A/N: Reminder - Bethany was born in August of 2013.

~Two Years Later~

Two years into parenthood, Jasper was used to pulling himself upright from bed without being completely awake yet. He sat back against the headboard, rubbing sleep from his eyes and trying to bring awareness back to his cloudy thoughts.

Beside him, Peter stirred, stretching. His whole body stiffened for a moment. "Jasper!"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you hear that?"

Instantly, Jasper snapped to attention. The only sound he heard, besides the busy Los Angeles morning outside their house, was the soft, steady sound of Bethany's breathing from the monitor. It was strange. She was typically awake by this time. For the last few months she would wake up and babble to her toys while waiting for her fathers to catch up.

Jasper frowned. "She's still asleep? Do you think that's normal? Do you think something's wrong?"

Peter rolled his eyes, climbing to his knees facing his lover. "She's fine. She's asleep." With an impish, sexy grin, he crawled forward slowly. "She's asleep, Jasper," he said again, his voice heavy with meaning.

"Oh," Jasper said, grinning as he caught on. As Peter straddled his hips, straightening up again, Jasper reached out, his hand on the other man's neck. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

Their kisses were not unhurried, both of them well used to the fact that their time was not their own. They both knew that Bethany wouldn't stay asleep long.

But Peter knew exactly what he was doing. As they kissed voraciously, he moved over Jasper, circling his hips at just the right angle to drive them both crazy. They didn't waste time with sweet talk or dirty talk, needing a physical connection. Their lips smothered moans and little mewls as Jasper blindly reached over to the nightstand, searching for the lube they kept handy.

They moved in a well synchronized dance, pulling down boxers and kicking them off without breaking their kiss for longer than it took to breathe. When Peter was slick and ready for him, he raised his hips, sliding down on Jasper's cock as the blond man kissed his neck.

For one moment, they allowed themselves to be still, nuzzling each other affectionately as they reveled in mutual pleasure. Then Peter began to move, pressing open mouthed kisses haphazardly along Jasper's jaw.

"Fuck, you're so hot," Jasper rasped into Peter's ear. "I'll never get enough of you," he said, his hands roaming the expanse of his lover's bare back. He thrust up, a steady beat to the rhythmic tempo Peter set. The other man moaned, biting down on Jasper's earlobe. "You like that?"

"Yes. God, baby. I love you," Peter grunted the words breathlessly.

The air was suddenly punctuated by a sharp cry, and both men froze. Jasper blinked, a little befuddled because the cry was odd, and when it sounded again he realized for certain it wasn't Peter crying in pleasure. It was Bethany and she wasn't happy.

In seconds both men were in motion again. Peter rolled away from Jasper, reaching for the robes they'd thrown haphazardly over the back of the chair the night before. He tossed Jasper his, swooping in for a quick, hard kiss. "Later?" he asked.

"Later," Jasper promised before they both hurried down the hallway to their daughter's room.

"Bethie," Peter was speaking gently as he lifted the sobbing child out of her crib. "Wake up, honey. Did you have a bad dream?"

Bethany's response was muffled along with her weeping as she'd buried her face against Peter's chest. Her arms were locked around his neck.

Jasper clucked, going to his family and rubbing his daughter's back soothingly. "Bethany," he said, his voice a sing-song. "Do you know what today is?"

The little girl turned her head, leveling him with watery eyes. She hiccuped as her cries further quieted and waited for him to let her in on the mystery.

"It's your birthday, sweetie," Peter said, kissing the side of her hair. "Remember?"

At that, Bethany definitely perked up. "Birthday?" she inquired.

Jasper lifted her out of Peter's arms, holding her above his head for a moment as she squealed in delight. "Happy birthday, Princess," he said, kissing her cheek. He looked over at Peter. "I'll get her ready, babe. You can shower first."

Peter leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss to Jasper's lips before he broke with a wistful sigh. He kissed Bethany's forehead before he left the room.

"So what's the verdict, kid?" Jasper asked his daughter as he helped her out of her sleep clothes. "How have the first two years of life treated you?"

"Mmmmm," Bethany scrunched up her little face, appearing deep in thought. Then she shrugged.

Jasper grinned, completely charmed and in love with his little girl. "Just okay?"

"Okay," she agreed and gave him a toothy grin as she grabbed her feet, giggling because he'd been about to pull her pants up. "No!" she declared, smacking at the pants in his hands.

"No?"

"No," Bethany restated and looked at him stubbornly.

"Okay," Jasper relented. Bethany'd had her own fashion sense since she was tiny. Dressing her was a daily compromise. "Since today is your birthday, you can wear whatever you want."

~0~

"Gammy!" Bethany cried, reaching for Esme the minute she opened the door at the Cullen house. While they'd told her before that Esme wasn't her grandmother, most every child Bethany knew called her Grandma and it was natural for her to mimic that.

Esme was agreeable. She gladly scooped Bethany up, holding her at arms length for a moment before she cuddled her close. "Oh, my goodness. What are you wearing, little one?"

"Bethany is taking advantage of Jasper's belief that the birthday girl gets whatever she wants," Peter explained wryly, leaning in to kiss Esme's cheek. He looked to his lover. "When she wants a pony and a new car, that's on you."

"Well, I for one think that tutus go perfectly with footy pajamas," Esme said, nodding at the girl with mock seriousness.

Esme ushered the little family inside. Bethany was quickly passed to Carlisle who she greeted with a cheery, "Grampy!"

"Happy birthday, Princess," Carlisle said, kissing her. "Come on. Let's go to the living room. I have something for you."

"Carlisle," Jasper protested. "You can't give her a gift before everyone else."

The older man looked over his shoulder, a deceivingly innocent expression on his face. "It isn't wrapped. It doesn't count. There's a wrapped present around here somewhere for her."

Jasper and Peter exchanged a look, rolling their eyes. The Cullens spoiled the hell out of their little girl, treating her no differently than they treated their blood related grandchildren.

"Oooooo," Bethany gasped, reaching with grasping hands at the tiny medical bag Carlisle dragged closer to them as he sat down with her on the couch. She giggled delightedly as he helped her rifle through the bag, taking out brightly colored medical equipment.

"Bethany, what do you say?"

"Thank you," Bethany said dutifully, putting the listening bit of her stethoscope against Carlisle's lips.

Bethany was on cloud nine, running to the door to greet her extended family. "Edwah! Belly!" she greeted Edward and Bella, hugging their legs. "Ari!" She excitedly hugged their daughter as soon as Edward set her down.

"Look, Bethie," Arianna said, taking her hands from behind her back to reveal a little girl's hat. "You have a hat just like mine."

"Pretty," Bethany said reverently, taking the hat from the older girl. "Thank you!"

Watching the exchange, Jasper had to grin. Both Arianna and Bethany had picked up on his penchant for hats. "Ari picked those out all by herself. She was so proud," Bella said, coming to sit next to him.

"The girl has good taste," Jasper approved.

The two girls played together amiably until Ari tried to give Bethany a shot, sending the little girl screaming. She scaled Jasper like a spider, clinging to him and begging him to protect her.

"That's okay, Beth," Edward said, patting the little girl on the back and trying not to laugh. "Belly doesn't like shots either."

Seizing the opportunity, Arianna climbed up on Bella's lap with the play needle, thrusting it into her arm. Playing along, Bella pretended to cry until the giggling girl kissed her owie and hugged her tightly.

Half an hour later, the Cullen house was, as usual, teeming with people. Bethany was so hyper, flitting from person to person, that she hardly noticed when Arianna ditched her to play with Dash.

Jasper and Peter watched their daughter with small, private smiles on their face, their hands twined and pride evident on both their faces. It had been an interesting journey so far, to be sure. Like all children, Bethany had pushed them both to the very limits of their patience, but she was the greatest joy they'd ever shared.

Last but not least to arrive was Charlotte.

"Char!" Bethany cried, throwing herself into the woman's arms. Charlotte was one of her favorite people.

"Munchkin!" Charlotte greeted, scooping the little girl into a bear hug. "Look at you, looking so pretty."

Bethany was gorgeous, that couldn't be denied. Her full lips and button nose were a perfect replica of Charlotte's. Jasper knew one day his little girl would be a heart breaker...and he might go prematurely grey.

Setting Bethany down again, Charlotte wedged herself between Jasper and Peter, sighing lightly as she watched the girl run around, lapping up all the attention she was getting. "She's amazing," she murmured, not for the first time. "She grows every time I see her."

"That's a kid's one job," Peter said, putting his arm around her shoulder. "They grow." He frowned. "My God... wasn't she just a baby who couldn't support her own head yesterday?"

"I miss my baby," Jasper agreed, reaching across Charlotte to find Peter's free hand. "I love my little girl, but sometimes I do miss my baby."

Charlotte scoffed. "You guys are crazy. Babies are needy," she said, but her voice was teasing.

A few moments of easy silence passed between them before Charlotte spoke again, her tone serious. "I'd give you another, you know. If you want. Whenever you want."

Both men turned to look at her, a little shocked by the sudden turn in the conversation. Charlotte looked back, amused at the expressions on their face. "What? You want more than one, don't you?"

"Two," Peter agreed. "We've always wanted two kids."

"Well?"

Jasper laughed, kissing Charlotte's cheek. "You're too good to us, sweetheart," he said. "Not yet though. Maybe another year?" he looked at Peter.

"Yeah. If that's okay," Peter agreed.

"Of course," Charlotte said, grinning at both of them. "My uterus is here for you." She winked at them, and stood to go in search of munchies.

A little while later, Jasper was sitting out by the pool, just relaxing as everyone milled around him. Alice appeared out of nowhere and plopped down, stretching herself along side him. "Well, hello there, sugar," Jasper murmured, sleepy and amused as he put his arms around her.

"Hey," she greeted, laying her head on his chest. "Are you in a good mood?"

"The best," he chuckled. "I'm about to slip into a food and cake coma, my baby girl hasn't stopped smiling all day... you know, except for that one tantrum. I might have to buy a new house to put all her stuff, but I'll just think about that later..."

Alice laughed along with him, then sobered. Jasper felt her body tense in his arms. "Alice? Are you okay?"

"Yeah... just this isn't easy to ask," she said with a small frown.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned. He took her hand and squeezed it tight. "Honey, you know you can tell me anything."

She huffed and looked up at him. "Rosie and I... we want to have another baby," she finally blurted. "She wants to carry it this time and we... well, we'd like for Dash to have a brother or sister who shares at least some of his DNA."

For the second time in a day, Jasper was struck dumb. He stumbled, not quite knowing how to wrap his head around that request. "Whoa, okay. Give me a second because I wasn't expecting that."

She sighed. "I'm sorry. Rosalie had this whole conversation last time. With Edward."

Jasper let out a sharp bark of laughter. "A lot has happened since then," he muttered, looking around the backyard.

His eyes drifted over to Bella, his independent friend who had once asked him this very same question - asked him to help her become a mother. He watched as Edward came up behind her, snaking his hands around her waist and kissing her neck. She melted back against him, her smile relaxed and incredibly happy.

Then he looked over to where Rosalie was kneeling in front of Dash and Jasper smiled.

He knew first hand that creating families didn't always have to be as it had been since the beginning of time - the mother, the father, the child. It was a mark of progress, he mused. Running around the backyard was an example of a family, pieced together like a collage. There were Carlisle and Esme, who had created their children in the usual way. Emmett and Tanya had had some trouble conceiving. In another time, they would have been childless. In another time, their twins - born too early - may have perished. Now they and their new baby brother thrived. Then the whole debacle with perpetual Uncle Edward who'd accidentally stumbled into fatherhood, finding his soulmate only after their child had been conceived.

As Esme and Carlisle had repeatedly pointed out, they were all family.

If he were to do this - help Alice and Rosalie create another child - he was, in an odd way, adding his bloodline to their very peculiar family. Who said that DNA had to be passed from parent to child?

He was, after all, no less Bethany's father just because he sincerely doubted his blood ran through her veins, given her features.

Winding his fingers with Alice, he smiled. "You know, sugar, probably. I need to talk to Peter, but yeah... probably."

Her answering grin could have lit the Las Vegas strip. "I can deal with probably for now," she agreed.

~June 2016~

"Bethany Charlotte, you are working my last nerve," Jasper growled at his almost three year old daughter.

The stubborn girl crossed her arms, refusing to pick up the mess she'd made.

Sitting back on his kneed, Jasper sighed. "Well, okay. We were going to meet Daddy at the beach, but I'll have to call him and tell him we can't make it," he said, pulling out his cell phone.

Bethany's eyes went wide. "Noooooo. Daddy, I'll pick it all up," she said quickly, suddenly flying into motion.

Jasper somehow resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he watched her for a moment before climbing to his feet. "Come get me when you're done, okay baby?"

She nodded, distracted by her task.

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Jasper wandered back over to his office. He was just about to settle back to solving all the problems over at Friday Night Delayed when his phone chirped with Alice's ringtone.

"Hey, sugar," he greeted.

"Hey, you," Alice answered, sounding tired.

"Are you okay, Alice?" he asked, automatically concerned.

"I am. I'm just hiding from the pregnant beast currently residing in my wife's body," she said, chuckling. "The poor thing. It's not as if I don't sympathize. Her morning sickness is so much worse than mine ever was."

"It means the baby is growing," he assured.

"That she is."

"You're sure it's a girl this time, huh?" Jasper asked, amused.

"Sure is."

"Well, if Alice declares it, it will be so."

~0~

Peter sat back on the sand, laughing as he watched Bethany. The little girl was trying to get the wet sand to transfer from her pail onto the ground without breaking. Her face was rapt with concentration, her little tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth.

Jasper reached over, holding his lover's hand tightly as they watched their daughter play. "It still trips me out sometimes," he admitted.

"What's that?"

"That this is mine. You. Bethy," Jasper clarified, slipping his arm around the other man's waist. He looked up at Peter, leaning in for a chaste, sweet kiss. "What do you say we talk to Charlotte soon?"

Peter grinned. "Yeah. Totally. We can handle it." He looked back at Bethany, a wistful smile on his face.

"Well that settles it then," Jasper said finally. He kissed Peter's cheek once more before climbing to his feet. "I'm gonna see about getting us some street meat."

"Oh, honey. The way you talk," Peter teased. Jasper just rolled his eyes, walking off.

As Jasper stood in line he kept his eye on Peter and Bethany, playing in the waves. Peter was so unbelievably handsome, he thought. Jasper wasn't ashamed to ogle. He was shamelessly eye-fucking his man from a distance.

"Is that your little one?"

Jasper looked up, his defenses automatically making him wary when he saw an older woman watching Peter and Bethany as well. He cleared his throat. "Yes, ma'am. That's my Bethany," he confirmed. "And my Peter."

The woman looked at him curiously for a moment and smiled. "What a gorgeous family you have. You're a lucky young man."

Looking back at his family, Jasper couldn't help the wide, proud grin that threatened to split his face. "Yes, ma'am. That I am."

~The End~

A/N: Sigh. I so wasn't ready to say good-bye to these two. I am planning on writing the birth of their second child along with the birth of Edward and Bella's twins (if you read Parenthetical Love). It'll be added as an outtake to Parenthetical Love.

I will be contributing a Jasper/Riley o/s (not THIS Jasper) to the FGB compilation, if you're interested in that.

So thank you all for coming along on this journey with me. Thank you barburella, jfka06 and jadedandboring for holding my hand.

Mwah