Three Years Later –

"You're an ungrateful little shit! Where could your money be going?"

"I told you I'm working on it! For fucks sake, you gotta give me some time!"

"It's been six fucking weeks!"

"And I have a family to support!"

"I'm supporting your family! All you have to do is pay for that goddamn truck!"

"You don't pay for everything! There's shit that I take care of!"

As the volume rises, the distance between Jasper and Carlisle closes. The office is a large room, but the two men keep stepping closer and closer to each other until they're merely inches away. Jasper's growth spurt at sixteen years old has put him eye to eye with Carlisle. Their nostrils flair, their brows scrunch together, and spit flies as they spew their hateful words.

"That ugly fucking truck has been taking up space and leaking oil on my driveway for six damn weeks, Jasper!" Carlisle shouts. "Where's your fucking money? Take care of the truck or have it towed to the junk yard! You have one responsibility, and you can't even do that right!"

"I have more than one responsibility! I take care of my family! I'm busting my ass at work!" Jasper yells back so loudly that his throat burns.

"You're such a disrespectful brat!"

"You're a pretentious asshole! I fucking hate you!"

The screaming goes back and forth as tempers reach an all-time high. They both see nothing but red. Thankfully the house is empty.

Well, almost empty.

The pillow over his head doesn't help AJ muffle the noise. His little heart races as tears roll down his face. Why are they doing this? Why are they so loud?

"Daddy! Papa!" AJ cries out but can't be heard over the tunnel vision of anger happening on the lower floor. "Momma? Grandma?"

No one else is home to respond to his cries. The room seems extra dark tonight, despite the dim table lamp on the dresser.

"Someone come get AJ," He whimpers to himself.

"You're a piece of shit!"

"You're a fucking bastard!"

The yelling gets worse. AJ grasps the floppy stuffed dog in his arms. His tears wet the soft black fur. Slowly, he pushes back the blankets and carefully lowers himself to the floor. Tiptoeing to the door, he tries to think of why they might be so angry. The hallway looks longer than usual, and the stairs seem steeper. He tries to find comfort in the pictures on the wall along the staircase as he slowly makes his way to the main floor, but he can't see them very well without an adult holding him. He knows the very first one at the top of the stairs if of Grandad, Daddy, and Aunt Rosalie. He also knows the biggest picture in the center of the wall is of the whole family. Daddy told him it was taken when AJ was born.

He walks through the living room, then to Papa's and Grandma's bedroom. The yelling is even louder than he could have ever imagined it to be. He clutches the stuffed animal even tighter as he struggles to open the door to the office. He sobs and wipes his eyes before trying to twist the doorknob one more time.

The door finally opens and AJ steps inside. He watches as Jasper and Carlisle scream. They jab their fingers into each other's chest, fling their arms in the air, and say words that AJ knows are super, super bad. He can't understand why they're doing this.

"You think I have just endless amounts of money? I'm not making a big ass salary like you!"

"You have a fucking job! Save your goddamn money instead of wasting it all!"

"Daddy! Papa!" He cries out. He goes unheard, so he takes a deep breath before calling out as loudly as he can. "Daddy! Papa!"

Suddenly, the house falls quiet except for AJ's sobbing. Jasper and Carlisle both snap their heads towards AJ. Jasper's eyes grow wide, and Carlisle's jaw drops as they watch the crying child.

"AJ," Jasper says with a raspy, hoarse voice. He rushes to his toddler and picks him up, holding him tightly to his chest. AJ buries his face in Jasper's neck and continues to cry. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I heard yelling." AJ snivels.

Jasper looks to Carlisle, and the anger between them morphs into regret.

"I'm sorry, AJ." Carlisle apologizes quickly as he comes over to rub AJ's back.

"I'm sorry, too," Jasper says.

"Call Uncle Beau," AJ begs. Uncle Beau can fix this. Jasper gently pats his hair.

"It's okay. We don't have to call Uncle Beau. We're done arguing." Jasper promises him.

"Uncle Beau can help." AJ pleads again. "He'll make you not fight anymore."

"We're not going to fight anymore." Carlisle says.

AJ doesn't respond. He just keeps crying into Jasper.

The three stand there for a moment, not knowing what else to do. Jasper can feel his heart breaking as if it were made of glass. Each broken shard stabs him in the chest. Carlisle could kick himself. How could he let his temper get this far out of control?

"Let's get you back in bed." Jasper says, his own voice shaking now as he's face with the fact that his son's inconsolable tears are because of him.

"Will you lay with me?" AJ asks.

"Of course. Come on, let's go."

The young father-son duo goes through the dark house, the steep steps, and the long hallway back to the dark room. AJ and Jasper crawl under the covers. AJ stays tight to Jasper's chest.

What kind of awful, piece of shit father screams and cusses like that? He should have known AJ would hear. Just because everyone else in the house was gone doesn't mean that he and Carlisle could lose their shit on each other like that

It seems to take forever for AJ to stop crying and to fall asleep. Carefully and slowly, Jasper maneuvers himself out of bed without waking AJ and heads back downstairs. He hesitates outside the door to the office but takes a deep breath and goes in anyways.

Carlisle sits at his desk, hanging his head. How stupid is he and Jasper, he thinks. How the hell could they get so hung up in their own bullshit that forget to watch their volume and wake up AJ? Some piece of shit grandfather he is.

"He's asleep again." Jasper sighs as he plops down on the couch across of Carlisle's desk. He rubs his tired eyes.

"I'm a fucking idiot." Carlisle mutters. "I can't believe I didn't think about AJ hearing us."

"We're both fucking idiots. God, that was awful." Jasper agrees. Suddenly, the truck issue doesn't seem so bad. "I'll get the truck towed to the repair shop. I just paid for car insurance, which is why I don't have any money saved, but if Alice and I combine our money I'm sure we can figure out a way to pay for the repairs."

"Get it towed and I'll pay for it."

"But you said the truck is my responsibility."

"Don't worry about it. Anything to keep AJ from hearing us argue again."

A heavy silence falls over the two. They both desperately wish that Rosalie's bachelorette party wasn't this weekend because Alice and Esme would have squashed the argument before it got out of control.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle." Jasper says exhaustedly.

"I'm sorry, too." Carlisle grunts.

It's quiet again as the two sit in their own despair. Jasper tries to think back to the last time he and Carlisle had this big of an argument. It's been a long, long time.

"You should go upstairs in case AJ wakes up again. He probably isn't going to sleep well tonight." Carlisle suggests to Jasper, who nods in agreement and rises from the couch. Carlisle leaves his office chair and follows Jasper out of the room. "We'll figure out the details for the truck repairs tomorrow."

"Alright. Thanks." Jasper murmurs through a yawn.

Jasper goes upstairs and gets back in bed with AJ, but sleep doesn't come easy to him. When he closes his eyes he sees AJ standing in the office doorway, crying hysterically. He's so stupid. He has to do better.

He never heard Avery scream like that.

-One week later-

Carlisle sighs as he walks out of the hospital. He was driven into work before the sun rose, and barely got out in time to watch it set. The sky is a golden orange and pink. It's been a long day, and he can't even go home yet. He walks along the side of the building towards the end of the parking lot. It's a less populated area and he can sit on the bench against the wall without having to interact with people entering and exiting the hospital. He groans as he sits and leans his head against the brick building.

He should have given Jasper the money to fix that god damn truck when it first broke down. The shop would have had it done by now if they sent it in immediately. But no, he had to tell Jasper the truck was his responsibility. Now he's stuck waiting to be picked up from work because he was so sure it was best for Jasper to handle this himself.

The boy needs to be financially responsible for something, though. For the past four years, Carlisle has shelled out more money to support Jasper than he has for any of his other kids. Rosalie had full scholarships to study cosmetology and get her cosmetology license, and Carlisle gave Emmett a good sum of money so he could gift Rosalie with the best tools someone in her profession could have. Emmett's been mostly self-sufficient since moving out. Still grappling with the guilt of impulsively kicking his oldest son out, Carlisle has offered to buy him new furniture, a new television, the latest electronics, covering the security deposit when he and Rosalie moved to a new apartment, and even tried to convince Emmett to let him take care of the down payment for his and Rosalie's house. Emmett refused with a smile up until he asked Rosalie to marry him two years ago.

Rosalie told him she wanted a small, simple wedding. She was right when she said small. They only invited about forty people. Simple is far from her tastes, though. She was usually rather levelheaded and thoughtful when it came to finances, but Emmett promised her the wedding of her dreams. After all, Rosalie spent the majority of her life taking care of her brother as they bounced from foster home to foster home. It hadn't been easy for her, and she went without far too often. She deserves to have everything she wants, and Emmett is determined that she'll never have to go without again. However, he severely underestimated the costs of the flowers, the invitations, the reception, the decorations, and the biggest expense being the extravagant ball gown she picked out. Emmett was very happy to accept Carlisle's help then. Beau sent them some money, stating it is on Avery's behalf because he definitely would have done everything he could to help with his daughter's wedding, but it barely put a dent in their budget. Emmett has picked up every overtime shift offered to him and put as much money towards it as he can, and Carlisle's been supplementing the rest.

Edward has been more costly than Rosalie and Emmett. His grades earned him some impressive college scholarships that covered his tuition, but there was still plenty of expenses for him to go to college. He recently moved to Seattle to study music therapy, so of course he needed a new, trustworthy vehicle, a debit card that Carlisle and Esme can transfer money to regularly, and a credit card in Carlisle's name for emergencies. He got a job in the mail room on the college campus to help offset the costs, but it just provides him with some spare spending money. He's happy as can be out there, though, and that's worth the cost after seeing him be so sullen and angry when Jasper and Rosalie joined the family.

Jasper, though, must be determined to drain Carlisle dry. That's the only reason Carlisle can think of for Jasper constantly needing more money. The costs for the lawyer when everything with Maria became known were outrageous. His laptop stopped working one evening, so Esme took him to pick out a fancy new one. He crashed the four-wheeler, damaging the machine and his helmet. Carlisle paid for multiple repairs to be done to the four-wheeler to try to get it back in working order, but it kept breaking down. He finally gave up on the machine and took Jasper to pick out a brand new one. He's still in therapy, and although Carlisle knows he shouldn't complain about Jasper getting the help he needs, it leaves him with a hefty bill every month. He tripped and spilled a cup of red fruit juice all over the white carpet and couch. While Esme was excited to replacing the flooring and furniture, Carlisle grit his teeth and paid another large bill caused by the teenager he had so much trouble with. Carlisle can't forget about when he was teaching Jasper to drive in Esme's car, and Jasper backed into the corner of the garage. Or when he flung open Esme's car door and slammed it into the yellow light in the parking lot. The door was scuffed with yellow paint and had to be repaired. Another bill. Or when Jasper got pissed at Carlisle and punched a hole in the drywall. Carlisle bought supplies to repair it and Jasper had to call Uncle Beau to get instructions on how to fix it, so Carlisle didn't have to pay for a company to come fix it, but it was still an inconvenience. There was also the issue of the family going to a fancy charity dinner to help support foster care youth. Carlisle and Esme gave Jasper, Edward, and Alice money to get nice dress clothes for the event, and Jasper bought a pair of black jeans and a cheap button up that didn't meet the dress code expectations, so Jasper had to borrow clothing from Carlisle. The clothes were a little big but were the best option they had. They found a babysitter for AJ, and they enjoyed a great dinner for a good cause. Just as the dinner was ending, though, the waiter tripped while clearing the table and Jasper ended up with the leftovers of pasta and red wine dropped all over his lap, permanently staining Carlisle's clothing. If there's an accident waiting to happen, it's going to happen to Jasper and somehow hit Carlisle right in the wallet. It seemed like it was another expense every single week because of that kid.

A year and a half ago, Alice moved in. She spent most of her time with the Cullen's already, but Carlisle and Esme always shooed her back home at night. She came over crying one day, saying her parents just told her that they're selling the house and bought a cramped RV so they could travel the country. They also told her that she's more than welcome to find her own place instead of coming with them. Carlisle and Esme knew Alice was low on her parents' priority list, but they were shocked at how low on that list she actually is. Jasper asked if she could move in. They couldn't say no. She wasn't ready to support herself and still needed some guidance that her parents weren't giving her. The biggest reason, though, was because AJ called her Mom. Carlisle cautioned Jasper and Alice about letting AJ call her Mom, reminding them about how much it would hurt AJ if they broke up and therefore lost her mother. Alice laughed and shook her head, saying she knew she and Jasper would be together forever. So, Alice became Mom, and Carlisle and Esme couldn't let the Mom of their grandchild be without a home. With that came even more expenses.

And of course, the fucking truck. It's caused more headaches than it should have.

AJ's pretty damn expensive, too, but that doesn't bother Carlisle. His little buddy could ask for anything and Carlisle would make it happen. Swim lessons were a must, and they thought he would enjoy soccer. AJ just picked daisies from the field instead of actually playing the game. He's growing so fast, so his wardrobe is constantly being updated. Carlisle often comes home with new toys for AJ. Much to Esme's dismay, it's reached the point that they've purchased a toy box for the living room because they ran out of storage space upstairs. While he is guilty of spoiling the toddler with toys, Esme keeps the family busy with plans for AJ. Between hands-on museums, trips to the zoo, aquariums, and kid friendly festivals, there's always something on the schedule to do. The family's newest favorite activity is camping. Carlisle loves waking up early, making coffee over the campfire, and watching the sun rise. Esme always wakes up next and enjoys the quiet moments in nature with Carlisle. AJ usually wakes up next, causing Jasper and Alice to wake up and disrupt the silence. Emmett and Rosalie are the next to venture from their tent. Edward always seems to be the last to wake up, but Esme knows he's actually awake sooner than the rest of the family thinks. He brings a book and reads in his tent before joining everyone else. AJ loves to stomp through the woods, fish, and look at the stars. Jasper always packs a hammock so he and AJ can lay together and stargaze.

Carlisle can see his car come flying into the parking lot and huffs. At the end of the day, Carlisle has to admit that Jasper isn't that bad. Hell, he might even go as far as saying he enjoys the kid, but he's still a massive pain in the ass. Jasper slams on the breaks in front of Carlisle and rolls down the passenger side window.

"Hey, old man!" Jasper calls for him with a smirk. "Don't worry, grandpa, your ride is here!"

Carlisle rolls his eyes and goes to the backseat door. When he opens it, though, he's disappointed when he's met with an empty car seat instead of his grandson. He closes the door and gets in the front passenger seat.

"Where's AJ?"

"He stayed home. He wasn't happy about it, but Rosalie bribed him with M&M's to stay." Jasper laughs. "Can you believe the wedding is tomorrow?"

"Finally." Carlisle sighs.

"It feels like they've been engaged for forever. We finished hanging the lights for the reception. It's going to be beautiful." Jasper adds on. "I've been practicing my speech, too. I'm still a little nervous about it."

"You'll do great." Carlisle reassures him.

"Edward is speaking first since he's the best man, and I go next. Edward's a tough act to follow."

"I've read your speech. It's going to be fine."

"I hope so. I can't believe I'm walking her down the aisle." Jasper smiles, then sighs. "I do wish our Daddy was here to do it."

"I know you do," Carlisle says as Jasper turns onto the road and points the car towards home. "He'd be so proud of you and Rosalie."

Jasper beams with pride and Carlisle feels the tension in his shoulders starting to melt away. He takes a deep breath and imagines all the frustration leaving his body as he breathes out.

"I think we have almost everything ready. Everyone was going over the plan for tomorrow when I left."

"Rosalie has been very thorough in her planning." Carlisle says.

"Yeah, she has been." Jasper nods and pierces his lips together. "She's even planning the toasts. She has to ask you about that, too."

"About the toasts?" Carlisle questions.

"Yeah. You see, she's already talked to the caterers about serving champaign for the toasts and having apple juice ready for AJ so he can participate, too. She's going to ask you if Alice and I can have champaign, too."

"That's fine. You can't drink too much though, because she and Emmett could get in trouble with the reception hall for serving alcohol to minors." Carlisle says. After all, Alice is eighteen and Jasper is nineteen, and it's not like Carlisle has been super strict about them having the occasional drink.

"I need you to tell her no."

Carlisle sucks in a shocked breath.

He can only think of one reason why Jasper and Alice would refuse alcohol.

He knew this would happen! Esme had talked to Alice about taking her birth control regularly. Carlisle has talked to Jasper about safe sex and made sure he had everything he needed to stay safe. Neither Jasper nor Alice makes enough money to support their family of three, let alone another baby. They're still teenagers, for God's sake!

"When did you find out?" Carlisle sighs.

"She took the test on Monday."

"How far along is she?"

"Seven weeks."

"Has she gone to the doctor?"

"Yeah, she was able to get in on Wednesday. Look," Jasper shifts in the driver's seat to pull his wallet out of his back pocket, flips it open and hands it to Carlisle. "I have the sonogram in there. Take a look."

Carlisle mumbles to himself as he thumbs through Jasper's wallet. In the clear window is a picture of AJ when he was a newborn in the NICU. He also has coupons for AJ's pull-ups, rewards cards for the ice cream shop, and a few ones and fives. Behind everything else is a black and white sonogram. Carlisle pulls it out, and Jasper smiles.

"It's just a little peanut right now."

"Who else knows about this?" Carlisle asks.

"Just me, you, and Alice. You're the first one we've told."

As frustrated as he is, Carlisle can't help but crack a tiny smile. This annoyed feeling isn't unknown to him. He felt a similar way when he heard Maria was pregnant with AJ. Of course the frustration then was much stronger than how he's feeling now. As soon as he held AJ, though, those feelings melted away and were replaced with joy and love. He's sure he'll feel the same way when he holds this little peanut for the first time, too.

"We want to keep is a secret for now. Rosalie has worked so hard on this wedding. We don't want to take any of the attention off of her, so we're not telling anyone else."

Carlisle nods as his mind races. AJ's crib is set up as a toddler bed, so they'll need another crib even though he spends most of his nights in Alice's and Jasper's bed. They just went through some of AJ's baby items and donated the bottles, pacifiers, toys, and a few bags of clothes. Now they'll have to replace it all. Alice is going to need maternity clothes, she'll have to take leave from her retail job, and she'll need prenatal vitamins. Jasper is working for minimum wage at a small carpentry shop. He mostly runs to get tools for the other workers, but he's like an intern too. He's learning skills that will make him more money in the future, but right now he's making pennies. He can't support another baby on his paycheck. Another bill for Carlisle to pick up.

"You two are never going to move out of my house, are you?" Carlisle huffs, and Jasper erupts into laughter.

"Naw, old man. You're stuck with us."

Carlisle can't tear his eyes from the sonogram. AJ is his little buddy, and peanut seems to be a fitting nickname for this little one.

"That's fine. You guys can stay as long as you want." Carlisle promises.

"Thanks. I'm hoping we're having a girl," Jasper smiles. Carlisle keeps his mouth shut but thinks to himself that they'd have to buy an entire new wardrobe if this baby is a girl. "Or another boy. Either would be awesome. I'm so excited. I'm going to have two babies, just like my Dad did."

Carlisle listens as Jasper rambles on and on about the excitement of a new baby. Before long, they pull into their driveway and Jasper parks in the garage.

"Remember, don't tell anyone." Jasper recaps for him.

They enter the house and join the rest of the family in the living room. Rosalie and Emmett sit nestled together, Rosalie looking over her wedding notebook to triple check that everything is ready. Edward drove in from Seattle on Monday, and Uncle Beau flew in from Texas on Tuesday. Esme sits next to Alice, who holds three-year-old AJ in her arms.

"Daddy! Papa!" AJ squeals and wiggles away from Alice and rushes towards the two men that's crazy about. Jasper scoops him up and kisses his cheek. AJ leans towards Carlisle, who ruffles his blond hair. "You were gone forever!"

"But we're home now," Jasper reassures his toddler.

They sit at the couch as AJ crawls over everyone's lap as he constantly changes his mind of who he wants to sit with. He loves rough-housing with Uncle Emmett whose muscles are so big that AJ can hang from his arms like a monkey, and Aunt Rosalie always smothers him with hugs and kisses and cuddles. Uncle Edward plays a fun game with him where he pats a rhythm on AJ's shoulders and AJ pats it back on Edward's shoulders. Grandma loves to sing lullabies and funny songs with him, and Papa is always ready to sneak his little buddy some candy or a new toy. Of course Dad and Mom are great to be around, too. Uncle Beau is new, though. He's met Uncle Beau in person only three times before this, he came to Washington for all three of AJ's birthdays, but he's talked to him on the phone hundreds of times. AJ's fascinated with the way he talks and how he always has a fun story to tell. Now that Uncle Beau is here, he can ask him all kinds of questions and listen to as many stories as he wants.

"It's past your bedtime," Alice announces as she checks the time on her phone. AJ shakes his head no but can't hide his yawn. "Do you want me or Daddy to put you to bed tonight?"

AJ looks around the living room full of people, and crawls from Emmett's lap to Uncle Beau.

"I want Uncle Beau to do it," he says with a smile and clings tightly to his great uncle.

"AJ, let Uncle Beau stay down here and—" Jasper starts to say, but is quickly interrupted.

"I don't mind. What do I have to do to get him to bed?" Beau replies.

"Are you sure?" Jasper asks. "You don't have to."

"Yeah, it's no problem. I'll get the youngster to bed."

"I'll get him dressed in his pajamas," Alice says as rises from the couch. Beau follows her lead, standing with AJ in his arms. They go upstairs and Alice helps AJ change, then sends him into her and Jasper's bedroom. Although they have two other bedrooms that could be used for the young child, AJ and all of his things stay in this room. Stuffed animals and colorful pillows with cartoon characters printed on them line the bed. There's two toy boxes and a short but wide shelf filled with children's books and knickknacks. Jasper still has the rolling wardrobe that he used as a baby, but AJ also has a real dresser now too. The room is tidy, but cluttered.

"He gets to pick out one book to read, and then he'll just want you to lay with him on the bed until he falls asleep." Alice explains. In blue footy pajamas, AJ searches the bookshelf for the perfect book for Uncle Beau to read.

"Sounds easy enough. Jasper and Rosie had the same routine when they were little." Beau says.

Alice thanks him before leaving the room, and AJ pulls a book from the shelf. He grabs Uncle Beau's hand and walks him over to the queen size bed. He darts under the covers as Beau settles on the mattress. Cuddled close together, Beau reads the rhyming children's book before setting it on the nightstand and encouraging AJ to close his eyes.

"We've got a big day tomorrow. Get some rest." Beau says.

AJ smiles as he readjusts himself under the blanket. He tries to shut his eyes, but they quickly pop open and look back up at Beau. His face is wrinkled and tanned and his voice is gruff. AJ knows Uncle Beau is special, though. His Daddy said so. Uncle Beau can stop fights.

"Daddy and Papa give me a hard time," AJ sighs.

"They give you a hard time, huh? How's that?"

"They yelled at each other. They said bad words." AJ explains with a whisper. Beau rises one eyebrow.

"Did they now?" He tsks. "Why were they doing that?"

"Cuz I asked Daddy to take me to McDonald's."

"Why would McDonald's make them yell and say bad words to each other?" Beau continues to pry for more information. AJ sighs dramatically.

"Daddy spent his money on McDonald's instead of fixing his truck."

"I don't think that's why they were fighting, youngster." Beau says. He drapes his hand over the pillow and runs his rough fingers over the shoulder of AJ's pajamas.

"Yeah it was. Daddy said, 'I take care of my family'. Papa said, 'take care of your truck'!" AJ clarifies the situation as best as his three-year-old self can. "If I didn't get McDonald's, Daddy would have money for his truck."

"Oh, AJ," Beau sighs. "That's not why they were fighting. It wasn't your fault."

"It was scary, Uncle Beau. I cried. I told them to call you, but they wouldn't do it."

"Want me to give them a talking to?" Beau asks. AJ nods rapidly. He's seen arguments happen between Jasper and Carlisle before and knows that when Uncle Beau gets called for a talking to, the argument stops. Uncle Beau can fix anything. "You just close your eyes and get some rest. I'll talk to that Dad and Papa of yours and let them know they can't be fighting like that."

"They were this close," AJ says, scooting closer until his nose almost touches Beau's nose. "They were being mean to each other."

"I'll talk to 'em, Ave."

AJ settles back onto his pillow, but still isn't ready for bed.

"Daddy said he'll take me to Texas soon. I'll come visit you."

"I'd love that," Beau says.

AJ chatters about the Texas trip that his father has talked about so often and slowly loses the battle of keeping his eyes open. After a few minutes, his eyes fall close and the lightest snore escapes his tiny lips.

Beau waits a little longer to ensure that AJ is asleep for good before carefully leaving the bed and going back downstairs. The family is still laughing and all smiles. Beau sits and stays to himself as his mind races.

He wasn't called about this big fight. What the hell were they thinking anyways? They can't fight like that in front of AJ. Why the hell would Carlisle not call him to put an end to that argument before it escalated so far?

Beau continues to wait on the bed until AJ is fast asleep, then he gets to his old, tired feet and shuffles out of the room and back downstairs. Hew sits on the couch as Rosalie goes over the wedding plans for tomorrow one more time. She reminds everyone of the order of who walks down the aisle, then the order of the toasts during the reception, and the order of the first dances. AS the hours roll by, Beau struggles to pay attention. He keeps looking back and forth from Jasper to Carlisle and wonders what the hell is wrong with them.

"Look at the time! Emmett, you need to go!" Esme says as she gasps after looking at the clock on the wall.

"Why?" Emmett asks.

"It's almost midnight. Remember how I told you that it's bad luck for fiancés to see each other before the ceremony on the day of the wedding." Esme explains. "So you need to go home."

"Alright," Emmett chuckles. He hugs Rosalie closer to him and kisses her cheek before saying good night to his family and heading home. "I'll see you tomorrow, beautiful."

"I can't wait," Rosalie smiles back.

Feeling satisfied with the constant double and triple checking on everything about the wedding, Rosalie declares that she's going to bed too. She goes upstairs to the same bedroom she stayed in when she first came to live with the Cullen's. The rest of the family follows her lead and rise from the couch to go to bed. Beau stays in his seat, though.

"Jasper, Carlisle. I need to talk to you first." He says gruffly. "Take a seat."

They do as they're told as their significant others make their way to their respected bedrooms. Beau eyes the two before speaking.

"What the hell is wrong with the two of you dumbasses?"

-Next Day-

"I'm so nervous." Jasper mutters as Carlisle adjusts the tie around his neck. They've found the slightest bit of privacy in the corner of the room where Emmett, Edward, Carlisle, Jasper, and AJ have been placed to get ready. The rest of the men are happy and lighthearted.

"It's going to go well." Carlisle promises.

"Maybe she should have Uncle Beau walk her down the aisle." Jasper sighs defeatedly.

"Nonsense. She wants you to do it. It will be a great moment." Carlisle says. Jasper pulls his hand to his mouth and starts biting at his nails. Carlisle grabs his wrists and pulls his hand back down. "If you bite your nails any shorter, you'll make the tips of your fingers bleed."

Instead, Jasper gnaws on his bottom lip. Over Carlisle's shoulder, he watches Edward pick up AJ. Emmett snaps a photo of them with his cell phone.

"Are you still thinking about the talk with Beau last night?" Carlisle asks. Sighing again, Jasper nods. "He sure knows how to lay on the guilt."

"Tell me about it." Jasper grunts.

"Don't forget that I was part of that scolding, too. Sometimes we all need a kick in the pants to get back on track. There." Carlisle states as he finishes the tie, then pats Jasper's shoulders. "Shake it off, kiddo. We messed up, and we'll do better in the future."

"I can't shake the picture of AJ crying from my mind." Jasper explains softly.

Stepping to the side, Carlisle gestures towards Edward and AJ. They've taken a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs and Edward taps a simple beat on AJ's shoulders. AJ focuses with a smile, then tries to recreate the beat on Edward's shoulder.

"Look how happy he is today. He's a resilient kid, Jasper, with a big family that loves him. He's okay." Carlisle says, a smile spreading across his face as he watches his grandson.

"How am I going to raise two?" Jasper whispers so only Carlisle can hear. "I can't even hold it together for one kid."

"You and I have fought plenty of times, and you still turned out alright," Carlisle teases, lightly nudging Jasper with his shoulder. He earns a nervous smile. "AJ will be fine, and so will the new little peanut."

Still not entirely convinced, Jasper nods and keeps his eyes locked on AJ as he and Carlisle leave the corner of the room to intergrade with the rest of the bridal party. They all complete the finishing touches to make sure their suits are up to Rosalie's high standard and keep AJ happy so he'll be all smiles when he carries the rings down the aisle.

Soon, it's time to start the ceremony. Carlisle and Emmett hook their arms together and make their way down the aisle after the officiant. Emmett follows. Jasper holds his breath as he and Alice stand together at the end of the aisle, waiting for their turn.

"Breath, Jasper." Alice reminds him, looking up at him with a smile. "You're so tense."

"I'm nervous." He admits.

They hook their arms together, and slowly make their way down the aisle. Jasper's eyes dart to the different people in the seats framing the aisle. Uncle Beau smiles broadly at him. Emmett's biological father Seth looks dazed and confused. He recognizes a few other people, but their faces blend together. Once they reach the end of the aisle, Alice goes to her position on the left and Jasper goes to the right, follows the wall to the back of the venue, and hurries back in the procession line. Edward and Bella are already starting their walk, so AJ is next. Jasper kneels down and makes sure his tiny clip-on tie is straight before patting his shoulders and giving him a big smile.

"Are you ready?" Jasper asks him. AJ gulps.

"That's a lot of people there, Daddy."

"I know. Just shake off any worries. You're going to do great."

AJ shakes his shoulders with a smile to show Jasper that he's doing exactly like he told him. Jasper kisses his forehead, then takes the small ceramic dish holding the rings from flower covered table near the doors. AJ takes it carefully and when Jasper pats him on the back, he heads down the aisle.

Rosalie steps forward enough so she can peer down at her nephew. Aunt Rosalie told him he couldn't run down the aisle, so he practiced walking slow down the hallway at home.

"He's so cute," She smiles.

"He is." Jasper agrees. He shakes his hands out at his sides, then smirks at his sister. "It's a good thing you weren't adopted, or this would be really fucking weird."

"Oh, shut up," Rosalie laughs and rolls her eyes. Jasper chuckles along with her, then gives her a genuine smile.

"I'm happy for you, Rosie."

"Thank you, Jasper." She responds as the procession music shifts into the song she picked to walk down the aisle to. They watch everyone stand, and Jasper holds his arm out for Rosalie to take. She does so with a smile, and they take their first step onto the aisle. As they walk, she speaks to Jasper in a whisper. "Did you ever imagine this is how life would turn out?"

"Never in a million years. But I'm so glad this is how it ended up."

So, here it is! The end of the story. Thank you so much for reading!

PS. I still have to finish Family Challenges and Searching for Words. If you have a preference of which one I work on next, please let me know!