Thank you so much for your reviews, it's amazing to see how protective you all are over a fictional character!

I don't. Stephenie does.

Chapter 10
Bella.

Before he left for work, Edward told me to strict with Cooper because he wasn't allowed to get away with his behavior the night before, I agreed only to keep Edward happy; when Cooper plodded down the stairs for his breakfast, I broke my promise - that little boy needed someone to care for him, not someone to shout at him when he was already feeling down.

"Cheese and ham omelette?" I asked as I poured some fresh OJ into his Joker glass. He took a dainty sip and nodded in agreement. It wasn't like I had to ask, because he always had that for breakfast, but I didn't want us stuck in silence.

Five minutes later I plated up his breakfast and drew a smiley face on the omelette with ketchup. "Forty percent cheese, sixty percent ham."

Cooper fiddled with his knife and fork and never said a word. All of a sudden, he had swiped the ketchup-face off the omelette with the blade of his knife.

I frowned, "you always have a smiley face on your breakfast, Coop. It helps you have a good day, remember?"

"It's babyish; I'm no a baby."

"It's not babyish, Cooper; it's our special breakfast-bond."

He shrugged and bit into the food, hastily putting an end to that conversation.

After breakfast I got cleared up and put the Twins in my car as we waited to take Cooper to school. I called up to him that I'd be in the car, and when he left the house, the first thing I noticed was his outfit. His usual outfit for school would be a smart plaid shirt, khaki shorts, sweater vest and either sandals or sneakers. But he was wearing a dark blue tee with beige motorbikes, beige chinos and green, combat high-tops. A purple zip-up hoodie was clutched in his right hand.

Why would he wear something so different? He never cares about what other people think or wear. I didn't even know he owned clothes like that!

"Wow, Coop, I love your outfit." My positive look on it made him smile and that one expression stopped me from commenting on the clothes any further. He smiled, and I wanted to keep it that way.

The journey to school was positive and when Cooper left the car and said goodbye to me, Elizabeth and Marco, he didn't sound sour at all. I thought that was a change in the right direction, but I spoke too soon.

"Either myself or Dad will -,"

"Edward." He said with a scowl.

Not this again...

"No, Cooper, he is your dad."

"Garrett is my Dad and Tanya is my Mom. You're just Edward and Bella." And with that he slammed the car door and stormed away.

The tears came before I could control them.

I just wanted to help him, but it was as if I was taking one step forward and two steps back. That little boy means the world to me and it killed me to see him so sad.

After the melt down the night before, Edward had come up with a brilliant idea and put it straight into action, I only prayed that it worked.

0-0

Jasper

0-0

I was watching the Cowboys game with a cold one when my cellphone began to ring with Edward's name on the screen. At first, I considered letting it ring-off to concentrate on the game, but part of me knew it was important. I mean, Alice phones them that often that I've heard all the recent 'gossip' and also, Edward isn't the sort of person to give us a call because he's bored, or whatever. So I muted the TV and pressed 'accept'.

Before I greeted him, I was already asked if I could do them a favor and whether I was free the next day (today). I said I was, and that I'd help as much as I could. Edward carried on explaining the terrible evening they'd had and how Cooper had gone, quote, 'out of control'. I heard what was said, about Coop no longer calling Edward 'Dad', and it didn't make any sort of sense, but I knew I had to help.

So, after making sure Alice wasn't going anywhere and that she would be at home to look after Lottie, I made plans with Edward to drive to Seattle the next day.

0-0

"I really hope you can help, Jas'." Bella and I were seated on her sofa. She was completely torn up. For as long as I'd known her, I'd never seen her act that way.

"I'll do what I can, Bell. I'll collect him from school and take him to the park or somewhere private where we can talk. Please don't get yourself in a tizzy, darlin'; he'll be back to normal soon, I promise you."

I honestly don't know why, but I have always had a special bond with Cooper, so I hoped that would come to my advantage.

I followed Bella's instructions - where the best place was to park and where to stand in the playground, and she wasn't wrong. Cooper saw me almost instantly and a beaming smile broke across his face.

"UNCLE JASPER!" He screamed as he sprinted over and flung his tiny arms around my neck. I held onto my nephew and rubbed his back. He held onto me longer than any normal greeting hug.

"Are you okay, Buddy?" He shook his head against shoulder. When he pulled back, his head was bowed and his eyes were glazed in tears. "Hey, what's wrong? C'mon, you can tell me." But he never spoke a word, so I offered the trip to a park and he agreed to that one.

0-0

We started to walk around the edge of the park and watched all the dogs that were chasing each other in their own secluded part. I waited a few minutes before asking if he wanted to sit down and talk.

"Why are you so upset, Coop?" I went straight to the point; I didn't want to pussyfoot around the subject.

He shrugged, "jus' not happy..."

I lent forwards with my elbows on my knees and my head turned back to look at him. "But why are you not happy? We can't work out what's wrong with you and it's making us all very sad."

"I jus'... I jus'..."

"Y'know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah."

"I only want to help you, Coop."

By the way his eyes moved, I could tell he was thinking it over. "Okay," he muttered after a long pause, "...um... there's these boys at school and... and they keep being mean to me."

I felt so proud - proud that he found the confidence to let it out - but I also felt pissed; some shitty little kid was messing with my nephew, and that didn't bode well with me. I felt like calling Emmett - he'd join me in a flash.

You've messed with the wrong family, kid. No-one messes around with a Cullen.

"What are they doing that's mean?"

"Um... um, they're calling me names like Pooper Scooper and say that I'm a baby 'cause I'm real small and wear funny clothes."

Assholes...

"Is that all that they do?"

I won't be held guilty...

"No... they push me over sometimes and say... say that my real Mom and Dad didn't want me 'cause I'm just a stupid lil' baby."

No wonder he was acting so different. The weight and worry he was carrying would have been enough to knock anyone over, let alone someone as small as him.

"What they are saying, Cooper, is a load of rubbish."

It's fuckin' bullshit and the biggest load of crap I'd ever heard, but I'm refraining myself from saying that much.

"But it's true." He mumbled, played with his hand and bit back his reforming tears.

"Who said was the truth? I'm tellin' you, Bud, that you shouldn't listen to a word they say. Do you want to know something about bullies?"

"What?"

"They tease because they're jealous."

"Jealous?"

"Yeah - you've got something that they don't have, and that makes them angry. And you know what you've got?"

"What?"

"You have a family that love you so much and would do anything for you. When your Dad comes to pick you up after school, or when Bella drops you off in the morning - that shows the love they have for you."

"I like it when they pick me up, 'cause it means I don't have to get the bus."

"Exactly!" I smiled and patted his shoulder. "And they comment on your clothes?"

"Yeah."

"So is that why you're wearing these clothes today?" I tugged on the jeans that looked so out of place on his little legs.

He jittered his head in a nod.

"And how do they make you feel?"

"...I don't really like them... the jeans make my legs feel funny and the hoodie is too hot."

"So why are you wearing them? Because everyone else wears them?"

"Yeah."

"Right, and see if everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you do that too?"

"No, 'cause that's just dumb."

"Exactly; just because they do something, doesn't mean you have to as well. Cooper, if you feel comfortable in your shorts and flip-flops, you wear your shorts and flip-flops. No-one can make you wear something, especially not a group of stupid bullies."

Finally, after an hour of doom 'n' gloom, he giggled. It was small, but it was progress. "They are real stupid actually - they went out in the third round of the Spelling Bee and I went to the semi-final round and they are older than me!."

Damn, this kid is awesome.

"See! Another thing they're jealous at - you are so smart and they couldn't dream of being that clever."

"I guess you're right..."

I nudged him with my elbow, "I'm always right, Kid; I'm your Uncle Jasper."

"Thanks, Uncle Jasper."

"You can always come to me or anyone in this family if you're upset and something is bothering you, okay? But for now I think we should take you back home."

He hesitated, "I don't 'fink they want to see me, 'cause I was really mean to them."

"They just want you to be happy, Coop - that's all. But I suggest you apologize really nicely when we get there, right?"

"Right." Cooper rubbed his cheek like he was about to cry one again.

"No more cryin', Bud - you have no reason to be sad anymore."

"But I do 'cause... well, I do 'cause... 'cause Edward was my best friend and you're not meant to be mean to your best friend."

"He's not just your best friend though, is he? It takes more than the DNA in your body to be a father. All you need to do is go home and say 'I'm sorry, Dad' and he'll be your best friend again."

"Really? Bella too?"

"Bella too."

The satisfied grin never left his face for the entire ride home.

0-0

Let's all just take a second and dream about the wonder that is Jasper Hale...

If you want to see a picture of Cooper's outfit you can find it on my Facebook page, RosieRathbone FanFiction.

I'm back to work tomorrow, so i don't know when the next update will be, but I'll see you all soon! Pass on your thoughts?