already screwing up this whole parenting thing."

"You're going to screw it up. That's inevitable, Jasper," Carlisle says. Jasper recoils slightly, scrunching his face at Carlisle. "Look at all the kids I've parented in my life. I have more parenting experience than most, and I still make mistakes. Hell, you know about all the parenting mistakes I've made more than anyone else does." Jasper can't help but laugh and nod in agreement, causing Carlisle to smile. Self-deprecating humor is a small price to pay for a productive conversation. "You're only human. Mistakes are bound to happen. You'll just need to work through them and make it right."

In Carlisle's arms, AJ makes little grunting sounds as he turns his face away from the bottle. Carlisle sets the bottle on the end table and Jasper reaches for his baby.

"I'll take him." Jasper says quickly. Carlisle transfers the baby to Jasper's arms and watches how the two interact. Jasper is hypervigilant about making sure his arms are positioned just right and AJ's head is supported properly before getting up, getting a burp cloth, and returning to the couch. He kisses AJ's forehead.

"I'm sorry I was yelling, AJ. I'll do better," He whispers before adjusting him to a burping position. As he pats AJ's back, he looks over to Carlisle. "It's kinda the same thing we're doing, right? How we have to work through all of our mistakes together?"

"Yeah, exactly," Carlisle smiles and reaches over to pat Jasper's shoulder. He watches as Jasper dabs spit up from AJ's lips before wadding up the burp cloth and tossing it to the floor. Jasper pulls his knees up, resting the heels of his feet on the edge of the couch cushion and laying AJ on his thighs. He smiles at the baby and gently drums his fingers up AJ's arm.

"I'm the luckiest man on Earth. Look at this beautiful baby," Jasper says, taking his voice to a higher pitch and sounding like he's singing a song instead of speaking. Carlisle leans back and sighs.

It's like Carlisle is back in Texas, watching the video tape of Avery bringing newborn Jasper home for the first time. I'm the luckiest man on Earth. Look at this beautiful family. He has to find a way to get a copy of those tapes to Washington. Maybe there's a company that can convert them into digital files. Carlisle needs copies of all those photographs, too. Beau said all Jasper needs is a reminder of who he is, and Carlisle is going to need a hell of a lot of Texas memories to give Jasper that reminder. He has some pictures on his phone that he took during their visit, and he kicks himself for waiting so long to print them off.

"What am I going to tell him when he's old enough to ask where his Mom is?" Jasper asks Carlisle. He pierces his lips together and looks over at his adoptive father. Carlisle always has an answer, and Jasper so desperately wants to know it.

"I don't know, Jasper. But he's not asking questions now, so we don't need to worry about it today."

"Carlisle?"

"Yeah?"

"Even with all the mistakes, do you think I can still be a good father?"

"You're already a good father."

—JWiD—

"We need to come up with a schedule. He has to get his schoolwork done." Esme says as she cuddles closer to her husband under the covers. The lights are off, AJ is sleeping soundly in his bassinet, but the couple isn't ready to sleep just yet. "Statistically, he's already a high risk for dropping out of high school. If he keeps having days like today where he only goes to his live meeting, then he's going to fall behind. If he falls behind he will be more likely he is to drop out."

"Trust me, my dear, I know." Carlisle agrees. "Remember the school policy, though. They are very lenient about schoolwork for the first eight weeks after a baby is born. Jasper has done most of his work, and he's made it to every live meeting. They'll extend his time to turn in the work he missed today."

"I just don't want this to become a habit. You remember how hard it was to get him to go back to the public school after he had all those days off." Esme reminds him. Carlisle wraps his arm around her.

"After he spoke with Beau, he had a great day. He takes very good care of AJ. He does much better than I expected from a fifteen year old."

"You outsourced your parenting to Texas," Esme teases. "I have to admit that calling Beau was a great idea."

"Jasper responds to Beau like nothing I've ever seen. Beau can make that boy pull his shit together."

"You two still need to work on your relationship, though."

"We are, and we're making progress. He asked me for advice today," Carlisle states proudly. "He used to not give two shits about what I thought. Things are definitely getting better. He's a good kid."

"I never thought I'd hear you say that," Esme sighs happily as she cuddles closer to him.

"I have to find a way to get a copy of those VHS tapes. Esme, you wouldn't believe the similarities between Jasper and Avery. They look so much alike, and Jasper even carries AJ the same way Avery carried him in those videos. It's uncanny."

Jasper sighs upstairs as he watches the baby monitor on his nightstand. Carlisle and Esme must have forgot that he switched the monitors so he can hear everything they say.

His room feels so empty without the little bassinet near his bed. It's quiet, too. It doesn't change his anxiety, though. Carlisle and Esme like his journal, so they'll make sure to write down how much AJ eats, needs a diaper change, wakes up cry, right? What if AJ misses him? What if Esme and Carlisle try to let AJ cry it out instead of getting up with him?

He huffs and rolls to his other side so he isn't staring at the baby monitor and pulls the covers over his head. He can still hear everything clearly.

"We definitely need a copy of that. He loves Avery so much." Esme says. "Do you think Beau will come to Washington to meet AJ?"

"He told me that he'll never get on a plane, and his truck probably won't make the drive, but he wants to meet AJ." Carlisle responds.

"Maybe we can offer to buy him a plane ticket. If he doesn't have to pay for the ticket, maybe he'll be more willing to get on a plane."

"He's a pretty proud man. I'll make the offer, but I don't think he'll take it."

Jasper shifts around to lay on his back, but can't get comfortable. His mind is too busy to relax.

Maybe if he tells Uncle Beau that he wants him to visit, he'll get on a plane. Jasper never got on a plane before his Texas trip with Carlisle, so he can understand the apprehension behind it. AJ is worth the trip, though. Uncle Beau will surely want to come visit.

Esme's and Carlisle's conversation dies down and they say good night. Jasper stares up at the ceiling as the time ticks by. He should be sleeping. He should be happy to have the night off from being a father. Instead, he's filled with anxiety.

His worry is interrupted as a cry comes over the baby monitor. He jumps to his feet, grabs the monitor, and hurries down the stairs. Without knocking, he flings Carlisle's and Esme's bedroom door open. Carlisle looks over with AJ already cradled in his arms.

"Shh," Carlisle says. Jasper hurries to Carlisle's side. AJ has already started settling down. "He's okay. He's just hungry."

"The bottle is almost ready," Esme whispers with a smile. She has the bottle warmer on the dresser, waiting for it to finish.

"I'll take him," Jasper says and reaches for AJ.

"Let us help you, Jasper." Carlisle tells him softly and kindly.

Jasper sighs and lets Carlisle keep AJ. Esme brings the bottle over, tests the temperature on her wrists, then hands it to Carlisle. AJ's fussing stops completely as he eats.

"He's so precious," Esme says. She puts her hand on Jasper's shoulder. "Go back to sleep, dear."

"I can't sleep." Jasper admits in a whisper.

"We have some sleep aid in our bathroom. Do you want some?" Carlisle asks. Jasper shakes his head.

The three are quiet as they watch AJ, his tiny mouth and chubby cheeks moving as he suckles on the bottle. He finishes eating, and Jasper strokes his son's cheek.

"Can I sleep on the couch?" He asks. "Just so I'm closer to him?"

"Of course," Esme answers quickly. "Go lay down and I'll get you a pillow and blanket."

Jasper nods but doesn't move right away. He watches AJ and pierces his lips together.

"I'll change his diaper and he'll be asleep again in no time." Carlisle promises.

"And you have my notebook, right? You'll write down how much he ate?"

"Yes. Go lay down, Jasper. AJ is okay."

Nodding again, Jasper slowly walks out of their room and lowers himself onto the couch. Esme is there in just a few moments with a pillow and blanket. He lays down and she drapes the blanket over him, tucking it around his shoulders. He yawns as she kneels down to be face to face with him. His eyes are heavy and tiresome.

"You're such a good father, Jasper. Sleep tight, honey."