AN: Happy Sunday all!

I hope ya'll have survived the fever that was/is BD DVD release. I have been enjoying all the smexy gifs people are posting…. Ah back porn… the best inspiration possible.

Not for this chapter though. Sorry. This is all about cookies… and kneading… and well, you get it.

Pour Some Sugar On Me- Def Leppard (thanks Vanessa! This is prefect!)

~~oo~~

Chapter 44: He was funny. And strange.

BPOV

"What is that?" Jasper asked.

I turned with FC in my hands.

"What?"

"That," he said and pointed at FC.

"Oh," I said and looked down at the flour sack. "This is Flour Child. It's supposed to be my kid. It's this weird Biology Project we have to do. We have to take care of it as if its our own. My boyfriend had an appointment, and I can't really leave it in the car. Child endangerment and all."

I was babbling.

I was nervous.

It was my first day, and I really wanted to make an impression.A good one, not a babbling idiot one.

"That's supposed to be your kid?" he asked, looking at FC like it was a freak of nature.

"Um, yeah," I replied awkwardly, looking down at its closed eyes and copper hair. It didn't really look like me. "I mean, I hope you don't mind. Is this weird? It's not going to make any noise or anything, I just couldn't leave it at home."

Jasper shifted on his feet and crossed his arms around his chest, as if uncomfortable.

"But," he said and then leaned in to whisper, "This is a bakery, Bella. Don't you think it's wrong to have it here, with what we do."

I looked at him, blinking.

"It's… supposed… to be a kid. It's not really real, Jasper," I said, in the same whisper.

He wrinkled his nose and looked around the kitchen.

"But," he said again, tightening his arms, "Won't it be traumatized when you start baking?"

"What?" I asked, laughing.

"You're… you're going to be using it's cousins any minute!" he said, pointing towards the huge container of flour next to the mixers. "Can you imagine? Having to sit and watch your mother, as she kills other flour babies to make something she will later eat? The horror!"

And I thought I was strange.

"Um, I can just put it in my backpack, I guess," I suggested, earning me a look of shock from my boss.

"And risk suffocation?" he exclaimed.

I wasn't sure whether he was being serious or not.

I decided to simply set it up on the counter by the door to the display cases, watching Jasper as he continued to eye it warily.

That was the start of my very strange first day with Jasper.

It only got stranger as we went about the routine of opening up for the day.

Jasper showed me how to work the larger mixers, and his laminated recipes he used for the basic cookies and pastries he made. He had been at work since four that morning, so the first batch of croissants and muffins were already on display for when he opened at seven.

But I was quickly set to task on making dough for the several types of cookies he made.

Snickerdoodles. Sugar of many types, almond, and even from shortbreads I looked forward to making. We made huge amounts of dough, separating them into sizable portions and placed them in the refrigerator so that he could bake them in smaller batches.

"We don't do as much business as I probably could in the big city, but it's the pleasure of creating that inspires me," he said as he rolled out some of the dough he had mixed for cinnamon rolls.

"What made you want to be a baker? In Forks?" I asked, cringing into the mixer as I poured in the sugar for his cinnamon icing. My filter was a little nosy today.

He laughed and shook his head as he rolled the dough out a little more aggressively. His laugh sounded a little forced. But when he looked up, the cheerful demeanor was back.

"It's quiet here in Forks. Not a lot of distractions," he said and kneaded the dough. "And baking takes my mind off things."

He didn't explain further, but as I watched him, I noticed odd things about him as he worked.

He hummed while he worked, which wasn't so weird, except he hummed the same few notes over and over. I had no idea what that song was, but judging by his age, I assumed it was some 80's hair band and left it at that.

Humming aside, he was good at his job.

He was very meticulous about how his work.

Perhaps a little obsessive.

His cinnamon rolls had to be a certain size, the exact same curve as the inside of his hand from thumb to tip of index finger. And when he spread the icing along the dough, he was gentle with it, like a sort of caress.

I turned and tried to hide my surprise at his loving nature to baked goods.

I was obviously the perv here.

Thinking he liked rubbing in icing on his sticky buns.

Which of course got me thinking about Edward and his buns.

And how much that icing would look good on him.

I liked cinnamon. But perhaps it would burn.

I was hopeless.

"Something wrong?"

I looked up and shook my head, feeling my blush rage across my face.

I had to stop thinking about Edward for at least part of the day, right?

"So tell me about this boyfriend of yours," Jasper continued and slid his trays into the oven. "You just moved here, you must be quite the charmer."

And cue renewed blush.

"He's my Biology partner, so we just kind of fell together, really," I said, glancing over at FC.

"And who says science isn't romantic!" Jasper said, laughing.

"I guess," I mumbled and started to roll out my own dough.

"Nice," he commented, leaning over to judge the size of my dough roll. He nodded noncommittally and I wondered if maybe I needed to measure like he did. I fought the urge and simply rolled it out as Nana had always taught me.

He went back to humming his strange tune and I went back to my dough.

We fell into a comfortable silence as I rolled out dough for shortbread cookies, smiling as I thought about what kind of shapes I could make them into. Nana had made shortbread cookies with a little cherry in the middle, which now reminded me of a nipple. Jasper had given me free license on the cookies, so I decided to make some of Nana's, along with a variety of square and chocolate covered cookies. I really wanted to make Madeleine's, but I figured I'd slowly integrate them in. No use showing off my first day.

My cherry cookies were a good introduction.

If they looked perverted to Jasper he kept his mouth shut, but I was sure he smirked when he saw me working on them.

When opening time came around, we had the first batch finishing up in the oven and the bakery smelled like fresh cookies. I stayed in the back for the first hour while he met with his early customers, his regulars as he called them. He seemed to know exactly what they wanted and had them taken care of easily. By the time I had worked through most of my dough for the day, I was feeling rather accomplished with taking over a quarter of his display case.

"You want to run the front for a bit? I have rolls I need to put in the oven before the next rush gets here," he said.

"Um, I've never run a register before," I admitted.

He grinned and pulled me towards it.

"Nothing to it. I have I computerized. All the cookies are the same price, as well as the muffins and danishes. You just hit the food item and the number you are selling and it tells you how much they owe," he said.

He talked me through it and watched as I took the next two customers, two women that seemed more preoccupied with Jasper than the muffins they were buying. He was very gracious in answering their questions, but I noticed the uncomfortable shuffle of his feet before he suggested they try some of the muffin sample he laid out.

They went at it like vultures.

I glanced back at Jasper as he disappeared conveniently to the back.

I guess he was attractive. For an old guy. He was still fit, no beer belly like Charlie was starting to form, and he was maybe younger than Charlie, but his blond hair was way too long for me.

I shook my head in disinterest and turned back to the newest customers as they walked in.

It was a slow, steady stream of people as the morning wore on, many of whom recognized me and seemed genuinely excited to try out my cookies. It was a nice feeling when I watched my part of the case slowly diminish to empty trays.

It was nearing ten when Jasper came out, holding FC rigidly from his extended arms. He looked almost pained as he carried it, like those new fathers that discover babies actually poop.

"I can't handle it looking at me while I bake," he said, handing it to me and wiping his hands across his apron like it had made a mess on him.

"Um, just so you know, he's blind," I said, feeling a little feisty. "So he wasn't really looking at what you were doing."

Jaspers nose wrinkled up again and that uncomfortable arm crossing started again.

"So that's why its eyes are like that?" he whispered and then covered his mouth. "Blind people can hear really well. Crap, I bet it has heard everything I said!"

I couldn't help but laugh at him.

He was funny. And strange.

"It's true," he continued in a hushed tone. "They have a heightened sense of hearing, and touch, and smell. Crap. I bet I can smell everything. You're cruel, you know that?"

"Because it can smell it's cousins baking?" I said, giggling.

Jasper shook his finger at me and narrowed his eyes.

"Mark my words. Until you've experience what it has, you'll never know what it's thinking," he admonished. "Have you even tried to figure things out with your eyes blindfolded. It's a different experience, believe me."

He swallowed and cleared his throat, as if he had said something he didn't want to, and then turned without another word and retreated to the back, humming that short tune again, although it had sped up. A minute later, it sounded like every mixer was turned on.

I dismissed his odd behavior for the simplicity of him being a little strange and concentrated on cleaning. His words had me thinking though.

Losing one sense heightened others.

It was an interesting idea that I thought perhaps should be looked into. We were supposed to relate to our flour children in some way.

So why was I suddenly grinning at the idea of being blindfolded with Edward.

This was not something I should be thinking about at work!

After, maybe.

But now, I was flushed and scowling at FC for making me think perverted thoughts at its expense.

I was coming out of the back with a new batch of cookies when I heard the door chime and looked up, nearly losing my cookies at who was strolling in, an evil leering grin on his face as he stepped up to the counter.

Dr. Creepy was here, and he was checking out my cookies.

Freshly baked ones, although I noticed him eye my apron too.

Perv.

"Well, I had heard something about you working here," he said, all smooth charm and slippery grace.

"Hello, Dr. Cullen," I stammered, not sure how to react to him.

I wanted to belt him.

But that would probably mean this would be my last day.

"And how are we today, Bella? Things going well?"

I swallowed and stepped to the side, hoping that by distracting myself in setting my baked goods into the display case, I wouldn't say anything that would get me fired.

"I came in to talk to Jasper, but what a pleasant surprise it is to see you here. How is my boy treating you?" he said, leaning against the counter like he owned the place.

I wasn't sure which boy he meant.

Edward or Jasper. How did he know my boss?

"I'll tell Jasper you're here," I said and moved to retreat to the back where jasper was.

"No witty remarks about me and my son? Or have you seen what he is capable of?"

I turned to let him have it when I heard the back doors open, feeling a strong hand clamp over my shoulder. It was strangely calming, knowing that Jasper was there suddenly.

Because Dr. Cullen scared the crap out of me the way he eyed me.

"Carlisle, what can I do for you?" he said from behind me.

Dr. Cullen shifted and stood, his leering smile turning a little cold.

"Send her in the back. I must speak with you alone," he said, his voice low and commanding.

"There is nothing to say, Carlisle," Jasper replied, his hand tightening on my shoulder slightly. "And I am not yours to be ordered about."

Dr. Cullen's smile widened slightly and his eyes flicked towards me for an instant.

"Just because you moved to quiet little Forks doesn't mean you gave up on things, Whitlock. Or did you? You're right. You are not mine to order. But you can relay a message," he said and took a step down the counter to get a little closer to us.

I felt Jasper's fingers dig in a little. I tensed out of reflex. Apparently Jasper didn't find Dr. Creepy easy to deal with either.

"Tell her I will not be cuckolded. I have seniority, even here in Forks. And what's mine will remain mine," he said, flicking his eyes at me again. "And that includes my son."

I felt Jasper's hand pull me back a little. I had no idea I had tried to pull away, but I welcomed his support when Dr. Cullen smirked and laughed.

"Your message has been taken, Carlisle," Jasper said coolly. "Is there anything else?"

"You'll see soon enough, Bella. My son will show you soon enough. Don't say I never warned you."

Dr. Cullen glanced at me again before turning and strolling out, not bothering to wait for an acknowledgement. As soon as the door closed, I heard Jasper let out a breath and his hand slipped away.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "I'm sorry if he scared you. He's not in the best place right now."

I shook my head and took my own breath, rubbing at my chest that suddenly felt tight.

"He didn't say anything to you before I came out, did he? What was that about his son?" Jasper continued, turning me around gently. His eyes took in my apparently worried face and he frowned.

"I'm dating his son," I confessed. "He's been against it since we started. He thinks I am a dangerous influence."

Jasper's frown deepened.

"You mean Edward Cullen?"

I nodded and watched as Jasper's eyes widened and he looked back out towards the door. Then his smile crept over his face and he chuckled.

"I highly doubt you're dangerous, Bella," he said and patted me on the shoulder. "I need to make a call, do you want to pack up the last of your cookies in the back to take home?"

I knew he was dismissing me to alert whoever she was that Dr. Creepy had mentioned, but since this was my first day, I wasn't going to push my luck by interrogating my boss.

I assumed it was probably Esme.

And really, I only cared that this wouldn't hurt Edward. The rest of them could deal with whatever they had to deal with. They were all supposed to be the grown ups

I nodded and slipped away, starting to think that I had fallen into some twisted soap opera in my life.

Forks was becoming more dramatic than Phoenix ever was.

Everyone seemed to know everyone else, and I had to wonder how Jasper knew the Cullens.

It was all too surreal.

As soon as my cookies were neatly packed away into a box for Edward and my work area was cleaned up, I slipped out to the front again to find Jasper leaning over the counter towards a pretty dark haired lady who had her hands in his hair. His eyes were closed and he looked almost asleep, with a lazy smile on his face while she rubbed.

I think Jasper was purring.

I said he was strange.

"Is this Bella?" the woman said and her eyes took me in with disguised glee.

Jasper slowly opened his eyes and nodded.

"Bella, this is my lovely wife, Alice," he said, smiling lazily. "Alice, this is my newest addition, Bella."

I took a step towards them, not sure if I was intruding.

If only it was closer to two, I could say my quick hello and hide in the back.

But Alice extended her hand and a wide smile broke out across her face.

"I've heard great things about you, Bella! I'm so happy to meet you!" she said, her smile never wavering. She seemed very nice.

I glanced over at Jasper who was taking the exchange from his wife with more interest.

I wondered just how much he could possibly say about me in such a short time. What do you learn from someone in one day in a bakery?

"It's good to meet you too," I murmured and offered her a shy smile.

She seemed nice. Maybe she was the normal one. While she was short, she made up for it in her expressive eyes as she took me in, still smiling.

"So how did you enjoy your first day?" she asked and made herself comfortable against the counter, her hands slipping from her husband as he slowly stood.

"It was interesting," I said, glancing back at Jasper to see if he was maybe testing me.

"She makes incredible cookies!" he exclaimed. "Not that I had any, but they sold out. She's a natural. She knows her cookies."

Alice quirked her eyebrow at Jasper and I was surprised to see him blush and dip his head down slightly.

"So it was a good day then?" she asked, looking at her husband.

He nodded and then looked over at me, smiling.

"A good day when I can find someone who likes the joy of baking as much as I do," he commented.

"Well, maybe then that means you can finally start taking some time off," she said, winking at him before she turned to me. "Do you know how hard it is to get a date out of a man that gets up at three in the morning. He's asleep before primetime!"

"You said you always wanted to date the Dunkin Donuts guy. So here I am!" he teased.

"I'm just in it for your sticky buns," she shot back and leaned in to kiss him.

I laughed nervously and shuffled beside them, feeling like a third wheel in their teasing.

"So do you bake for your boyfriend?" Alice asked innocently.

"I, uh. How did you know I had a boyfriend?" I asked and glanced at Jasper. He opened his mouth for a second and then closed it, watching his wife with a strange look.

"I am sure you must, you are too pretty to not have one," she said and patted Jasper's hand when he reached out to touch her along her arm.

I blushed and looked down, a little bashful.

If Jasper knew the Cullen's, chances were that his wife would as well.

"I do, actually. He's only had my cookies, so far," I replied and could feel my face get more heated.

"Wait until I get you started on sticky buns and pies. You said you liked to make pie," Jasper said, seemingly oblivious to all the innuendos flying around.

But one glance at Alice and I knew, she was as perverted as I was.

Because she was smirking.

I rolled my eyes, trying to make light of my poor use of words and switched instead to questions.

"So what do you do?" I asked.

"I'm a doctor," she said, grinning. "Psychology and what not."

"She's my sugar mama," Jasper said, winking at her.

"Well you need sugar to bake," I replied, laughing at my stupid comment.

But Alice joined in, and soon we were all laughing and making bad baking jokes.

Which may be why I didn't hear him come in.

It wasn't until Jasper called out to him that I saw Edward standing by the door, looking a little shell-shocked.

"Edward!" I exclaimed, relieved to see someone normal for once.

As much as I liked Jasper, he and his wife were both a little strange.

It could be worse, I suppose. They could be ax murderers.

Or like the Cullens with their secret kinky past lives.

They were far more normal. Just strange in a happy sort of way.

"Come say hello to my boss, Jasper, and his wife, Alice!" I said, waving him over when he remained by the door.

I was sure he was being shy, maybe not expecting to meet people when he stopped by.

But he seemed to warm up slightly when he learned I had spoken about him to my boss. Surely he wasn't jealous of me working with an old guy?

I left him for a minute to go grab my things, grinning when I thought of offering him my cookies.

And maybe the things I actually baked today.

I was feeling mischievous, even with the lack of sleep.

And judging by the way he held me as we stepped out of the store, he was feeling something too.

"That was weird," he groaned and pulled me closer.

"Why was it weird?" I asked, looking up at his pensive face.

He covered his nerves with a smile and a quick kiss.

"I'll tell you later. You smell great," he murmured against my neck as we neared my truck.

"I feel kinda gross, like I'm sugar coated," I groused.

He groaned and leaned against my door, looking down at me hungrily.

"I'm starving Bella, and you have to say you're sugar coated?" he teased. "Now I want to eat you up."

I couldn't help but smile.

My mind had been in the gutter all day.

He looked past me back to the bakery and his smile wavered.

"Did you have a good day? You seemed to be having fun with your bosses wife," he said, his tone a little off.

I glanced back and shrugged.

"It was fun," I replied. "Alice had just come in to see Jasper. They're both a little odd, but in a good way I suppose."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice suddenly worried.

"She's just a little too happy, and he's a little weird. He couldn't handle FC being in the same room with him. Like it was watching him or something," I said, laughing.

Edward was still looking back at the bakery, his face showing that pensive side again before he shook himself out of it and then offered me another smile.

"I guess weird is normal in this town," he retorted.

"Does that make us the weird ones?" I asked.

"Maybe," he replied and leaned in to kiss me. "If it is, I like being weird with you."

His kiss lingered and he hummed against my lips.

"You are sugar coated," he said against my lips. His body moved closer, and I could tell he needed more. "You want to go someplace?"

"I need to take a shower," I said, feeling a little heady from his kiss.

"Killing me, Bella," he groaned and pulled away reluctantly. "Can I pick you up in an hour then? I missed seeing you today."

I grinned and let him open my door.

"Make it half an hour, I want to be out of the house before Charlie gets back," I said and started up the truck.

"Did you get in trouble?" he asked, his face wrinkling up in concern.

"Not really," I said, chuckling. "But let's just say I'm getting a new bed after last night."

His eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something but I leaned in and kissed him hard.

"Half an hour, Edward. And leave the car running. I want to make a quick getaway," I said and pulled out, leaving him to stare after me.

I laughed on the way home, sure that he was probably freaking out.

But the hope of spending time with him tonight made me push my truck a little faster.

I couldn't wait.

I had missed him too.

~~oo~~

AN: A lot of people were a little upset with Alice for showing up. It was not meant maliciously at all. Alice and Jasper are the good guys here. And while it may be weird for Edward at first, we'll see what the Whitlocks could be for Bella and Edward.

Soon.

More on Tuesday. Switching to every other day unless my tech goes easy this week.

Real life. It's the bastard of time suck.

MWAH!

steph