AN: First of all, I apologize for taking so long to update. I suffered writer's block through most of November, plus real life kept making me it's bitch.

Thanks soooo much for the reviews!!! They make my heart all aflutter! Chapter 2 continues from exactly where Chapter 1 left off. Btw - I made a small reference to "Remember Me?" My fave Sophie Kinsella book.

One more thing, I need a beta for this story. If you are interested, please PM me.

Disclaimer: Sophie Kinsella owns Remember Me? Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. Jacksper owns me.

SPECIAL THANKS TO Robin (Kirmit) for beta-ing this chapter for me. Make sure you read her and Kristin's Demons and Sinners, it's full of Alice and Jasper yumminess. I have a link up on my profile.


CHAPTER 2

APOV

I hurried down the hall, determined to get some fresh air. Hopefully it would clear my mind. My brain was still reeling from the short yet intense exchange I had with Jasper.

I rushed down the stairs and out into the courtyard, ignoring the curious looks my coworkers and some patients were giving me. I rounded the corner and walked up the side of the building, finding my secluded spot where I know I can always find some privacy.

There was a small bench tucked away, partly hidden behind a tree. I sat down and took a couple of deep breaths, trying to clear my mind.

Wow Alice. Overreact much? I thought to myself as I played with my hair.

I had never felt such powerful emotions before. It was unnerving. I remember feeling all the hairs on the back on my neck stand on end whenever he looked at me.

I closed my eyes and continued to breathe deeply. I can already start to feel myself relaxing and being in control of my emotions again.

What are you? Woman or walrus? I grinned. For some reason, I could hear Rosalie's favorite silly phrase in my mind. She'd always say that to me whenever I was feeling unsure about myself.

I am usually very responsible and level-headed. My parents were strict, serious people who raised me and my younger sister in a no-nonsense way. They drilled in my head the fact that I was older and had to be a good example for Cynthia.

We didn't have much money growing up, so I worked part time at the local diner. I didn't have much time to focus on anything other than my advanced classes and work. In high school, Rosalie dated around and gushed about boys and their different anatomy parts. She would tell me everything in detail, and I would live vicariously through her.

I was a late bloomer too. While Rose had a full voluptuous figure by the time we started junior high, I was her nerdy, honor student, flat-chested sidekick. Boys did not pay much attention to me.

To my relief, my boobs came around the time Rose and I started at the University of Washington. And boy did they come! My 34Ds were no match against her 36 Double Ds, but on my tiny frame, they looked enormous. Boys started to ask me out, but I was so busy with nursing school that I didn't have much time to date. That and the fact that I knew they were just asking me out thanks to my tits.

Needless to say, I skipped the whole giggling-heart thumping-tummy butterflies-blushing phase that most girls go through. Which is probably why I am having a hard time controlling my thoughts and emotions right now.

He's a patient. He has MPD. He's recovering from his addictions. I chanted to myself over and over as I gained control of myself.

When I was sure I had reigned myself in, I stood up and walked back to the courtyard. I saw that Jasper had come out for a smoke and I gave him a small smile as I walked back inside the building.

Good job! See you could do it! I mentally fist-pumped, proud of myself for not blushing or giggling like an idiot.

I went to the nurse's office and started on my small pile of paperwork.

JPOV

I finished my smoke and walked back into the building and down the hallway towards Hall B. They had a bunch of soft-looking chairs arranged in a circle. I was the first one there, so I chose the chair closest to where I thought the therapist would sit. That way, if he wanted me to say something, I would not have to talk so loud for him to hear me.

I could feel the nicotine going through my system and it relaxed me a bit. I remembered the little smile she gave me as she walked by when I was having my smoke. She has the sweetest smile I ever saw, her eyes would sparkle and light up her whole face. I'm a sucker for blue eyes, and hers were so warm and inviting. But at the same time, there was a mysterious glint in her gaze, like she held some sort of secret.

"Good to see you here, Jasper. How are you today?" Jim came through the door and I held back a sigh of relief. At least I already knew him. I hated having to talk to new people every time. He sat down beside me.

"I'm OK."

"That's good to hear." He smiled at me encouragingly, and I gave him a small smile back.

While we waited for the others to come in, I studied my middle-aged counselor and tried to guess how old he was. When I met him last night, instead of drilling me about myself, he told me about his life. I guess it was supposed to make me feel more comfortable talking to him and it worked a little.

He's been through it all. Abuse, foster homes, drugs, jail, you name it. Luckily, he had a team of therapists who didn't give up on him. He went through a whole year of depression when he could not even get out of bed, went through years of therapy and counseling to get to where he is today.

Looking at him, I would never have guessed that. Aside from the few small tattoos he had on his forearms, he looked like a pretty Average Joe type of person to me. What I noticed the most about him was how still he was. Especially since I kept moving and fidgeting next to him.

Should I just ask him how old he is? I chewed on my lower lip.

I decided against it.

I would guess he's probably mid to late forties. I thought about that as I noticed other people coming in and sitting in the chairs. I wondered how long it would take for me to get to that peaceful state.

The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly. Group was about an hour, then I had the rest of the afternoon to myself. I hid in my room and read a book Carlisle had given me.

Then it was dinner time. I ate by myself in a corner in the dining room. I did not feel like talking to anyone. Besides, the other patients here were mostly people in their thirties and forties, no one really close to my age. My eyes kept wandering to the door, wondering where Alice was, but I didn't see her.

After dinner, I went to the phone room to call Esme. I sat on the small couch and dialed the home number. She answered on the fifth ring.

"Hello?" she sounded out of breath.

"Hi, mom. Were you in the middle of something?" God I hope it's not what I think it is. Gross.

"Jasper! I'm so glad it's you! No, I just walked in the door when the phone rang, I had a feeling it was you and I didn't wanna miss you call." Her voice sounded happy. "How are you sweetie?"

"I'm OK. We just had dinner."

"What did you have?"

"Chili. It wasn't half bad. I miss your cooking, though."

"I'll bake you some treats and bring it there next week when we visit. How is everything else? Are the people there nice?"

"Yeah my counselor is pretty cool. And the nurses and staff here all seem OK I guess." I thought about Alice. Probably best not to mention her to Esme.

"I'm glad to hear that. I'm so happy you're there and getting the help you need. But at the same time, I miss you sweetheart. Know that your dad and I love you very much."

I felt my chest constrict at her words. I was such a lucky bastard to have Carlisle and Esme. They've really pulled out all the stops for me. I know how much research they put in this place before deciding to send me here, and how hopeful they are for it to be the answer to their prayers. I hope to God I didn't let them down again.

I talked to her a bit more, about what I did yesterday and today. She told me what she had bought at the supermarket, the new recipe she was trying tomorrow and what dad had been up to in the last few days. I decided to let her go so she can put the groceries away. After promising to call her back soon, I told her I loved her and to send dad my love.

I got up and padded back into the dining room then into the little adjoining kitchen to make myself a cup of hot chocolate. I was just sitting at the small table when Alice walked in.

"Hi!" she looked happy to see me. I gave her a small smile as I felt a warm rush in my stomach.

She went over to the counter and started to make a cup of tea. I sipped my drink, trying not to be obvious as I observed her lithe, graceful movements. She had to reach up quite a bit to get the box of green tea out of the top cupboard, giving me a tiny peek at the skin above the waistband of her scrubs. The sight shot a jolt down my spine and straight to my dick.

WHOA. Down, boy.

Shit! What is it about this girl that turns my already frayed nerves into live wires?

I tried my best to control my breathing as she brought her cup over and sat down across from me.

She was holding her cup delicately and I was mesmerized by her hands. They were so small, with pretty, slender fingers.

She smiled at me again. "So how was your afternoon?"

I brought my eyes back to hers and cleared my throat, hoping my voice came out stronger than I felt. "It was OK. Jim seems like a pretty cool guy." OK I know I was making small talk, but I honestly didn't know what else to say to her.

Fuck! Why the hell am I so tongue-tied???

"Yeah, he's one of the best counselors in the state. We're really lucky to have him on our team." She took a tiny sip, her small shoulders hunching up a bit. My eyes locked on her collarbones at the movement, they were so delicate yet so sexy. Collarbones. It was one of my weaknesses. I could feel my heart thumping a little faster.

I must be a sick fuck if the mere image of her drinking tea turns me on.

Desperate to distract myself from her golden, glowing skin, I blurted out the first thing I could think of. "So how long have you been a nurse here?"

Her smile got bigger as her eyes sparkled. "Just under a year. I love it here! I used to work in the hospital, but I find working here to be so much more fulfilling. Seeing people transform and change. It can be a short or long process, depending on the person, but it is a process. And when I see a patient improve, it just makes me so….." She trailed off as her cheeks turned pink and she dropped her gaze. I felt the corner of my lips pulling up a bit. "Sorry I get carried away when I talk about my work." She started biting her lower lip.

Mmmmmm…..those full, luscious lips….

Concentrate, dickhead!

"I think it's really wonderful how you love it so much." She looked back up at me, her cheeks still pink. "I imagine being a nurse is pretty exhausting, it takes a lot out of a person." I cringed inwardly, remembering how I treated the nurses in my long list of hospital and rehab stints. I did not deal well with withdrawals; I was an asshole motherfucker to them.

She nodded and tilted her head to one side. "It was hard on me, working at the hospital. In my department, there were a few nurses who were so mean, you can tell the stress and dealing with angry, sick people had gotten to them. They were grumpy and bitchy all the time." She looked a bit guilty for telling me that. "I knew I had to get myself out of that negative atmosphere. So here I am. The staff here is awesome. We all love what we do and it really helps to have that, you know? Especially when working long hours."

I could not help smiling along with her. It was easy talking to her like this, when she was doing most of the talking.

As long as I keep her talking about herself, she won't notice the effect she was having on me.

"How long are your shifts here?"

"Um….it depends. My sked is pretty flexible, like if I needed the hours, I could work a bunch of overtime. I'm actually here for the next two weeks straight."

I felt a surge of happiness at that bit of information. Where the hell had that come from?

When Carmen had given me the tour, she mentioned that the staff on shift lived on the center's grounds. It was suppose to be more convenient for them, since we were in such a remote location. She even briefly pointed out the three-story building on the other side of the courtyard where the staff lived

"Wow. Two whole straight weeks? Wouldn't you run out of things to do?" I knew it was a stupid question, but I was a bit surprised. From what I could tell, this place was run like a well-oiled machine. Sure, there were a handful of patients, but just as many nurses.

"Several of the staff has gone home this afternoon now that I'm here to cover their shifts. I'm a massage therapist here too." Duh! That was why the dining room looked a bit empty tonight.

Wait. Holdup. She's a massage therapist too?

I studied her and found myself for the second time that day, trying to age-guess. I would have thought she was around my age, but FUCK! Unless she was some child genius, how could that be?

She must have sensed my curiosity, as she let out an embarrassed laugh. "I was a geek in school. Advanced classes and all that. Started university as soon as high school ended." She saw my eyes widen. "I'm serious. I didn't even take the summer off, started in May. I did this fast-track 2 year program, no summer breaks."

Holy Shit! Beauty AND brains! How many ways can this girl turn me on?

I tried to discreetly adjust the problem in my pants, hoping she would not notice.

Then suddenly it dawned on me. Normally when I talked to people who seemed so put together, I'd feel self-conscious about my own fucked up life. But instead of fidgeting and feeling like crap as I listened to the beautiful girl talking, I felt strangely buoyant.

Hm. That's a first.

It also brought my attention to something else. It's been a few hours, yet I was not jonesing for a smoke.

Of course, as soon as I thought it, my body started to crave it.

Shit!

I was really enjoying talking to her, but I decided to go now and make sure I leave on a good note. I did not want to go, but the knowledge that she was not going anywhere helped my resolve.

Yep. She's stuck here with you for the next few weeks. I smiled inwardly at the thought.

I cleared my throat. "It was really nice talking to you." She smiled warmly at me. "I should go though."

"Yeah it was nice. Sorry I know I monopolized the conversation." The pretty pink tinge was back in her cheeks.

"Not at all." I walked to the sink, rinsed my cup, and put it in the dishwasher. I turned to her as I was leaving the room, my hand already going to my pocket where my smokes were. "Bye, Alice."

"Have a good night, Jasper."

Again, Reviews are LOVE.

I want to assure everyone that I have every intention of completing this story. I already have snippets of future chapters written, including some lemony goodness *wiggles eyebrows*

That being said, I can't promise when I'm gonna be able to update next. Real life is really kicking my ass. I still can't believe it's Dec 12 already. How can it be that it's only 12 days into the month and I'm already 20 days behind??? On top of that, I'm gonna be working for the Winter Olympics from now until mid March as I live here in Vancouver. I have to work looong shifts, as in 14 hour work days as we all scramble to get our city ready.

I will update AS SOON AS I CAN, or I'll try to at least put up some teasers.

Thanks for understanding. Have a WONDERFUL Christmas and an AWESOME New Year!!!!