With Jasper throwing caution to the wind, Emmett decided that he could too and resumed talking to her at work.
"Well, this is a much easier discussion than I thought I'd have to have with you." He commented when everyone had left for the day.
"What do you mean?" She asked as she folded cards in half.
Emmett shrugged, "You know. I knew eventually we'd have to talk about…this." He gestured between them. She knew exactly what he meant. Them and being much…younger than they'd remembered.
"I thought it'd be one hell of a ride, but it turned out hella easy."
"Is Rosalie upset about it?" Her fellow blonde had seemed fine during their conversations, but Lexi could only imagine how weird it must be. Thinking that you'd never have to deal with your boyfriend's ex's, only to have one show up out of the blue.
Emmett thought for a moment, trying to find the best way to explain it. "She's not upset. Like, she doesn't hate you or anything. Jasper has made it…clear that he intends to fully pursue whatever it is y'all got going on. And she doesn't feel like you're coming to steal me away or anything. It's just weird for her I think. Our main goal is usually avoiding people who might recognize us, so it's not generally something we have to deal with. Of course, we could've been better prepared had you told your father about us." Emmett playfully glared at her.
Hensley scoffed back at him, imagining how that conversation would've went. "Yeah, no thanks. I'd much rather you take the hit on that one. How'd he react by the way?"
"Pissed doesn't even describe it. I'm not even sure livid is strong enough. He got a couple good hits in before Cooper and Edward restrained him."
She laughed hard at this, now picturing Carlisle taking a few good swings at Emmett. Even though Carlisle was her father, she never really saw him as overly protective. Hensley was never able to spend enough time with him to really see that side of him. "Why was he so mad?"
Emmett raised his eyebrows and shook his head, "Um…probably not due to anything recent. When I first woke up, I was pretty excited to try and find you. They hadn't quite broken the news to me yet. I talked about you a lot. In hindsight I probably shouldn't have told Cooper some of the stuff we did."
"What?" Lexi partially screeched. She slapped him on the arm thinking of all the horrid things her father could've potentially overheard. Her and Emmett had been no stranger to sex in their relationship.
"It wasn't anything too bad." He tried to backtrack, "But I definitely mentioned we were intimate once or twice."
Hensley groaned and put her head in her hands. She'd actually been excited to see her father up until this point. Now she wasn't quite sure she could look him in the eye.
If Carlisle was upset about her and Emmett having dated, she could only imagine how Carlisle would feel about her and Jasper potentially dating. And let's be real, that was a train Hensley had definitely planned on riding. Not that Carlisle had a say in such a matter. Though it would be nice to be able to get along with Jasper's family. Well…and her family.
"Has Jasper said anything about it?" She asked cautiously, trying not to reveal to Emmett that she had a major crush on his brother.
"About us being together?"
Mentally, Hensley cringed. She'd forgotten that she was changing topics without Emmett knowing, "No! Ew. Just about you guys not being able to talk to me."
Emmett looked offended by her 'ew,' but recovered quickly enough, "He was pretty upset by it. Honestly, not sure if you've noticed, but he's kinda weird around you. Kinda protective. Why do you ask? You got the hots for him?"
"I was just curious. Aside from you, Jasper was the one I talked to the most." She tried not to acknowledge his comments about their relationship. Denying it would be a lie and would probably get back to Jasper. Agreeing to it would be…too soon. What if she was interested and he wasn't? Emmett said Jasper was pursuing whatever this was…but that probably meant Jasper was curious about their situation.
Hensley and Jasper had discussed their newfound discovery of being able to feel each other's sadness and pain. What they hadn't yet discussed is what that meant for them. Hensley wouldn't say no to the idea of them going out. Jasper was nice and sensitive and had a great sense of humor. Not to mention he was sexy. She did mention riding that train, yes? Even without his southern drawl he was incredibly attractive. She was beginning to think it came with the territory of being a vampire.
Whether or not he wanted to date her was another question entirely.
Hensley was willing to concede that she had good qualities. She was a planner, a hard worker, and was physically strong. Her looks were…fine. She was muscled from her training in the military, which gave her biceps and stomach a more toned look. The one part that always bothered her were her thighs. Judging from pictures she'd seen of her mother, Hensley acquired her thicker upper legs.
Putting her and Carlisle side by side, it was easy to tell they were related. She had her father's very blonde hair with her mother's wave to it, his more oval face, thinner lips (which she surprisingly enjoyed), and, seeing as her mother's eyes had been green, his blue eyes.
Some features were uniquely her own. Her fast heartbeat and of course, a few scars. Her skin was durable, but not quite as much as her fathers and was penetrable with enough force. Also, very susceptible to burns, which is how she acquired a light red scar on the inner side of her wrist.
Carlisle had never talked about her mother too much, mostly because Hensley never really asked. It wasn't that she wasn't curious. She was always curious to know what her mother was like. But whenever she had visits with Carlisle there was always something more important or more pressing to talk about.
"Early dinner!" Tyler shouted, tossing something at Emmett, who he was closest to.
Emmett laughed, "Ahh hell yeah!" He threw a couple things to Hensley, which turned out to be individually wrapped Twizzlers.
Hensley smiled, breaking one open, "Thanks, Tyler!"
"You guys should come back and see what I'm working on!" He said, walking back towards his area.
"Do they mind if we take a break?" Hensley asked as Emmett got up from his spot.
Emmett shrugged, "Nah, they're chill around here. Besides, Tyler works on some kick-ass stuff!"
The two of them went back to Tyler's section to see what he was so excited about. Tyler, Hensley learned, worked a lot of with plastics, creating canvases and other printed decorative pieces with them.
Hensley looked around at all the different machinery, much different than the things they had on their section. The space was pretty crowded with them, but the shop didn't feel cluttered.
"Dude…this is amazing!" Emmett exclaimed, now holding a canvas of a picture of him and Rosalie. They were both dressed up, her in a beautiful light green gown and him in a tux. Judging by the background it appeared they were at someone's house. Potentially leaving for an event.
Hensley smiled and joined the two men in admiring the canvas.
"This is insane. Rose is going to love this. How much do I owe ya man?"
Tyler shook his head, "Oh come on. It was surprise. You think I'm gunna make ya pay for it. Happy early graduation."
"Come on, this your business. I gotta give ya something for it."
"Tell ya what. Will it make you feel better if I do one for Bruiser over there?" Tyler gestured to Hensley.
Hensley looked at him shocked, "Stop spending my money, fuck-face."
Emmett and Tyler laughed. "No, as a gift! Jesus, Bruiser. Calm down."
"Just saying." Hensley shrugged with an eye roll.
"It would I guess," Emmett answered his question, "Equal treatment. Besides, imagine that pretty face on one of these."
Hensley groaned. She was awful at compliments. Thankfully when you're military you don't get too many.
"Oh, don't be like that. It'd be the prettiest one I've made." Tyler added.
"Stooopppp!" She covered her ears, "I'm leaving. That one's beautiful, but I'm leaving."
She listened to Emmett and Tyler laugh behind her as she went back to work.
Soon enough their shift was over, and Hensley was headed back to her apartment. She was by no means looking forward to the weekend. Not only was it a lot of work with training and homework, but she wasn't going to get to see Jasper or Emmett. The boys were great, but they weren't Jasper great.
Monday came around like an absolute snail. She loved her Jeep and the quiet rides in the mornings, but sometimes just wished she could teleport places. Or run without it looking suspicious.
Since she had apparently made up with Jasper and Emmett, she waited by her vehicle for them like she used to. Not soon enough, their vehicles rolled up and Hensley could hardly contain her excitement. She met Jasper's gaze almost instantly and they shared a smile.
"Good morning," He greeted her as they started walking towards school, trailing his siblings.
"Good morning, how was your weekend?"
Jasper smirked, "It was a little too long. I punched Edward in the face for Bella though. Do you think she'll pay me five dollars if I show her the video Emmett took of it?"
Lexi bust out laughing, "Maybe, but if she won't I will."
They didn't get to school early enough for Lexi to see the video and she was genuinely disappointed. It was bound to be humorous.
Lunch rolled around soon enough, which was a surprise for a Monday. Usually Monday's dragged on.
Hensley sighed as soon as she got into the room. Definitely forgot cash for lunch. She hadn't gotten paid from her new job yet so she'd asked Kaufmann to spot her some cash. Leaving it on the kitchen table wasn't helpful. Luckily, she dug up some backpack money for some peanut butter m&m's out of the vending machine. Nutritious.
She ended up sitting next to Bella and the humans at lunch. Hensley wanted to sit with Jasper, but the damn Jessica called her over.
"Lexi! Do you have a date to the dance?"
Hensley opened up her m&m's. "The what?"
"The school dance. Do you have a date yet?"
Hensley's mind immediately went to Jasper. Whether or not it should've gone to Jasper was another question. "Um, no. I guess I don't really know anyone well enough to go to a dance with them." She felt awkward about admitting to Jess that she hadn't been asked yet. Shameful almost. She had never not excelled at something….
Jess rolled her eyes, "Come on. Everyone knows you made up with Hale. I'm surprised you haven't asked him."
"We just started talking."
"Jasper seems pretty quiet." Angela pipped up, "Shy I guess. Maybe just give him time. You do plan on going to the dance though, right?"
Hensley shrugged, "I guess. Gotta live it up."
"Great," Jess exclaimed, "We should go dress shopping in Port Angeles after school this week. Bella? You in?"
Bella glanced over at Jess, biting her lip, "Um, I dunno."
"Aw, come on Bella. It'll be fun."
"I'm not really a dancer. Besides, I'll be out of town that weekend."
Hensley suspected Bella's newfound excuse was just that. An excuse. "Well, you can still come with us. Give us opinions."
Bella nearly glared at Hensley, "I'll think about it. Is that all you're having for lunch?"
"I'm not really hungry." Hensley lied with a shrug. Damn Bella. Angela looked at Hensley concerned, but Jess was content to let it drop. Hensley figured Jessica didn't have the whole 'caring for other people' mentality that Angela had. For once, Hensley appreciated that about her fellow blonde.
Bella and Hensley walked to Biology together and sat down at their respective tables. Edward and Jasper had managed to beat them. Seeing Jasper and Edward sparked Hensley's memory and she grinned evilly.
"Hey, show us that video!" Hensley nudged Jasper when she sat down. "Bell, Jasper's about to make your Monday."
Edward rolled his eyes ahead of her but didn't say anything. Jasper quickly pulled out his phone and showed the girls his weekends work. Hensley died laughing and even Bella couldn't hide her laughter, eyeing Edward as she did.
"I've been working on my right hook." Jasper stated, "Lexi showed me that mine needs improvement."
Bella giggled at Hensley's expense. Hensley was begging the heat in her cheeks to go away but it wasn't listening.
Jasper could feel Lexi's embarrassment and felt bad. He didn't mean to cause that reaction. He meant it purely as a compliment. His brain analyzed ways to amend his earlier statement without letting Lexi know he knew she was embarrassed. That might make it worse. Or expose his gift. Or both.
"Hey Jasper, are you going to the dance?"
Bella's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, but not fast enough for him to comprehend what she was asking him.
"I'm sorry?"
"Are you going to the school dance?" Bella's eyes flashed to Lexi. Was Bella asking him to the dance? He'd picked up attraction from Bella but didn't think it was towards him.
Jasper looked to his brother, afraid he was taking too long to answer her, "Um, I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"
Bella shrugged, "Just curious. Lexi's going to the dance."
Hensley could've killed the girl. She stared at Bella in disbelief, trying to convey with slightly wide eyes that Hensley could kill her. Bella was never this bold. What the hell?!
"Why are you trying to get a group together? I thought you weren't going?" Hensley accused her.
"Just making conversation."
Yes and I'm just making leather from your face. Hensley thought bitterly.
Jasper knew Lexi was…nervous? Embarrassed (still)? Slight betrayal. Perhaps Bella really was hoping to ask him. Edward would be relieved.
Hensley wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Instead, she had to listen to this stupid biology lecture. She couldn't bring herself to look at Jasper. Her hand held the side of her face to try and block him out of her vision the entire hour. How could she face him in study hall? How could she not face him in study hall? Emmett was nosy. He'd ask and then Jasper would tell Emmett and then it would be a huge mess of humiliating.
At the end of the period, she stayed back and let Jasper walk her to her next class. No need to act like a nervous child. Or at least let him see that she was a nervous wreck.
"Can I ask you a weird question?" Jasper broke their silence once they were away from Edward and Bella.
Hensley felt her heartrate quicken. Was this healthy given her condition? "Uh, sure."
"Do you think Bella has more than friendly feelings for me?"
Hensley's heart sank and a slow ache crossed her chest. He liked Bella.
"Ow." Jasper whispered, rubbing his own chest, "Are you okay?"
She tried to be cheerful. Bella was a great girl; Jasper was a great guy. It would work well for them, "Yeah, sorry. Um, I'm not sure. I can ask her for you if you want."
"You're hurt by something." Jasper stated, completely ignoring her response. "The pain isn't going away." Something he said caused her pain. He thought his question was innocent enough.
"I'm okay." She lied. She wasn't sure why she was lying. He clearly felt it just like she did. "You didn't answer my question."
"I'm not concerned about Bella right now. What's wrong with you? What happened?"
Hensley was far from ready to admit to him that she had feelings for him. Luckily the gym was only a few feet away. She turned to face him, picking up the pace as she walked backwards, "Nothing. I'll see you in study hall!"
She tried to push her discovery out of her head as she got changed for gym. Much easier said than done. If Emmett and Cooper thought something was wrong with her they didn't say anything.
Truth was they didn't have to. Both boys saw Jasper frowning at the gym doors all sad and shit. They knew something was up between him and Lexi.
Thankfully volleyball was supremely helpful in making Hensley temporarily forget about her love life issues. Volleyball was Hensley's favorite sport and she excelled. Hensley had formed a team with Emmett, Cooper, a senior boy named Jason, and a fellow Junior girl whose name was Carly. Carly and Jason looked leery about joining their team, but Hensley was calming enough of a presence that they agreed.
Besides, Carly was on the volleyball team and Jason was also an athlete. Hensley really wanted them on her team.
They were great too. So far, in the few days they'd been playing, their team was undefeated. It was helpful that the uneasiness of Emmett and Cooper's spots dissipated within the first game they'd played. Both Cullen boys were much more outgoing and 'normal' with Hensley around.
The match they were playing started out great. They easily beat the team they were against in the first game. During the second game Hensley started feeling…weird. Not just any kind of weird, but 'm&m's are not a sufficient lunch' weird. In short, Hensley's blood sugar was taking a dip due to lack of food.
She went up for a block and came right back down, tripping backwards over her own feat as she lost her balance. White specks covered her vision as her head spun. Hensley alternated between blinking and keeping her eyes closed in an attempt to make the stars disappear and the earth to stop moving beneath her.
Two cold hands found her shoulder and her tigh.
"Are you okay? You smell different." Emmett whispered, barely audible.
Hensley started to nod but the shift in her position instantly told her that was a bad idea, "Yeah. Just dizzy."
After a few more moments she opened her eyes and let Cooper help her up, waving off the other team and her gym teacher.
Thankfully she was able to keep her balance the rest of the hour. Her condition wasn't getting much better though. As soon as her group got to the lunch table she was shakily fumbling through her bag for more vending machine money. She was not having as much luck.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Emmett asked as he eyed her up.
Hensley nodded. She opened up another pocket and fingered the 50 cents she had left over. Had there been anything in there that cheap?
Jasper took her right wrist and held it up. Her hand was shaking slightly, unable to be controlled since it was due to lack of sugar. "You're shaking. Are you sure?"
Emmett frowned at Lexi's hand and walked away. Rosalie rose an eyebrow at his back but said nothing.
"I'm fine." Hensley protested, taking her hand back from Jasper, "Just a little adrenaline from gym."
She watched Jasper frown at her as well. He didn't protest anymore though. Now to find another 50 cents….
A few minutes later Emmett placed a bag of chips and a candy bar in front of her.
"What is-"
Emmett shushed her, "Eat it. You need to have sugar."
"But-"
"I will shove it down your throat. Eat your snack. What did you have for lunch?"
Jasper and Rosalie shared a confused look while Hensley reluctantly complied with Emmett's demands.
Jasper broke first, "What is going on?"
"Her blood sugar is low. That's why she collapsed in gym today."
"You collapsed in gym!"
Hensley glared at Emmett, "I did not! I just got a little dizzy and…fell."
Jasper stared at her with wide eyes, "Does this happen often?"
"Only when she doesn't eat a good meal. What did you have for lunch?"
Hensley looked between the three Cullens that were staring at her. Her eyes settled on her chips as she took another one and bit a small piece off. Thought she wasn't looking at him, she could feel Emmett's raised eyebrow look boring into her skull. "I had lunch."
"What did you have?"
"Dipped peanut butter balls with a crunchy shell."
Emmett's shoulders dropped with his face, "You had peanut butter m&m's for lunch? That was it?"
Hensley pursed her lips. She was really hoping Emmett wouldn't catch on. "I forgot my lunch money at home."
Em sighed, "I'm literally a table away. I can give you money."
"I'm not asking you for lunch money! It's…" Embarrassing. "not your job to take care of me."
"Lexi, stop! I thought we were past this bullshit."
"You're not my boyfriend!"
"I don't have to be your boyfriend to buy you a lunch. For God's sake, pay me back if it makes you feel better!"
The table fell into an incredibly awkward silence. Hensley slowly ate her chips staring at the empty space ahead of her.
"Are you feeling better?" Jasper asked when she finished.
Hensley looked over at him and smiled with a nod. Jasper returned her smile with a smirk of his own.
She made up with Emmett at work that evening. He was just trying to be nice. She just wasn't used to people taking care of her again. Reluctantly she took a ten from him so she had lunch the rest of the week.
Jasper was on a mission of his own that evening. Carlisle got home around 5:30 just like he always did. Jasper was sitting on the couch waiting for him but trying not to appear like he was waiting for him. He needed to appear nonchalant.
Carlisle came home, kissed Esme, greeted the family, all normal. He went upstairs to wash up a bit to get the smell of hospital off of him and then settled into his office. Perfect.
Jasper tried to keep his mind clear as he headed upstairs and knocked on Carlisle's door. No need to have Edward rat him out.
"Come on in, Jasper." Carlisle answered his knock. Jasper slowly opened the door and closed it behind him, trying to feign some semblance of privacy.
"What can I do for you?" Carlisle eyed him up. He was suspicious, as Jasper knew he would be. Carlisle knew Jasper had said 'fuck it' to his rule on not talking to Lexi. Carlisle wasn't excited about Jasper's decision but didn't fight him too much at Esme's request.
"I have a question."
Carlisle briefly thought the question was asking to marry Lexi and a flicker of rage hit Jasper.
Sensing the violent emotion, Jasper backtracked, "If this is a bad time-"
"No, this is fine. What's going on?" Carlisle smiled tightly.
"Well, it's more of a medical question." Carlisle relaxed immediately. Jasper paused for a moment, confused, but knew better than to question it, "Someone in my class was really shaky and had to have food to feel better. Something about blood sugar?"
"Probably a blood sugar dip." He was in full doctor mode now, "Usually caused by a lack of eating for an extended period of time if the human doesn't have a condition like diabetes or other issues. Most humans are able to accommodate a small change in meals without much issue. Why do you ask?"
"I'd just never heard about it and was curious. How do you fix it?"
"If it's a true dip in blood sugar just food will help. Normally some peanut butter, honey, crackers, or a little bit of candy will help. Or eating more frequently to avoid it altogether."
Jasper chuckled, "Fair enough. Thanks."
"Anytime." Carlisle smiled at his son and went back to his book.
Relief was the only thing Jasper could get off of Carlisle, which again, was weird but he'd take it.
The next morning, Jasper was excited to show Lexi his nights work. He'd gotten to school before her for once and waited impatiently by the car. He was next to her car by the time she got out and greeted her with a grin.
"Hi smiles. What's up?" She laughed at his unusual demeanor.
"I have a thing for you. Promise you won't be upset with me."
Hensley scrunched her eyebrows together, "What is it?"
"No, no. I asked you to promise." Jasper grinned, taking off his backpack.
"Well, I can't promise. Not if it's something that I should be upset at."
He rolled his eyes at her and opened up the front pocket of his backpack. Inside was a jar of peanut butter, honey, cheez its, and the same kind of candy that Emmett had bought her yesterday. Hensley stared at him in disbelief. She wanted to be upset with him. She wanted to be upset that he spent this money on her. But at the same time, it was insanely cute.
"Jasper…."
The sound of screeching tires pulled them out of their conversation. Hensley saw it immediately. Tyler's (school Tyler, not work Tyler, that'd be weird) van had hit a patch of ice in the parking lot and was sliding out of control. She watched, tracking the directory of the van until she saw where it was going to end up: Bella's truck. Not generally a big deal except for the fact that Bella was standing in the way.
"No." Hensley whispered, she dropped her bag and ran. She was almost too slow but was able to position herself so the van would hit her instead. Edward joined her in the same moment, grabbing Bella and holding out his hand to help Hensley with the van. Her and Edward's eyes locked for a split second as the van hit them.
Immediately Hensley groaned in pain. Edward nearly dropped Bella on the ice as he positioned her so she wouldn't get hit.
"Are you alright?" He whispered, just low enough so Bella couldn't hear.
"Fine, cars are heavy." She whispered back, squinting in pain.
Edward lightly scoffed before turning his attention to Bella, "Bella, are you alright?"
Bella looked up at him, really looked and then noticed Lexi sitting with her back against the van. "I-I'm fine. How…how did you guys get here?"
"Careful Bella," Edward warned her as she went to move, "you hit your head."
Hensley met Edwards gaze once more and worked the rest out in her head.
"No, I didn't. How did you get here?"
"Careful Edward, if she doesn't remember hitting her head she might have a concussion." Hensley looked nervously between them, hoping she was a good actress.
"Alexandria?" She heard Jasper's panicked voiced, pulling them out of their conversation. Edward and Bella got up first, the former slowly helping up the latter. They were crunched in such a small space that it was hard for Hensley to move around with them there.
"She's fine, Jazz." Edward muttered to his brother, moving out from between the cars with Bella.
Jasper didn't seem calmed by this information. "Lexi?"
Hensley stood up slowly, rubbing her hit shoulder carefully as she too moved from between the vehicles. As soon as she was free Jasper crushed her in a hug, physically shaking.
"What are you doing?" She heard Cooper ask.
"This is the closest Jasper's ever come to a woman. We gotta document it." Came Emmett's reply.
Hensley laughed against Jasper's chest. She figured Emmett was being an idiot, but really couldn't bring herself to care. Jasper was hugging her and that was all she could think about at the moment.
Jasper released her slightly after a couple more moments, "Are you alright? You were rubbing your shoulder."
Lexi tried to move her left shoulder and winced in pain, "Sore."
His eyes were full of panic and he pulled her in again, more gently this time.
A couple minutes later she heard the ambulance pulling up to the school. Hensley sighed, "I need to talk to them. I need to tell them about Bella."
Jasper nodded, releasing her body, but maintaining a tight grip on her hand. She went to talk to the paramedics with Bella, informing them that, consistent with her earlier story, Bella had hit her head and didn't remember it. Bella looked frustrated with her, especially as they forced her onto a stretcher and into a neck brace.
Hensley told the paramedics that she hit her shoulder and it was pretty sore. They asked if she would be willing to ride with them so they could monitor, and she had no complaints.
"Here," Jasper handed the paramedic Lexi's backpack, "she'll probably need this."
He squeeze her hand one last time, "I'll meet you there."
Hensley nodded, giving him a squeeze back, "Okay." She climbed in the ambulance and sat on the seats along the wall, facing Bella.
They got her hooked up on a heart and oxygen monitor, looking pretty worried about her high heart rate.
"I have Trachycardia." She told them, hoping it would help stop their worrying. It wasn't a lie. Trachycardia was the fancy word for "fast heartbeat."
The ride to the hospital was quick, seeing as it wasn't very far away. On the way she called Kaufmann and let him know what happened. She was trying hard to avoid it, but really wasn't sure she'd be okay by the weekend and had to report it in case. Once they were there, they had Lexi hop out first, then unloaded Bella on the stretcher.
The paramedics led the girls down the hallway to the ER rooms. They got both girls setup in the temporary holding station.
Hensley had mixed feelings about seeing Carlisle walk in with two clipboards. On one hand she was ecstatic to see her father again. On the other, this visit was now documented and could absolutely be used against her. Not to mention the fact that he apparently knew about her and Emmett's…relations.
"Miss Swan," Carlisle gave her a pointed look, "Alexandria."
"Carlisle." She countered with a smirk.
He smiled back at her before looking back down at his clipboard, "Isabella, seems here like you hit your head-"
"And doesn't remember it." Hensley interjected.
"Are you Isabella." Carlisle teased, pretending to look exasperated.
Hensley stared at him, looking 'annoyed,' "Do they have surveys here? Because you're getting a 4/5 for that comment."
Carlisle laughed, "Bella, I'll get you scheduled for a quick CT and a couple x-rays just to be safe." He looked back at Hensley, "Problem child. Says here you got high heartrate, which is normal for you, and pain with your left shoulder."
"A+ reading skills, old man. They teach you that in medical school?"
Carlisle's face 'fell' and he turned again to Bella, "Isabella close your eyes. Lexi's about to have a headache."
Bella smiled at their banter forgetting her embarrassment for moment about wearing her neck brace.
"Anyway, we'll get some x-rays of that shoulder and see how we look. Buzzer on the wall, call if you need anything."
"Wait," Hensley stopped him as he turned to walk away, "Does this buzzer call you directly?"
Carlisle saw right through her thoughts, as if he were the mind reader in this relationship, "If you buzz that every five seconds I'm getting the nurses to put restraints on you."
Hensley sighed and looked at Bella, "He's good."
Five minutes later a nurse came and got Bella for her CT scan and Hensley was alone with Tyler, who came in a couple minutes after they had for a cut on his head. Tyler was apologizing profusely for the first couple minutes, but thankfully Bella got him to shut-up somehow before they had taken her away.
A few minutes after Bella left they took Lexi for x-rays. Aside from the awkwardness of having to take her bra off, they were quick and painless. When she got back to waiting bed Bella was back with a man in a police uniform, who she could only assume was Charlie, her father, and Kaufmann who was sitting on her bed.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, sitting down next to him.
"Um, I'm here to see you." He rolled his eyes as if it were obvious.
Realization hit her then and she slapped Kaufmann on the arm, "Dude! You told Davidson!"
Kaufmann scoffed, "Yeah! You called me and said you were hit by a van!"
"Well, I called didn't I? Couldn't have been that bad."
With a sigh he turned to Bella, "Do you know her?"
Bella nodded, now neck-brace free, "Yeah."
"I am so sorry."
Carlisle came back a few minutes later and stopped when he saw Kaufmann, "What are you doing here? Are you a doctor?"
Kaufmann looked around, "No."
"Are you her legal guardian?"
"No."
"Are you immediate family?"
"No."
"Then how the hell did you get here?"
Kaufmann groaned, looking up at the ceiling before meeting Carlisle's eye, "Come on man, I slipped the receptionist 20 bucks to get in here."
"You paid her?" Carlisle exclaimed, "Why the hell didn't you lie and say you were her brother like a normal person?"
"Oh, I don't know, probably because it says 'Kaufmann' right here?" Kaufmann pointed to his last name on his military uniform.
"Have you never heard of split families? For God's sake," Carlisle hit him lightly on the head with some paper, laughing at Kaufmann, "use your head!"
Carlisle worked on Hensley first, moving her arm around and feeling where the places were that hurt the most. She let him guide her arm movements, wincing when he found a sore spot.
"What'd you do?" He asked quietly. Far too quiet for any human to hear.
Hensley kept her face neutral, trying to turn so she was hidden behind Carlisle, "The van was going to crush her. I was trying to stop it, but I misjudged the angle and it hit wrong."
Carlisle smiled down at her, "Always the superhero." Then much louder he added, "Well it's not broken, just bruised and your muscles are tight from the sudden shift. Make sure you ice it and rest." He began scribbling on some paperwork before handing it to her, "You're all checked out. I put notes in there for work and school and they know not to push you too hard."
Hensley's eyes flashed up to his, a sinking pit in her stomach, "What?"
"Rooney's here. He's in the waiting room."
"No," Hensley whispered, suddenly feeling ill.
"It's fine," Carlisle put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "He just wants to make sure you're okay."
Hensley sighed, closing her eyes for a second, "Okay."
She hopped off the bed and started to walk out, Carlisle patting her on her good shoulder, "If you need anything, don't call me."
"What? You should want to take calls from me, I'm a fucking delight."
"Are you?" Kaufmann looked at her warily.
"Carlisle, I hope you know how to surgically remove a foot from someone's ass because we'll be back in 5 minutes to have that procedure done."
Carlisle shook his head and looked at Bella and Charlie, "You know, I thought having four teenage boys was going to be difficult. Try having one annoying hospital patient." Carlisle looked over and saw that Hensley was still there staring at him, "Oh were you still standing there? Sorry."
Hensley shook her head, a playful smirk on her lips, "That's alright. Write down your complaints, I'll tell you where to stick em'."
He shot her a wink as she actually left, biting her bottom lip as they walked out.
"You know," Kaufmann teased her, "maybe if you stop running in front of vans Rooney won't come visit."
Hensley smiled and elbowed him, "I was trying to save her life, dick."
"Just because you're weird doesn't mean you have to play God."
"She's a good kid."
Kaufmann rolled his eyes, "Yeah, and some people say that about you."
They walked out into waiting room and Lexi was immediately swept up my two large, cold arms that spun her around.
Jasper, in a quick fit of rage, hit Emmett hard in the side, causing him to release her with a groan and grab his injured body. Jasper grabbed her by her non-injured side and pulled her in for an equally tight, but less obnoxious, hug.
"Jazz has been flipping." Emmett informed her, watching Jasper hold her as close as physically possible. He then noticed Kaufmann standing off to the side and flipped himself, "Holy fuck! Brodude!"
"Heyy!" Kaufmann was equally excited about seeing Em as they bro hugged. Both bystanders were now happily catching up on how things have been in the last few years since they'd seen each other, and Hensley took this opportunity to check up on Jasper.
She rubbed his arm and tried to get out of his grip just slightly, "You okay?"
"I'm fine. How are you? What's the damage?" Jasper looked more worried than he let on, it was written all in his eyes.
Hensley did a one shoulder shrug, "Bruised. Just need to take it easy and ice."
Jasper smirked, lowering his voice, "I can help with that." Was that seductive? Was he…flirting with her? Cue mental porn….
"I figured." She returned his possibly suggestive look.
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Rooney and figured she should take the time to talk to him before he disappears and gets into something. "I'll be right back, okay?"
She squeezed his arm and squared her shoulders, trying to prep herself for this meeting. With each step she took towards him the less confident she got. He noticed her coming, glancing up from his tablet to give her a smile. She tried to return it, but it felt shaky and fake.
"No need," He told her as he noticed her move to salute.
Rooney was an older man, in his early 50's with a full head of grey hair. His voice was surprisingly soft, comparable to Carlisle's, but deep. He walked with a slightly limp, having had his knee blown out in an accident back in his youth. Rooney had been with the Agency as long as Hensley could remember and had been the one Carlisle had had an accidental run-in with, which ultimately resulted in her creation. Out of every higher up Hensley had encountered, Rooney was by far the least scary, but she had no trust for anyone except her boys in that place.
"How are you?"
"Well, sir. And yourself?"
Rooney nodded, "Doing well, thank you. How are you really?"
"Well, sir. The diagnostic result is that the bone is bruised, and the muscles have shifted due to the impact. Dr. Cullen recommends ice and rest until the pain has subsided." Hensley shuffled through the paperwork Carlisle had given her until she found the packet of paperwork with a sticky note saying it was for the agency. Silently thanking Carlisle's organization, she handed the packet of paperwork to Rooney.
His pale green eyes scanned the document, confirming everything Hensley had just told him. While she waited, she heavily resisted the urge to move. Her body was practically shaking, and she was willing it to stay put in front of him.
Finally, he released her of her anxiety, "Excellent, thank you. I'll see you bright and early Saturday morning."
"Thank you, sir." Hensley nodded to him and she quickly turned away to find the comforting conversation of literally anyone else. Kaufmann and Jasper determined she was in no condition to drive and decided amongst themselves that Jasper would take Hensley home while Emmett took Kaufmann up to the school to get her Jeep.
She wanted to protest, but alone time with Jasper seemed much more relaxing than listening to Emmett or Kaufmann's banter.
Hensley set up her phone to give him directions to her apartment and then tried resting. It was an eventful morning and she was grateful for the break.
"I'm sorry for worrying about you so much. It's a little uncharacteristic of me to have such strong feelings of concern. I hope I didn't overstep any boundaries." Jasper broke the silence a few minutes in.
"No," Hensley quickly reassured him, "I mean, your family's not usually so easily damaged. And you did kinda watch me get hit by a van."
"Still, I should be more careful with your wishes. We've only known each other a couple weeks."
Hensley shrugged, "No complaints here." She watched a small smile play at Jasper's lips at her comfort. He was relieved to hear her say that, never wanting to experience her being upset with him again if he could help it.
"You're very fast." Jasper said conversationally. Something told Hensley he wasn't used to speaking to those he didn't already know.
"I'm Carlisle's kid. Of course, I'm fast."
"I'd never heard of a vampire hybrid before. I wasn't quite sure what to expect of you."
Hensley watched his face as he spoke and really studied him. He was handsome, sculpted in God-like fashion just like the rest of his family, something she'd obviously noticed before. What she hadn't noticed before is how different Jasper was: covered in what appeared to be tiny burns from a distance, but upon closer inspection looked more like bite marks. Hensley suddenly wondered if he had been with other women before and an odd surge of jealousy when through her.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked, picking up on her sudden change of emotion. Jasper didn't think anything he said would elicit jealousy, unless she wished she were human like Rosalie.
Hensley turned a light shade of pink and shook her head, "It's nothing. Sorry. Um, I heard that it was a lot of trial and error to get me just right."
"Do you wish you were human instead?"
"No. I feel human enough as I am. Besides, it's nice to be useful, like today."
"Do you wish to be vampire?"
Hensley thought for a moment, "No. Drinking blood sounds weird. Besides, it's nice to fit in a little. To feel warm. I'm pretty happy I got the best of both."
"What made you jealous?" He asked finally. Curiosity was getting the best of him and none of her answers made sense for jealousy.
"How did you know I was jealous?" Hensley eyed him curiously. She was known to showcase her emotions well on her sleeve, but that well?
Jasper looked at her cautiously, "It's a…skill I have. I can feel and, if I so choose, manipulate people's emotions."
"That's gotta be hella useful."
"It's more useful than most would think." Jasper agreed. "I haven't changed your emotions. I try to let people feel what they feel unless the situation absolutely calls for it."
She was unfazed by this revelation, as if she wouldn't care if he changed her emotions. It was certainly not the reaction he'd been expecting. Most people are a little on edge by the thought of him being able to change how they feel.
Lexi had just shrugged, "I've experienced way worse than a little emotion changing. Changing my feelings are the least of my concerns. Anyway, to answer your question, I was observing the marks on your skin."
"You were jealous of them?" Jasper's voice now had a bitter edge to it, and he raised his shoulders to try and cover a few more of them.
"No. I was potentially jealous of how you got them. Did you have a kinky ex-lover?"
Jasper scoffed hard, "I wish that was how I got these."
"How did you get them?" She asked. It was clear Jasper was upset by the real reason for his scars, but she couldn't help but feel relieved that they weren't given to him by another woman. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and she felt the need to apologize, "Sorry. I know relief probably isn't a good reaction right now. I just feel-"
"Protective." Jasper finished for her. It wasn't a guess. Hensley felt a little stupid for explaining her emotions to him. He felt them. He knew what they were. "You don't have to feel that way. I'm sorry I came across as harsh. I only said that because I feel the same way about you."
Hensley couldn't help but smile. She was thrilled he felt the same way, not that she needed protecting but it was nice he cared about her too.
Jasper held out his right hand for her to take, which she happily did. He smiled back at her, thinking about the oddness of the last couple weeks. Before her, he couldn't remember the last time he made someone happy with his presence. Well, maybe except for when he went back for Cooper, but Jasper was 99.9% sure that Alice was the cause of Cooper's joy at that moment.
"Anyway," He answered her question, "If you don't mind, I'd rather wait to talk about how I actually got them. It's not a pleasant story."
Hensley nodded, "That's okay. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Anything. I'm a very open book."
"Why are you so nervous around that man at the hospital?"
She wasn't exactly sure how she didn't see that one coming. Her emotions must have been insane. Hensley fiddled with her fingers while she thought of how to explain the complex situation that was the Agency.
Jasper took her hesitation as regret of her earlier words, "You don't have to answer it you don't feel comfortable."
"No," She said quickly, "I'm fine. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to put this. That guy, Rooney, is from my section of the military. He's like the head honcho; has control over everyone and everything. He's definitely nice enough – way nicer than most people under him – but he gets final say in all decisions. If he were to ever feel like I wasn't safe here, like I at risk of being exposed, he can pull me out with a single phone call."
"What do you mean? Pull you out?"
"He could make me move again. Relocate me to another base."
Jasper nodded slowly; eyes glued to the road. Hensley was trying hard to read his expression but wasn't very successful. If she showcased her emotions on her sleeve, Jasper's were tucked far away in pocket.
She continued after a few moments, when she realized he wasn't going to say anything more, "Anyway, I just got here, and I've never been able to spend more than an hour with Carlisle at a time. I'd like to stay as long as possible. Maybe learn something about my dad and his family of sorts."
"Hopefully we don't disappoint."
The rest of the ride was spent in an awkward sort of silence. Jasper kept his eyes on the road and eventually Hensley kept hers out the window. The only thing that kept her from completely feeling like he hated her was the fact that they were still holding each other's hands.
His hand was cold at first, but at some point along the way it warmed up enough to were Hensley didn't even notice it anymore.
The pulled up to the base and Hensley dug her ID out of her backpack to give to Jasper, "You just gotta let it scan the barcode on the back."
Jasper quickly scanned it and gave it back while they waited for the gate to open.
"I've never been inside government property before." He mused.
"Hopefully we don't disappoint."
She guided Jasper to her apartment building and watched as he put the car in park out front.
"Thanks for the ride. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." An odd smile crossed her face as she moved to open the door.
"Wait," Jasper stopped her. He dug in his pocket and pulled out his phone, "Put your phone number in. I'll text you so you have mine. That way if you need anything…." His voice trailed off as he realized he wasn't quite sure how to end his sentence.
Hensley took his phone, put her number in, and handed it back with a small smile.
"You forgot something."
She frowned as she looked back at his phone. Name, number…what else?
He pointed to the generic gray photo at the top with a smirk.
"Oh please." She half groaned, half laughed, "I look like I got hit by a van."
Jasper joined her laughter as he gestured to his own face, "Oh yes, because my worry wrinkles are much better."
Hensley rolled her eyes. His face was as smooth as any cover girl/guy. "Whatever male model. Not a wrinkle in sight. Tell ya what? I'll agree to your contact photo but only if it has you in it."
"Deal." He agreed quickly.
Lexi took the phone back from him and angled herself, so they were both smiling in the picture. She shook her head as the camera came on at her reflection. Tired eyes gazed back her. A deal was a deal, however.
She put on her best smile, covering most of her tiredness as the slight bags under her eyes were replaced by creases caused by her smile, and when Jasper appeared ready, snapped the photo.
"Beautiful." Jasper grinned as he looked down at it. "Thank you."
"You're hard to say no to." Hensley smirked, pecking him on the cheek before getting out of the car, "See you tomorrow!" She waved back at him before heading up to the building.
Jasper watched to make sure she made it in safely, returning her final wave as she got the door open. He sat outside for a few moments longer, rubbing the warm spot on his cheek. The car door opening again caught him off guard and his head whipped around to find Emmett getting in.
"Good thing you're still here," The man said, completely oblivious to Jasper's shock, "Would've looked funny if I had to run home."
Jasper took an unnecessary breath in and nodded, "Yeah. I, uh, realized we didn't work that part out and that I should probably wait." Thankfully Emmett didn't notice that he was lying.
"We should head back. Rose has been blowing up my phone freaking out about the whole Bella thing."
Jasper cringed. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation.
…
One nice thing about being hit by a van was getting waited on. Hensley spent most of the night on the couch with ice on her shoulder while the boys took turns getting various items for her. She'd never been taken care of before unless Carlisle was visiting, so it was a weird change. Weird, but nice.
Another nice change was having Jasper's phone number. He'd text her once he got back home and they'd been talking ever since.
Kaufmann kept shooting her suspicious looks when he'd catch her smiling at the phone. She knew he was judging her hardcore for being interested in a guy she hadn't known very long, but he was not one to talk. Kaufmann had his fair share of ladies. While none of them were as serious as Hensley and Emmett or Hensley and Jasper, she didn't think it mattered.
Things started to get slightly worse around dinner time. Her shoulder was really starting to bother her, and Jasper had stopped texting her which meant she didn't have a distraction from her pain. Kaufmann gave her some medicine, which she didn't question but apparently should have.
"Lexi…Lexi…"
Hensley looked around the woods she was in. The voice calling her name was weak and strained; barely a whisper. The sun was shining brightly through the trees, casting a warm sensation through her skin. Leaves blew around her but made no sound. Suddenly, the smell of blood filled the air.
She looked down at herself and carefully checked her hands. They were clean.
Inhaling the musky smell of the forest, she followed the scent of the blood. It was bland. Not appealing as it would be to her father, but not repulsive either. The scent carried her to a small clearing next to a river. There were two large weathered stones next to the rapidly flowing water. She knew exactly where she was.
"Lexi…." The voice called for her again as her hands twitched. After it, the only thing she heard was her heart, rapidly racing in her chest as her head spun around. The voice was everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Her heart clenched as her brain finally caught up to the situation. She knew where she was. She knew what happened in this location. She knew where she had to go.
Body now shaking, her legs numbly carried her to the edge of the clearing, like a ghost floating above the ground. The smell of blood got stronger as it got closer to her. She knew what came next.
On the ground was Emmett. He wore the same dark jeans and tight-fitting long-sleeved maroon shirt as he had four years earlier. Blood spilled profusely out of multiple areas on his body, most prominently from his chest and neck, though his face was heavily scraped up.
"Lexi," He whispered, his lips barely moving as he spoke her name. His face was so peaceful. Perfectly smooth despite the torn skin where the bear had clawed his face. His normally baby blue eyes were closed, unable to stay open as exhaustion took over.
Her body moved closer to him, kneeling next to him as she had the first time. A shaky hand reached out to touch his cheek. As soon as her skin made contact, his hand was grasping her wrist. Hard. She flinched at his touch, not expecting such a fast movement.
He pulled her arm across his body, grabbing the hair on the back of her head to pull her neck closer to him. Bright red eyes met her gaze as he leaned in without hesitation. Her mouth opened to scream, but another large hand forced its way onto her throat, completely cutting off her airway.
Kicking, struggling, and even trying to shock him, she tried to get away. With every agonizing second that passed she could feel herself getting weaker. Feel the blood leaving her body.
In a blink he was gone; His hands leaving her neck and hair faster than her muddled brain could comprehend what was happening. Blonde hair was blurred with Emmett's dark curls as they tumbled to the ground. She didn't see enough of him to know for sure, but her heart surged as Jasper's name crossed her mind.
Jasper. Her savior.
Once Emmett was subdued, Jasper turned to face her. There was no gold in his eyes. He lunged.
Hensley shook herself awake. She rubbed her eyes and then moved shaking hands across her damp forehead. It was completely dark in the living room and as far she could tell there wasn't anyone with her. The boys must've went to bed.
At the moment she didn't mind. It was better she was alone if she was going to have nightmares. No need to wake anyone else up with her active imagination. Waking herself up was bad enough.
The clock on her phone read 4:43. She was almost upset until she remembered that this meant she got dibs on the bathroom.
The hot shower felt wonderful on her shoulder, which had stiffened overnight. Nightmares no doubt negatively added to that situation. The muscles were sore and protesting as she moved, but still better than the pain she'd been in the night before.
By the time she got out and dressed, the boys were waking up and starting their own morning routine. Each of them looked just as groggy as she felt.
"What the hell did you give me?" Hensley asked Kaufmann when he joined her for breakfast.
The smirk on his face made her internally cringe. "Yeah, you were out cold. We were almost convinced we'd have to call Carlisle."
She rolled her eyes, "What did you give me?
"Don't worry about it. You lived."
Knowing Kaufmann, that was code for 'something I got in a shady way and I don't want you to have to testify against me.'
"Anyway," He changed the subject slightly, "Text your boy-toy and see if he'll bring you home from school today. You can't drive for 24 hours after taking that."
Hensley's face fell. "Are you serious?"
"I'm sure you'll be fine, but just in case. I was gunna take you there, you just need a way back because I have testing."
She groaned as she searched through her contacts to find Jasper. Calling would be faster since she had no idea when he and his siblings left for school.
He picked up on the first ring, not that she should've been surprised. Vampirism, right?
"Good morning, Alexandria. What can I do for you?"
"Hey, can I be a total pain in your ass?"
She heard Emmett whine in the background, "How come you'll do anal with him but not me?"
The next thing she heard was Emmett groaning in pain.
"Sorry about him, darlin'. I'm sure whatever you're about to ask for will be no trouble. What can I do for ya?"
"Would you be able to bring me home after school today? I was drugged," Hensley shot a glare over to Kaufmann, "last night and apparently am not allowed to drive."
Worry coated Jasper's voice, "Drugged? By who?"
"Just my idiot roommate." Hensley shot the boy another glare, who rolled his eyes, "He gave me mysterious painkillers."
"Ahh." He laughed with a sigh, "that kind of drugged. Well how are you getting to school? I can come pick you up."
"Are you going to have time? It's an hour drive each way. Kaufmann said he can take me I just need a ride back."
"Nonsense, I have plenty of time. I'll see you soon."
Hensley thanked him profusely before letting him hang up. What a wonderful way to start a relationship: by being a burden.
"You're welcome by the way." Kaufmann grinned as he got up to put his plate in the sink.
"For what?" Hensley scoffed. If he thought she was thanking him for mystery drugs he had another thing coming.
Kaufmann came back to ruffle her hair, "I'm furthering your love life…again!"
She almost snapped back at him but didn't have the heart. He was giving her the opportunity to spend two extra hours with Jasper today…. Damn smartass roommate.
Spending an extra two hours with Jasper meant that she needed to be extra cute looking and her flannel with converse were not going to cut it. Instead, she opted for a dressy ¾ sleeve blouse and some flats. It was dressier without seeming out of place for a school day. At least she hoped it came out that way.
With the extra time she had left she started on some coffee. She eyed up Kaufmann as she turned the Keurig on and assumed she was allowed to have caffeine when he said nothing. She thought about making extra for Jasper, but coffee was such a touchy drink choice. Some people hated coffee. Some people liked it black. They were both wrong of course, but still.
Pulling open the fridge to get creamer, she searched for something to bring Jasper as a token of appreciation. Having no expenses paid by the Agency and not having gotten a paycheck yet really put a damper on their grocery situation. Besides, did vampires even enjoy eating? Jasper ate lunch, but what if he hated it and it was just a façade? Bringing him more food wouldn't be much of a thank you.
Maybe you can thank him with afterschool sex?
She cringed at herself, forcefully shutting the door. No need to be crude already. Things just got good. But they could be better….
For just a moment she wondered what kind of lover Jasper would be. Emmett was loud, a talker. Didn't mind being a switch though when Lexi felt the need to be more…in control. Jasper, however, struck her as more of a force to be reckoned with….
Mentally, she chided herself. Stop being a horndog. Haven't even kissed the man yet and already thinking about what he's like in bed? That's not creepy at all. Definitely not weird.
"Bye Hensley!" She jumped at the noise that pulled her out of her thoughts. Behind her, Anderson and Kaufmann laughed.
Kaufmann shrugged at her annoyed look, "This is why you couldn't drive!"
Hensley was fine letting Kaufmann think that she was spaced out and most definitely not thinking about Jasper. The less he knew the better. And the less he could tease her.
Speaking of, said vampire called her, making her realize just how much time she spent thinking thoughts she hoped her dead mother couldn't hear. She sprinted to get her shoes on and spray a bit of perfume on while answering the phone, "Hey!"
"Hi. You sound rushed." Jasper noted with a laugh.
"Yeah. Meds are making me…spacey." Spacey. Not horny. Spacey.
If he thought she was lying he said nothing, "Understandable. I've run into a bit of a dilemma here. I have no way of getting through this lovely gate they have setup."
"Shit." Mentally she smacked her forehead, "Yeah. Forgot about that. I'll be out in a sec, okay? Just gotta grab my bag."
"Not a problem. I'll see you soon, Lexi."
Lexi. The name sounded smooth coming off of his lips. She wondered what else sounded good out of his mouth. Or what felt good in his mouth….
Yeah. Spacey…not horny. Spacey.
She grabbed her backpack and a jacket and rushed out the door. The gate was just a half a block down from her building, so thankfully it wasn't too far of a walk. She waved to Davis who was working the gate this morning.
"You know the truck?" He nodded towards Jasper's car.
Another thing forgotten. Hensley cringed. "Yeah, sorry. I forgot to call down."
"You're lucky I'm lenient."
Hensley pulled herself into Jasper's truck before she got in any more trouble than she was already in. The medicine, or the smell of his cologne, sent a tingle through her body. She couldn't be sure which one it was.
"Good morning." He greeted her with a crooked smile. His eyes quickly scanned her body and she couldn't help but wonder if he had taken rigged painkillers that made him spacey too.
"Good morning! I'm sorry to sound like an asshole, but do you mind if we get going? They're a little shifty about having cars sit out here and I'm a dink and forgot to warn them about you picking me up so I'm kind of already on thin ice with the guy out there and-"
Jasper cut her off as he put the truck in drive, "Hey, no worries. I don't want to get you in trouble. It sounds like you've had a rough morning as it is."
Hensley exhaled. It was nice to take a quick moment just to breathe. Also, nice to ramble on like an awkward loser.
Jasper slipped his hand into hers which surprisingly made her more calm rather than more "spacey."
"Rough morning?" Jasper asked as they started on the path to school.
"Yeah, you could say that. The meds knocked me out hard last night."
"Sorry about not responding to you last night," Jasper cringed as he spoke the words, "Things were a little messy for me as well yesterday."
Hensley shrugged, "You don't have to apologize. I understand that you have a life too. I take it your family wasn't super appreciative of Edward showing off his super speed?"
He laughed dryly, "You could say that."
"Well, if it makes you guys feel better I'm not exactly looking forward to this conversation with Bella either. She didn't interrogate me too much, but I also didn't have any alone time with her either."
"She's very adamant that you and Edward were nowhere near her. She argued with him a bit before she left the hospital."
Hensley sighed and sunk down a bit in her seat. Super. The last thing she needed was Bella telling everyone how impressively fast Hensley was. That wasn't a recipe for being relocated. "Great…."
Jasper squeezed her hand, trying to comfort her. "It'll be fine. Alice has seen that she won't say anything."
"What?"
It was Jasper's turn to sigh. He closed his eyes briefly. "Fuck it. Alice, Cooper's girlfriend. She can see the future. My 'extra gift' is feeling and manipulating emotions and hers is seeing the future through visions."
"Oh cool! I do that." Hensley said casually. Much more casually than Jasper felt.
She'd have to talk to Alice about her future seeing. She'd never met another seer before and the thought of sharing weirdness with someone excited her. She wondered if Alice could push aside visions like she could or if Alice was able to predict multiple outcomes based on possible choices. That would be so much more helpful than Hensley's ability.
"Wait, wait. You see the future? You have visions?"
Hensley shrugged, "Among other things. I told you it took a few tries to get me perfect. Anyway, I don't use it super often. Sometimes I like to be surprised ya know?"
His face was thoughtful for a few moments while they continued on in silence. Every once in a while his face would shift slightly. A corner of his lip pulling back, eyebrows twitching together…she desperately wanted to read his mind but didn't want to invade his privacy.
"What are you thinking?" She asked finally. A quiet fear spreading through her body as her brain played dirty tricks on her. Maybe he didn't like the fact that she could see the future. Maybe he was deciding that he didn't like her anymore.
"I'm sorry." He let out a breath of air as he squeezed her hand. "I was just thinking about something Alice had seen and was wondering if you'd seen the same thing."
Hensley raised an eyebrow at him. All that for a little question? "Why didn't you just ask?"
"It's a pretty…drastic thing to see."
"I can guarantee you I've seen worse."
"It's not bad, necessarily," He said quickly, clearly giving her the wrong impression. "Just…I dunno."
"Well, why don't you tell me what she saw and I'll tell you if I saw it to."
Jasper shook his head, "It's not that simple. I don't want to tell you and then make you think your future is set like that."
"Jasper, I see the future. I know how quickly the future changes. You know how it changes? Decisions. I always have a decision to make that alters what I see. The future is rarely set in stone."
Her words seemed to calm him. She watched as his face softened and his grip on the steering wheel loosened.
"You can't not tell me now. I'm much too curious." Hensley was glad her joke landed well and didn't re-stress him out.
"Alice said she had a vision when you and I first met." He didn't need to continue. The look on Lexi's face told him everything. "You saw the same thing."
"You didn't even finish." She accused weakly. If Alice had a vision the same day that she and Jasper had met…what were the odds that they were different?
"I don't need to. Your face is very good at telling me how you feel. Well, not that I need it." He smirked at her.
The ride was silent again. Hensley didn't know what to say.
Jasper had said that things were messy last night. Obviously Bella had something to do with that, but did that mean she did too? Were things messy because Jasper didn't want to be with her but didn't know how to tell her? She hoped not. She liked him. But as she said earlier, the future is easily malleable with a choice. Was this his way of bringing it up?
Or were things messy because Carlisle was upset? Carlisle seemed normal at the hospital. But maybe he didn't know about Jasper saying 'fuck it' and going for their relationship. Maybe Alice brought up the vision and that sparked an argument about it again.
Or was Emmett having a rekindled flame? She liked Emmett, but those feelings were no longer there. He died 4 years ago. She thought he died; he wasn't coming back. She got over those feelings.
"You haven't run away yet." Jasper broke the silence, "And you've given me no indication that you don't wish for our relationship to travel down this path. May I assume that my readings of your emotions have been correct and you harbor some sort of-"
Desire for you to take me in your backseat? She mused to herself, forgetting that she would be busted by her emotions. Damn vampires. Well, damn Jasper.
He stared at her for a moment, looking rather confused.
"It's been a rough morning." She offered with a shrug. Because that made it better. "If that wasn't obvious enough, yes Jasper. You are correct in assuming I harbor a desire to be more than friends."
Her 'proper' tone reminded her of how she had to act at the Agency. She mentally cringed.
"You're also still here." Hensley continued, but she didn't get a chance to finish.
"Lexi, of course I'd like to be with you. I don't drive an hour out of my way for just anyone." Jasper smirked at her again. She knew he was joking, but she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. "You know you had a ride to school and I all but demanded I come get you, right?"
Damn emotion reading Jasper. She laughed, "Yes, but still. I feel like a burden."
"Well stop that," He squeezed her hand before bringing it up to his lips for a kiss, "There isn't anything in this world I wouldn't do for you."
Hensley thought about making a joke about a list of people she needed killed but decided against it. She generally wasn't good at these tender moments and was trying hard to be better. It would probably be best to let Jasper break the ice again.
"You'll have to forgive me. I'm not really up to date on the relationship scene. We are now…dating, yes?"
Hensley giggled beside him. She was secretly glad that she wasn't the only one who hadn't been in a relationship in a while. "Yeah. I mean, we both did just we wanted to be together right?"
"Right."
"So, I guess that makes us boyfriend and girlfriend." The words felt weird coming out of her mouth. Jasper was her boyfriend. He wanted to be with her, so he was her boyfriend. And that made her his girlfriend. She was his girlfriend.
"Well, wait." Wait? Oh great. He was having seconds thoughts already. "I'm realizing a few things just now." Like how fugly I am?
"What are you thinking?" He quirked a bow at her.
She shrugged innocently.
Jasper gave her a disbelieving look, but dropped it, "How opposed are you to skipping school?"
Maybe he did want to take her in his backseat. Spoiler alert: He did not.
"Seriously," He couldn't drop it, "What are you thinking?"
"Nothing. Sorry."
"You just went from nervous, to humored, to lust in 15 seconds. You're not picturing me naked are you?"
Lexi burst out laughing at his unexpected self-deprecating. "Why would I be humored if I was thinking of you naked?" Don't think of him naked, don't think of him naked. She was not succeeding.
Jasper shrugged, "You've seen Emmett naked. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out things aren't quite the same there."
Was Jasper…jealous? Of Emmett?
Hensley shrugged back, "He's a dude. I've been told you all look the same."
Deep laughter filled the truck, "We definitely don't all look the same. There's notable size differences I'm sure."
"So that was just Emmett being modest?"
"I've never known Emmett to be modest, but sure." Hensley could attest to that. Emmett did have a habit of walking around with very few clothes on.
"You never answered my question."
She thought back in their conversation to remember what question she missed, purposefully skipping the one he asked when she was thinking 'spacey' thoughts, "I'm not opposed to missing school. The government might have something to say about it."
Jasper looked thoughtful for a couple seconds, "How does that work? Who calls you out of school?"
"A doctor, normally. Has to be an Agency approved one though."
"Like, Dr. Cullen?"
Lexi looked at him suspiciously, "You really wanna skip school today."
"I want to give you all the facts before you make a decision."
"On what?" So, he was going to take her in his backseat?
Jasper picked up on her…suggestive change in emotion, "Not that decision. Not yet." He winked at her, "I need to tell you everything about me and my history before you agree to date me. My history is pretty dark. It wouldn't be fair to get you involved before I tell you everything."
"I've killed a man." She blurted out, "Men. 57."
Jasper stared at her. His expression blank.
"23 women." Hensley continued awkwardly, needing to fill the silence with something. "No children though." She shot a finger gun at him with her left hand before her brain finally caught up to her body and she shut the fuck up.
Jasper continued to stare at her, somehow not veering off the road at all. Hensley wasn't sure if she should say something else. She opted not to. It was bad enough she was blurting out her kill count. Best not to screw it up more.
After 2 minutes and 13 seconds, Jasper turned back to face the road. The next 4 minutes and 47 seconds were spent in silence. Hensley fiddled with the end of her blouse.
"I've lost count." Jasper whispered. Her blue eyes turned to meet his. His face was sullen. Like his thoughts were a spiral of self-hatred and guilt…she couldn't bring herself to read them.
She squeezed his hand and rubbed her thumb over his knuckles in an attempt to comfort him. Whatever his past was was clearly still bothering him. There was no wondering how bad something had to be to still haunt you. Hensley knew exactly how bad something had to be to haunt you.
Jasper pulled his phone out of his pocket and made a call.
"Hey, can you do me a favor? Lexi's roommate gave her some painkillers last night and she's feeling pretty tired. Are you still authorized to call her out of school for today?"
He was talking to Carlisle, judging by the conversation.
"Awesome. Nah she's okay. She was just hurtin' last night….I'll tell her. Thanks."
He fiddled with his phone for a few moments before putting it up to his ear again.
"Hey mom. Can you do me a favor and call me out of school for today? … No, I'm okay. Just realizing I should've gone out with Em and Cooper last night. … I will. Love you too."
Once he put his phone back in his pocket Hensley broke the quiet, "Why didn't you have Carlisle call you out?"
"He wouldn't have. He would've known I was spending the day with you and had a fit."
Hensley nodded slowly, "Still not cool with this, huh?"
"It's not his favorite. He wants you to call him if you're still not feeling well by tonight and he'll get a prescription for you."
Jasper got off the highway at an unfamiliar exit. She wasn't worried. Her eyes watched the trees fly by as they drove, admiring the pretty colors of the last few tree leaves. One thing she would never take for granted was the beauty of the outside. Too many years were spent locked away.
They ended up at a spot off the road meant for people to park and hike. Jasper parked the truck and looked at her for a moment.
"I didn't think this through very well either. You're not really dressed for hiking."
Hensley shrugged and took off her shoes, "Jasper, I'm a soldier. I'm ready for anything." She opened the door and hopped down onto the cold earth below. It was definitely colder than she expected. What she expected for November weather, she wasn't sure.
Jasper followed her out of the truck and met her in front of it. "Let me carry you. There's no need for you walk barefoot. It's cold outside."
"I'm okay. Besides, I like this. It's nice to be normal. Well, normal for us."
She held out her hand for him and he took it with only minor hesitation. He led her along the hiking path until they were deep in the forest. Hensley enjoyed the stroll. It was nice to be out; to smell the wind and leaves and dirt. One downside: she was a little cold and wished she hadn't left her jacket in the truck. Not that she was going to admit that.
"See that ledge up there?" Jasper gestured to the large wall of rock to their east. "We gotta get up there."
"Easy peasy!" Hensley released his hand and ran to the cliff, ecstatic to finally be able to run and be free. Jasper was close behind her as she ran, a chuckle escaping his throat. They got to the cliff and she jumped.
She was a little short, but she was able to grab on to the edge to pull herself up. Pain tore through her forgotten shoulder as soon as she put her weight on her arms to pull herself up. Hensley groaned, which triggered Jasper to help pull her up instantly.
"Lexi, your shoulder." Worry laced his voice as he held her. He had no need to hold her. She was safely up on the ledge, but she was in pain and he wasn't about to let her go while she was in pain.
Unzipping his coat, he shifted her so her injured shoulder was against his chest, hoping that his cool skin would come through his shirt.
"Mistakes were made." She whispered as she leaned against him.
Jasper exhaled, "I'm sorry, Darlin'. I didn't even think of it until I knew you were hurtin'. Do you need to go see Carlisle?"
"No, I'm okay. The cold is nice." The cold was nice. But leaning against Jasper was nicer. "We need to keep going?"
Jasper shook his head, "No, no. We're good here." He shrugged off his jacket, being careful not to jostle Lexi too much, and wrapped it around the front of her to help keep her warm.
"Icy hot." She commented, "Icy in the back, hot in the front. That sounded kinky."
The two of them laughed.
They sat for a few minutes, enjoying each other's embrace. Jasper rested his head on her shoulder as they leaned their heads against each other. For the first time in a long time, Hensley felt peaceful.
Jasper was not ready to break her peace with his past. That story was anything but peaceful. He was less nervous to talk about it now that he knew more about Lexi. Knowing a person's kill count wasn't exactly something about them but was at the same time. It shouldn't have been but knowing that tidbit was comforting in a way. It's easier to explain murder to a fellow murderer rather than a civilian.
Though there was no doubt that Lexi was not the same kind of murderer he was. Clearly she did her killing for greater good. He did his killing for pleasure.
Survival, Lexi corrected him when he was done with the moderately detailed version of his story. There was no pleasure in killing humans when you felt their pain as you did it, she told him. Deep down, he knew she wasn't wrong. He had taken no joy in their death. Even killing other vampires. It was kill or be killed.
Lexi did not run away screaming from his past. She knew all too well what his past was like. She lived it too.
"What made you wanna be a soldier?" She asked after he had finished his story and she'd had her moments to digest.
"I liked the idea of fighting for something greater. What they don't tell you is what you're really fighting for. Not until you're in it anyway. They told us the north was coming for our land. Coming for our freedom. Coming for our family. What they didn't tell you was whose freedom they were actually coming for.
"I wrote to every man I knew when I realized my mistake. I begged every one of them to steer clear. I told them every excuse they could give the recruiters to make them ineligible for war. I told them every way to avoid the draft that was never spoken aloud."
"Sabotage from the inside out." Hensley whispered.
"I tried. I got in contact with a Northern officer. I sent him intel. I sent him battle plans and strategies. I tried so damn hard. I got a group of people and went to towns where raids were going to occur and evacuated people before they got there."
"That's how you got turned. Evacuating a town before it could get raided?"
Jasper nodded.
"You left that part out though. In the beginning."
Jasper nodded, "I like to make my human life story quick. None of my past is good, but that's a part I'm particularly not happy with."
"How did Cooper become a vampire? How did you two get reunited?" She changed the subject to something that was hopefully happier.
"Pure accident actually. Maria and I had taken some of the newborns hunting in an area near our camp. Cooper recognized me. He was out with his wife shopping for a Christmas present for our eldest brother when he saw me. Stupid idiot came rushing up to me. It took me a few minutes, but I finally did remember him. He wouldn't have been changed if Maria hadn't been there. She overheard us and wanted them changed. I was a good fighter and she figured my brother would be just as useful. Cooper was very adamant we let his wife go. Said he'd put up a fight if we didn't – as if he could've fought us off.
"I convinced Maria to let Sarah go. I knew Sarah wouldn't be a good fighter and would just get killed after her year was up. Cooper would be no use to us then and get killed himself. This way he got to say his goodbyes and knew that she was living her human life like she was supposed to. This way he got to save her.
"We took him out of town and Maria changed him. She ended up not liking him as much as she liked me but kept him around for fear I turn on her if she killed him. After I met Alice, I felt guilty for leaving Cooper behind. Alice and I went back for him. To this day I swear the only reason he agreed to come with was for Alice."
"That's gotta be nice though? To be able to have him with you?"
Jasper shrugged, "It's been nicer than I care to admit to him. Makes me feel a little less monstrous. A little more connected to my human side."
"And Rosalie…."
"Isn't really related to us. Just a cover story because the three of us look similar."
Hensley nodded. Her head was swimming with information. She wasn't sure what she expecting out of Jasper's past. Vampire territory fighter definitely wasn't it.
"Would you like a story out of me?" She asked a few minutes later. It was probably only fair that he knew what he was getting into.
"I feel like I know most of the basics. How you came to be and why you're still in with the military anyway. Carlisle had never had such strong emotions before you. So restless and terrified in the beginning; so exultant and euphoric in the end. He missed you terribly."
Lexi giggled softly, "You'd never know. He puts on such a 'annoyed' front. Not that I blame him. Emotions are only used against you in my world."
"Unfortunately, something our worlds shared."
"I can't say too much about what I've been up to," Hensley continued after a few moments. Classifications really got in the way sometimes. "But, I used to be in a more specialized part of the marines. More…outside work, like what my roommates do. Basically, taking out the bad guys. Secretive in that all of us in this group are…unusual. Obviously, I am half vampire. Most of the people there aren't that extreme, but we're all in the same special group because we've undergone testing. Most of my siblings have undergone technological testing. Mixing technology with the human body.
"I'm not changing physically anymore though, so I got moved out of frontline and testing sections into something more permanent. Like a phase out in a way. My contract is up in a year and a half and they know I have no plans to renew so they're keeping me out of the classified stuff."
"Why do they make you stay there? If you're almost done and you're not doing fancy things?"
Hensley shrugged, snuggling against Jasper, "They hate me."
Jasper chuckled, squeezing her gently.
Together they watched the clouds roll through the sky. Together, but separately, they thought about what a sick blessing it was that their pasts were similar. Normal people probably would've hesitated, giving the relationships and the troubles that came with their histories a second thought. Their histories would allow them to understand each other…hopefully.
They sat on the cliffside for hours occasionally talking about the topic that came to mind, but mostly enjoying each other's presence. At some point during their enjoyment, Lexi had drifted off to sleep. Normally Jasper was good on picking up on the change of emotions, but he'd been more than a little lost in his own head.
He was more than content to sit there with her against his chest…well, forever really, but he was worried about the temperature. Vampires couldn't get cold, but half-vampires? Mentally, he kicked himself for not consulting Emmett on how to care for her.
In any case, his ice-cold skin wasn't helpful with the wind and, though his jacket wasn't light, it didn't provide the most complete coverage. The hard part was going to be shifting her without her waking.
Moving her wasn't as hard as Jasper had pictured. He cradled his arms under her legs and pressed her against his chest while he stood, and then turned her body so he was carrying her bridal style. If she had been disturbed at all she didn't give any indication of it. In reality, the hardest part was going to be getting off the cliff. There wasn't much Jasper could do about gravity and the effect it had on human stomachs. Or half-human stomachs, rather. The best he could do was move from tree limb to tree limb in an attempt to lessen the feeling of falling for her.
"Jasper?" Lexi mumbled when he was close to the truck.
His throat hummed in response.
"I'm sleepy."
He chuckled at her obvious statement, "That's not much of a secret, darlin'."
"Okay."
Jasper unlocked the truck and carefully opened the passenger side door to put her in. She was roused by the absence of his chest, but settled into the seat easily enough, still using his jacket as a blanket. He clicked her seatbelt into place and rushed around the truck to get in and get the heat on for her. Lexi didn't feel cold, but Jasper was far from an expert on normal human temperatures let alone half-human temperatures. Really he was just thinking he needed to research half-vampires when he got home.
"Jasper." Her sleepy voiced punctured his thoughts again.
He reached over to brush a strand of hair out of her face, "Yeah, sweetie?"
"I don't wanna go home yet."
Jasper smiled slightly. He didn't want her to go home yet either. It was only 11. Their normal 16 hours apart was torture…he didn't want to think of an additional five. "Well, darlin', what do you wanna do? You're awful tired."
"Let's go back to my house. We can nap." A smile fell upon her lips which, in combination with her suggestion, caused his dead heart to soar. She wanted to spend time with him too.
"That sounds perfect."
Jasper only woke her to get her ID card for him to scan. She showed him where to park and sent a quick message to inform the Agency of Jasper's visiting vehicle in the lot. No need to get in more trouble today.
She groaned when she noticed Kaufmann's car in the lot. What the hell he was doing home she had no idea.
"What's wrong?" Jasper asked as he met her on the walkway up to the building.
"One of my roommates is home. They weren't supposed to be back until 5-ish."
"Do you want me to go?" Jasper was hoping the disappointment was out of his voice, so he didn't sway her decision. That didn't mean he didn't want her answer to be no.
Lexi shrugged, "Not as long as you're cool meeting him."
"Well, it'd happen eventually right?"
Hensley nodded. He had a point. She scanned her ID at the building entrance and stuck her key in.
"Official." Jasper muttered as he followed her inside.
"You should see the actual building. Security up the ass."
She led up upstairs to her apartment. Kaufmann had left the door unlocked. Typical for him.
He was in the kitchen when they walked in, spinning around with his hand on hip weapon to see who entered. Kaufmann removed his hand and waved her off when he saw who it was. Judging by his reaction, he hadn't seen Jasper behind her.
"What are you doing home?" He asked in a southern drawl of his own. Judging by the accent, Jasper's interest was piqued as he realized the man could be from Texas.
Kaufmann was nearly as tall as Jasper, standing just a couple inches shorter, but looking no less muscular. Years of training had his muscles toned. Jasper noticed a long scar down the side of his neck. It looked much too clean to be from a training accident.
"Didn't feel well from someone's sketchy meds." Hensley glared at the back of the man's head. He turned to give her a smirk that was only half-way complete. Once he turned he noticed Hensley's…friend. His face quickly hardened as he turned full big brother. Kaufmann's narrow eyes scanned the man behind her. Jasper met his gaze and put his hands on Lexi's shoulders and rubbed them gently.
This kid had balls. Kaufmann liked that.
"So. The meds huh?" Kaufmann's hard gaze quickly turned mischievous as he raised an eyebrow at Hensley.
She rolled her eyes, "Yes. I took a three-hour nap."
"Oh? Where'd you do that at? Backseat of his truck?"
Hensley took Jasper's hand and drug him past Kaufmann and down the hall to her shared room, "Shut up, Kaufmann."
"Was that before or after the blowjob?"
"Kaufmann!" Hensley snapped as she shut the door hard behind them. She rubbed her face. "I'm so sorry about him."
Jasper chuckled, "I see why he and Emmett get along so well."
He took a look around the room. It was surprisingly empty. There were two beds on the right. One in the center of the wall and one in the corner. Two more beds were in the same spaces but on the opposite wall. As if the room were flipped on the x-axis. A single 6-drawer dresser sat between the beds in the far corner of the room. Jasper wondered how they fought over the extra two drawers. He could picture Lexi putting up quite a fight.
"Fancy isn't it?" Hensley laughed awkwardly, breaking the silence.
"I'm surprised they make you all share a bedroom. Couldn't spring for a second one, huh?"
Hensley sat down on her bed, the one closest to the door and shrugged, "Right? They built them a few years ago. Totally could've added a second bedroom if they wanted to."
"Why didn't they?"
Hensley repeated her earlier response, "They hate me."
Laying down together on a twin bed wasn't the easiest or most comfortable thing. Hensley was trying to give Jasper the most room. He was the guest after all. They ended up both on their sides, foreheads pressed together, his arm wrapped around her. It was peaceful.
Kaufmann talked a lot of shit, but thankfully he had a few inklings of social graces and kept to himself. Hensley was surprised.
Jasper asked her a bit more about the Agency: what they did, where they operated, how they were attached to the regular military.
"Basically, it's super-secret," Hensley explained, "we deal with all the stuff that the government wants out of the public eye."
"Area 51." Jasper whispered with a playful glint in his eye.
"That's so classified not even I can touch it." Even though she giggled, she was totally serious. It was frowned upon to ask such questions. Or any questions really.
"Do you always call people by their last names? When Kaufmann was at the hospital his uniform had that name on it. I assume they don't put first names on your uniforms."
Hensley nodded, "That's another absolute rule. You never call anyone by their first name. You can't even know someone else's first name. The boys have zero idea what each other's or my first name is. The only reason I know what their first names are is because I was the one who read the mission files. Before I knew, sometimes we'd try to guess each other's first names for fun, but once they heard we were doing that they shut it down quick."
"Too easy to tell when you guess right?"
"Exactly."
"What is Kaufmann's first name?"
"Preston." She scrunched up her face as soon as she said it, "Ugh. Ew! It sounds so weird to say!"
Jasper laughed at her display, shaking his head, "No it's not. That's not his name."
Hensley giggled with a nod, "Swear to God."
"Preston Kaufmann. No."
"Yes it is! Preston James Kaufmann."
"What about your other roommates? Red and Anderson?"
"Well, Red isn't really Red's last name. We call him that because he's a redhead. His actual last name is Lirette. Wyatt Lirette. And Anderson's first name is Xavier."
Hensley shook her head with a smile, "This is super freaky. I have never in my life said their names out loud before. I'm probably going to get axe murdered tonight."
Jasper's face immediately screwed up in pain. She knew what happened as soon as she saw it and felt awful, "I'm sorry. I was just trying to make a joke. Are you okay?"
He nodded mutely, moving his hand to take hers. She watched as he brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. His lips lingered on the joint, savoring her touch.
Note to self: Talking about her death causes Jasper pain. Hensley felt her own heart clench in her chest as she watched him bring himself down from the hurt. She wished she knew how to make it better. She wished she could take his face and kiss him all over and take the pain away.
"I'm sorry." She whispered again once he seemed to be pain-free.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. You were making a joke. You didn't ask for pain to be inflicted on me every time you're hurt or I think about losing you, did you?"
Hensley shook her head at him.
"See? Not your fault then."
She was about to protest when Kaufmann knocked on the door. "Don't be naked." He rushed in and grabbed his watch off of his nightstand.
"You got switch today?" Hensley asked as he headed out the door. Switch was the shift from 1 to 10 and Hensley's least favorite.
He stopped at her question and lingered in the door, "Yeah, so I won't be back until late. Red has overnight tomorrow, so I think he was going to try and prep himself for that tonight. Just a heads up when he's a cranky ass." Kaufmann smirked, "Anyway, I gotta run. Don't get pregnant. Nice meetin' ya!"
"Fuck off." She groaned while Jasper chuckled. Hensley buried her face into Jasper's chest, kicking herself for not remembering their schedules better. She would've suggested a hotel room had she known.
"Maybe we should go to your house next time." Lexi muttered against his chest.
Jasper wasn't sure that'd be better. The chances of him getting an earful of Carlisle were nearly 100%. Though dealing with an angry Carlisle would be a small price to pay for a day with Lexi.
Speaking of home, he had another thought then. "You should come over sometime. I believe it's customary for you to meet my mother now that we're dating."
Hensley groaned again, but internally this time. It wasn't that she didn't want to meet Jasper's mother of sorts. She was sure the woman was lovely, especially if she was Carlisle's wife. The whole thing was a little nerve racking though. Not only was she Jasper's adoptive mother but her father's wife. Hensley wanted to make a good impression.
"Don't be nervous," Jasper whispered as he picked up on her change of feelings, "She already loves you. You're Carlisle's daughter. How could she not?"
