If on a Winter's Night

by Touchstone67

One fateful, winter's night, Edward and Jasper's lives are turned upside down. Is their relationship strong enough to withstand the aftermath, or will they be driven apart forever? Rated M for sexual situations, language. AH J/E slash

16. In the Dead of Night

Disclaimer: S. Myer owns all, but what I wouldn't give for a Jasper of my very own-sigh.

A/N-We're back with Edward, and his version of events. Again, I don't want to repeat too much stuff, but what happened between him and Jasper physically was pretty significant and I think we need to hear what Edward was feeling when Jasper was riding him, along with resolving the slight cliffhanger. Thank you for your patience while I try to keep up with the schedule as best as I can.

Thank you to everyone that has read, recommended, reviewed, and learned from this story.

Special thanks to Dannie, who stuck by me for so long with this story, if it wasn't for her encouragement and faith in my writing, the boys wouldn't be here.

This chapter is unbeta'd, all mistakes, grammatical and otherwise, are mine.

Now Edward pov

"**~~**"

If on a winter's night he hadn't fought the darkness and won…

"**~~**"

When I had fallen asleep, he was in my arms. Warm and sated, his body curled intimately against me, his leg slung over mine, holding them down as if I could get up and walk away from him. As he drifted to sleep, and I fought it, I wondered how two bodies could fit so perfectly together. It wasn't just the way his hand felt in mine, or the way our lips matched when pressed together, but the way our heartbeats synchronized, the way his deep breaths somehow instinctively matched my own even in his sleep.

Sometimes, when I was tired or bored or feeling exceptionally sappy, I wondered if other couples felt like we did. Did their bodies yearn for each other so much it ached, did their hearts almost burst when their boyfriends smiled at them, or was it only Jasper and I that had been allowed to feel that way? When I grew too curious, I would ask Jasper and he would roll his eyes, only to kiss me and tell me how sweet I was before agreeing 'of course it was only us, because we were soul mates'.

He was right. We were soul mates.

I could live a thousand years and travel all over the world and I knew I would never find another Jasper. No one would affect me like he did, no one would make my heart race and slow at the same time, and no one else would ever know exactly what I needed and give it to me exactly when I needed it. There definitely wasn't anyone else as stubborn as he was.

Or as beautiful.

We had both been excited about him sleeping over again. It had been months since we had been alone in my room for an entire night, and I knew after Valentine's Day, he was hoping for some physical contact. He would never ask me for it, as much as he wanted my touch again, he wouldn't push me, he would wait until I was ready for more. Physically wanting Jasper both frightened and relieved me. I feared after not having another hard on after Valentine's Day, that maybe it had been a fluke, a one time thing. I wasn't sure I could handle the disappointment if he touched me again and nothing happened. My sex drive had been nonexistent since the accident until Jasper had gradually coaxed it out of hiding, encouraging it slowly with hand holding and kissing, each small step almost reflecting how our physical relationship had started almost two years before. So when I began to want Jasper, to see him naked, to touch him and hold him, I was relieved to feel that desire coursing through me once again. Of course, Jasper took his time with me, never rushing me for more than I wanted.

Jasper might have been stubborn.

He was also really fucking patient.

I don't think he had expected me to ask him to jerk off for me. The look on his face has been one of surprise before his eyes darkened at the request. Agreeing, he had rolled off me to begin, and I let my need for him surge through me, not even trying to control it. I followed his movement as much as I could, running a hand up his body, pulling his shirt with it until I had exposed his nipples. Leaning forward, I took one into my mouth. Instantly his back arched and I felt his hand in my hair.

He wanted me, and I wanted more.

"Will you take your clothes off? I want to see you," I murmured. Immediately, he pushed me off him and yanked his shirt over his head, but then his eyes went to my closed door. "It's late, they're in bed."

He'd been naked in my room before, and I had been naked in his. It was a risk we took when we were feeling brave, or really fucking horny. It was a risk, what we were doing and getting caught was a legitimate fear, but sometimes our need outweighed fear. During the winter getting to the meadow was not easy and we just needed to be together like that, feel each other's skin and warmth and naked weight. We had jerked off together before too, sometimes under the blankets early on the mornings he slept over, sometimes late at night before we fell asleep, even in the backseat of the car a few times when we were desperate.

When he was lying naked on my bed, I couldn't help but stare. Jasper was breathtaking, lithe and lean with sinewy muscles running along his arms and legs. I caressed him, hesitantly at first, but with more confidence as I saw his body reacting to even the lightest of my touches. His cock hardened and I hadn't even touched it, and when I did, and it twitched and grew more, my heart pounded.

He wanted me.

"Tongue back in your mouth, baby," he teased.

Laughing, I peeled my eyes away from the sight of my hand on his body. "Sit on me." I rolled onto my back again and he quickly moved on top of me.

"Is this okay?" he asked and I nodded. Then he made a loose fist around his cock and pumped himself once. "Like this?"

"Yeah, just like that." Reaching up, I fingered the ends of the waves that had fallen in front of his eyes. "Just like fucking silk," I sighed before tucking the strands behind his ear. "I want to see all of you."

Jasper stroked himself slowly, the pace unhurried even though I knew he must be nervous. There would have been no stopping someone from opening the door, even if they knocked it would not have given Jasper enough time to get off me and dressed.

My hands left his hair and went to his hips, gripping them tightly as I pushed him down my body until he was resting on my pelvis, my covered cock under his bare ass. He could have stopped me from moving him, but he didn't. It scared me to have him sitting there, because if having Jasper naked and jerking off on me didn't make me hard, nothing ever fucking would. He knew what I wanted, and he gave it to me. Grinding his ass onto my cock in slow circles, he would thrust his hips forward. I couldn't help it, I groaned, not caring how loud I was, and his eyes went right to the door.

"Nervous?"

"A little," he replied. "They might suspect something if they walked in right now."

Smirking, my attention never moved from his cock, or the way his hand slid across his skin. He edged himself for me, backing off when he felt he was getting too close. He was giving me as much pleasure as possible. I listened to his breathing, heavier as he got closer, and shallower as he slowed his pace. Curious, I brought my eyes up to his.

"What are you thinking about?"

"I'm not. I'm just watching you. Feeling you under me."

Feeling me.

Feeling my still body under his.

I missed being able to feel him. I could see his movements on me, even guide them with my hands, but I couldn't feel him like he could feel me. How could he want me if I couldn't feel him and couldn't please him like I used to. Sensing my wavering thoughts, he ran his fingers through my hair, bringing me back to him before I strayed too far into the darkness. It was always resting just behind me, waiting for the right moment to strike. When my defenses were down and I had let doubt seep in, the darkness would rear its head, curling a finger toward me as it encouraged me to follow. Jasper was all I had. He was fighting a battle for me that he didn't even know existed. If it hadn't been for his constant presence and reassurance, the darkness would have already shrouded me. Jasper's fingers in my hair, his soft voice in my ear brought me back, and the darkness retreated once again.

Looking up at him, I saw his desire, darkening and filling his eyes.

He wanted me.

Relaxing, I lightened my hold on his hips. "Can I touch you?"

"Baby, my body is yours, you can touch me whenever you want," he replied, shoving his hips forward and releasing his cock, presenting it to me. Releasing his hip, I moved one hand to his cock and gently wrapped my fingers around it. Involuntarily, his hips bucked and he groaned. Empowered, I gripped him tighter and watched the bead of precum drip from his cock onto me. The scent of his excitement was in the air, thick and musky. He smelled of sex and us.

"You smell so good," I said, breathing his scent in deeply. "You look so fucking hot right now."

"I love you watching me. Makes me so hard."

Makes him hard.

He wanted me.

"More," I breathed.

"Whenever I jerk off alone, all I see is you working out. Sweaty, grunting…fuck, just watching the muscles in your arms move is enough to make me come."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes and smile. I admit I had been teasing him since he had caught me working out. While he had taunted me about the music the entire time, I had seen the way he watched me, lust floating around him as his eyes followed the movements of my arms and back and shoulders. I had always enjoyed working out but it had taken on a new meaning since the accident. Now getting around in the chair depended on my strength and endurance, being in shape made just about everything I did easier, from showering to getting dressed. Even though I was working out almost daily, I hadn't counted on the muscle growth happening so quickly, but Emmett had said it helped being young and having a lot of hormones, as well as already being an athlete.

I continued to stroke Jasper a few more times, feeling his velvet skin slide over his length, before releasing him and returning my hand to his hip. He moved over me like he would have any other time, riding my flaccid cock like it was hard and needy. Reaching down with his free hand, he cupped his balls and tugged on them, pulling them down for me to see the dark pink taut skin.

"Fuck," I murmured, my eyes staring at his cock, so hard and red, clear fluid seeping from the slit.

I felt his fingers tickling the back of my neck, but I knew they weren't. One hand was on his cock and the other was running over his chest. The tickling increased, dancing down my spine and out my arms, even causing a heat to rise and color my cheeks a deep pink. The longer I watched him, the more the tickling increased, even causing a slight shiver from me. I watched his hips move in a tight circle, his hand never stopping. Moving my eyes up his body, over the defined muscles of his abdomen and sweat glistened skin of his chest and shoulders to his neck, I concentrated briefly on his lips before finally meeting his eyes. Words couldn't even begin to express what I felt for him. The emotions tangled together, weaving together like the musical notes from a piano hitting the air, cumulating into a masterpiece of art until you couldn't tell one from the other. I knew he saw it, there was no hiding how he made me feel, even when I wanted to, I never could. But even with all the emotions, the chair, my condition, it always came back to us, Jasper and Edward.

And our love for each other.

That love had grown from trust, the two were mingled closely together. I trusted Jasper with my body and my heart. It was that same trust that gave me enough strength to ask him what I was most afraid of.

"Am I…am I…am I hard?" I stammered.

"Yeah, baby, you're hard. Your cock is pressing against my ass," he confirmed in a whisper.

Instantly, I was relieved, and while I couldn't feel the erection, he did, and right then that was all that mattered. Keeping his eyes on mine, he shifted his weight off me and let go of his cock. Then he hooked a finger into my pants and I immediately grabbed his wrist tightly.

"Don't. I can't."

"I want to feel you against me, baby. Just for a minute. Please," he begged. "I need this."

I was afraid, of what I was sure, but there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for him.

I wanted to please him so fucking much, I wanted to give him that, but the fear swelled inside me, churning in the pit of my stomach even as I loosened my hold on his wrist and nodded. Gently, he pulled my pants down over my cock, just enough to free my erection before letting them snap back into place. No matter how much I feared looking, my eyes went to my cock, the head poking out between his thighs. It was hard and red, and looked completely normal. Sitting back on me, he moved so my cock was pressing against his balls and the soft skin behind them, and every time he thrust, he would run his ass along my length.

"Oh fuck," he groaned. "Baby, you feel so fucking good right now. So hard."

He wanted me.

Excitement grew in me, and I returned my hands to his hips, gripping him tightly. Urgent to feel him, desperate to feel his wanton movements, the way his body writhed, I forced him down on me. The tips of my fingers dug into his flesh, and I knew I was bruising him, but I didn't care. I needed to fucking feel him, I had to feel him. I grunted as I used my new strength to shove him down on me as I willed my hips to move, to thrust, to just fucking budge. No matter how much I clenched my teeth or gripped him, my hips remained completely still.

My cock was right there, against his naked ass, and I felt…nothing.

I just wanted to feel something, any fucking thing, a twitch, a pulse, heat…anything.

Nothing.

"Baby."

Opening my eyes, I looked up at him. "I just want to feel you again," I whispered desperately. "Want to feel you so fucking bad."

"I know, baby," he murmured.

He knew. He didn't know how it felt, the frustration that ran so deep in me that I felt like I might explode from it, but he knew what I wanted.

"I'm so fucking close."

Just like he knew, so did I.

I knew my boy's body as well as my own, I knew what he was waiting for, and I wouldn't deny him any longer. Even if I couldn't do it anymore, he could, and I could still watch and remember what it felt like - the way my body used to tense as the muscles unanimously anticipated the orgasm a second before it actually hit. The way the warmth would start as a tingle low in my belly, then draw my balls up until there was no more holding back and it spread out my hips and up my spine, tickling every nerve right before my cock pulsed and throbbed and released.

Sensations I could no longer feel.

"Come for me. I can't feel you, but I can watch you."

With one last stroke and a gasp, he came, his body riding the high completely as it spread throughout him. His cock erupted, shooting his warm load onto my chest as he gasped and attempted to contain his cries. He kept pumping himself, squeezing every last drop out as his body trembled above me. Enthralled, I watched his cock empty, the dark head shiny from cum as it dripped onto his hand, running over his fingers.

He fell forward, placing his hands on my chest. "Jesus."

Taking deep breaths, he evened them out, occasionally shuddering as the last of his orgasm traveled through him. Looking down my chest, I saw his cum covered hand splayed on me, and I had to taste him again. The bitter, salty, potent essence that was entirely him. Picking up his hand, I brought it to my mouth and licked some cum off his fingers, my eyes holding his as they widened and almost rolled into his head.

"Mmmm, I had almost forgotten how good you taste," I moaned.

"Fuck, baby."

"You gonna get hard again?"

"Give me about ten minutes and I will be," he laughed. "But I need to clean us up first."

He wanted me.

So much that he didn't move off me, but instead, fell forward and kissed me. Tasting himself on my tongue, he moaned and deepened the kiss. As our tongues slid around each other, my hand went to hair, fisting his satiny curls as we kissed lazily. My hand on his hip felt him rocking back and forth as he dragged his softening cock over my stomach, the remnants of his orgasm smearing over my skin.

"Got something we can clean up with?" he asked, breaking the kiss.

"You don't want to run to the bathroom like that?" I teased. "There might be a towel in the laundry basket."

Before he moved, he reached between us and pulled my pants up over my cock. Then he climbed off and went to my laundry basket for a towel.

"Nice view," I whistled. Wiggling his ass, he gave me the finger.

"Ah, here we go." He found a towel and wiped himself off. Lying on my bed, I watched him intently, a light haze, similar to a small orgasm, fogging my mind and relaxing my body. He came to me, gently cleaning my abdomen before putting his sweatpants back on and running to the bathroom. He wasn't gone long, but I felt my eyes closing, barely hearing him when he returned.

"Goodnight, baby," he whispered, moving to the floor where his sleeping back was rolled up. I didn't want him on the floor; I wanted him next to me.

I needed him next to me.

"Stay with me," I murmured sleepily.

"I am."

"In my bed."

"Are you sure? What-"

"Set an alarm. I want you with me."

He set his alarm and then climbed into bed next to me, pulling the blanket up over us both. Placing his head on my chest, his leg over mine, he nuzzled into me.

"Why is it we never seem to make it through an entire movie?"

"You're a distraction," I admitted.

"Me?"

"Thanks for tonight," I sighed before kissing his head. "I love you so much, Jas."

"I love you too, baby."

He wanted me.

I don't know when he left the bed, I vaguely felt him lean over me to turn off his alarm when it beeped, but there was no empty spot next to me. Putting his phone back on the table, he put his head back on my chest, his breaths warm as they washed over me. Instinctively, my arm around him tightened, keeping him to me. Dreams plagued me, ones of watching him ride me, naked and wanton, until he realized I wasn't moving beneath them. Then he got off me, claiming he couldn't be with someone that didn't want him in the same way. No matter how much I told I did want him, I just couldn't get hard, he shook his head and left my room. The actions in the dreams varied, but the outcome was always the same.

He left me.

I was alone.

That was how I woke up to the sound of his phone vibrating on my nightstand. I assumed it was his alarm going off again, as it had every ten minutes for the past hour. Blindly, I reached for it, just wanting to stop the sound and fall back into my restless sleep. Picking it up, I pried my eyes open to turn off his alarm once and for all.

But it wasn't his alarm that was making his phone vibrate, it was a text message from someone named Jake.

Have fun. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get some *wink* lmk how it went

Simultaneously my breath caught, my heart stilled and my chest tightened.

Jasper didn't hide anything from me, including his phone. In fact, I often used his phone and he was always on mine, usually moving music over or playing games he didn't have. I knew he wouldn't mind me looking at his text messages, and however wrong it felt was overridden by the need to know more.

Opening the message, my finger scrolled the screen, the messages going from newest to oldest, and my heart began to pound against my ribs.

Have fun. I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get some *wink* lmk how it went

I'm heading over to Edward's tonight. Sleeping over for the first time since the accident, hoping for a little action, it's been about a week & I'm about to burst -if ykwim? Ttyl

It'll take some time before he's comfortable with the idea of being touched again. Don't rush, you've got plenty of time. I think it was about a month after we started doing stuff that Embry finally let me touch him. He loves watching me give him head. Remember they say the brain is the largest sex organ.

Yep, as a rock. He was shocked, but I think he was okay with it. I could tell he didn't want me to touch him though.

Awesome, glad you had fun. Did it work, did he get hard?

Night was awesome, thanks for the advice.

Jasper had been texting to some guy about me, about us. The texts seemed familiar and friendly, Jake wasn't a complete stranger. My fingers tightened around the phone as I read the messages again and again while Jasper slept soundly on the floor next to my bed. Clutching his phone so hard my knuckles turned white, I took several deep breaths. Images of Jasper and the boy raced through my mind, Jasper smiling as he text him, or worse, talked to him on the phone.

Glancing to the corner of my dimly lit room, I saw the darkness greedily rubbing its hands as it rose tall, a 'I told you so' smirk forming in the feathery light smoke. Ignoring it, I turned away, my eyes falling to my boy on the floor, his golden halo of hair fanned out on the pillow, his head turned to the side, his mouth opened as he snored. I wouldn't follow the darkness until I talked to Jasper, but every second longer he slept, the more doubt snuck into my mind, and my heart.

Maybe Jasper didn't want me.

Maybe Jasper wanted him.

There was nothing in the messages to suggest that, and I kept reminding myself of that. In fact, Jasper seemed to want me in the messages he sent. My eyes concentrated on the name of another boy, Embry. Was he Jake's boyfriend? Was he cheating on him? Why wouldn't Embry want to be touched? The questions filled my mind, making it ache and throb.

On the floor, Jasper began to stir, flipping side to side before rising to his elbows with a sleepy look on his face.

"Edward?" he whispered, his eyes searching mine, finally dropping to my hand and his phone in it.

"What's wrong? Did someone see us?"

I shook my head, still unable to speak.

"Then what is it, baby?"

"Who the fuck is Jake?"

"Fuck," he mumbled, falling back onto his pillow and sighing. "He's a friend…kind of."

"Kind of?" I growled.

He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed again before scrambling out of his sleeping bag and standing. I watched him through narrow eyes as he stretched his long body before sitting on the edge of my bed. I flinched when his hand grabbed mine, but I never moved it from his as he took his phone and put it on the table, not even looking to see what I had seen. He took a deep breath and then looked directly into my eyes, not hiding anything.

"Remember on Valentine's Day when you asked me how I knew what to do?" I nodded, my heartbeat slowing under the soothing touch of his hand. "Well, I knew what to do because of Jake-"

"What the-"

His fingers were on my lips, stopping me. "Just let me explain. Shortly after your accident, I went online and began to try to find out as much as I could about SCIs. When I should have been doing homework, I was reading every site and article I could find. I even printed out some to read during lunch at school. I went to blogs, forums, medical sights, non-profit organizations, anything that had any information. It didn't make me hurt less, but it helped to know what your body was going through, and what we were going to face. I found these forums that had a teen section, and they seemed pretty friendly there. Some of the people there were paralyzed, some were girls with paralyzed boyfriends, or the other way around. I introduced myself in a post, I said was I gay and my boyfriend had been in an accident and was hurt. I asked for suggestions on what I could do to help you." He finally looked away, his eyes going to our hands. I don't know when it had happened, but my hand had turned up and our fingers were now entwined. "You wouldn't talk to me and I was so lost. I just wanted to help you, baby," he whispered in a shaky voice. He paused, letting me absorb his words before continuing.

"A few people replied, welcoming me to the forums, told me their stories and stuff. But there was one reply from this guy Jake. He told me about his boyfriend who had dove into a river and broken his spine at his T7. He also told me that no matter how angry you got, it wasn't at me, and that I could be there for you. Then he gave me his email address in case I had more personal questions that I didn't want to post on the forums. So we began emailing back and forth, maybe a few times a week. He'd ask for updates on you, tell me about his boyfriend Embry, basic everyday shit."

During the time I had forced Jasper away from me, I had missed him, hated him, needed him and loved him all at the same time. I knew he was alone and had reveled in it. I had wanted him in pain and to hurt as much as I did. If I'd had my life taken away, I wanted his gone too. It was selfish, and I knew it, but I hadn't cared. The agony had been in his eyes every day, it was in his weight loss and the way he walked. But he had kept coming back, each and every day, and perhaps it was partly because of Jake.

"What else did he tell you?" I asked quietly.

"Not to give up on you, stand by your side. Show you how much I loved you, and that no matter what, I wasn't going anywhere."

He brought his eyes back to mine and I looked away to the corner where the darkness waited. It was smaller, fainter, creeping back into the depths of me, waiting to prey on me another day.

"He gave me his number because he thought I might want to talk to him someday, and so we could text when we weren't near a computer."

"Have you talked to him?"

"No, just chatting on the computer and texting."

"You told him about…my…erection." It wasn't a question, I already knew he had, but he nodded anyway.

"I know you feel like you aren't a man anymore, and from my research, I knew it was possible for you to get hard, but nothing I read said how, well, some mechanics, but nothing like what we really do. It was all clinical. So I asked Jake what he and his boyfriend did, and one thing led to another."

"It's embarrassing," I sighed, finally bringing my eyes back to his.

Gnawing on his lip, he nodded. "I know, that's why I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to be embarrassed that someone else knew what we were doing, but he understands because he's gay too."

Which was exactly what scared me. If Jake was gay, and his boyfriend wasn't able to perform for him, maybe he was seeking someone that could, an able bodied person like my boy.

"Have you seen his picture?"

"Nope."

"Do you know where he lives?"

"Nope. That's what made it so easy to talk to him, Edward, the anonymity. I don't know anything about him other than his name, he's gay and has a paralyzed boyfriend that he loves. Just like us."

The more he revealed, the more I relaxed.

"You had your parents and Emmett, but I didn't have anyone. I couldn't exactly ask my mom. I didn't have anyone, baby, and I really needed someone to talk to. Chatting with Jake made it a little easier, and he's answered all my questions. He's really nice. Oh, and he likes The Beatles," he finished.

I couldn't help but smile a little, my hand reaching up to curve around his neck and pull him to me. Ignoring his morning breath, I directed his lips to mine, enticing a moan when I swept my lips over his before breaking the kiss.

"It's nice to have someone I can talk to and be myself. I don't have to hide who I am or how I feel about you with him, but if you want me to stop talking to him, I will," he vowed.

I had to admit it was tempting. I believed Jasper without a doubt. We had always trusted each other, it was never really an issue because there was no one else that threatened either of us, but things were different now. There were others out there who were better than me, who could walk and run and make love to Jasper, all things I could never to with him. I couldn't fault him for wanting a life of normalcy when I wanted that myself.

"No, that's okay. I think it's good for you to have someone to talk to. I'm sorry I looked, it's just that your phone was vibrating and I thought it was the alarm, but when I went to turn it off, I saw the message on the screen and…I panicked. I thought I was losing you…"

He shook his head. "You don't have to explain. I should have told you about him sooner but I was afraid you were too fragile and would be too embarrassed. It's still all so new. I'm sorry-"

I drew him to me again, kissing the rest of his apology away. Pulling apart, I put my forehead to his. "Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time," I breathed into the air between us.

Grinning, he continued for me. "Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you."

He sang the rest, and there was no better sound than Jasper whispering our song to me. Paul couldn't hold a candle to my boy's sweet voice.

Releasing my hand, he climbed over me until he was beside me in the same position as the night before. It was early, no one was up yet, and Jasper burrowed into my side, his lips moving steadily along my neck.

"I tried to wake you up earlier, I had a rather large problem I wanted you to take care of for me," he admitted shyly.

"Large?" I scoffed, angling my head to give his lips more room to work. I couldn't resist the throaty groan that escaped me.

"Fucking right it was large. Huge, enormous, biggest hard on ever."

"You should have woken me up."

"I couldn't. You looked too peaceful. But now that you're awake," he hinted. "Remember when we used to jerk off together before anyone got up?"

"Mmm, it was hot."

"Yeah, it was," he agreed, his lips skimming over my collarbone. "I could do that for you, ya know."

"Jerk off?"

He nodded, his eyes so fucking dark when his gaze met mine. "If you wanted me to."

"I do, but I need to go use the bathroom first."

Lifting himself off me, he got off the bed and grabbed my chair, which he had pushed in the corner to make room for his sleeping bag. He picked up his sleeping bag, tossing it out of the way of the chair. I transferred myself from the bed to my chair, and then wheeled over to the supplies and grabbed a catheter kit.

"This takes me awhile, you might want to get comfortable," I warned him as I opened my door.

Jasper was lying on my bed when I left the room and went across the hall to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and washed my hands first, then used the catheter. I had gotten much quicker and was able to push it through to my bladder and empty it in just few minutes. Once I was done and the tube was out, I moved myself to the toilet. I changed my gloves, dripped on some lube, and then lifted my leg to the side, giving me access to my ass. I couldn't feel my middle finger as it traced my hole, or even after I inserted it, gently easing it in and out to stimulate myself. All the nights I had fantasized about touching myself, sometimes actually doing it, I had never imagined it would be in an effort to help me shit.

It had always been much sexier in my dreams.

Chuckling to myself, I moved my finger around a few more times before pulling it out and waiting. The routine still took me about forty minutes to complete, and while I hated leaving Jasper for that long, I knew he understand the importance of maintaining a schedule. My body, and health, depended on it. It wasn't worth having an accident or impaction for a few more minutes of cuddling.

He would be there when I got back.

Over the past few weeks, I had begun to read my body better, recognizing the signs of when it was done. There were subtle flutters in my stomach and shifts when I moved slightly. Looking down, I could see the progress I was making and just had to wait it out. When I was done, I cleaned myself with the moist wipes, tossed everything in the trash and moved back to my chair. I washed my hands again and then went to the door. As soon as I opened it, I rolled my eyes.

My door was open and there were voices coming from my room.

"What did you guys do last night?"

I sighed.

So much for watching Jasper jerk off.

"Watched some movies," his answer was hesitant, and I could almost see him sitting on the edge of my bed, picking nonexistent lint off the blanket as my sister stood there grilling him.

"What movies?"

"Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles."

"Flashback to the eighties, huh?"

"Umm, I guess so," he replied. "I mean, kinda, well, yeah, sorta…"

There was nothing more adorable than a nervous Jasper. I almost expected him to ask her if she played the game Fable like he had asked me the night he jerked off for me for the first time.

"Quite the eloquent speaker, aren't you?" Alice teased him. "Anyway, I came in to see if you guys wanted breakfast, I'm making pancakes and sausage."

"Yeah, that sounds great. Do you need help?"

His offer didn't surprise me, it was who Jasper was. It was that he was offering to help Alice that surprised me.

"Um, yeah, sure, I guess," she stuttered.

"Quite the eloquent speaker," Jasper shot back and I had to smile. I entered the room just as he stood up. "Oh, hey, Alice is making breakfast, want to help?"

"Sure." Alice, who had been exploring the stuff on my dresser, bounded over to the door.

"Come on then, boys!"

"Sorry," I mouthed up to Jasper and he shrugged.

"It's okay, this will be fun."

I followed them both into the kitchen. Alice put on some music before directing us to fetch her different things. Jasper got the pans while I got the griddle. The three of us laughed our way through cooking, splattering each other with batter and making shapes with the pancakes.

"Too bad you didn't have your Star Wars pancake molds," I said to Jasper as he poured the batter onto the griddle.

Alice stopped chopping the cantaloupe. "You have Star Wars molds?"

"And cookie cutters," I supplied.

Jasper glanced at her over his shoulder. "Don't judge me."

It was stupid fun, and I hadn't laughed or smiled that hard in a long time. Jasper and Alice danced around me, he even lifted and spun her when she requested. In another reality, they might have actually made a cute couple. Only once did Jasper dare to touch me the way he yearned, dancing seductively in front of me, he swayed his hips while threading his fingers through my hair, forcing my head back to look up at him.

"Hey, hey, child in the room," Alice reminded us. "Save that stuff for later."

Jasper rolled his eyes, but obeyed.

There was a stack of pancakes, sausage, cut fruit and coffee brewing by the time my parents came down. They found us in the dining room eating and talking about school. My mother stood in the doorway and smiled while my dad went right for the coffee.

"This is wonderful," my mother said as she got a plate for food.

"It was Alice's idea," Jasper confessed. Alice looked at him, all dreamy-eyed.

After breakfast, Jasper got dressed and packed his bag. He had to head home and help his dad but promised to call me later. Bending over, he gave me a long deep kiss.

"I'll call you in a little while. Love you."

"Love you too," I murmured, licking my lips to taste him as he pulled away.

"Be safe, baby."

"See ya, love."

I watched him leave, and then looked at my computer.

Maybe it was time for me to some research of my own.

"**~~**"

"Anything is fine," he sighed, clearly frustrated with me as I looked in my closet for something to wear.

"But you're all dressed up."

Well, for Jasper he was dressed up. Wearing in black jeans, a gray turtleneck and maroon sweater, he looked sharp.

"Just find something, we need to go."

"Where?"

"On a proper date," he answered, "I'm tired of staying in all the time."

"You're tired of being old men."

"Exactly. We're teenagers, we're supposed to go out and raise some hell."

Rolling my eyes, I moved some shirts aside.

The week had flown by, mostly because every second I wasn't at school or doing PT with Emmett, I was with Jasper. He drove me to and from school almost every day, stayed at my house after school, usually ate dinner with us, and then only after a long make out session, would he head home. When I had asked Jasper if he had talked to Jake, he nodded and told me that Jake had been nervous about a surgery Embry was going to have but that everything had gone well.

Gym class went pretty well. I was able to finish the net sports and move on to dodgeball with the class. I got out a lot, I was a bigger, slower target than everyone else, but I also had a killer throw. Using my upper body, I beamed students with the ball, usually wearing a satisfied smile when they would rub where I'd hit them.

Wednesday, the day that my mother had driven me to school, had been the worst day of the week. Jasper had called the night before and after failing to seduce me into phone sex, told me that his dad needed the truck the next day and I would have to get a ride from my mother, which normally, I didn't mind. The next morning, I did my routine and got ready for school, pushing my way down the ramp with a bagel on my lap to her car. I opened the passenger door and unlike with Jasper's truck, was able to transfer myself into the seat. My mother took my chair and put it in the trunk before getting in and starting the car.

I adjusted my legs and began to eat my bagel when I saw it.

The blue rectangle hung from her rearview mirror, swaying as she pulled out of the drive and onto the street. The white symbol on the thin plastic was hard to miss, and I glared at it. Written at the bottom in black marker was my mother's license plate number.

"What's that?"

She looked at me, then followed my gaze. "Oh, it came in the mail yesterday. We ordered it shortly after you got home, but it took a few weeks. The paperwork they require was insane. It will be good once you start driving again."

Refusing to look at it anymore, I turned away and stared out the window. My bagel went untouched, my appetite suddenly gone.

"I'm not handicapped," I growled at her.

"Edward, it's just something that makes your life easier."

That was exactly what she didn't understand, I didn't want to make my life easier, I just wanted it back. Handicapped parking was for old people that used walkers, or had to carry a tank of oxygen to breathe, they weren't for seventeen year old kids.

I was not handicapped.

She pulled into the school, parking in a clearly marked handicapped spot, one of the few free in the crowded lot.

"See? It just makes things easier," she reiterated.

Keeping my head down, I avoided looking at the other students mingling in the parking lot while she got my chair out and opened my door. Quickly, I moved myself into the chair and pushed away from the car and her.

"I'll see ya later," I said, spinning the chair around and heading toward the ramp.

"Bye," she called out.

Frustrated, I pushed myself as fast as I could toward the ramp. The tag was a fucking slap in my face, a symbol of what I could no longer do and the special treatment people thought I deserved because I couldn't walk. I didn't want special treatment, I just wanted to be able do the same things everyone else could, go where they could go. I didn't want a tag to give me that privilege. By the time I reached the top of the ramp, I was gritting my teeth and I reached for the door, only to slam it into my foot.

"Fuck," I snarled, shoving my way past the door and down the corridor to my locker. The darkness followed me, nipping at the wheels on my chair as it attempted to gasp it to move closer.

Kids were everywhere, some saying hi or waving, others just standing in my fucking way. Three bumped into me, none of them apologizing before moving and letting me by. Reaching my locker, I opened it only to have two books fall out onto me. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. I leaned over for the one of the books and couldn't reach it.

Just as I was about to lose it, a small hand picked it up and handed it to me.

"Here," she said, smiling. "Bad morning?"

"A little," I agreed, stuffing the book into my bag and slamming my locker. She jumped and then glanced around.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, Bella, everything's fine. I just need-"

"Jasper?"

Surprised, I looked at her, and she shrugged.

"It's just when you're upset, he seems to be the only one that can calm you down," she said, completely right. "Are you going to English?"

"Yeah." I backed up from the lockers and turned the chair. She fell into step next to me.

"So I was thinking we haven't done anything in a really long time, and well, I don't know, maybe you want to go out this weekend?"

I rolled to a stop. "Um… I don't…"

"It's okay if you can't, I mean, I understand. It's harder to get around and stuff, but think about it, I can drive. Give me a call." She entered the classroom and went right to her desk.

I sat in the doorway.

Yawning, he rubbed his eyes and then looked at me with a lazy smile. As soon as he saw me, he knew something was wrong. He glanced around and then stood, striding to the door. I backed up and gave him room.

"You okay?" He crouched down in front of me.

I wanted to say yes, I wanted to be okay, I wanted everything to be okay. I didn't want this life anymore.

Game over.

I was done, I wanted my life back.

But I was like a fly caught in a spider's web. No matter how much I struggled to break free, there was no escaping the chair…or my life sentence in it.

"Babe?" he whispered, and I saw his fingers twitch as he stopped himself from reaching out to touch me.

Looking down at my lap, at my fucking legs, I shook my head, desperate to try to regain control. I knew if I looked behind me, the darkness would be there, snickering by the lockers, waiting for me to welcome it back into my useless life.

"Everything okay?" Mrs. Goddard asked as she walked up.

Jasper's eyes never left me, but he spoke to her. "Yeah. We'll be inside in a few minutes."

She walked around us and into the room, "Let me know if you need anything," she said before closing the door.

"Do you need to leave? I don't have the truck, but we can call your m-"

"Do you think I'm handicapped?" I asked quietly, snapping my eyes to his.

"No, baby, not at all," he answered without hesitation. Then he tensed and his eyes hardened as he went into his protective mode. "Did someone say something?"

Clenching my eyes, wanting nothing more than his arms around me, I shook my head.

"Then what's wrong, tell me," he implored.

"My mom drove me in this morning…"

"Did something happen?" he coaxed when I paused.

"She has a handicapped tag on her mirror, one of those things that lets you park in handicapped spots," I sighed. I felt my eyes tearing up as I said the words, but I determinedly forced them away.

"And you think that makes you handicapped," he assumed correctly.

"I don't want to be some cripple, Jasper. I just want to me. Edward. Having one of those is like waving a fucking white flag saying I give up, I'm going to accept this fate and be handicapped. I always thought old people had those, not fucking teenagers," I vented to him, my words rushing out of me one after the other with barely space in between.

And then, in the empty hallway at school, Jasper performed his superhero power and brought me back by knowing exactly what I needed to hear.

"You're not cripple, baby. You're beautiful and perfect. This," he motioned to the chair, "is just an extension of you now, but it doesn't define who you are, and neither does some fucking tag. If it's something she thinks you need, let her have it, but you and I know different. I watched you push your chair up a fucking mountain, I've seen the way you move in gym, I've watched you workout, the weight you lift. You are not handicapped, Edward. You're just you."

I knew I wasn't beautiful or perfect, but in his eyes I was, and that was all that mattered. Even though I had stopped the tears from falling earlier, one escaped and rolled down my cheek. I quickly swiped it away, and exhaled. I swear I heard the darkness skittering further away with each word Jasper spoke. Someday I would tell him about all the battles against the darkness he had won without even realizing it.

"Besides, look at it this way, when we go out and we're running late, we can get a really good parking spot now," he grinned. Sniffling, I laughed. "You okay? Do you want to go home?"

"No, I'm staying," I answered defiantly. He stood up and opened the door and I entered, going right to my desk. Mrs. Goddard glanced at me and smiled, but never paused her lecture. My superhero sat next to me, unknowingly keeping the darkness at bay with his smile and words.

In my bedroom, his foot tapped the floor impatiently as he waited for me to choose something for our date. I was still in the opened door of my closet looking at my options, wanting to dress up if Jasper was.

"Anything is fine," he stressed again. "We're not going anyplace fancy."

"Then tell me where we're going," I hedged, flipping through my clothes, finally settling on a white button down.

"No, it's a surprise. Someday you will learn not to ask s-"

Turning my chair around, I smirked at him as I pulled my Abbey Road tee shirt off. I would never get tired of hearing his gasp when he saw me shirtless. My new upper body gave me some pride. It had taken a lot of work to get it, but the benefits far outweighed the effort.

"You were saying?" I teased as I leaned forward and put the shirt on, buttoning it from the bottom up.

"Um… I was?"

Shaking my head, I stared at him. Even with the drool gathering on the corner of his mouth, he was hot. "Are jeans okay?"

"Jeans are fine. Now let's go, we're going to be late." He stood up, openly adjusting himself in front of me.

"Tease."

"Pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?"

Shrugging, I pushed by him and went down the hall. My mother was folding laundry on the couch and looked up when we walked in.

"We're going out for awhile," I announced matter of fact, as if we did it every night. Other than the night Jasper had taken me to the meadow and Senior Night, we hadn't gone out since before the accident.

"Out where?" I could hear the worry in her voice even if she didn't intend it.

I looked up at Jasper, since he was leaving me in the dark. "Movies and probably some food after," he replied. "Meeting up with some other kids."

"Please be careful," she said to Jasper.

"I will, ma'am," he promised as he opened the door before she could stop us. He closed it behind me and I glided down the ramp to his truck.

"Movies and dinner I believe. The meeting with other kids…"

"Yeah, well, it sounded better."

I rolled to a stop at the door and waited for him. After he opened the door, he slipped an arm under my knees and around my back and lifted me into the truck. I moved myself in while he put the chair in the back and got inside.

"When is your dad just going to give you this truck and buy another?"

"When hell freezes over," he deadpanned as he started it and began to back out.

"Here Comes the Sun" began to play and I relaxed into the seat as his hand grabbed mine. Turning my head, I watched him for a second as he sang along with George. Glancing at mirror, I smiled at the empty place beneath it. There was no blue tag hanging there. I was free of the stereotype, at least while I was with Jasper.

While I was with him, I was just me.

"Little darlin', it's been a long, cold lonely winter…"

"Little darlin'," I picked up where he left off. "It feels like years since it's been here." We sang together for the rest of the song, belting out the lyrics as loud as we could, trying not to laugh.

"So are we really going to the movies?"

"Yep, dinner too."

"Wow, don't I feel special," I smirked. "Where did you come up with the money?"

"Dad paid me for last weekend, ten bucks an hour for helping him on Sundays. Gives me money for gas and shit."

"Are you working tomorrow?"Jasper had planned on sleeping over again, and had cleared it with my mother the day before.

"Nope, just Sunday."

"So we can sleep in?" I hinted, knowing he would understand exactly what I was referring to.

"I fucking hope so. Nothing against Alice, but she's got the worst timing ever."

Jasper pulled into the movie theater and drove up and down the aisles looking for a space, but the only free ones were the four handicapped spaces near the entrance.

"Damn tag would come in kinda handy right now," he muttered under his breath and I laughed.

After stalking someone that was leaving, he pulled into the empty spot and shifted into park. Releasing my hand, he got out and was at my side in seconds with the chair. He lifted me from the seat and put me in the chair, letting me adjust my legs while he closed the door and locked the truck.

"Ready?" he asked, heading toward the cinema.

It felt odd being out with him, doing something we would have done months before without a second thought. Jasper walked beside me, talking about our choices of movies, asking which one I wanted to see. Didn't he know the movie didn't matter? Being there with him was all I cared about.

"I don't care, whatever you want," I replied as we reached the sidewalk. Jasper automatically headed for the end where the ramp was, and I smiled as I wheeled myself up behind him.

"I'm kinda in the mood for an action flick," he said, holding the door open for me.

"Sounds good," I agreed as I went by him.

When we got into line, there were a lot of students from our school, chatting and laughing with each other. A few said hi to us as they walked by, one stopped to ask what we were seeing. When it was our turn, Jasper stepped up to the window and requested the tickets. As I sat next to him, I realized the counter was about chin level for me, and the spot in the Plexiglas that you spoke through was above my head. Sighing, I backed up and waited for Jasper to get the tickets. He joined me in line for the concession stand, where again, the counter was about level with my head.

"One large popcorn, medium Mountain Dew, medium Coke and a package of peanut M&Ms," he ordered, holding out his cash. As the young girl handed him the food, he passed it along to me.

"What, you think because I don't walk, I can carry it all?"

"It's why I brought you," he countered as he paid the girl and grabbed napkins from the dispenser and shoved them into his pocket. Turning, we headed for the line to get into the theaters, I balanced the tray of sodas on my lap while Jasper carried the popcorn. "You're like one of those pack mules. I can just keep piling stuff on you."

"Shut the fuck up," I laughed, until we turned the corner and saw them.

Bella, Newton, Angela and Eric were all standing in line in front of us. Newton nodded at me, then more hesitantly to Jasper.

"Oh, hey," Bella said, completely happy to see us. "Wow, you're all dressed up, Jasper. What's the occasion? What movie are you guys seeing?"

"Sanctum" I mumbled.

"Oh, us too," Bella giggled, glancing Angela, whose hand was attached to Eric. Mike stood next to Bella, his hands deep in his pockets as he rocked back and forth. "You can sit with us."

"Great," Jasper said flatly, looking down at me.

"It's great to see you out," Angela said to me. "Just like the old days."

I knew she didn't mean anything by it, but her comment irritated me. Perhaps it was because I had wanted to be alone with Jasper and we were suddenly in a group of six. We edged our way in the line until the worker tore our tickets and directed us to theater four. Grudgingly, we followed them to the theater where I pushed myself up the incline to the seats. There were would be no back row groping for Jasper and me; I had no choice in seats. I had to sit in one of the three wheelchair accessible spots that were in the wide isle between the first and second sections. The view was fine, until someone walked by me. Backing into the space, I waited until Jasper sat down next to me before handing him his soda. Bella, Mike, Angela and Eric sat in the row directly behind us. Jasper rolled his eyes at me and I smiled.

My boy wasn't happy, but he was going to make the most of it. Setting the popcorn on his lap, he took out the M&Ms and opened them before dumping the package into the popcorn and shaking it up.

"I can't believe you remembered," I whispered.

"Ba-" he stopped. "I remember everything."

"Remember when you saw me do that the first time and you said it was gross? Then you tasted it and said-"

"Fuck, this is good," he mimicked himself. He pulled out a napkin and handed it to me. "Yeah, I remember that too."

The first time we had gone to the movies together Jasper had watched wide-eyed as I had poured peanut M&Ms into the popcorn, and then laughed when I had spread a napkin on my lap. I had told him it was so the grease didn't leak through the bucket onto my jeans.

I smiled as I watched Jasper spread the napkin on his lap under the bucket.

"What?" he asked when he caught me smiling.

"Just realizing how far you've come."

"You mean how well I'm trained?"

"That too."

Bella leaned forward, whispering in my ear, "We're all getting some pizza afterwards if you guys want to come."

I stared straight ahead, if I turned to the side even slightly, my lips would be dangerously close to hers. "I'm not sure what Jasper wants to do."

She turned to him. "You want to get pizza after?"

He glanced at me for an answer, and I just shrugged helplessly. "Sure," he finally sighed.

Grinning, Bella sat back in her seat. Jasper scooped up some popcorn and M&Ms and popped them into his mouth, scowling.

"Damn ex," he growled under his breath, "fucking ruins everything."

Before I could reply, the previews started. Jasper handed me the popcorn, letting me grab a fistful before putting it back in his lap. Then he handed me a pair of the 3D glasses the ticket girl had given him and slipped his on, grinning at me. There was action in the movie, but not between Jasper and me. I spent two hours resisting the urge to take his hand, instead settling for the warmth that seeped through his sweater when he handed me the popcorn. Every now and then he glanced at me, just to let me know that he wanted to hold my hand too. About three quarters of the way through the movie, he leaned toward me.

"I really want to feel your hand on my cock right now," he whispered as if there weren't a hundred people sitting around us. Nodding my head slightly, I blushed.

"Me too."

Smirking, he leaned back, easing his body down into the seat. With no row in front of us, he stretched his long legs out, crossing them at the ankles and I barely contained the groan. It didn't get much better than Jasper's jean clad legs. Resting his head against the back of the seat, he sipped his soda with his perfect lush lips wrapped around the straw.

Sucking really hard.

Gulping, I looked away, trying to focus on the movie.

By the time it ended, I was almost as worked up from just looking at Jasper as I had been if he had been sitting naked on me. My palms were sweaty as I put my gloves back on to move the chair. Jasper stretched unnecessarily, the hem of his sweater rising up to expose a sliver of skin above the waist of his jeans. My fingers yearned to touch the dusting of hair there.

"Edward, did you hear me?" Bella asked, her hand somehow appearing on my shoulder.

"Huh?"

"I said, did you like the movie?"

"Oh, yeah, it was great," I blinked. I had almost forgotten there had been a movie.

"You seem distracted," Jasper smiled at me before he stood up and took off his glasses. "Everything okay?"

"Fuck off," I growled, wheeling my chair past him so I didn't have to hear him laugh at me. Stuck behind the crowd of people exiting, I had no choice but to wait until he caught up, tossed our trash in the bin and returned the glasses. "You can wipe that smirk off your face anytime."

"Now why would I want to do that? This is the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time."

I rolled my eyes. As soon as we were outside the theater, we waited to the side for Bella, Angela, Eric and Mike.

"We're thinking of Ronaldo's for pizza?" Mike suggested and everyone agreed.

"Sounds good to me," Jasper sighed, resigned that his proper date was now a group effort. We headed down the sidewalk to the ramped end while everyone else stepped off the curb and went to Mike's Jeep. Jasper got me into his truck, put my chair in the back and climbed in.

"We can go someplace else if you want. Say we changed our minds," I offered in the dark cab as he started it up.

"Nah, that's okay. We'll go for pizza," he said. "But next time, you're all mine."

It wasn't far to the pizza place, but we sang "All My Loving" as loud as we could the entire way, still laughing when Jasper pulled into a parking spot. Jasper eased me into the chair and I put my feet on the pedals. I navigated the bumpy parking lot full of pot holes and frost heaves, but Jasper had to tilt my chair onto the sidewalk because there wasn't a ramp. We caught up to everyone at the door, Mike held it and we all squeezed by him into the small entryway.

"How many?" the hostess asked.

"Six," Eric answered.

"It'll be about ten minutes," the hostess replied with fake smile and then took Eric's name. Mike sat on the bench next to me while Bella and Angela gossiped in the corner.

"Hey, Cullen, can I talk to you for a sec?" His hands were clasped as he leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees and bit his lip.

"What's up?"

I thought for sure he was going to ask me a question about being paralyzed. It seemed he was always watching me curiously, or asking about how I was going to drive or how I got dressed. Jasper stood beside me, his shoulder resting against the wall. I knew he didn't want miss what Mike was going to say.

After one glance to Bella, he began, "See, I've been kinda thinking lately about maybe asking Bellaoutonadate," he blurted out quickly but quietly.

It wasn't what I was expecting, and my eyes grew wide. Habitually, I looked at Bella, the way she stood near Angela, smiling as she laughed at something Angela said, her long hair swaying over her shoulders. There had been quite a few nights that my hands had been buried in that hair, or felt it as she dragged it down my chest before sucking me off. There was a twinge of jealously at his revelation, one that probably should have been long since dead, but wasn't. Instead, I watched Bella, imagining what it would be like to see her walking hand in hand with Newton. I'd been her first love, and I wasn't sure I was ready for someone else to know her the same way, or as well, as I did. I felt Jasper beside me. He didn't have to say a word for me to know he was there, even if I couldn't see him. The bond we shared, even before the accident, was once in a lifetime, and everyone deserved to feel that kind of connection.

Maybe Newton was that for Bella.

She would never know unless I let her.

Bringing my eyes back to Mike, I stared at him. "So help me, if you hurt her, I will kill you."

"And if he doesn't, I will," Jasper offered.

Mike swallowed at Jasper's warning. "I won't, I swear. I really like her. Thanks."

I nodded, and then looked back at Bella. For almost two years she had hung onto the hope of getting back together. It was time for her to move on.

"Your table is ready," the hostess said, gathering menus off the counter. When she straightened, she saw me. "Are you with them?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I'm sorry, the only tables we have for parties this large are upstairs."

Jasper pushed off the wall, the air around us instantly crackled as his anger ignited.

"Excuse me?" he spoke up.

She held the menus against her chest and looked up at him. "On the lower level we only have tables for two or three, parties of more than four have to sit upstairs."

"Then move tables together down here," he snapped.

"It's full, we can't," she mumbled.

"Fine, where's the elevator," Jasper challenged. Bella, Angela and Eric stood to the side, each looking at Jasper with shock.

"We don't have an elevator," she replied.

"You also don't have a ramp to your sidewalk, and only one handicapped parking space, even though you have a large lot. You do realize that the ADA requires you to have those things, as well as a bathroom and tables that he can use. Granted, exceptions are made for small businesses based on their function and the status of the economy, but considering this place is packed almost every night, I'm assuming it's doing fine and can easily afford to make the adjustments."

The girl stood there, just looking up at Jasper, her jaw on the ground as he towered over, rattling off the various laws.

I think I fell in love with him a bit more.

"You can tell the owner that he can shove his stairs up his ass, and that I will be back tomorrow to drop off a printed out version of the entire ADA for him to look over. Meanwhile, we will go find someplace else to eat and spend our money at." He turned to leave but stopped. "Oh, and by the way, I will tell everyone I know that this place discriminates. You can look for my letter to the editor in the paper next week."

He opened the door, holding it for me as wheeled myself outside, inhaling the cold air deeply. The door closed and I swear he growled.

"Fucking bitch motherfucking assholes," he swore as he marched toward the truck. He didn't even look to see if the others were coming, he didn't care. Reaching his truck, he opened the door for me and then lifted me in without a word. Once he was in, he started it up, but before he could back out, I took his hand. His eyes were still hard and filled with fury when he looked at me.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not," he spat back at me. "Places like this should have the basic shit."

"You don't need to take on the world for me, Jasper. I can do it myself."

Sighing, he dropped his head back against his seat. "I know you can, babe. I just get so…"

"Protective?"

"Yeah. I mean, you've dealt with a lot of shit lately and I just want to try to make everything else easy," he admitted.

"It's never going to be easy again. No matter how much we want it to be."

He turned to me, his eyes softer in the dim light of the cab. "It's not fair."

"Tell me about it," I agreed.

"Well this date was a total fuck up," he laughed. He looked around the parking lot before leaning toward me and pressing his lips to mine in a brief kiss. Sighing, he pulled away and shifted the truck.

"Where are we going?"

"I told you I wanted to take you out to dinner, so I'm taking you to the fanciest place I know."

"Are they accessible?" I teased.

"Definitely."

Twenty minutes later, we sat in the cab of the truck, a Big Mac in his hand and fries in mine. After going through the drive-thru, Jasper pulled into a parking space. "Blackbird" played quietly on the stereo as Jasper reached for his shake.

"You want any of my McNuggets?" I asked, holding the box out toward him.

"Oh, baby, I always want your nuggets," he rasped as he reached for one.

"You take me to the best places," I mumbled around the fries I stuffed into my mouth.

"Only the best for my boy," he swallowed. "Is there anything better than fries, a chocolate shake and The Beatles?"

"No, not really," I shook my head.

Somehow, my boy had managed to take a pretty shitty night and spin it around until I was laughing about instead of dwelling on all that had gone wrong. He still grumbled about the restaurant, and a string of obscenities fell from his mouth, but his eyes soon lightened and he relaxed. Although I had no doubt he was going to follow through with his threat and return to the restaurant the next day.

We finished eating and Jasper threw away the trash and then drove us back to my place. In the driveway, he shifted into park and turned the truck off before studying the house to make sure we wouldn't be interrupted. Then he slid across the seat, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he gazed at me. My breath caught as he curved his hand around my neck and then slowly moved toward me, his head tilting right before his lips captured mine. Instantly, I moaned into the kiss, my own hand going for his hair, digging into it deep before twisting the strands around my fingers in an effort to never let him go. Though it was more than my hands that held Jasper, I held him with my heart and soul as well.

All the same ways he held me.

Jasper deepened the kiss before pulling away, caressing my lips with his wet tongue. I tasted the salt from his fries and the sweetness from his shake, and begged for more by pulling him closer. We kissed through three or four songs, his lips never actually leaving mine until he sighed and finally pulled away.

"Now that was a goodnight kiss," I murmured.

"Does it still count as goodnight kiss if I am sleeping over?" he asked seriously.

"Huh. I don't know."

Shrugging, he gave me one last peck and then got out to get my chair. When we entered the house just as my dad was coming out of the kitchen with a mug of coffee.

"How was the movie?"

"Good," I replied. "We met Bella, Mike, Angela and Eric there."

"Must have been fun," he smiled at me, and then asked Jasper, "Are you sleeping over?"

"Yeah," Jasper answered with a slight hesitancy.

My father nodded. "See you boys in the morning."

"Night," we answered.

Jasper ran into the kitchen and grabbed a few waters and some brownies off the counter and then followed me down to my room. I went into the bathroom to do my nightly routine, leaving Jasper to get changed in my room. I rushed knowing Jasper was going to be in nothing more than a pair of flannel pants when I returned to my room. As I brushed my teeth, I closed my eyes and saw Jasper in his sweater and jeans sitting in the theater seat, I saw him holding my hand and singing while he drove, I saw him angry and knowledgeable as he told off the restaurant.

My boy was amazing in every way.

I opened my door and found Jasper sitting shirtless on my bed. "Be right back," he said standing up. And he was, I had barely gotten my clothes from the dresser and he was back. He watched as I moved to my bed.

"Need any help?" he asked as I unbuttoned my shirt.

Jasper usually let me do everything on my own, and I was going to shake my head no, but when I looked up and saw the hunger in his stormy blue eyes, I found myself nodding slowly. I sat on the edge of the bed and he kneeled in front of me, his hands taking mine and putting them by my side before he began slipping the pearly buttons through their holes. Each time he exposed more skin, he would lean forward and kiss it, until the shirt was completely undone and he was pushing it off my shoulders and down my arms. I held up the tee shirt I was going to wear to bed and Jasper took it from me, only to throw it back at my dresser.

"No shirt," he growled, his eyes not meeting mine but instead roaming my chest and arms. I put my hands behind me, bracing my weight on them as Jasper moved to my pants. He popped the button and lowered the zipper, looking at me for permission. Biting my lip, I nodded, and then watched as he parted the flaps of my jeans and palmed my cock.

Before the accident, I would have thrown my head back and groaned loud enough to wake someone, but now I just watched as his hand rested on me for a few seconds before he removed it and leaned forward. With his eyes on mine, his lips pressed against my cock, only the thin cotton of my briefs separating us. It didn't matter that I couldn't feel it directly, it was an erotic sight and a shiver went down my spine, stopping sharply at my waist, but it tingled through my arms to the tips of my fingers.

"Lay down," he whispered, a hand on my chest pushing me back. I dropped to my elbows, perched up enough so I could still watch him. Snaking an arm under my hips, he easily lifted me while he used his other hand to lower my jeans one side at a time until they were almost to my knees. He set me back down and then reached for a foot. The thud of my sneaker hitting the floor was the only hint that he was taking my shoes off. A second thud and his hands returned to my jeans and he pulled them off my legs.

I lay before him in nothing by my underwear.

Another shiver at the want in his eyes. If I ever doubted Jasper's desire for me, all I had to do was remember the feral look in his eyes as they slowly grazed my body. When he finally reached my eyes, he held my stare and pushed my legs apart.

"What are yo-" I began but stopped when he leaned forward again. I was torn between wanting to see him touch me again, and the fear that mirrored that same desire.

Then I felt it.

Soft, moist, tender.

I gasped as his lips kissed the small spot on the inside of my left thigh that still had sensation. He smiled against my skin, he didn't have to ask if I felt it, he could tell just by the look in my eyes.

"Do it again," I pleaded. The second time was longer, he drew small circles with his tongue, before pulling the skin gently between his lips and sucking.

"Oh my God," I groaned, and could almost feel my legs parting further, inviting him in even more. For long moments, his lips reverently caressed the spot while I watched…and felt.

Never once did his eyes leave mine, eyefucking me the entire time his tongue lapped and licked. When he lifted his head, finally tearing his fixed gaze from me, he grabbed my Star Wars pajama bottoms and put my feet through the holes before sliding them up me. When he couldn't go any further, he lifted my hips again, tugging the pants up to just below my waist before putting me down. Then he stood and pushed my legs together before kneeling on the bed over me. Looking down at me, he licked his lips.

"You have no fucking idea how sexy you are," he stated quietly.

Any reply I had was lost in the kiss, long and deep and intense, I lay flat on my back, bringing him with me and freeing my hands to move to his body, down his back to the delicious curve of his ass. His lips left mine and moved down my neck, nibbling along the way. We made out until both of us were panting for breath, then he rolled off me, onto his back and sighed. I knew he wanted more, but we had already taken a risk with what we had done so far, and unlike the week before, it wasn't very late and there was still a chance of someone catching us.

Knowing that, he moved to the headboard and patted the bed. Swiftly, I pulled myself up to him, dragging my legs behind me until I flipped over and adjusted them. He sat next to me, a dazed, lusty look still in his eyes as he flipped through the channels on the television with the remote. Sometimes I wondered if Jasper had ADD, he went through the channels so fast I could barely recognize what was on one before he was already switching to another. I was just about to complain when he stopped on a NBA basketball game.

"Oh," he said, tossing the remote aside. "Let's watch this."

Not that I had a choice, the remote was out of my reach, but something told me the channel switching hadn't been because nothing was on, but rather him trying to find the game that he probably knew was on. I grew suspicious, but watched the game with him, answering his questions when he asked. All questions he already knew the answers too.

"I just don't get the field goal thing. I mean, that's a football term, and it's three points, not two. It's confusing," he complained as he finished off his brownie. "You shoot just like that guy." He motioned to the point guard who had just made a three pointer.

"I used to shoot like that," I corrected.

"I'm sure you still will when you play again," he challenged casually.

Instantly I tensed, frustration quickly building in my muscles from the way he just assumed shit. I liked when he anticipated my needs, but sometimes, like then, it just pissed me off. The way he just assumed that I would, or even could, play again. Part of me wanted to whack him on the head, tell him to be realistic. I was in a fucking wheelchair, there would be no more basketball for me.

"How the fuck am I supposed to do that?" I snapped.

"You just do. Just because you can't walk doesn't mean you can't play."

"I hate to tell you, but that's exactly what it means, Jasper. No legs, no basketball. It was nice while it lasted but it's not going to happen."

He shrugged. "I think you're wrong."

"That's because your head is always in the fucking clouds. You think I can do shit that I can't," I argued. I was sure the darkness was feeding my anger, using it as fuel to grow thick and black inside me.

He turned to me and sighed. "Baby, it was my head in the fucking clouds that wouldn't let me give up on you…on us."

His voice was calm, his words steady and without doubt. Even though I had challenged him, his faith in me never wavered, and he knew exactly how to bring me back to him.

"You can't make me whole again, Jasper. No matter how hard you want to or try, it won't work. You need to give it up."

"I won't ever give up," he whispered. "Even if you do, I won't."

And with those words, he won.

The anger in me dissipated at his heartfelt honest words, the darkness leaving before it even had a chance to get comfortable, once again it conceded to Jasper. He was stubborn, determined, and a dreamer.

"I love you," I murmured, coaxing a smile from him.

"I know," he winked before turning back to the game. "All you need to do is put your mind to it, believe you can do it."

"You're not going to tell me I have the force in me, are you?"

"Of course not," he scoffed. "You're not a Jedi."

"And you are?"

"Maybe."

Laughing, I turned back to the game.

"Are you really okay with Newton and Swan?" he asked quietly.

The thoughts from earlier resurfaced and I felt the spark of jealously flare up at the mention of their names together. I knew it wasn't jealousy because I loved her, at least not in that way, it was more that for so long her attention had been devoted to me that when faced with the idea that she might focus on another, I got jealous. It was selfish, pure and simple, but that didn't make it any easier. What did make it easier was the warm boy next to me, his eyes on the game but his mind on me.

"I think it's good for her to move on, stop following you around like a little puppy," he answered his own question.

"You just want her away from me."

He shrugged. "Maybe. But I still think it's good."

"You're probably right, but…"

"You're jealous."

I looked down at my lap, away from his knowing eyes. "A little, but it's not in that way," I defended myself.

"Not mostly anyway," he chuckled. "I know you, baby, I saw it in the restaurant. The way you looked at her when he asked you."

"There's a history there."

"Key word…history."

Bringing my eyes to his, I nodded. "She's part of my history, but you're my now."

"And your future," he quickly reminded me. He had no real concerns about Bella and I, he knew damn well he was my future, hell, he knew he was my life.

"And my future."

"Do you think she'll say yes?"

"Yeah, I think she might."

We were silent for a few minutes, Jasper effortlessly turned to his side, moving his body against mine and placing his head on my chest. Instantly my fingers were at the ends of his waves, easing the tangled strands apart. My other hand rested on top of wrist, turning the braided leather around it. The crowd cheered at a shot a player made and I sighed.

I missed it so fucking much.

The crowds, the noise, even the smell.

There wasn't anything about the game I didn't like, even running the lines or the hours of shooting in my driveway all year round, or the physical contact of the game when it got messy under the basket. I thrived on every part of it; it inspired me and challenged me. Basketball was second only to the boy snuggled against me. I used to think nothing would ever challenge me like Jasper did. We pushed each other, physically striving to be the best athletes we could, mentally pushing each other to get the grades we needed for college. Now I faced a challenge bigger than anything Jasper had ever given me. The challenge of living life from a chair, always looking up at people and not feel like they were looking down, of knowing I was just as good as I always was but I a different way. It was accepting that difference that was hard for me. Distinguishing between accepting something and giving up on it was difficult, and something I hadn't quite wrapped my mind around yet.

But Jasper had.

He had often told me to just let it be, but I hadn't realized letting it be didn't mean giving up on what I could have, it meant accepting fate, and then challenge the way I lived it. He knew that acceptance didn't mean I was giving up on hope or life, it just meant I was going to do what I needed to do to live the best life I could. And my life was him and school and basketball. I had two out of the three back, and part of me thought I should settle for that, it wasn't going to get any better. Then the fight in me would begin to grow, the determination to have something more, that I deserved more.

My fingers moved to the skin of his neck under his hair, and I had to smile at his involuntary shudder. "Do you really think I can still play?" My voice was rough and quiet, uncertain.

Without looking at me, he gave me exactly what I needed.

Faith in me.

"I know you can," he answered softly.

I leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Do you want to set the alarm again?"

Lifting his head, he looked at me with a smile. "You think it's okay?"

"I want you in bed with me. I like having you next to me," I said without answering his question. He reached over me for his phone, quickly setting the alarm for four before putting it back on the table. He laid his head back down and I turned off the light and set the timer on the television for an hour.

I don't remember when it shut off, I don't remember Jasper pulling the blankets up over us, or when he had stripped off his pants, but I woke up in the middle of the night to find his naked body curled into my side, his face buried in my neck, his arm thrown possessively over my middle. The room was dark except for a small amount of moonlight filtering through the curtains. The only sound was our breathing, Jasper's heavier in his sleep. My arm was around him, my hand resting lightly on his hip, my thumb moving over his velvety skin. Sighing, he moved impossibly closer and murmured my name. Smiling, I began to run my hand up his back and he moaned. Encouraged, I repeated it, earning another sigh.

"Baby," he murmured in my neck, "whatcha doin'?"

"Nothing."

"Mmm, keep doing it because it feels good."

"You're naked."

"You're smart."

Steadily my hand moved along his back, down his side, just grazing the top of his ass before doing it again. "I didn't mean to wake you up," I lied.

"Bullshit." Then his lips were sucking on my neck, nibbling their way to my scruffy jaw before reaching my ear. "I want you to touch me."

Turning my head, I looked at him. I hadn't really thought much past waking him up. I just knew I didn't want to lay in the dark alone, and having him there next to me, so warm and willing, was too hard to resist. While kissing Jasper was once again familiar and easy and comfortable, doing anything more still scared the shit out of me. Even when he had been writhing naked on me, I had barely touched his cock, keeping my hands firmly on hips. After all he had done for me, maybe it was time to take that next step.

"Okay," I agreed. He shifted so that he was laying flush on top of me, making sure to keep his weight off my bladder.

Smiling, he kissed me and I moved my hands to his ass, kneading the flesh as he began to rock against me. Moaning into the kiss, he began to buck his hips urgently, using the friction of my pants and body to get off. He slid one arm under my neck, but the other ran down my side and back up again, sometimes dancing over my shoulder and down my arm or threading through my hair. The kissing never ceased, they were light and tender and deep and impatient. The skin of his back was sleek as my hand grazed it, feeling the muscles roll as he used his body. The formally silent room was now filled with the cadence of moans from both of us.

"Will you touch me?" he gasped, finally breaking the kiss.

He wanted me.

"Yeah."

"How do you want me?" He looked down at me in the darkness, his eyes sparkling with excitement. My heart pound in my chest at the feral and desperate look he gave me.

"I want to taste you," I whispered.

"Are you sure? It's okay if you're not ready, baby, I understand."

"I want to," I confirmed with more confidence than I had.

After one last kiss, he moved off me, kneeling beside me and loosely stroking his erection. He looked liked a fucking god with the moonlight glimmering off his skin, his hair falling around his face covering his eyes. Reaching up, I tucked one side behind his ear.

"You're so beautiful." He blushed, but never took his eyes from mine. "I want you to sit on me."

My head was propped up by the pillows behind me and he straddled my chest, putting his cock right at my mouth. Eagerly, he looked down at me, his bottom lip firmly tucked between his teeth as he resisted the urge to shove his cock between my lips. Looking up at him through my lashes, I opened my mouth.

Groaning, he lifted himself to his knees and tapped his cock against my bottom lip before tracing it with the head, leaving a trail of his fluid behind.

"Taste me," he murmured. Watching him, I licked my lip clean of his heady taste. "Fuck."

Opening my mouth again, I waited for him. Slowly, he eased his cock into my mouth, his eyes closing when I wrapped my lips firmly around him. I flicked my tongue over the head, running the tip under the flared ridge before dipping it into the slit and forcing out some of his flavor.

"Fuck yeah, baby, feels so good," he encouraged.

Still with only the head in my mouth, I sucked hard and he released a strangled cry. Sliding my hands up his thighs, I moved them to his ass, pushing him toward me more. I heard a thump as he fell forward, flattening his palm against the wall above my head. Panting breaths washed down on me as he darted his tongue over his lips and watched his cock slip between my mine. I began to bob my head as much as I could.

"Oh fuck, baby, so fucking hot. Fuck, I missed those lips," he groaned.

Keeping one hand on his ass, I ran my other over his hip and abs, up his chest to a nipple. When I pinched it, he arched forward, his cock almost slipping from my mouth. In my mouth, his cock throbbed, slickened with my saliva it easily moved between my lips as they lightly skimmed over him. His body trembled from the strain of resisting the urge to thrust into me, to shove his cock down my throat. I felt his muscles quivering under my hands.

He needed more.

He wanted me.

Pressing on his hip, I pushed him away, his cock falling from my mouth. "You can fuck my mouth," I told him. Darkened eyes trapped me in his rapt look, the lust in them obvious, outshined only by the love. He brushed the backs of his fingers down my cheek, then along my lips, inhaling sharply when I sucked his finger into my mouth.

"Open."

He replaced his finger with his cock, a throaty groan escaping him as he guided it past my lips. Then he began to thrust, gently, tentatively like he was afraid of hurting me. Squeezing his ass, I pushed him toward me and looked up at him. His arm was still above my head, the muscles bulging as he gripped the headboard of my bed. Snapping his hips, his cock glided through my lips and finally down my throat. My nose was buried in his short curls and I inhaled his scent deeply. Looking up at him, I saw his head hanging down, his hair blocking my view. In front of me, his ab muscles clenched with every buck of his hips, the head of his cock striking the back of my throat. Stilling, he kept his cock deep inside me, his shallow breaths broken only by his murmured word as he was lost in his own world.

"Fucking amazing," he whispered. I swallowed around him and he groaned. "Baby…so…fucking…close."

Gradually, his hips began to move again, their pace quick and frantic, lacking all hesitation from before. I could tell he was sitting on the edge of his climax by the sounds he made, the way his breaths sped up and body began to shake as he fought it off, desperately trying to make it last. I released his hip and snuck my hand between us, taking his balls into my palm.

"Oh fucking Jesus, fuck yeah," he babbled as I tugged on the wrinkled sac and swallowed thickly at the same time, literally pulling his orgasm from him. Staggered breaths fell from him as he tensed, his entire body stilling. "Coming," he warned just as his cock pulsed in my mouth, releasing his warm cum down my throat. Above me, his look was euphoric as his climax rushed through him, crashing over him in waves as he grunted with each burst from his cock. His flavor was bitter and salty, and delicious as I remembered.

As his cock emptied, he gulped in air, words of love streaming through his breaths. "Baby, baby…"

I had been so focused on him, and his pleasure, that it wasn't until he had come that I felt the shiver in my spine, the tickling on my neck and warmth spreading down my arms. It had been there all along.

Still hard, he pulled his cock from my mouth, taking it into his hand and running it over my lips again, smearing his cum around. My tongue followed him, lapping off what his cock left behind. Satisfied he had marked me, he sat back on my hips.

"Now that was worth waking up for."

I laughed and he leaned down to kiss me, his tongue running over my lips before plunging into my mouth and meeting mine. Pulling back, he climbed off me and headed for my dirty laundry for a towel. He wiped himself off and then tenderly cleaned my chin, smiling at me. I knew that look in his eyes, the ecstasy that tinted them with a darker blue and filled them with a haze. My boy was satisfied, and it was because of me.

He wanted me.

I beamed at him proudly. "Did it feel good?"

"Amazing. Thank you, baby," he murmured as he leaned down for another kiss. "You've got the fucking hottest lips."

"Maybe that can be my new nickname? Hot Lips."

He scowled, his brow furrowing. "No," he grumbled. "Not in public anyway."

"Mmmm, love when you're possessive."

"Yeah, yeah."

After tossing the towel back into the laundry, he took a sip of his water and then handed it to me. I took a long gulp and then put it on the table just as Jasper's alarm went off.

"Fuck," he growled, picking it up.

"Hit snooze."

He did and then climbed back into bed with me, his sleeping bag spread empty on the floor.

"You should probably put your pants on when you get up," I reminded him.

"I will," he promised before getting back under the blanket with me. "Love you."

"Love you."

As soon as his head was on my chest and my arm was around him, I felt his breaths even out and he was asleep. Seconds later, I followed him.

"**~~**"

It was late Saturday afternoon when Jasper had returned after leaving for a few hours to go home and make an appearance to his parents and shower. Earlier that morning I had woken up to find him sleeping on the floor, his shirtless torso sticking out of his sleeping bag. I had hoped he had remembered to put his pants on, but then recalled the way he had smelled and tasted and looked on top of me the night before and decided I didn't mind if he had forgotten the pants. When Jasper had finally woken up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he climbed into my bed and kissed me good morning, letting me feel his morning wood against my side. I was disappointed he had remembered to put on his pants.

We had lain in bed for about an hour before he said he had to go, he had promised his mom he would meet her for lunch. When he returned, he was excited and telling me to get dressed, he was taking me out again.

"Where are we going?" I said as I pulled the Spartans Basketball sweatshirt on over my head and he waited impatiently by my door.

"You'll see," he smirked mysteriously. He turned and I followed him down the hall. My father stopped us as we went by the kitchen.

"Going out, boys?"

"Yeah."

He looked at Jasper and there was something there, it was faint and quick, but something passed between them and I grew suspicious.

"Call us if you're going to be late," he reminded me.

I knew he and my mother were still nervous about me begin in a car again, and honestly, so was I. Jasper still had to hold my hand, keep my focus on him or music so that I didn't concentrate on the oncoming traffic. It was worse at night, and while each time got a little easier, I didn't ever think it would feel normal again. The fear was still real and living inside me, and I wasn't sure it would ever go away.

Jasper got me into the truck, put my chair in and climbed in. As soon as he pulled out, he reached for my hand, holding it on the seat between us, his thumb rubbing my skin. While he sang along with the music, he seemed distant or preoccupied, but every now and then he caught himself and would glance at me and smile or squeeze my hand. When we passed the town line and he kept going, I looked over at him.

"The meadow?"

It made sense. He wanted to be alone after the fiasco that was our group date the night before, and being with him there would certainly be better than any dinner or movies.

"No, but as soon as it's nicer out, we are going there and staying for days," he chuckled. "So how's PT going?"

"Good," I replied slowly, suspiciously.

"Emmett give you any restrictions?"

"Not really. He tells me to make sure I have a spotter if I do heavier weights, but I can pretty much do just about everything now."

"What about your dad?"

"He said everything is healing well, that I need to listen to my body to know when I've done too much."

"Cardio?"

"I haven't done much, but I'm still in good shape from before."He nodded, never taking his eyes from the road. Watching him, I tilted my head. "What's with the questions, Dr. Whitlock?"

"No reason," he shrugged, "just curious."

I eyed him warily. Something was up, and normally I could read Jasper a mile away, but he was keeping it well guarded. We passed through a few more towns and I began to see signs for Port Angels.

"Jas, where are we going?"

"You'll see," he answered and then continued singing. I trusted him and decided to sit back and enjoy the ride. I took a sip of the Dew I had and sang along with him.

About thirty minutes later, we reached Port Angels and Jasper followed the GPS to the destination, finally pulling into a large parking lot. There were many handicapped spaces, and Jasper pulled in next to one of them in front of a large brick building. I looked around for a sign but saw none. He got my chair and set me in it, shifting nervously back and forth while he waited for me. When I was ready, he led the way toward the building, going up the wide ramp and an even wider sidewalk. I noticed it was smooth and flat, a great surface for the chair. We went up a long metal ramp to the doors that opened automatically. There were a few people around, but it was the other two in wheelchairs that surprised me. It was an older building but the inside looked new, the walls recently painted, the floor shiny and clean. There were a few doors lining the hall, reminding me of an old school. I could hear some cheering and clapping, and my heart instinctively skipped a beat when I heard a whistle blow.

Jasper went down a corridor and then stopped, waiting for me. I pulled up to him, noticing the way he was gnawing nervously on his bottom lip, and when I looked past him, I saw why.

"What the fuck is this?" I growled.

"**~~*"

Thanks for reading~

ADA-Americans with Disabilities Act- Became law in 1990, preventing the discrimination of anyone with a mental or physical disability. This act guarantees anyone with a disability will not be discriminated against for seeking employment, housing or even eating out at a restaurant. For small businesses, the requirements vary depending on the size of the place, the service they provide and the state of the economy, but if a place has the means (money) they are to make the necessary adjustments to their place in order to serve those with disabilities, including making them wheelchair accessible.

For more information on the ADA go here: http:/www DOT ada DOTgov/statute DOThtml

Have questions about the boys? Follow me on Twitter theslashawards or visit the M&A thread on Twilighted http:/www DOT twilighted DOT net/forum/viewtopic DOT php?f=44&t=9674