Character names and Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. This story and it's plot and character variations belong to me. No infringement intended. I only own the errors. This story contains sexual explicit and mature language and situations. IF you don't like, don't read. Not for children under age 18.

A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Okay, now Jasper makes his call to Kate. Enjoy and remember that you CAN help victims of DV. Please get involved in your local community efforts. Thank you

Kevin handed me his cell phone. I reached out and slowly took it from him. He smiled but it was not that reassuring. I had so many doubts about all of this. He intercepted my thoughts.

"It's just a call Jazzy. No one has to know that you even made it but the two of us. I'll be right here the entire time." He smiled again and rubbed my arm with his hands to help me relax. "You need to do this, Jazzy. It's time."

I hesitated.

"Make that call Jasper or James will have to spend some of those millions on some new teeth."

I nodded and held his hand. I sighed heavily. "Thank you so much, Kev. I love you for this…for everything."

He smiled. "Oh I'm sure I owe you so much more."

I smiled back and rolled my eyes. "Um…yeah…like for that time you talked me into helping you steal your Dad's car."

He laughed. "Oooh…yeah…that was pretty bad."

"To say the least. You talking about gettin' our butts busted. Oh man!" I looked at the phone. "Kevin, do really think I should do this? I mean this would be the last weekend I would be with James. It could mean so much worse." I gripped the phone tightly in my hand. "This could end so badly. I don't know Kevin. I just don't know."

"Jazz…"

"Kevin, listen to me okay. I mean, my life with James is treacherous. I get that. There is no reason why everyone else has to get involved and get hurt or hurt someone. I mean I can't stand James, but I don't want him to be killed. Besides that would mean that someone would go to jail and then that person's family would be disrupted. Kevin is just too risky. I can't take that chance."

"Jasper." He took my hands in his. I felt desperate and suddenly intimidated. "Look at me Jazzy." I did. "Breathe." I inhaled deeply. "Now relax." I willed myself to obey. "Just relax." He gave me another minute to collect myself. "Now focus on what I'm telling you. It's just a call. She'll make her recommendation and we can go from there."

I kept breathing and listened intently to him. Everything he said made perfect sense. He was right. It was just call. What could it hurt? I had to do this.

"Okay." I said. He inched closer to me as a further show of support and I dialed Kate's number. I was so glad he was here. I don't think I would have been able to do this alone. She picked up after two rings.

"Hello, this is Kate Garrett. How may I help you?" She greeted me. Dr. Cullen was right. Her voice was very pleasant and instantly helped settle my screaming nerves.

"Um, Mrs. Garrett?" I was so nervous. My body was quivering with fear. Kevin guided us to the window seat and sat beside me. He continued to hold my free hand and he placed his other hand on the small of my back.

"Yes, this is Kate Garrett." She said again.

"Um…Mrs. Garrett…" I started. "My name is Jasper Ha-"I couldn't tell her my married name. What if this got back to James? He would be infuriated if he knew I was talking about our private business with a total stranger. "Um…Jasper Whitlock."

Kevin's eyes bulged and I quickly looked away.

"Hi, Jasper. Please call me Kate. Oh and it's okay to use your legal name. This conversation is confidential."

I cleared my throat and put her on speaker phone so Kevin could hear. "Yes, ma'am." I whispered, but loud enough for her to hear. "I'm really scared right now." I confessed. "Honestly, I'm terrified."

"I understand Jasper and you have every right to be, no matter how much you or anyone else tries to convince you that you shouldn't be afraid." She had the most calming voice and she reminded me so much of my Mom when she would take care of me when I was little. "No matter what Jasper, I'm here to help you."

"Thank you. I am here with my brother. He helped me make this call. My husband doesn't know that I am doing this obviously. He would kill me if he knew." I decided that this would be a good time to slide in the fact that I was married to a man, that way if she was not "gay" friendly, she could bow out now. I figured that there probably were not very many services to help same sex couples. I was sure there were few or no shelters and services for male victims of domestic violence, gay or straight.

"Well, your husband will never know that we've talked." So she's okay with my orientation. That's good. "I'm glad you called me, Jasper."

"It's very nice to meet you Jasper." She coughed and excused herself. "Before we continue, Jasper, I would like for you to reintroduce yourself."

I paused, unsure of where she was going with this. "Um…I'm Jasper Hale. Whitlock is my maiden name. I had a visit with Dr. Cullen last week at the hospital and he gave me your number. He said that I could call any time. I hope this is alright."

"Of course it is. My cell phone is always on. Thank you, Jasper. I know that you are wondering why I had you do that. It's because even though I know you are afraid, I want you to be comfortable enough with me to begin to relinquish some of that fear. By acknowledging your public name, you are telling Jasper that he is ready for this. It also tells me that you are ready and that you are willing to move beyond the painful cycle of abuse."

She was absolutely right. "Yes, ma'am." I said politely.

"Jasper, you don't have to call me ma'am. Really Kate is fine." She said. "Now Jasper tell me about your situation. You don't have to tell me everything because it may be quite painful for you at this time, and there will be plenty of time for longer conversations later. I just need for you to give me a picture of what's going on right now."

I proceeded in giving her a brief summary of what has happened that brought me to this point. She listened intently only interjecting "I see" or "I understand" here and there. I explained what happened earlier this week and how that led me to Forks General. I told her about James' being nice to me and deciding to bring me here to Seattle. Lastly, I reviewed the earlier events that happened today and how my Dad talked James into leaving so I could talk to Kevin.

"I am scared, Miss Kate…I mean Kate, because I'm not sure how James is going to react once he gets back here. He normally doesn't allow me to have friends or talk to people. He's going to be angry." My voice trembled again from nervousness and a renewed sense of fear. Kevin and I had been here for a while and judging by the text that just popped up on Kevin's phone from my Dad, I knew they were about ready to head back home.

"Jasper, it sounds as if James has been irritable today and violent. I think your assumption might be correct and since you are concerned about time right now, I'm going to recommend that you leave the house, possibly with your brother or your mother. It might be safer for you if you go to a hotel for the night. I can meet you there if you would like."

I panicked. "Kate, I can't do that. I mean, I can but it's just that my sister has planned this huge party for me and our family and friends. They haven't seen me in two years and I really want to be here with them. If I leave, that will create a war between James and my Dad and my Uncle. It will be a blood bath."

"Jasper, do you think James will harm you tonight?"

"He might."

"Then you should leave."

Kevin pointed to himself and made an air circle with his finger to include the rest of the family. He wanted me to tell her that I would be safe with them, and truthfully tonight, I would be if I could stay away from James.

"Um…Kate, what I meant was that I think James will be angry enough to do something, but I will be safe with my family tonight as long as I'm not alone with him. My family is very protective of me and they will protect me. James won't create a scene in front of them."

"Jasper, that is against what I would recommend, but part of this process is allowing you to become self-empowered and to learn to make decisions for yourself. I agree that your family will be a barrier against the abuse for tonight, but what about after the party? How are you planning on telling them? What will be their reaction? How will they proceed? I know these are a lot of questions Jasper, but they are questions that must be considered before tomorrow."

"I don't know." I said honestly. "I'm so scared. I don't know what to do."

She cleared her throat. "Jasper, let's do this. If you think that you will be okay for the tonight, I will strongly recommend that you keep someone you trust close by you not only for the night, but throughout the day tomorrow and at that party. James' jealousy could turn bitter and consequently you could be seriously hurt or worse. I think that if you really want to attend your sister's party, then you should, but I think you and I should meet at a safe location afterwards along with law enforcement and perhaps your parents or your brother. I would not recommend going back with James to Forks. That could potentially be deadly. Your relationship with James is not only toxic, but it's viral. The violence and potential consequences have far reaching arms, and we need to tread carefully here."

"Okay." I said, reading Dad's reply to my message that it was okay to come back. We were almost done.

"I will set up your safe place in Seattle if you can text me your current address. I will arrange for law enforcement to be present and if you can maybe make an excuse to leave the party, for example, tell them you need to go to the store that would be great. James is going to be upset and law enforcement will go to your parents' home and serve him the restraining order. We can have local enforcement set up at your subdivision and be present when James is asked to leave and to make sure your parents' don't kill him first. They would guard your house and make sure he leaves the city. In the meanwhile he will not know where you are and we can work on getting you to a safer, more permanent place from there."

Her plan was crystal clear and made perfect sense, and truthfully, I felt relieved. "Kate, I just don't want James to hurt my family and my friends. He has a gun."

"Most perpetrators do. I will alert enforcement and they will run his permits. Since there will be a restraining order and a domestic violence complaint, they will probably confiscate it temporarily."

Oh man! James is going to be pissed! He's going to erupt.

"Jasper, I know you are thinking that he will find you, but I assure he won't. Jasper, you have made an important first step by talking to your brother and making this call. If you have an emergency before tomorrow night, call 911. In the event that you don't have an emergency, this is your plan for your immediate safety since you will have to leave quickly. You can call your parents from the hotel or have Kevin drive back when enforcement delivers the restraining order. He can keep them calm and fill them in after James leaves the house."

"In the meanwhile, you need to pack some toiletries and at least one change of clothes. Put it in the vehicle that you will leave in after the party. You'll also need some money, cash only, and I know you probably don't have your important paperwork with you, but we can probably have enforcement escort you back to Forks later to get some of your belongings."

"James would never go for that." I said.

"He won't have a choice. They can arrange for James to not be there so you can go in and get your belongings."

"Where will James go?" I asked.

"Since the level of violence is heightened in your situation, he would be asked to leave with enforcement while you're on the property. Fortunately for you, we have trained officers in Forks who work with same sex violence every day. They will be sympathetic and understanding of your needs and are equipped with the resources to ensure your safety. After you obtain your belongings, you will leave with them."

"Will you be there?" There was no way I was going there alone.

"Yes. I will be there. If you would like, and it will make you feel better, you can bring your brother or your parents. Either way, you will be safe."

"Will James follow us?" I know I was paranoid, but I had to be sure James wasn't going to try to figure out where I was relocated. Disappearing seemed simple enough, but I didn't want to wake up one morning with a gun in my face."

"No. Enforcement will stay with him until we have secured a safe departure from Forks. Once you leave, you will not being going back." She stated firmly. "There will be nothing left for you in Forks."

"No problem there." Then I remembered my friends. "I do have friends there."

"Well you will need to communicate with them by email or phone, but your presence there ceases for a while. Also, you won't be able to disclose your location. James will not give you up without a fight, and if he discovers you're anywhere near Forks, he could really harm you. So that is how that has to be for now."

"Will James go to jail?"

"Well that gets complicated. Maybe…maybe not. I mean, we need some evidence, proof of the abuse, witnesses, maybe Dr. Cullen's report. He's trained in domestic violence treatment and is usually very thorough. I mean, that's a hard one Jasper, and we can discuss that at length tomorrow when we file the report."

"Okay."

"Like I said, we will bring your family and contacts into the loop later on tomorrow night, but it is vital that they be brought up to speed and that they know exactly what has been and what is going on. You have the right to file a police report since you have been abused. We will do that tomorrow during the day. Don't worry. I know a few judges there in Seattle and Forks. We probably can have the report filed in Forks and the emergency order declared there by Judge Henkley as well since that's where you live and the abuse took place there."

"Will I have to go to Forks to file the report?" I asked.

"No. We can do a conference call in the morning. I'll text this phone if that's okay and have you go to a safe location and we can file it over the phone. How does that sound?"

"Sounds okay, I guess."

"Jasper, I know this hard and you are apprehensive about all of this, but trust me, you will be okay. Seattle is a big city. If you allow us to help you, it will be quite hard for him to find you."

"I'm just so worried about my family. I just…"

"Jasper, we will set detail on them. From what you told me, it sounds like that they can stand their own any way. Don't worry. "

"I mean, like if he doesn't go to jail, he'll just be free to look for me out there. I mean if I change my address he can find me on the internet."

"Jasper you don't need to worry about that right now. We have ways to hide you."

"I feel like a prisoner already. James is the one who hurt me, but I feel like my life is going to be uprooted."

"Jasper I have to be honest. It will be. Totally. It may take months of court dates, prosecuting attorney and crime victim advocate meetings before he pleads guilty to aggravated domestic violence and be sentenced."

"James is never going to admit to doing that. He has too much to lose." I asserted.

"That is probably true and that happens more often than not. As a victim of this type of crime, you have the right to tell the sentencing judge how the violence has affected your life and he may be persuaded by your testimony, and any evidence you might have already."

"I don't know." I was so doubtful. Dad sent me a text saying they were about ten minutes away from the house. "My folks are almost back, so I'm going to have to go."

"Okay, that's fine. We'll talk tomorrow. We can review the violence laws of Washington state and sentencing guidelines then. The facts might leave you with a gut wrenching feeling. There are different convictions in the state of Washington, but we will discuss this later. The main thing is that you get out of there after that party."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Try to relax and stay close to your family for the rest of the night. I'll be in touch."

"Okay. Thank you." I said.

"You are more than welcome. Take care."

"You too."

We hung up just as I heard my Dad's SUV pull into the driveway. I gave Kevin his phone back. I peeped out of the curtain and saw them getting out. I drug Kevin downstairs. Our mothers' were nowhere in sight. They did leave a note saying they were next door at Ms. Amy's house and they would be home when Dad came back. I guess they wanted to give us privacy. "Kevin can you go out of the back door and act like you were not here? That will throw James off and he will think you weren't here."

"Hell naw!" He spat. "Fuck that bitch!"

"Please, Kev. You promised you would follow my lead. I ran to lock the front door to give him a chance to get out. "Come back in about fifteen minutes. Make sure you take a shower." I couldn't risk James smelling my scent on him.

He looked confused. I heard voices getting closer. "Kevin, leave! They are almost done with getting the bags out of the car. They will be coming in soon. I'm going to lie on the couch and pretend to be asleep. That's pretty public, and James can't bother me there. He'll think my eyes are puffy from being asleep."

"What about Dad and Uncle JP?" He said from the back door. "Our Moms?"

"They will catch on. See you in a minute." I pleaded with him with my eyes. "Please."

"Jasper, I don't like this."

"I know. I know. Just please...do this for me...please."

He exhaled loudly and left. I had just enough time to unlock the door and jump on the couch. I faced the back of the couch and buried my face in the cushions. I rolled my body in a tight little ball and pretended to be in a deep sleep. The story was that Kevin and I chilled out in the living room for a few minutes then he left to go take shower after his trip. Then I would tell them I decided to take a much needed nap and that Kevin said he would be back soon.

A minute later the door flew open and everyone filed in. I couldn't see their faces, but the boys were super excited about their toys they'd gotten. I was sure that was a stall tactic. Rose was going on and on about the party, and Dad and Uncle Michael were talking about some NFL player. I almost jumped for joy when I heard my grandfather's voice. He must have pulled into the yard when they did. I didn't hear James' voice at all.

"Jasper is sleeping!" Patrick squealed. "Like Goldilocks!" He and Miles giggled and I almost did myself. When all of this drama was cleared, I was going to enjoy spending time with them. They were a lot of fun. I knew by now Dad and Uncle Michael had caught on because we'd been texting them. They were the masters of playing stuff off and acting just plain dumb when they wanted to hide something.

"Jasper, we're back son." Dad nudged me.

"Hmmm." I mumbled and rolled my body tighter.

"Jasper, get up. I'm going to sic two very eager hobbits on you. I'm sure they would love to pull all of that blonde hair or tickle you to death."

He poked me again and I batted his hand away. "Boy get up!"

"Go away." I murmured. He poked me again.

"Move, Jip." Uncle Michael came over to me.

Oh boy!

He swatted me on my backside. I threw the pillow aside and turned to face them with perfect "sleepy" eyes. This was a brilliant idea.

"Ow!" I yelped. "Uncle Michael, really?" He and my Dad were standing over me blocking my vision of James. I could only see his legs behind them.

"You want another one?" He asked.

"Um..no." I said.

"Then up and at 'em cowboy!" He said handing me hand so he could pull me up.

The looks on their faces blatantly told me that this was ridiculous and that they were not cool with me asking two grown ass men to play childish games. They were pissed and about one word from turning around and knocking James through that wall. My Dad's suspicions were confirmed and he was very disgruntled by these charades. There was an even greater message on their faces that I unequivocally understood. They wanted me to come clean about my little problem standing behind them. They would play along for now, but they were going to get to the bottom of this. They weren't going to put up with his or my foolishness for too long.

"Hey, Papa!" I greeted him. He came over and hugged me. "I really missed you."

He hugged me back. "I've missed you too. It's so great to see you again."

Without a shadow of a doubt, my grandfather, Uncle Mike's dad, was one of the most influential person in my life. He was more than my surrogate grandfather. He was like a father figure, a mentor, a safeguard, and I'm proud to say, my friend. As a child, there was no safer place than the security of his lap. I would watch horror movies on TV from behind his recliner. The Wolfman wouldn't dream of coming for me there! I could count on him to always have some Werther's Originals candy on hand. He taught me how to appreciate gourmet foods and some good old-fashioned county cooking as well. I remember, at age 5, standing on a chair by the stove as he taught me how to make pancakes. He would often reminisce about his mother, whom he adored, having him stand on a chair stirring cake batter when he was no more than 3 years old.

He was warm, loving, firm, and straightforward. He had a way of accepting whatever came his way with no more than a shrug. His deep faith carried him through what life had to offer. One of three children, he pulled himself out of poverty with great drive and determination but he never forgot his roots. He was a broker and had a head for figures. It was just downright degrading to play dominos with this walking calculator. Before I could put my tile down, he'd tell me my total!

I sat back down and the boys were engaged in some kind of conversation as our mothers walked in. They were busy helping Rosie unpack the bags. My grandfather went into the kitchen to help them. The two men in front of me refused to budge, daring the bitch behind them to even try to make them. I heard him exhale loudly out of pure aggravation that they were in his way. I was sure he'd had enough of their stalling tactics. Finally they bent, and walked into the kitchen. I yawned because I really was exhausted from everything that had happened. I put on my best sleepy moves, rubbing my eyes with my palms, tousling my hair, scratching my arms, you name it. It was a very good act.

I looked up at James and gave him a fake smile. Surprisingly, he returned it and gave no indication that he didn't buy my act.

"Where's Kevin?" Aunt Felicia asked.

"He said he was going to take a shower a while ago. We hung out in here…" I yawned and stretched again for effect. "…we hung out for a few minutes and he said he felt like he needed to get the day off of him. He was taking too long so I must have fallen asleep. He might have too because I haven't seen him since he went home."

Okay, our mothers knew this was not entirely true, but understood if I was lying, then they should follow along and they did. They had a good inclination of what James was doing to me and that I needed protection. Dad and Uncle Michael didn't fail me either. James watched them to see if I was lying, but my family came through for me. They protected me with the fierceness of a lioness protecting her cub. I was going to have to do a lot of explaining.

"I didn't realize you were gone." I lied, standing up to face him. God help me but I cowered in his presence like a scared school boy. "I'm sorry. I would have gone with you."

"I'm a big boy, Jasper. I was perfectly fine." He crossed his arms.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that. I was just saying that I didn't know if you would be cool with hanging out and all. That's all I meant." I looked at him nervously, trying to get a good read on his mood.

He was aware that he was surrounded by onlookers and listeners who was ready to whip his ass, but I could tell he was really not okay with going to that store with my folks. I was going to get the whipping of my life!

"I'm sorry." I whispered. My family was here, in the room, but so help me God James intimidated the hell out of me.

He smiled. "There's no need to apologize, sweetheart. I love you and I had a great time hanging out. No worries. I even bought you a gift."

Now you tell me you love me? When you're trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes? You self-righteous bastard!

The men and the boys took a seat, and the women went in Mom's room to do something.

"Really?" I asked surprised. "You bought me something?" He must have clued into the fact that my folks were on to him.

He chuckled. "Well, don't act so surprised sweetheart." He laughed and reached out with both hands and stroked me up and down my shoulders. "I buy you things all the time." He seemed a little perturbed by my response, but mostly because I was embarrassing him in front of the guys. "Don't be like that." His eyes told on him, though my folks didn't see them. He was going to make me pay for questioning him like this in public.

"I didn't mean it like that, James. I just wasn't expecting you to buy me something today since you brought me all of those gifts this week. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

The men just shook their heads, obviously not believing I was bitching out like this. They were so masculine and buff and here I was...a pathetic boy toy for another man. At least this is what my mind told me they were thinking. I should have known better than to think they would think so little of me.

God this is so embarrassing. Dad raised me to be a man! Not some pink-lacy punk! And then there's Kevin who is all testosterone...and we're the same...we grew up together...they raised us together and out of the two of us, I ended embarrassing my father by becoming someone's little cunt...another man's at that. He didn't mind me being gay, but to let another man truly take 'all' of my manhood...God I wish I could die.

James stared at me and I saw his blue eyes darken. He smiled again. "Oh don't be silly. You haven't offended me babe. I just thought after that incident with that snake you could use some relaxation, so I bought you this." He handed me a fifty dollar iTunes gift card.

"Thank you." I took the card and pretended to read it.

I was weary of him buying me anything after all he'd done to me today. Maybe he was doing like he always did when he hurt me so badly-go buy me something as his way of apologizing. I think it was more so that he was afraid that after everything that happened, and after spending time with Kevin and the others, that I wasn't going to want to go home with him. After all, he had threatened to seclude me forever. I was sure that still stood, but he was trying to coat the situation with a little kindness to make sure I would be a willing participant when we departed on Sunday.

I recalled James' words before we left Forks. We leave together, we come back together. It was clear to me now. He was afraid that his actions had caused me to change my mind. He was full of regrets. I was certain of that.

"No problem. I figured you could download more music to your account and unwind a little." He smiled again. "I always know what you need." I felt like I was going to puke. The other guys groaned in disgust. "Don't I?"

I snapped out of it. "Of course, baby." I murmured, thoroughly embarrassed when I heard the guys nearly gag. I didn't even know why I was still trying to be nice to him. "Thanks. I actually did need this. I have like fifty cents in my account." I put it in my back pocket.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could use some easy listening on our way home." He grinned. I trembled again, for God only knows why, and he gave me a sharp look.

There it was. I knew it. He was securing my seat in his car on Sunday. I decided I'd better play along to keep him as calm as possible. James was many things, but dumb was not one of them. He had been too upset with me all day to just let everything go that easily. While he couldn't be certain if I had talked to Kevin, he had a good inclination that I had. He knew Kev and I were close and that I had probably share some things with him. He didn't seem as upset as I thought he would be about going off on that trip, but I didn't want to take any chances.

The guys were sitting with their heads down, scratching and rubbing the back of their heads. They knew James was full of shit, but both held their peace. The boys were laughing and horse playing with each other. I was glad when Patrick darted between us and created a diversion. James was very perceptive, and I wasn't so sure that I could pretend that I was going back with him.

"Jasper, guess what?" He squeaked standing between me and James who was quite discomposed by the unwanted and sudden appearance of my smallest brother. That also caught the attention of the other men in the room. James made some kind of growling noise and I almost shot him a nasty look but Uncle Mike piped up.

"What the hell?" He flexed his shoulders and we looked in his direction. "...did you just growl at my son?" If there was one thing I knew about my Uncle, he was extremely territorial. He did not play when it came to his children. If you wanted to get your ass beaten...mess with his queen or any of his five princes. He wasted no time in checking James. I had to admit that I was impressed and jealous of his boldness. He was forthcoming and did not hesitate to let my husband know what time it was. James got that message loud and clear. Uncle Mike would pulverize him if he even thought about doing something to his kid. He showed absolutely no fear and I secretly wished I could have that kind of fearlessness with James.

I quickly looked at James who looked taken aback. He seemed nervous and like he was thinking about snapping on my uncle, but held his peace. I was sure he would take that out on me later as well. His semi-frown quickly dissolved into a smile. "Of course not, Michael. He just startled me that's all." He chuckled but Uncle Mike and my Dad stared at him like they were ready to punch him in his face. Papa was calm as always. "He's fine." I knew James was lying. He really did growl at that kid and Uncle Mike knew it as well.

Uncle Michael adjusted his neck and looked at his son. He didn't crack a smile. "Patrick, get somewhere and sit down. Better yet... go in the kitchen with your Mama."

"But, Daddy..." He looked at his father and held his palms out.

"What did I say, Patrick?" He knew his father was about business so he wasted no time running into the kitchen to find his mother. Uncle Michael fearlessly turned his attention back to my husband. "Don't fuck with him like that again." Again I was amazed.

"Michael." Papa extended his arm to interrupt him. Uncle Mike looked over at him and rolled his eyes. He always deferred to his Dad, whom he respected more than any other person alive.

"It's cool. No harm no foul." James said. He knew he'd pissed my uncle off so he tried to sugar coat his mess.

Uncle Michael looked at his father again and grunted. My father laughed almost to himself. They were grown, but they hated when he went all fatherly on them. "James, I will beat your ass about my kids. You don't wanna go there." My father chuckled again and shook his head mainly because he knew my uncle meant every bold word that he spoke.

James was visibly annoyed by his threats. "My apologies." He raised the palms of his hands. "There's no need for threats." His eyes blackened and his face was red as fire. He was mad and probably mostly because he couldn't slap me right then for what my uncle had just said to him. What a coward!

Aunt Felicia came into the living room when she heard the commotion. She was exquisite with all of that silky jet black hair and caramel colored skin draping her curvy hips and powerhouse frame. As Uncle Mike would say, she was a "bad mama jama." He had no complaints with her. Her baby was on her heels crying and she was ready to pounce on someone about messing with him. She looked to her husband for an explanation.

"What's going on?" She asked with her hands on her hips. "What happened with Patrick and why is he crying?"

"I just wanted to tell Jasper something, Mommy." Patrick said holding his little hands to his lips. I watched James from the side of my eye. He was rubbing his forehead.

Uncle Michael scratched his head. "Well, you tell him from over there and stay away from James."

"Michael don't be rash. I said it was cool." James interjected.

My uncle looked at his wife. "He's good, baby."

"Why is he crying then?" She asked. She shot James a nasty look. "What did you do to him?" Wow…my aunt…a female…had more courage to stand up to James than I did. Could I get any lower?

James raised his hand. I knew my husband well enough to know that he did not appreciate her challenging him like that. He couldn't stand for women to "leave their place." I'd seen him very nastily put women back in their 'place' for saying less than she did to him. His blue eyes were piercing as he watched her from across the room.

"Nothing. It's all just a misunderstanding." He told her.

"Hmm. Doesn't look like a misunderstanding to me." She looked at Uncle Michael for reassurance.

"No worries, bae." He stood and walked over to her as we looked on. He gently placed his hand on her lower back and pulled her to him. "He's good, sweetheart." He kissed the top of her head.

"What did he do to him?" Her words were slightly muffled against his muscle-ripped chest. She was genuinely concerned about the possibility that my deranged husband had somehow manage to harm her little one. She knew James' history of domestic violence with me, but she wasn't having him touching her son. "Why did you tell him to stay away from James?"

"It's nothing, bae. I got it handled." He kissed head again and pulled back. "Go relax with the girls. Patrick is good."

She looked doubtful. "Are you sure?"

He tapped her nose with his finger. "It's straight. No worries."

She motioned for Patrick to come to her. He did and she embraced him. Satisfied that he was alright, she went back in the kitchen, but not before shooting James another nasty look. He gave her a bone chilling, 'bitch I will hide your body look' as she walked away, but just stood there as silently as he could with his arms crossed defensively over his chest. He was done. Unfortunately for him, my uncle saw him. It took mere seconds for Uncle Mike to fly around the couch. My Dad saw him coming and quickly jumped in his way. He was coming for James.

"Move Jip." His voice was forceful as he zeroed in my dear hubby.

"Michael, that's enough." Papa told him, standing beside them. "You need to calm yourself.

Uncle Mike ignored him and my Dad gripped his shirt tightly. Understandably, it was a struggle for him to hold Uncle Mike because he was significantly stronger than he was. They knew that it was about to get ugly in this house.

"Mickey!" He fought against my Dad. "Let it go, man."

My uncle never broke eye contact with James. "I'm good, Jip. Let me go."

James stood there glaring at him. I had already backed myself right out of the way. There was no way I was getting caught up in that ass whipping. I was sure James would tie me four ways for not jumping in and stopping my uncle.

"Michael?" Papa gently placed his hand on his arm. "Did you hear me?"

"I'm good, Dad. I'm good." My Dad let him go, but my uncle managed to swerve around him and swung at James. James retracted, narrowly missing that blow to his face. He tried to square off with Uncle Mike, my Dad jumped between them. "You look at my wife like that again, you little bitch; I swear to God I will put a bullet straight through your fucking head."

Wow. And he meant that.

"Michael, I meant no disrespect to your wife." He told him. "But if you want to go head to head we can do that."

Really James? That would be like The Hulk and Papa Smurf. You're laughable.

Uncle Mike pushed forward, moving my father with him. James backed up, causing my Dad to fall backwards on the arm of the couch with my uncle in a vice grip. He'd locked his arms around Uncle Mike's torso in a last ditch effort to keep him from beating the crap out of James.

"JIP! Let me go, man." My Dad might not have been as strong, but he was certainly strong enough. He did a pretty good job at restraining his brother.

"No."

"I'm not playing Jip. I swear to God I am going to beat this mother fu-"

"Michael, go outside. Please." Papa was still trying to calm him down, but he was furious. Dad pushed his brother backwards, but he resisted him. "I mean it, Michael. Don't let him get to you. You are better than this."

Dad strained against him and this was slowly starting to become a losing battle for him. "Let's…go…Mickey!" He gritted his teeth as he tightened his grip and struggled to keep his balance.

"Jip, ain't no way in hell I'm going to stand here and let this little fairy talk to me like this."

"Fairy? Is that your best, Michael?" James jeered.

"Let it go, Michael." Papa told him. Dad was barely keeping himself upright as he tried his best to keep my uncle from doing the deed. "Ignore him and let's go."

"Dad! Please!" He tried to shake my father off of him. "I'm good Jip. Let me go." He told him. I scanned the room and noticed that the women had taken the minor children outside so they couldn't witness any of this commotion. "Jip…move…out…the…way!"

"No. Let's go."

I was again pricked by jealousy. These men were fearlessly standing their own. They were fighting to protect what was dear to them without fear or remorse. I didn't have that right. James had taken that too. If I even cared enough to want to fight for my husband, I was too afraid to do so because of fear that James would beat me for thinking he wasn't able to fend for himself. Then on the other hand, I was scared he'd beat for not standing up for him. What a mess!

"I said I'm good, Jip!" He yelled. "Now get off me!"

Papa wasn't having that. "And I said let's go cool off. Now Michael!" Yep. My Papa knew how to handle him, and as much as my father wanted to hand James his ass, he didn't want to give James a reason to claim assault or worse, and to have his brother end up in jail again. They loved him and they knew that Uncle Mike respected them and would eventually calm down and listen to them.

It took several more minutes for my uncle to finally break eye contact with the only person in the room with a death wish. He looked at me standing there shaking and scared to death. His expression softened with pure love for me and the look in his eyes told me that he was sorry that I was hurting. He calmed down after seeing me and pulled out of my Dad's grip to walk over to me. My Dad and Papa stayed by his side. James stood red and huffing in full view of the transaction that was taking place.

My Uncle placed one hand on the side of my neck and pulled me into his space. We stared at each other for a minute and I knew that he felt nothing but love for me. His eyes told me to cut the bullshit and demanded that I tell him the truth. I was shaking. Not because of what he would do to me, but what could happen to me when all of this was over. Tears immediately covered my face and that pissed my Uncle off even more because he understood the words that were not being spoken. He easily interpreted and intercepted my fear.

"Talk to me baby boy."

I shook my head a little and tried to gain control. I heard James say "he's far from anyone's baby." I willed myself not to look in his direction.

"Jasper, I'm done with the bullshit." He said to me still cradling my face in his hand. I nodded and he caressed my cheek with his thumb. "Talk to me, Jasper."

I somehow found my voice, and immediately lied to protect everyone. "I'm fine, Uncle Mike." I cleared my throat. "I'm okay."

His eyes were saddened. "Jasper, don't play with my. When have I ever been stupid to you?"

"I'm not playing Uncle Mike." I shifted nervously. He felt me shaking.

"You must think I'm crazy."

"No, sir, I don't."

"Jasper, all you have to do is tell me the truth and that bastard will pay for everything he's done to you."

I was speechless.

"You are just as much my son as the other boys are." He choked up for a minute and quickly reigned in his emotions. "I love you Jasper."

More tears fell as the contents of his heart fell on my ears.

"Is…he…hurting…you?" He asked point blankly. "You don't have to be afraid to tell me."

"Okay this has gone too far. Jasper, go get our belongings. I think it's time for us to leave." James move towards me but stopped abruptly when my uncle moved towards him. I froze. After all that had happened, there was no way I could leave with him. I would turn up dead by morning.

"Jasper, please do as I have asked and go upstairs and retrieve our bags. I'm done with this idiocy."

"I don't give a flip what you are done with." Uncle Mike told him. "Jasper isn't going anywhere. You don't own him, and I'd like to see you try to make him do something that he doesn't want to."

James straightened his shirt. "Jasper." He was waiting for me to comply. I was absolutely frozen with fear. "I won't ask you again."

"The hell?" My Dad and Uncle said at the same time. They looked at each in complete shock. Even Papa looked taken aback. It was evident that they couldn't believe James was punking me like this. "Who in the hell does he think he is?"

I decided to do what James said to keep this impending war from finally breaking out. "It's okay Uncle Mike. Dad. Papa. It's all good."

James smirked, happy that even with my three bodyguards, he still could exert complete control over his boy.

"Hell, no, Jasper!" My Dad's voice was softer than that of my uncle, but just as solid and direct. "You are not his child. You are a man. He has no right to treat you any different than the grown man you are! Don't stand there and let him treat you like his trash!"

"Dad, it's alright. Jay and I just need to talk."

Papa looked sadly at me. "Jasper…"

"Papa, I will be alright." I lied. "No worries."

"Jasper, that mother fucker is under my skin in the worst way. He's standing here commanding you do stuff. What in the?" My Dad shook his head. He looked at my uncle.

"Bullshit." Uncle Mike ground his fists together.

"Jasper and I are just fine." I looked over at my husband who was still glowing with the satisfaction that he'd 'won.' "Aren't we babe?"

I swallowed when I saw the deception behind his eyes. I nodded. "Yeah…Yes of course. No prob."

My folks sighed, but Uncle Mike wasn't finished. He was not content with my willingness to submit to James' tyranny.

"Jasper?" He asked me not taking his eyes off James.

"Yes, sir?"

"Would you like to stay at my house tonight?" He asked. Now he was really trying to get me lynched.

"Thank you for offering Michael, but my husband will be fine here with me. Or better yet in our car on the way back to our home where we belong." James seethed.

Uncle Mike glared at him. "Jasper is not leaving with you. Not tonight, tomorrow, or Sunday."

"We will see about that." James challenged. "Jasper, I said I was ready to go."

"And I said he isn't going anywhere." He instinctively pushed me directly behind him as if shielding me from my enemy.

"Jasper, you have a second to do as I ask. I am sick of this!"

"Jay it's late." I leaned around my uncle so he could see my face. "Why don't we all just go to sleep? We can leave tomorrow." James shot me a nasty look. How dare I defy him?

"What did I say, Jasper?" I instantly recoiled.

"Well, Jasper is certainly not leaving with you. I've got a huge party planned for him and he has to be there so you can just go screw yourself." Rosie came downstairs and interrupted this little showdown. Her hair was wet from her shower and she was dressed in an old pink tank top and some grey yoga pants.

James sighed. "Jasper, let's go."

"Bye." Rosie stopped in front of him next to our uncle. Everyone knew she couldn't stand him either and she didn't even try to hide it. "You are free to go any time you get ready. There's the door."

James smirked again and inched towards her. She didn't back down. I had no doubt she would jump on him in a heartbeat if he tried her. "Oh, I am definitely ready, but I will not be leaving here without my husband."

She pushed her body almost flushed with his. I was sure he could feel her breathing on him. My uncle and my dad were standing guard. The sight of the three of them facing off with him should have been comforting for me I guess. However, it was just the opposite. They had no idea what they were setting me up for.

"You ain't taking him with you. Not fight without a fight." She was bold…fearless.

He scoffed at her threats. "Don't you have something else to do little girl besides minding my business?"

"Yeah, I got something to do. Like whipping your ass if you touch my brother."

He laughed at her. Truthfully if I wasn't such a wuss, I would have found the humor in her threats too. She probably couldn't take James, but she would surely give him a decent run for his money.

He glared at her. "Go away." He threatened.

"Or…what?" She didn't back down.

He didn't budge. He laughed and shook his head. "Little girl…back off." He brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes. I saw my Dad flex his fists.

"Rosalie, princess, that is enough." Papa spoke softly to her.

"No worries, Papa. I can handle him." She told him. "He likes to try to intimidate people."

James scoffed at her confidence. "You do humor me, little pet."

"You wish." She said.

"Sweetheart, if I preferred the um…softer sex…you would never be in my league. Not even close." He laughed again when she shot him the finger. "Very well then." He turned his attention to me. "Jasper I will be upstairs packing. Don't make me wait."

They all looked at me. I didn't know what to do. My mother cleared her throat to let us know she was in the room. We hadn't realized that she'd come in at some point. Aunt Felicia and her boys were still outside. She was still protecting them from all of this confusion.

"Nobody's leaving." She spoke softly. "No one."

"Lizzie?" My Dad started to protest but she held her and to stop him. "James has gotta go."

"No." She shook her head and wiped tears from her face. She walked over to my father who looked tenderly upon her. She was his queen. "JP, I'm tired of all of this. I want Jasper here with us tonight. It's been a long time since we've seen him and I just want to enjoy our time together and not waste it with all of this foolishness. Please put an end to this now."

He nodded and smiled at her. "Of, course." He faced James. "James, get your shit and get out."

"No, just let him stay." She begged him. "If his leaving means Jasper has to go, then let him stay. Jasper will be okay here."

"Jasper doesn't have to go, sweetheart." He told her. "James can go straight to hell."

"JP, Liz is right." Papa stated pulling her to him. He was so loving towards his daughters. "Everyone needs to go somewhere and calm down." They all protested. "I mean it. You are all acting like children. We are done with this. You have upset these women and the boys and it makes no sense for adults to be fighting and carrying on like this. Now, I don't know what's going on with James and Jasper, but I do have a pretty good idea. Michael and JP I know ya'll are itching for a fight, but I don't want to hear or see any more of this carrying on tonight. Enough is enough."

"Jasper?" My Dad asked. "Do you want to stay here?"

I squirmed in my spot, unsure of how to handle this. If I went with James, I was dead. If I stayed I was safe. I wanted to stay but what would James do? I walked over to him but knew better than to touch him.

"Jay, can we stay please?" I asked him. I felt so tiny and small. This was so humiliating to have to reduce myself to a mere child in front of my family. Surprisingly, they didn't judge or mock me. All it did was piss them off. They were mad at the fact that James' put me in this position.

He just stood there glowering at me. He was gravely silent. I'd seen James' in all kinds of raging fits, but this time he seemed eerie almost as if he was warning me of my grim fate. He balled his lips and sealed my decision to stay when I saw the look on his face. There was no telling what he would do to me if I left.

"Hey everybody." The front door suddenly opened and Kevin's other two brothers, Saye and Levi walked in. Everyone greeted them back. Kevin was with them. He looked at me with questioning eyes. I nodded to let him know I would fill him in later.

"Hey fellas." I greeted them and hugged both of them. "It's great to see you guys."

"Hey Jasper." They said in unison.

"Is that your car outside, Jasper?" Saye asked.

"Yeah. That's sweet." Levi said. "It looks almost like Daddy's."

James huffed. He'd probably trade it in for the simple fact that my uncle, his newfound enemy, had one similar to it. After all, how could my uncle even afford one?

"Um…no…it's James.'" I said.

They looked innocently at my husband. "It's nice."

He eyes were pure evil when he smiled at those boys. "Why thank you. Maybe we can take it for a spin tomorrow." I looked nervously at Uncle Mike, Dad, and Kevin. I knew damn well that they were not letting him get near their boys.

"Cool!" They said and when out back when they heard their brothers by the pool.

James went upstairs. I refused to go with him out of sheer fear. We quickly brought Kevin up to speed, and he like everyone else just added one more ass whipping to James' list. About an hour and a half later, Kevin and my parents starting setting up the cards so we could run a few hands of "Spades." That would keep me up for a while and maybe James would go to sleep.

Well, about four hours, several beers, and lots of laughter later, we had had our fill of fun. It was great laughing and playing with them. We temporarily forgot about my troubles and what had transpired earlier. Not only was I nervous for the escape Kate and I had planned, but I was nervous about Edward Cullen possibly attending the party. Rosie still hadn't reached him and wasn't so sure if she could.

Papa retired first, citing he had to calm Grandma before she went sleep. She was off with some church thing. Miles and Patrick had fallen asleep. Dad helped Uncle Mike get them in the car, and their parents took them home with the promise to see us again the next day. Kevin point blankly stated that he wasn't ready to leave yet and that he wanted to hang out. Saye and Levi stayed with us for a little while, but they eventually left. My parents finally turned in. James had pretty much stayed out of sight, but came down when he heard my parents go to bed. We just acted like he wasn't there.

James sat there and listened to us talk about our lives. We never mentioned anything that happened today and acted as cool as we possibly could. We talked about everything under the sun and James didn't budge even though he was falling asleep. We purposefully didn't include him in on the conversation because we wanted him to be bored out of his mind so he could take his ass to bed. He'd already asked me earlier if I was ready to go, and Kevin pretended to complain about us not getting to talk. James must have been too tired to resist him because he just sat there quietly waiting for me to get tired enough to go to bed. Kevin and I finally started falling asleep and James asked me again if I was coming. I told him to go ahead without me. That didn't set well with him, but he was so sleepy and tired that he offered no resistance to my delay. Eventually Kevin and I fell asleep on the couches until the next morning.

I didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but one thing I did know that this time tomorrow night, James Hale would no longer be in control of my life. As a matter of fact, tonight would be the last night for many things, mainly the last night for Jasper Whitlock to be a spitting target and punching bag to a man who didn't love him.

God help me. Please. Amen.

A/N: I don't know about ya'll but I can't wait for them to beat James' ass. I wanted so badly to unleash them…but not yet.