what a woman! i.

vingt et un

After changing into some cleaner and comfier clothes, Tatum walks downstairs to see Jasper and Avery sitting on the couch with cartoons playing on the tv. Jasper listens to her footsteps walking towards the two males.

"How you feel, bubba?" Tatum asks, rubbing her nephew's head. The toddler shrugs and cuddles into Jasper's side. Tatum internally awes at the interaction between her two favorite boys. Jasper leans his head against the back of the couch, exposing his neck, and smirks at Tatum. 

"You look a little upside down from where I'm standing," Tatum says with her smart-ass attitude. Jasper chuckles softly and raises his free arm to grab her wrist and drag her to sit next to him. Tatum lets him jerk her into the coach and gets goose-pimples when she feels his cold skin hold hers.

"Aren't you worried about getting sick? I mean, I know your dad is a doctor and all, but that doesn't make you invincible," Tatum suddenly asks Jasper while they watch Perry the Platypus bust Dr. Doofensmirtz. Avery sat there, cuddled into Jasper's side with Jasper's arm around him, watching intently as Perry kicks the evil inventor to the ground. 

"Darlin', I have all my shots. Carlisle told us that there's no way for us to get sick."

"Really? How is that true? Everyone gets sick at some point."

"Believe me when I say that my family doesn't."

"Pewee won!!!"

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After a couple hours of nursing a sick toddler, Jasper finally got Avery to fall asleep. But he sadly as made Tatum fall asleep. He was stuck in a Fernsby sandwich; an adorable one at that. He had one arm draped over the tiny boy and the other arm pulling Tatum closer to his side. 

Jasper knew he shouldn't be letting the two become so attached to him and his family; they would be leaving in two years' time anyway. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but it felt so damn right. His siblings have been warning him about Alice's vision of her but he always shoved it off as a fantasy they wanted him to believe. He didn't want to believe them...but that's what made him worry.

"Tatum, dear, I'm home. Can you start making some pasta? We have guests-" Dr. Fernsby stops in her tracks once she sees that the head of wavy blonde hair wasn't her daughter. Jasper turns his head to his right to look at the mother. 

"You must be Mrs. Fernsby. I'm Jasper Cullen, you know my father. Dr. Cullen?" Jasper says politely to the shocked woman. Dr. Fernsby nods and shakes her head before walking into the kitchen. She grabs a pot and adds water, doing the essentials to make basic pasta.

"So, Mr. Cullen, are you the one my kids talk to fondly of?"

"Please, ma'am, call me Jasper."

"Does your family know about Avery?"

"Who he is and who he came from," Jasper reveals, sending Mrs. Fernsby a tingle of calm. She nods and lets the unspoken promise sit in the air. Jasper knew he wasn't supposed to know about Avery...he also knew that he wouldn't let Avery go. 

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"Mom, I'm home!" Bailey shouts as soon as she enters the door. She takes off her shoes and massages the bottom of her feet. Bailey walks passed the three people on the coach but backtracks as soon as she sees two heads of wavy, blonde hair. 

"I thought I told her to stay away from you but what does she do? She decides to invite you over and cuddle," Bailey growls softly in Jasper's ear. 

"I technically invited myself over because I helped keep your  kid from throwing up everywhere."

"He's my brother, not my son."

"You may not trust me, but Tatum sure does."

"Fight me, pale face."

"For the sake of your family, no."

"Leave."

"Bailey, shut up," Tatum mumbles angrily and tiredly from Jasper's side. Bailey huffs and tugs a strand of Jasper's hair. The boy fakes hurt and rubs the back of his head. He couldn't feel anything, but they didn't need to know that....yet.

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