Chapter 61

Click here to read the Disclaimer and Warning.

Chapter 61: We're Knocking on Heaven's Door

We spent much of Sunday the same way we'd spent the previous day, waking up and fooling around, then heading out for breakfast, this time at a place near Jasper's work. Afterwards we took the subway down to lower Manhattan to see the Twin Towers memorial and then to take the ferry out to Ellis Island and Liberty Island. We joined a tour on each island and afterwards I couldn't resist taking a few extra moments to gossip with my fellow NPS rangers. I didn't want to let on in front of Jasper, but wheels were spinning in my mind. The memorial sites were not exactly Mount Rainier, but they did offer a possibility of continuing my work with the NPS even if I decided to move to New York City. This, combined with the expanse of Central Park and trips back to Seattle, could be just enough to satisfy my desire to continue working in public service and my craving for nature. It wouldn't come close to living in Covington and working on my mountain, but falling asleep and waking up next to Jasper would be well worth the sacrifice. I made mental notes of the names of the rangers we spoke with and resolved to contact them when I returned home to further explore my options. I also decided not to say anything to Jasper until I knew more myself, in part not to raise any false hopes and in part because I didn't want him to feel pressured by my thoughts about moving to Manhattan. For our relationship to work this time around, we both had to be ready to take the next step, and I wanted to give Jasper more time to be comfortable with the idea before I proposed moving to his city.

"So that was fun, huh?" Jasper asked as he stood behind me on the outside deck of the ferry taking us back to Battery Park. We were both leaning against the railing, watching the distant skyline. "I haven't been out here for years. And I really had no clue that both Ellis Island and Liberty Island were operated by the National Park Services. That was a big surprise!"

"I forgot about it too," I admitted.

"I guess when I think of the National Park Service, I think of parks and nature, not the Statue of Liberty," Jasper said with a laugh.

"I know, I do too. But the National Park Service operates a lot of memorial sites that are mostly historical in nature. I never really think about that part of the NPS, but there are probably more memorial sites in our system than parks. It was interesting to talk to those guys about the differences and similarities of what we do."

"It was interesting, but I'd take an interpretative hike with you over a tour of a memorial site any day," he said, nuzzling against my neck.

"Have I re-awakened your latent love of hiking?" I teased.

"Hiking be damned. That's just the price of admission to see my personal ranger at work. I'd enjoy listening to you reading the phone book too, if that was a ranger program you offered."

I laughed as his lips returned to my neck. I leaned back against him, eyes closed, enjoying his attention while simultaneously mulling over the NPS jobs I could find near Manhattan. I'd never been much of a history buff, I was willing to work at a national memorial site instead of a national park if it meant being closer to Jasper. That way I would at least be keeping open the possibility of someday returning to Mount Rainier.

We took the subway to 5th Avenue and 59 street stop near our hotel. Jasper made sure there was enough time left in our schedule so that, instead of heading straight back to the hotel, we could take a walk through Central Park. We walked north along the pond. It was a warm autumn Sunday afternoon and the park was filled with people. Some strolled leisurely, like Jasper and I, others walked their dogs. Many were jogging and roller blading, and still others sat on benches or blankets with books or computers in front of them, taking advantage of the opportunity to soak up some sun. As we walked deeper into the park, the drone of traffic receded, replaced by a happy hum of adult conversations, children's laughter, and an occasional dog bark. I saw a couple lying together on a blanket, their faces turned up to the sky. They were talking and although they weren't looking at each other, their linked hands and smiles radiated happiness. I was envious of the leisure time they obviously had to spend together and wished Jasper and I could find that as well. But with what amounted to monthly visits, there was too much to do and too many people to meet to laze around outside of bed.

"So what do you think? Is it as good on the ground as it looks from above?" Jasper interrupted my thoughts.

"Every bit as good," I nodded. "This is really nice. You can really get away from the stress of the city here."

"Yup. I'm just sorry it took me getting back in touch with you to remember that. For a while I just sort of forgot about Central Park."

I laughed incredulously.

"I know, I know, it's like ignoring the elephant in the room. But when I'm busy working I just don't think about the outdoors, and then on weekends if I went out at all it would be somewhere around my neighborhood. It wasn't until I saw you in Seattle and learned you worked in a national park that I began spending more time here. I wouldn't have done it otherwise, but suddenly this place was as close as I could get to being back in Washington with you, not that I allowed myself to think about it in those terms then." His smile was a little sheepish, so I leaned over and pressed my lips to his in a quick kiss.

"It doesn't matter how you thought of it. You were beginning to consider getting back together, and that's the most important thing. For that reason alone, I love this park," I said with conviction and looked around, as if expecting the park to return the sentiment.

"Wait a minute!" Jasper exclaimed. "I never even thought about it, but is Central Park also run by the NPS, like Ellis and Liberty Islands?"

There was such hope in his question. I hated to disillusion him, but I knew the answer was not what he wanted.

"I'm pretty sure this is not a part of the National Park Service. More than likely, there is a city parks agency responsible for this."

"Oh," Jasper deflated in disappointment.

"It doesn't matter, Jas. It's still a gorgeous park, a wonderful place to hang out. I love it already, and we've only seen a small part."

"Well," Jasper glanced at his watch, "I wasn't sure if we were going to have time, but if we hurry..."

Keeping my hand clasped in his, he began to walk faster and then broke into a jog. Reluctantly I extricated my hand to make running less awkward. I was confused, but didn't hesitate to follow.

"Where are we going?" I asked

"A special place," he said mysteriously. "You'll see," he laughed and began to sprint. "Come on, we have to hurry!" he encouraged as I gave chase.

When we were younger I was more athletic and was always able to outrun him, but things had obviously changed. I had no problem keeping up, but I wasn't able to close the slight distance between us. Each time I sped up, he did as well, laughing as he stayed just out of my arm's reach.

"Come on, Ranger Cullen," he teased, "With all the time you spend hiking, I thought you'd be in better shape than that."

"I don't lead running hikes, smartass," I retorted, my eyes instantly landing on his ass and appreciating the view. Suddenly I wanted nothing more than to press myself tightly against him, to feel his body form fitted into mine. I glanced ahead and saw a stretch where the path we were on was bordered only by a patch of lawn. I dug deep for an extra burst of speed and pounded after him. I don't know if Jasper didn't hear me or if, guessing my intent, he deliberately slowed down, but this time I was able to catch him quite easily. I gasped his upper arms from behind and pulled us off to the side, making sure that I landed first, with him on top of me. He offered no resistance as we tumbled down, panting and laughing. The impact with the ground was a little jarring, especially with Jasper's extra weight on top of me, but he immediately rolled us to the side to lessen the effect. I wrapped my arm around him and pulled us close together, breathing heavy against his neck and pressing my groin into his ass. He didn't move except to turn his head so I could hear him speak.

"That feels good, Edward, but if you keep doing it I'll get harder than I already am and then I won't be able to walk in public, much less run."

"Guess we'll just have to stay here until you can walk again, then," I said easily, finding nothing wrong with my plan.

"But then I won't get to show you the most magical spot in Central Park," he complained.

"We can still go there later," I offered. "Even after dinner."

"Nope," he shook his head. "It closes in less than half an hour. Now come on, we still have a ways to go."

He pulled away and I reluctantly let him go, not wanting to interfere with his plans. He surprised me, however, when instead of immediately getting up he merely turned to face me and then pushed me onto my back, shifting to lie on top of me and lowering his lips to mine. I welcomed the kiss, parting my lips to invite his tongue which immediately slipped into my mouth. I let out a short moan, feeling him hardening against me and knowing I was doing the same. He said he didn't want this to happen, but he was also in complete control and I loved what he was doing far too much to put up any objection. He deepened the kiss, mashing our lips so tightly and plunging his tongue so deeply that our teeth met with a soft click. I took a deep breath through my nose, not wanting to break the kiss, but the action seemed to startle him and he pulled back. I opened my eyes to find him staring down at me intently.

"I thought we were in a hurry?" I teased gently.

"We are," he said, reaching up to run his fingers through my hair. "You're just too damn irresistible, is all."

"I hope you don't expect me to apologize for that?"

"Nope. I expect you to stay just as you are." He sighed and brought his head down again, resting his forehead on mine and pressing the tips of our noses against one another.

"You know, this sure feels like the most magical spot in Central Park," I told him.

"It does, doesn't it?" he agreed and kissed me again, this time gently and with no tongue. "We could probably still make it over there before it closes, if we go now," he said, his tone both reluctant and wistful. I loved sharing this intimate moment with him and didn't want it to end too soon, but I also didn't want it to be a cause of disappointment.

"Let's go then," I encouraged. "I think we probably can run again." I added, noting that we'd both softened in the aftermath of the kiss.

"Are you sure?" he vacillated.

"I'm sure," I confirmed.

He rolled off me and we both stood up, brushing ourselves off reflexively.

"Ready?"

I nodded and we took off. We ran for a good few minutes, taking a short cut over the lawn, before Jasper finally slowed down. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. In front of us, right in the center of Central Park, stood an old fashioned carousel. It was three animals deep and large enough to accommodate adult riders.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed. "This is different."

"Isn't it great?" Jasper asked with a huge grin. "They close in a few minutes. Let's get tickets."

He led us to a ticket booth staffed by an elderly woman.

"You're cutting it close, boys. We're almost closed for the night," she chided us as if we were children, and indeed I felt like a kid watching Jasper buy our tickets. Dusk was quickly chasing out daylight as we hopped on for what the carousel operator announced was the last ride of the day. Jasper chose two adjoining horses and climbed on. Soon the ride began to spin at a stately pace.

"I know it's no Sea Dog, but at least I can handle this kind of excitement," Jasper laughed. He held onto the pole with one hand while pretending to twirl a lasso with the other.

"Ride 'em, cowboy. Show me what you've got!" I encouraged, laughing along with him. I did a quick scan around to make sure there was no one within hearing distance and then observed, "You know, the last time I saw you playing cowboy you were wearing nothing but a hat and I was your horse, remember?"

Jasper grinned and winked. "Oh, I remember. That was a helluva ride."

The ride wasn't long, but it was fun. We were practically the only riders and obviously served as a source of amusement for both the operator and the ticket lady. They both applauded as we got off the carousel, still laughing and carousing, and headed back for the hotel. We joined hands again and walked along absorbed in conversation as dusk gave way to night. The path, illuminated only by occasional lights, seemed more foreboding, and I grew concerned when I remembered that Jasper sometimes came to the park alone after work. When I asked him about it, though, he assured me that at night he stayed close to the periphery, where there were more people.

"You don't have to worry about me, Edward," he said lightly. "I'm in no more danger here than you are on your mountain."

Back at the hotel I noted that our little tumble cost me some grass stains and I was glad I had already planned to change clothes for dinner with Jasper's dad. I made my way to the bathroom, brushed my teeth and used some gel to make sure my hair stayed in place. As I put on my pants and button down shirt and changed from gym shoes to slip-ons, I began to get nervous. No matter how much Jasper tried to minimize this, making a good impression on his dad was important. Without Charles Whitlock in my corner, I could never even hope to win the approval of Jasper's mom. The problem was, I didn't know Jasper's father at all, and I had no idea what would impress him. Belatedly, I realized that I should have read some of his books, or at least talked with Garrett about them. Would he hold it against me that I not only wasn't one of his regular readers, but hadn't even bothered to read a single book? I ran my hand through my hair, and then groaned with frustration, realizing I'd only have to fix what I'd just messed up.

"Hey," Jasper stepped up behind me and slipped his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder and meeting my eyes in the mirror, "I told you, you don't have to be nervous. My dad's cool, I promise. This will be a fun dinner, nothing to worry about."

I wanted to believe him, but his words did nothing to dissolve the knot in my stomach.

"I haven't even read any of his books," I blurted out helplessly. Jasper chuckled.

"He'll probably appreciate that. He hates meeting people who only want to talk about his books. I mean, he likes his fans at fan events and book signings and stuff, but when he's socializing he wants normal conversation. Believe me, there won't be a pop quiz." He moved his face closer and rubbed his cheek against mine, our light stubbles rasping pleasantly against each other, reminding me that I hadn't shaved. My hand flew to my chin.

"Shit! Do you think I should shave?" I asked in a panic. Jasper giggled.

"Why would you want to take all that sexy scruff off? I love it!" He demonstrated his affinity by dragging his tongue from my chin to cheek.

"You may find it sexy, but I can't imagine your dad will. I'm gonna shave," I decided.

"Edward," Jasper was exasperated.

"It will only take a moment," I insisted. I tried to squirm out of his arms, but he held firm.

"Edward Anthony Cullen," he said in a stern voice that caused me to instantly still. "You look fine. No, you look great! My dad has seen men with facial hair before and has never demonstrated any kind of prejudice against them. Probably he didn't even notice. He's far more interested in how people act and what they have to say than how they look. He's met all my good friends and gets along great with everyone. He knows how I feel about you, and I know he will love you as much as I do. All right? Now stop with the jitters! Bring out my Tiger!" he demanded.

For a moment I was taken aback, surprised at the amount of authority I heard from him. Then something inside me clicked into place and I twisted around to face him.

"Oh, yeah?" I challenged, taking his head in both hands and pulling it down to mine. I kissed him hard, thrusting my tongue as deep as I could into his mouth. He let out a mewl but made no attempt to stop me or move away. I kept kissing him relentlessly, my tongue slipping back and forth against his until he whimpered again. I finally pulled back and let go of his head while he relaxed his hold on my waist. Pressing my advantage, I moved quickly to stand behind him and moved him forward even as I pushed his back down so that he was bent over the vanity with my instant erection pressed into his ass. Our eyes met in the mirror again and I did a fast check to make sure I didn't see any fear or resistance.

"Is this the tiger you want?" It was my turn to sound demanding. I slipped the fingers of both hands into the waistband of his pants and tugged down. "The tiger that's gonna strip you down and fuck you where you stand until you forget your own name?"

"Yes," he said, his voice hoarse. I looked at him with surprise. I had expected him to laugh my suggestion off, but instead he gazed at me intently with lust-glazed eyes.

"What?" I asked to make sure I wasn't misconstruing things.

"Yes, that's what I want. I want you to fuck me," he confirmed. "Strip me down and fuck me until I can't remember my name." He pushed his butt back against me.

"Jas," I hesitated, even though my cock was rearing to go, "What about dinner?"

"You don't have to take long, Edward. Just fuck me. Hard and fast. Come on," he encouraged.

I made a split second decision.

"Take off your pants," I ordered curtly as I left to get the lube and condom. When I returned he was in the same position, but his pants and boxers were pooled around his ankles and his right hand was wrapped around his cock. He turned his head and stared at me with a wanton look in his eyes. The sight of him, ready and waiting for me, was so sexy and so fucking inviting, that any thought of trying to talk him out of this was instantly gone.

"God, that's hot!" I exclaimed

I placed the lube and condom on the vanity and moved to stand behind Jasper, grasping his hips.

"Spread your legs wider?" I requested. He complied, leaning forward even lower as he did it. I sucked in my breath at the temptation before me. I knew we didn't have much time, but he was irresistible. I sank to my knees behind him and moved my hands off his hips to part his cheeks further, until I was staring at his entrance. I leaned forward and ran my tongue up the entire length of his crack. He pushed his butt back so I did it again and again, before finally focusing my tongue on the ring of sensitive puckered flesh surrounding one of my favorite places on earth. I circled the rim with the tip of my tongue several times until Jasper was squirming impatiently. Only then did I breach the opening, thrusting my tongue inside him.

"Yeah!" he cried out. "Fuck me with your tongue!"

I used all my fingers to spread his cheeks as far as possible and alternated lapping at and penetrating his hole, lubricating and stretching him as much as I could with my mouth. I let go of his right cheek and moved my hand between his legs to grasp his cock. Jasper moved his own hand off when he felt mine close over him. "Edward!" he moaned as I held his length with my fingers while smearing his precum around the tip of his head with my circling thumb. He pumped his hips just enough to impale himself on my tongue before thrusting through my grip. I could have stayed there, doing what I was doing, for hours. It was only when I felt Jasper's upper body twist that I stopped and looked up.

"You know I fucking love this, but we don't have much time and I want more," Jasper gasped.

I nodded, gave him one last lick and put my hands back on his hips to help me stand up. I unfastened my pants and unbuttoned my shirt while he reached for the lube, squirted some onto his fingers, and reached back to prepare himself. I wanted to be the one to do it, but one intense look from him quelled my protests, so instead I grabbed the condom, tore open the packet and rolled the latex over my erection. When I was done I poured out some lube and coated my condom clad cock, all the while watching Jasper stroking himself with one hand and fucking himself with the other. When he saw I was thoroughly lubed, he withdrew his fingers and motioned me over with a tilt of his head, arching his back in further invitation.

"Are you sure you're...?" I wondered if he's had enough time to prepare.

"Yes! I want you inside me, now!" he demanded.

All I could do was obey. I stepped up behind him and pushed up his shirt, leaning over to kiss his back.

"I love you, Jas," I told him as I positioned myself and pressed forward. I heard him suck in his breath as my head cleared the muscle barrier. "Okay?" I asked, holding myself steady and massaging his hips and lower back with my hands. I knew we'd been having sex all weekend and he had prepared himself, but he was still so damn tight. It felt incredible for me, but I worried I'd hurt him.

"Edward, move!"

His reminder at once reassured and snapped me out of stasis. I began to rock against him, pushing further with each measured thrust, watching him in the mirror the entire time. He kept his head low and his eyes closed, but I saw no signs of pain. The light groans coming from the back of his throat each time I sank deeper definitely sounded encouraging. I grew more confident and, feeling him stretch to accommodate me, moved faster, until finally I was buried to the root.

"You feel so good!" We spoke and then laughed in unison. I leaned over him again, pushing his shirt up more with my nose as I trailed wet kisses up the valley of his spine. When I reached as far as I could I just rested against him, pressing my chest into his back, feeling his warmth inside and out.

"I love you so damn much. Thank you,"

He twisted beneath me, trying to look back. I pushed myself up into a standing position and he turned forward, our gazes meeting in the mirror again.

"What for?"

"I know why you did this, and I appreciate it."

"You think I did this for you?" he chuckled. "As if I haven't been thinking about this all day? Please! But you know..." he paused and smirked.

"What?" I pulled out a couple inches and then pushed back in, watching him close his eyes and let out a satisfied grunt.

"Exactly! I love having you inside me, but I hoped for a little more friction," he turned his head, his blue eyes challenging me boldly. This definitely wasn't the Jasper who went along with whatever I wanted that awful night back in Seattle. This was a confident man who knew exactly what he wanted, and wasn't afraid to demand it.

"Oh yeah?" I responded by pulling out about four inches and thrusting forcefully.

"Oh, yeah!" he voiced his approval and rested his forehead on his arms. "Keep going, Tiger."

"I'll keep going if you keep talking," I bargained. His dirty talk reminded me of our many late night calls across the miles, except it was so much better in person, when neither one of us had to imagine what we would do to one another. I wanted more, and he delivered. In response I drilled him hard and fast which, based on his enthusiastic vocal encouragements, was exactly what he craved. The super-fast pace didn't allow me the freedom to reach around and stroke him, but I talked him through it, telling him exactly how much I wanted him to come. When I felt that momentary stiffness in his body that announced his impending orgasm I quickly pushed myself all the way inside him again and wrapped my hand around his cock head just in time to catch the spurting jets of warm cum. The feel of his release in my hand and his internal spasms all around my dick pushed me right to the edge. I brought my hand to my mouth and licked off his essence as I shifted back for the final few thrusts that sent my own jizz erupting into the condom inside him. Jasper moaned and contracted his muscles, milking my cock with his ass. I gave one last thrust and then fell forward, collapsing on top of his back with a groan.

"You feel and taste incredible," I told him when I recovered enough to speak.

"You feel pretty incredible yourself," he said. His head was resting sideways on the vanity so I couldn't see his face, but I heard the smile in his voice.

I wish we could have stayed there longer, or better yet, retired to bed, but Jasper reminded me that we were already running late. Fortunately, I was so spent and relaxed, I couldn't rouse the energy to get nervous. I stood up and stepped back, then yanked off the condom and tied it off before tossing it into the trash. Jasper stood, turned, and immediately sank onto his knees before me, taking my cock into his mouth and cleaning it so thoroughly with his talented tongue that it actually twitched again. "You taste pretty incredible too," He said when he let me go. "Though I could do without the latex flavoring," he grimaced.

"Someday, not too far off," I promised, making mental calculations. Other than the blow job right before Seth's wedding, it had been nearly five months since I'd fucked anyone else. And assuming his night with Lance right after Seth's wedding was the last time he'd been with anyone else, it had been over three months for him. "I can't wait," I confessed.

"Me too," he acknowledged as he rose, pulling his pants and underwear up with him. Then he looked down and started laughing. I glanced down and saw that his pants were splattered with cum.

"Crap, I made a mess. I'd better change. It's not like my father won't guess at what delayed us, but I might as well not provide direct evidence."

I laughed too, and then grimaced when I saw in the mirror that my hair was again in disarray. Seeing my concern, Jasper leaned in and kissed me. "It was totally worth it, Tiger. It won't take us long to put ourselves back together."

I smiled and watched him leave the bathroom. He paused in the doorway and let his unfastened pants drop, sticking his butt back at me even as he stuck out his tongue teasingly. Even covered with the purple bikini briefs, he had the most beautiful ass.

A half hour later we got out of a cab in front of the large, red Meson Sevilla awning. Jasper explained that this Spanish restaurant was a favorite among his friends, and that he and his father often ate there as well. I was glad he suggested it. I hoped that the communal nature of tapas dining might make for a more relaxing evening. Our bathroom quickie managed to ease most of my tension, but I was still very much aware that I should make a good impression and felt that would be easier if we were all sharing a bunch of appetizers than in a formal five star restaurant.

Charles Whitlock was waiting for us inside, sipping red wine at the bar. I had only met him once, briefly, at our high school graduation, but even then he struck me as a very handsome man. He hadn't changed much over the years. He was tall, about my height, with short, dark blond hair. His eyes were a darker shade of blue than Jasper's, and his nose and lips were thinner, but when he smiled it became obvious that he was the source of Jasper's distinctive smirk and dimples.

"Hello, boys," he was friendly as he stood up to greet us. Jasper moved in for a hug while I hung back.

"Sorry, dad. At the last minute we decided to ride the carousel," Jasper explained.

"Ah, is that what you call it these days?" Charles said with a knowing smirk.

"The carousel in Central Park, Dad. See?" Jasper produced a ticket stub from his pocket. I was impressed he remembered to bring it.

"Oh, yes, of course. That explains everything," Charles nodded, laughter still in his voice. "Only I happen to know that carousel closes at dusk, and it doesn't take nearly two hours to get here from there. But no matter. You're here now and you brought your Edward," he turned to me without giving Jasper a chance to respond.

"Hi, Sir," I offered my hand. "Edward Cullen. We met once, but you probably don't remember."

"Oh, I'm not that old yet. I remember quite well. I've been looking forward to getting to know you. And we're not in the military, so it's just Charles." His handshake was warm and firm, and his hand felt a lot like Jasper's. "I'll let the hostess know we're all here and we can have drink while they get our table ready."

The restaurant was fairly busy for a Sunday night, but there were two seats open next to Charles at the bar. Jasper and I took them and ordered red wine as well.

"We'll get Sangria at the table," Jasper explained. I was looking forward to that, but knowing I tended to drink too much when I was nervous or worried, I made a mental note not to overindulge. I didn't want make the same first impression on Charles Whitlock that I did on Garrett's parents.

"So, Edward," Charles said, returning to his bar chair, "Jasper tells me this is your first time in New York City."

"Yes, Si..." I stopped myself before completing the word. "Yes it is. I haven't traveled outside of Washington nearly as much as Jasper has."

"Well, what do you think of our city? Hopefully Jasper's been a good tour guide."

"He's been an excellent guide," I looked at Jasper and smiled warmly. He reached over to squeeze my thigh. "We've seen so much in the last two days. We even went out to Ellis and Liberty Islands today."

"Yeah," Jasper chimed in. "I never knew that those sites are run by the National Park Service."

"That's right, they are," Charles observed. "You're a ranger with the National Park Service, right, Edward? Jasper said you work at the Mount Rainier National Park?"

"I do, yes. I started working there right after I graduated from U-Dub, and I volunteered for a few years before that."

Charles nodded. "What drew you to that line of work?"

I explained about my trips up to the mountain to think and about meeting Roger, who steered me both towards my college major and career. After a few minutes the hostess came to get us and we moved to a round table in the back of the restaurant. We ordered a variety of cold and hot tapas and a pitcher of Sangria before we resumed our discussion. Jasper's dad listened well and asked questions better, drawing out more information from me than anyone ever had before. He not only wanted to know about the work I'd done, he inquired about my goals and career aspirations. I felt comfortable talking with him, sensing none of the negativity or judgment I expected, even when I explained that unlike Roger, I was happy to remain a ranger and didn't have any ambition to move higher up the NPS administrative ladder. I explained that, thanks to my Grandfather's trust and Garrett's investment management skills, I was financially independent enough to be able to do what I loved, working in the interest of public service rather than professional or financial gain. Charles pointed out that he had been lucky enough to find a profession that provided financial rewards while allowing him to do what he loved, so he completely understood. He was, as Jasper predicted, completely cool. Or at least I thought so until I finished my story and it was time to change the subject.

"So, Edward, I usually don't ask people this, but I am curious. Have you read any of my books? Do you have a favorite?"

Thankfully I had just taken a bite of grilled octopus, so I had a moment to swallow as panic welled up. Terrified, I glanced at Jasper, trying not to look accusatory even though he had assured me that this would not happen.

"Dad! I can't believe you," Jasper protested, obviously exasperated. "What are you doing? Don't answer that, Edward," he commanded, making it sound like I had an answer.

"Oh, come on, Jasper. Surely Edward has read a few of my books. I'd like to know what he thinks," Charles sounded serious, but I began to sense there was more to his questions than we were hearing.

"That's completely unfair, Dad. This isn't an oral exam, for crying out loud!" Jasper's voice rose with his frustration.

"No, more like an interview," Charles agreed easily. It seemed he was enjoying the verbal joust with his son. I, however, was growing more uncomfortable and decided it was time to confess.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Whitlock, but I haven't had a lot of time to read lately, so..."

Jasper looked at me anxiously, reaching for my hand. "Edward's seeing me, Dad, not you. There's no reason for him to read your books. It's not like you don't have enough readers. He's been spending all his free time either talking to me, or volunteering to prevent domestic abuse, or working extra hours so he can take time off to see me," he defended me valiantly. "I can't believe you would put him in this position, or me, for that matter," he continued, outraged. He was tugging on my hand and I could tell he was on the verge of pulling us both to stand and leave the restaurant. Worried about what his father would think if we left in the middle of our first dinner together, I tugged back in an effort to restrain him. I tried to catch his eye, but he was glaring furiously at his father so I turned to look at Charles just in time to see his face crack as he began to laugh. I frowned in confusion and glanced back at Jasper, who was obviously puzzled as well.

"Dad, what the hell?" he asked tentatively as Charles continued to chortle. "How much have you had to drink?"

That last question only made Charles laugh harder. It was a pleasant laughter of someone who was obviously very happy with the situation and himself. Though we were not any less confused, eventually his laughter was so contagious, Jasper and I began laughing as well. It took a good few minutes before Charles was able to compose himself and respond.

"Please accept my apology, Edward. I've had it in mind for a very long time to play this practical joke on Jasper the first time he introduced me to a special man in his life. I was beginning to lose hope that I'd ever have a chance to use it. I must say, though, his reaction was very much worth the wait. Tonight I've seen a side of my son I've never seen before."

"Jeez, Dad, really?" Jasper grimaced, but I could tell he wasn't really angry, not anymore. "You couldn't have gotten this out of your system any of the times I introduced you to my friends?"

"If I'd done this with your other friends you might have been embarrassed or annoyed, but your reaction wouldn't have been nearly as intense or funny. I'm sorry, Son, but this had to wait not just for a friend, but for the boyfriend."

Charles smiled disarmingly, his dimples showing. If I wasn't so completely in love with Jasper, I could have easily fallen in lust with his dad. As it was, I ignored his good looks and focused on what he said. It was worth being put on a spot for the sake of a joke when in the process Charles also revealed that Jasper had never introduced him to any other boyfriend. As close as he and his son were, the only logical conclusion was that there hadn't been any other boyfriend except Rick, whom Jasper couldn't introduce for logistical reasons. Although Jasper had already told me as much, this independent confirmation made me puff up with happiness. It also made me more cognizant of just how important this occasion was for Jasper.

"I do apologize for involving you in this, Edward, but you see how it was unavoidable. I assumed my son would never fall in love with a man without a good sense of humor," Charles teased.

"I appreciate a good laugh," I admitted, my smile widening. "And a good scare," I added. Charles chuckled and winked.

We ordered more tapas and Sangria. With his practical joke over, Charles shifted the subject of discussion back to me. Even though earlier in the evening the idea of meeting and talking with him caused me such anxiety, the actual experience of it was the exact opposite. He made me feel more than comfortable and the conversation flowed as easily as the Sangria. Best of all, I sensed no reservations or uncertainty from him, and no resentment over what happened between Jasper and me in the past. Any doubts about the accuracy of my perception were dispelled when Jasper excused himself to go to the bathroom, leaving me alone with Charles. I was slightly concerned when Charles turned to me with a more serious look in his eyes than he'd worn all evening, but I needn't have worried.

"I'm glad we have this moment to ourselves, Edward, because I wanted to tell you how happy I am that you are back in Jasper's life."

"You are?" I asked with some incredulity.

"I can understand why that surprises you. Undoubtedly you expected me to be hostile to the idea, as I'm sure Jasper's mother will be when she finds out. I know Joyce loves Jasper and wants what's best for him, but I don't think she completely understands him and what he needs."

I looked at Jasper's father blankly, unable to anticipate where he was going.

"I always believed that in order to truly get beyond what happened to him in Seattle, Jasper had to see you again and get some sort of closure," Charles continued. My heart sank a little at hearing those words. If Charles believed Jasper only needed closure, then maybe he wasn't hostile towards me because he anticipated an imminent break-up. I could not let this kind of misconception go unanswered.

"Mr. Whitlock, I love Jasper and he loves me. What's happening between us is not about closure, it's about moving forward and building a future together."

I watched his reaction carefully, but he seemed unperturbed by my statement.

"It's Charles, and I didn't mean to imply otherwise. It's just that I always believed that my son had to come to terms with everything that happened, including his own actions and reactions, and that the best way for him to do that was to see you again. Of course, I had no idea where you were in your life, and how you would feel about seeing him. I just knew he had to face you one way or another before he could truly put his past behind him."

"Weren't you worried that seeing me again might cause him more harm than good?"

Charles shook his head. "Based on everything Jasper told me, I never considered you an inherently bad or dangerous man. More like a lost boy, looking for direction. In that way, I think you and my son were very similar. I think when Jasper moved away from Seattle, he was trying to run as much away from himself as from you."

"You do?" I was thoroughly confused.

Charles glanced in the direction of the bathrooms to see if the coast was still clear. Reassured, he returned to our conversation.

"No matter how much two people love each other, in every relationship there is a balance of power that tips towards one person or the other. In an ideal relationship the balance moves back and forth but stays relatively level. I think what happened with James and with you made Jasper feel completely weak and powerless, completely out of balance. He also believed this was something he couldn't control or overcome unless he left his old life and started anew."

"And you think he was wrong?" I probed.

"I think the balance of power in your relationship shifted a lot more than Jasper believed. It seemed to me you needed him as much as he needed you, but neither of you were capable of articulating your true needs. However, I also knew that Jasper had to recognize and build up his own strength, and he probably wouldn't have been able to do that in Seattle. It's why I left the decisions up to him and didn't try to make him go back to face you. Seeing you wouldn't have accomplished its purpose if he did it before he was ready."

I thought back to my trip to Rochester, which illustrated his point. I knew how much of a setback that trip turned out to be. I would forever wonder how much sooner Jasper might have agreed to see me if I hadn't shown up unannounced in the one place he felt safe. With that visit, I made him more distrustful not just of me, but also of Emmett and his people instincts in general. I wished more than anything I could have turned back the clock and listened to Seth's advice.

"You're right about the balance of power between us. It has always been more even than Jasper believed, although it took me a long time to recognize that. I made a lot of mistakes," I admitted, looking at Charles with even more respect than I had for him before. "But what if Jasper never felt ready to face me? Over the years, why didn't you at least suggest that he at least reach out and talk to me? Or did you?"

"I didn't. First, because I couldn't be absolutely certain I was right, and I could never risk my son's well-being on a hunch. Second, because I felt strongly that Jasper needed to come to those conclusions on his own, without any pushing from me. Third, because I needed to retain my neutrality so that Jasper felt he could confide in me about anything. And last, because this one aspect of his life aside, Jasper had made tremendous progress, and I didn't want to be the one to suggest that his life would somehow be incomplete unless he talked to you. See, closure is sometimes a luxury we can't afford. As long as its lack isn't interfering, it can be set aside, which is what Jasper did. Don't get me wrong, since the two of you got back together my son is happier than I've ever seen him before, but that doesn't mean he was previously unhappy. It's a matter of degrees."

I couldn't help but smile at his observation.

"My friends all say they've never seen me happier either."

"It's easy to see you're both happy and in love. I want you to know that Jasper will get whatever support from me he needs to convince others that he's not making a mistake in getting back together with you."

"Thank you, Mr. Whitlock - Charles," I said sincerely. "You have no idea how much that means to us." To me especially, I added silently.

"You don't need to thank me for doing what I think is in my son's best interest. I think you boys have a long road ahead trying to figure out how to make your relationship work, and you need a lot of people in your corner to succeed. Even that may not be enough. I know Jasper loves his job and living in Manhattan, and I can see you love Seattle and your career there. Similar issues were responsible for the break-up of my marriage, so I know first-hand how difficult it can be to reconcile such competing interests. I would hate for either of you to feel you have to sacrifice your dreams in order to be together. That's not a recipe for success. But just because it's a difficult problem and one I was unable to solve in my relationship with Joyce doesn't mean you boys won't be able to solve it in yours. For what it's worth, I really hope you do. I'd love to always see the smile that you put on my son's face."

"Aw, Dad, have you been getting all sentimental while I was gone?" Hearing Jasper's teasing voice and realizing that he overheard the last of our conversation stopped me from responding to his father's comment.

"Maybe a little," Charles acknowledged without a hint of embarrassment or regret. "I think at my age I'm allowed to get a little sentimental when I see my son as happy as you've been the last month."

Jasper rolled his eyes dramatically. "You make me sound like a girl."

"I don't think so. Women don't have a monopoly on love or happiness. Are we done with the food? Should we have dessert?"

Charles ordered flan and sherry for us all and we finished the evening on a lighter note. After we were done eating and Charles settled the bill, we walked out into the crisp October night air.

"I think I'll take a cab home tonight. How about you boys?"

"We'll do the same," Jasper said. "We're getting up super early tomorrow so Edward and Emmett can catch the first flight back to Seattle."

Charles was already hailing a taxi and an empty cab obligingly slowed to a stop in front of us.

"You boys take this one, then, since I can to sleep in tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, Dad. Dinner was great," Jasper gave him a hug before getting into the cab.

"Thank you, Charles. It was very nice meeting you," I extended my hand for a goodbye handshake, but was swept into a hug as well.

"I'm very glad to finally meet you, Edward, and glad we had a chance to talk. Have a safe trip back and I hope we'll see you again soon."

"You can count on it," I assured him, pleasantly surprised by the warmth of his goodbye.

I climbed into the back seat of the cab and pulled the door closed. Jasper gave the driver the name of our hotel and grasped my hand.

"See, what did I tell you? Nothing to worry about! He loved you!"

"I shouldn't have doubted you. He really was great," I admitted, turning towards him with an excited smile. This was yet another huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

"I knew this would go well. My father is an excellent judge of character. I had no doubt that he would immediately see what a great guy you are."

"I don't know about that, but he realizes that we're happy and in love and thinks we're good together."

Jasper leaned back in his seat and threw his head back, closing his eyes. He may have believed in his heart that the evening would go like this, but I could see he was still relieved.

"Jas, why did your parents divorce?" I asked, thinking back to my conversation with his father.

"Huh?" he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at me. "I'm not really sure. I was very young when it happened and they just told me that it would be better for all of us if Dad went to live in New York. We never talked about it beyond that. I suppose I should have asked one or both of them since then, but it hardly seemed to matter. As divorces went, they had a pretty peaceful one, and then Mom married Jerry and she was happy, and my Dad was happy here," he shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious, I guess. Something your dad said while you were in the bathroom about not wanting either one of us to give up on his dreams in order to be together."

Jasper sighed. "He's worried about the distance too. I guess one of the big reasons for the divorce was that he wanted to move here, to write. I remember him saying that living in the Houston suburbs stifled his creativity. But Mom didn't want me to grow up in Manhattan. She never liked big cities. The suburbs were as big of a compromise as she was willing to make. She was overjoyed when Jerry got the job in Forks."

"We knew from the start distance would be an issue. And I know we haven't come up with any solutions, but that doesn't mean we won't. Where there's a will, there's a way, right?" I squeezed his hand for emphasis. "We have time. We don't need to take any drastic measures."

"Time. Sure." He nodded, but didn't open his eyes. "That's all we have is time. A lot of fucking time apart and not nearly enough together."

"I can fly back to see you in a couple of weeks," I offered, mentally shifting my schedule around and hoping I could get time off from work.

"No," Jasper was vehement. "I should be the one to visit you next. You shouldn't bear the entire burden of travel."

"I'm not. You've been out to Seattle twice and this is my first time here."

"But the first time I flew out was for another occasion," he shook his head stubbornly. "That doesn't count. It's my turn."

"Okay, then why don't you come to see me in a couple of weeks? Or you can come with Nasir in three weeks, for Seth's Halloween party."

"I'll see what I can do," he said without any confidence. "Fall is always such a busy time at work..."

The cab pulled up in front of the hotel and this time I whipped out my wallet and paid the driver. Jasper's half-hearted protest confirmed that his thoughts were elsewhere, which worried me. The day and evening had gone so well, I didn't want to end our weekend on a down note.

"So what do you think, sexy? Did I wear you out or do you have enough energy for another round tonight, while I'm still here?" I asked after the elevator doors closed and we started our ascent, pulling him into my arms and giving his butt a firm squeeze. I knew I wasn't playing fair, but I needed to distract him and I figured sex was the easiest and most enjoyable way to do that. Thankfully, my trick had the desired effect.

"You'd better stop worrying about me and get ready, because if you think I'm going to let you just go to sleep tonight and leave the state tomorrow, you are gravely mistaken," he growled into my ear.

We managed to mostly restrain ourselves in the elevator and in the hallway, but as soon as our room door was closed and locked behind us, clothes went flying.

We set the alarm for four, giving us enough time to shower together, albeit quicker than I would have liked. I was extremely glad that we had thought to pack as much as we could Sunday morning, so that all we had to do before check-out was to add the clothes we wore to dinner and our toiletries. Our timing was perfect, Nasir's call letting us know the car was waiting downstairs coming just as Jasper zipped up his suitcase. Although the hotel was closer to his work, and he could have left the bag with the concierge to pick up later, it made more sense for us to give him a lift to his apartment on our way to the airport so he didn't have to worry about the logistics later on. Jasper assured me that even with the detour, he would make it to work in plenty of time. Once I knew that, I didn't protest, thankful for the few extra minutes we could spend together.

Nasir and Emmett were waiting on the sidewalk in front of the hotel, and we exchanged a round of hugs before climbing into the back of the limo. I tried to arrange to take a cab to the airport on my own, wanting to give them more time alone, but they wouldn't hear of it, and I was grateful. It was incredibly difficult to let Jasper go as I pulled him into one last kiss and embrace in front of his building. He clung to me just as tightly and, were Emmett not depending on me to get to the airport on time, I'm not sure I could have torn myself away. As it was, I sank into the backward facing seat and easily could have retreated into depressing thoughts were it not for Emmett and Nasir insisting I tell them how Jasper and I spent our Sunday. I actually perked up a little as I told them about our dinner with Charles and his offer of support.

"It is a blessing to have the love of not just your partner, but his family too," Nasir opined, undoubtedly referring to his own experiences with the McCarty family.

"I'm glad it wasn't an issue for you," Emmett agreed. "You certainly don't need his father's support and approval, but it will make things easier for the two of you."

"It will, though Charles is only part of the equation. Jasper's mom knew me when I didn't give anyone reason to like me and that, combined with what she must have heard from Jasper after he moved to New York, will be difficult to overcome."

"She may not be happy at first, but she'll come around, Eddie," Emmett reassured, leaning forward and patting my leg. "It may take her a while to trust you, but in the end she will see how happy you make Jasper, and she'll be fine."

"And even if she is not, you two will always have all of us. Your real family is made up of the people who love and support you because of the person you are, not because you share the same genes," Nasir stated with a firm nod.

I nodded in agreement as well. I was luckier than Nasir in the family department, but it was the gay squadron and my friends at work who pulled me through the worst times in my life, and I considered them and their extended families as much my family as Maggie and my mom.

Too soon we reached the airport and Nasir and Emmett had to say their goodbyes. Having just gone through the same thing with Jasper, I really felt their pain. I also envied them the knowledge that they would be seeing each other again in less than a week. I made a mental note to talk to Roger about adjusting my schedule for the winter months to get more weekends off. I knew Jasper wanted to keep the travel burden equal, but me having open weekends would make travel for both of us easier. That way, if he had an open weekend one of us could just book a flight at the last minute and know we'd have time to spend together. It would be asking a lot at work, but there were few other options and seeing Jasper once a month was absolutely not enough.

The flight back seemed a lot shorter than the flight out, even though we had the jet stream against us. Maybe it was because Emmett and I had a lot to talk about this time. Now that I'd seen their Manhattan penthouse, Emmett could more easily explain the plans they had to redecorate, and he told me about the things he and Nasir found when they went out shopping Sunday. For my part, I told him about visiting Ellis Island and about my intent to look into finding an NPS job near Manhattan.

"You're thinking of moving?" Emmett seemed surprised, though not completely shocked by the idea.

"If Jasper and I want to be together, one of us has to move. I know you and Nasir are making the commuting thing work, but I need to be closer to him. And I think it will be easier for me to move than for him."

"Was that something you guys talked about this weekend?"

"No. I didn't want to say anything until I had more information. I mean, I could just quit my job and move, and I would do that if I had to, but I'm not sure Jasper is ready for me to do that yet, so I have a little time to investigate my options."

"Wow, Eddie. You'd leave the mountain? And your house? And your family?" He didn't say it, but the unspoken 'and us' hung in the air. I knew he never considered moving, even though I was sure he'd be able to find a job in Manhattan if he wanted to. With Garrett and Seth in Seattle, both he and Nasir considered it their home, with Nasir's job just a temporary inconvenience. It was their plan to have Nasir work remotely from Seattle more frequently once he got established in his new job. They were fortunate to have those options. Jasper and I weren't as lucky.

"It wouldn't be my first choice, but even if I moved I could keep my house and the two of us could fly out to visit."

Emmett nodded his understanding.

"I just need to be with him day to day. I want to fall asleep next to him and wake up next to him, and have dinner together while we talk about our day, instead of doing it over the phone. I want to rub his neck and shoulders, or feet or whatever else needs rubbing to relax him after a stressful day."

Emmett and I shared a conspiratorial look and both snickered.

"I'll just bet you want to rub his parts," he said slyly.

"Rub, kiss, suck, whatever he needs. That's just how I roll," I said with a wink.

"Oh yeah," Emmett quipped, "You're a completely selfless giver. Nothing in it for you at all."

"Weeeelll," I stretched out the word and we both started laughing.

"All kidding aside, you know I totally get that. What I miss the most is the everyday stuff. I love cooking for him and doing his laundry. What I really hate is sleeping in our bed alone." Emmett repeated what I already knew from other similar conversations. I didn't say it, but I missed never having slept in any bed with Jasper that could have even been considered ours. So far we'd only been with each other in hotels. We both had yet to see the other's home.

"And at least now you've met some of Jasper's friends, so you'll have other people to hang out with in Manhattan besides Jasper and Nasi. We really liked them, by the way, especially Felix and Anton, and Francis and Cam. Did you stay out long after we left Saturday night?"

"Not too long," I shook my head. "There was a bit of..." I hesitated. "An incident, I guess you could say," I finished warily.

"Oh?" Emmett was instantly concerned. "More assholes who like to beat up on gay guys? We shouldn't have left," he fretted angrily.

"No, nothing like that," I placed my hand on his forearm to calm him. "We ran into another friend of Jasper's, that's all."

Emmett exhaled and waited to calm completely before turning to me with a frown. "Why would running into Jasper's friend cause an incident?"

It was a reasonable question. I considered for a moment how much I could and should tell him. Jasper's relationship with Lance was, after all, his private business, and I wasn't sure how he would feel about me discussing it with Emmett. But then Emmett was a mutual friend who would never judge Jasper, and I really needed to talk to someone about what happened at Industry.

"See, the guy was a little more than a friend, and he had in mind to be even more than he was."

Emmett instantly understood. "What did you do when you realized exactly who he was? I'm assuming he told you? I can't imagine Jasper or any of the other guys saying anything, except maybe that little shit Rey Rey."

"He told me, and I probably would have done something really stupid because he really got under my skin, but Jasper went after him first."

Emmett's eyes widened in surprise.

"Not physically, nothing like that, not really. But he got in the guy's face and made it clear that the only thing left between them was friendship, and if Lance - that was the guy's name, Lance - if Lance couldn't respect that, then there would be nothing. I'll tell you, he was something else. It was a whole other side of him. Almost scary."

I could tell Emmett was dubious.

"I know it sounds weird, but he was so intense. And he's not helpless. He took martial arts self-defense classes. This Lance guy was no lightweight, but Jasper was fearless."

"And what were you doing while this was going on?"

"The truth? Standing there with my mouth hanging open. I was pissed, too. Lance basically implied that he would be there if Jasper needed him, like I couldn't be from Seattle."

"Ah," Emmett nodded his understanding. "That's why you're thinking of moving to New York."

I frowned, because while his deduction made sense, it was inaccurate.

"No," I shook my head for emphasis. "I trust Jasper. He said it was over with that guy and I believe him. And something Charles said during dinner last night made me even more confident."

"Oh, what's that?"

"He said I was the first boyfriend Jasper introduced him to. Now, I know Jasper introduced his friends to his dad, and Lance lives right there. If there was more between them, why wouldn't Jasper have introduced him too? So I believe that Jasper never thought of him as anything more than a friend with benefits."

"So wait, let me make sure I got this right. You, Edward Cullen, the man who once demanded that Jasper stop hanging out with me and Seth because you were jealous of his time, are not even a little jealous of a guy Jasper's been intimate with? And the fact that he lives in Manhattan and you don't has nothing to do with you contemplating a move there?" Emmett sounded dubious, and I didn't blame him.

"I didn't say I wasn't jealous. I said I trusted Jasper. I made a mistake of being too possessive before, and I'm not about to do that again. But one thing Lance said resonated. I can't be there for Jasper long distance the way I could if we lived together, or even in the same city," I shifted in my seat and looked at Emmett earnestly. "I want to be there for him like that. Not just for the sex. I want to be there for the little everyday things that you talked about. I want to cook him dinner, be his workout buddy, watch TV or play backgammon with him, go for a walk in Central Park, you know?"

Of course he knew exactly what I was talking about. "I'm proud of you, Eddie," he said, which confused me.

"What for?"

"Well, for controlling yourself at Industry, for one. That couldn't have been easy. I probably would have had a hard time holding back. And I'm proud of you for trusting Jasper but not pretending that you're not jealous. 'Cause the jealousy is natural too. It's like with those guys that I told you about. I trust Nasi, always, without question, but that doesn't mean I'm not jealous of another guy trying to hit on my husband. I'll be very glad when Nasi can start working from Seattle more often."

"I'll be glad for you too, Em. I wish Jasper could do his editing from here, but that's just not an option, so I think I'll have to go to him. And if I'm there, it'll be easier to convince his friends that I've changed and that I'm not the same guy he ran away from all those years ago."

"Why do you say that? We met his friends and they were all cool with you. And you said Jasper's dad was cool too."

"We met many of his friends, those who didn't know a lot about his past and had no preconceived notions about me. The friends who know everything aren't as happy that Jasper gave me a second chance. They think he's making a mistake."

Emmett's frown was angrier now. "Even if he is, it's his mistake to make. And besides, he's older and more experienced now. Don't they trust his judgment?"

"I guess they think when it comes to me, his judgment might be impaired. So the whole meeting on Saturday and dinner with his dad on Sunday was designed as kind of a PR campaign. Jasper thinks if there are enough other people who think I'm a good guy, Ross and Dimi will be easier to convince."

"That makes sense, I guess, though something about it rubs me the wrong way. He should just bring you over to his friends and let them meet you."

"Yeah, I would prefer that too, but he's very overprotective of them. He didn't want to even take me to see his place because they would be there. He didn't want to risk upsetting them right before Dimi's surgery. I can sort of understand that. They had bigger things to worry about. And unlike them, I do trust Jasper's judgment."

"Okay, but it sucks that you have to feel like you're walking the gauntlet every time you go to see him."

"He's worth it, Em," I said simply. "But it would be so much easier to go through all that if I didn't have to sacrifice parts of my precious little time with him to do it."

He reached to grab my hand and squeezed. "You guys will figure it out. You've both waited too long and sacrificed too much not to. And if you move to New York City, you two won't be the only ones visiting. We'll come out to see you guys too. Garrett goes there often enough on business and even after he can do a lot of his work from here, Nasi will have to go back once in a while. We won't let you guys isolate yourselves from the rest of us."

"I wouldn't dream of it. Like Nasir said, we're all family."

Seth met us at the airport, mauling Emmett the way he always did. The two of them left together so Seth could drop Emmett off at work. I'd left my car at the airport, so I simply drove straight to work, changing into my uniform when I reached Paradise. Roger had the day off, but most of my co-workers knew where I'd spent the weekend, so I got to talk about my time with Jasper more than once. It was fun and helped the day go by faster. When my shift was done, I drove to Maggie's house to have dinner with her, Rosalie and the boys. I was tired and could have done with a shower and an early evening, perhaps falling asleep to the sound of Jasper's voice, but Maggie had been insistent. Apparently the boys were waiting with bated breath to hear about my weekend with my boyfriend, and while she didn't say so outright, I could tell the boys were not the only ones.

I called Jasper on my way to Kent to let him know about my change of plans. He understood, joking about having no room to complain after monopolizing me all weekend, but I sensed that he was just as disappointed as I was. I caught him as he was leaving the hospital, where he'd spent most of the evening with Ross, Dimi and their other friends. Everyone was relieved that the surgery went smoothly and Dimi was expected to be released the next day.

"Then he's going into some pretty intensive physical therapy, and if I know him, he'll push himself as hard as he possibly can to get back on his feet that much faster. Ross and their moms are gonna have their hands full trying to hold him back. I don't envy them one bit," Jasper chuckled. After a moment's pause, he added, "I saw Lance."

As quietly as I could, I exhaled a breath I'd been holding. "How did that go?"

"Pretty well. Felix said he talked with Lance for a long time after we left Saturday night, and if anyone can get Lance to see reason, it's Felix. We're not exactly best friends, but at least he didn't say or do anything that pissed me off. He didn't make any cracks about you. Mostly we talked about Dimi, and even that was brief. It's just gonna take time, I guess."

"I'm glad he was cool." I said, thinking that it was the least Lance could do after causing a scene Saturday.

"I'm glad he was cool too, but it wouldn't matter if he wasn't. You're more important than he ever was or could be. I just wish I could curl up next to you tonight," he said wistfully.

"You know I wish that too," I echoed in the same tone. The weekend had been wonderful, but not nearly enough to sate our need for one another. Somehow we both felt the separation more keenly right after having had the chance to wallow for a short while in our closeness. "But instead I have to do a play by play of our weekend for my family," I joked, trying to inject a little levity into the conversation.

"A play by play, huh?" he picked up on the lighter tone. "You gonna start with the hotel Friday night?"

"Maybe I won't go into that much detail. You know, just the overview."

We stayed on the phone until I pulled into the girls' driveway. Reluctant to let him go, I stayed on the phone for a few minutes just sitting in the car, until I saw Owen and Liam's excited little faces peering at me from the front window and knew that only Maggie and Rosalie's admonitions were keeping them from running out of the house to greet me. I explained the situation to Jasper with a chuckle and we ended the call. I slipped my phone into the pocket of my Ranger-issue jacket, stepped out of the car and headed for the front door, which opened wide before I could ring the bell or open the screen door.

"Your fan club awaits," Maggie said with a smile as we hugged briefly. As soon as we let each other go, my nephews flew at me with excited shrieks. I squatted down and pulled them both into my arms for a tight hug, a little disappointed that the two had grown too much for me to pick them up at the same time. Liam gave me a fierce hug and Owen, always gentler, pressed his face closely against my neck. Liam let go almost immediately and chattered happily about the soccer match he played in over the weekend and the goal he scored for his team. He didn't seem to mind that Owen kept hanging on, so I stood with my younger nephew still in my arms and followed Liam into the dinette, where the table had already been set for dinner. Rosalie was in the kitchen transferring the roasted meat and vegetables from the pan onto a serving platter. With Owen still in my arms, I walked up behind her and kissed her offered cheek.

"Hey, little Bro," she greeted. "From the dark circles under your eyes I'm guessing you didn't get much sleep this weekend."

"Not much," I admitted, "but when I slept, I slept like a baby."

"Had something to suckle on, did you?" Rosalie quipped.

"Something like that," I replied vaguely, mindful of the little listening ears.

"Have a seat so we can start dinner," Maggie said, following us into the kitchen and picking up the platter to carry it to the table. Liam had already settled in his seat, but when I tried to lower Owen into his chair, he clung onto me tightly.

"Everything okay, buddy?" I asked with some concern. Owen had always been more shy and clingy than Liam, but usually not in his own home.

He pressed his face even closer against my neck, despite the stubble that must have been scratchy against his still baby soft skin. "I wanna sit with you," he said quietly but clearly.

"Owen, Uncle Edward is tired and you're a big enough boy to sit and eat by yourself," Rosalie chastised.

"I don't wanna," Owen said stubbornly. I looked at Maggie, wondering if she knew the cause behind Owen's sudden desire to sit with me at dinner, but she just shook her head and frowned.

"Are you feeling sick, Owen?" she asked, her concern mirroring mine. Owen shook his bronze-haired covered head in denial.

"Then why don't you want to sit in your big boy chair?" Maggie followed up. It had been a few months now that she had sewn him a tall cushion that he could use on the regular dinette chair instead of his booster seat.

"I wanna sit with Uncle Edward," he repeated stubbornly in the way only little boys can, as if that was all the explanation we needed.

"Owen!" Rosalie said impatiently. I knew she wasn't fond of always indulging the boys' whims and I didn't want to interfere with her parental authority, but I also didn't mind holding my nephew through dinner, so I caught her eye and mouthed "It's OK."

Rosalie shrugged and dropped it, pulling out a chair to sit down. Maggie and I followed, and I settled Owen on my lap. Fortunately, he'd learned to eat the same food as the rest of us, so Maggie just gave me extra and I cut up some of it into bite sized pieces that Owen could reach with his fork.

"Where is your boyfriend, Uncle Edward? How come you didn't bring him back with you?" Liam launched into his interrogation as soon as food was served. I saw Maggie and Rose roll their eyes and smile at the brazenness of their older son. I chuckled a little as well, though the innocently pointed question made my heart clench a little.

"Uncle Jasper is in New York City. I showed you on the map before I left, remember? It's all the way on the other side of the United States, by the other ocean."

"We talked about how Uncle Edward had to fly all the way there in a big airplane," Rosalie added. "Remember, boys?"

"I don't like that he's far away. You need a boyfriend here that will play with us like Uncle Seth and Uncle Emmett," Liam opined.

"I don't like that he's far away either, Liam. And he told me he is very much looking forward to meeting you and playing with you boys when he comes out here to visit."

"He shuf visif tomowow," Liam stated, his mouth full of partially chewed food.

"Liam!" Rosalie reprimanded. "What did we say about talking during dinner?"

"No talking with our mouths full. Sorry," Liam apologized sincerely after he finished swallowing.

"I wish he could come tomorrow too," I replied to his suggestion. "I miss him already. But he can't do that. He has to stay in New York."

"Why?" Liam demanded.

"Because he has a job there, and an apartment," I tried to reply honestly but simply enough for him to understand.

Liam frowned. "Why can't he have a job and apartment here?" The question was sensible, but the answer would be a little too involved.

"He can't right now, buddy. Maybe someday, though," I said, feeling guilty about possibly creating false hope, but then Jasper and I hadn't completely ruled out him moving to Seattle. I saw that Maggie was looking at me quizzically, trying to decide if there was any additional information behind my answer, so I gave her a subtle shake of my head to indicate that Jasper and I hadn't had those kinds of discussions yet. Well aware how much the distance bothered me, she tilted her head to the side to indicate her understanding and that she was sorry.

"Liam, I thought you wanted to ask Uncle Edward how his weekend was, not to pester him about where you think people should live," she reminded her son.

"I happy you here," Owen said, surprising all of us. "Missed you."

He looked at me, his big blue eyes so full of genuine sincerity that I almost melted. He'd never been so expressive with me before, and I had no idea where this sudden attachment was coming from. I glanced at Rosalie and Maggie and saw they were confused as well.

"I missed you too, buddy," I told him, "But there are lots of weekends when I don't see you because I'm at work, and you don't even have time to miss me. Why was this weekend different?"

"You go on airplane. Airplane bad," Owen explained emphatically.

This was new. Owen had played with model airplanes before without displaying any special dislike for them and nothing bad had happened on the flights they took to and from Rosalie's Grandmother's funeral. I could think of no reason for his sudden animosity.

"Why do you think planes are bad, O?" I asked gently, maintaining eye contact.

"Kano go on plane. Airplane bad," Owen insisted, and suddenly it all made sense. Owen must have been missing his new friend and the girls probably explained that Connor's family lived far away, far enough to require an airplane flight. While I told the boys I was going to New York City and showed them the distance on the map, we hadn't discussed how I would get there, so Owen didn't display any distress. But when the girls told the kids I flew to New York, Owen must have worried that I, like Connor, might not come back.

"Owen," I picked him up and turned him around so I could look into his eyes without forcing him to keep his head turned, "Airplanes aren't bad. Uncle Nasir and Uncle Emmett take airplanes all the time between here and New York. Airplanes are good. They let us travel faster and see people who live far away more often. I know you miss Connor, but it's not the airplanes that are keeping him from coming back. It's just that his mommy and daddy don't have enough time to come to Seattle very often. Connor's daddy is a fireman. He needs to stay in Minnesota so he can help people if there is a fire. That's why he can't just leave to come back here whenever he wants to. But no matter where I live, I will always come back to visit you, Liam and your mommies, even if I live in a place where I need to take a plane to come back, okay?"

"You promise?" he asked plaintively.

"I promise," I answered solemnly. He seemed at least partially mollified. I glanced around the table to see everyone else had been listening to our discussion with rapt attention. Maggie in particular looked sad, and I figured she guessed from the way I responded that I'd been considering a move to New York.

"If you move can we come see you too?" Liam broke the silence. "I like airplanes!"

"Of course you can! I would love that," I told him. I was feeling pretty emotional as the real potential impact of my future choices began to crystallize.

"No one's moving anywhere right now," Maggie said, a little too sharply, causing Liam to look over at her in surprise and Rosalie to reach for her hand in an attempt to soothe her. Maggie checked herself and continued, in a normal tone of voice, "Edward, why don't you tell us what you and Jasper did in New York City this weekend?"

I picked Owen up and turned him around again so he could eat while I talked. Knowing that he was never an eager eater, I prompted him to load his fork up with a piece of roasted potato and watched him put it in his mouth before I started talking again.

"Well, we did a lot of really cool stuff. We saw the Empire State building and went all the way up to the observation deck on top of Rockefeller Center. We could see the whole city from there."

"Like the Space Needle?" Liam asked.

"Kind of like the space needle, but even higher, with a big building underneath."

"Wow!"

"And you know what? In New York City there are a whole bunch of tall buildings all around. Many of them are taller than the Space Needle. Your neck would hurt from looking up all the time."

"Really? I wanna see!" Liam bounced in his chair. "Mom, can we go? Please!"

"Maybe someday," Rosalie answered vaguely. "What else did you see, Edward?" she quickly followed up with a question to distract her strong-minded older son from fixating on a trip.

"Well, Jasper took me on a tour of the television studio where he works," I continued.

"Is he famous?" Liam interjected. I chuckled, thinking that as much as I talked about him, Jasper was famous to everyone who knew me.

"No, buddy. You see the things he does on TV, but you don't see him," I tried not to be too technical.

"Oh," Liam was obviously disappointed. "Cliff is famous!" he pointed out excitedly. I glanced at Maggie and Rosalie in surprise, wondering where he got this idea.

"Rose remembered that Cliff's station sometimes posts clips of his show on the web, so when Liam was talking about him one day, we played a few of the clips for the boys," Maggie explained. "Now Liam is convinced Cliff is famous and has been telling all his friends." She raised her shoulders slightly in apology. I didn't really care, except that I didn't want Liam to be making comparisons between Jasper and Cliff when he and Jasper met, especially if in his eyes Cliff was somehow superior because he was "famous."

"Cliff is on TV all the time!" Liam announced proudly, doing nothing to allay my concerns.

"Cliff's job is to be on TV and he is very good at it, but you know being famous is not what counts, right, Liam? There are many people who do important things and never become famous, like Connor's dad and other firemen, or Roberto and other policemen. And then there are people who are famous because they're bad, not good. Jasper will probably never be on TV, but he makes it possible for a lot of other people to be on TV, so he's just as important, if not more important." I knew I was getting on a soap box in an effort to lobby a five year old, but it seemed important for him to hear the distinction from me before he met Jasper.

"We should judge people on who they are, boys, not on what others think about them," Rosalie chimed in with her lesson. "And we should consider each person individually, not compare them against others. That's the way we want to be treated, right?"

"Yes, mom," Liam agreed.

"Hey," I said, eager to change the subject. "Do you know what else I saw in New York? The Statue of Liberty! She's huge in real life!"

"Really?" the distraction worked and Liam's eyes shone with excitement. "How huge?"

"I think her littlest toe might be bigger than me," I chuckled as I watched his eyes grow big with wonder. "And guess who gives tours of the island she stands on?"

"Giants?" Liam proposed reverently, causing me and the girls to break out into laughter. Liam and Owen looked at us uncertainly at first, but then joined in.

"No, buddy, not giants," I said after a minute, when we all stopped laughing. "Other rangers from the National Park Service, like me."

"They go all the way from Mount Rainier to New York to do tours?" Liam was incredulous.

"Nope, they live out there. There are lots of National Parks and Historic Monuments all around the United States, and the rangers who work there live there too. Like I did last summer when I worked in Stehekin, remember?"

"You were gone a long time," Liam recalled. "And mommy said we couldn't go visit because it was too hard to get to."

Owen began shaking his head. "I don't like too hard to get to," he said vehemently.

"Don't you worry, little man. I'm not going back to work there any time soon, if ever. And the Statue of Liberty is easy to get to. Thousands of people visit her every year, maybe millions," I assured. "And you know what else is in New York?" I directed the question at Owen.

"What?" he asked, almost reluctantly.

"In the middle of the city there is this huge park. It's called Central Park and there's tons of space to run around and play. There are ponds, and an ice skating rink in the winter, and places to play ball, and even a big carousel to ride!" I injected as much enthusiasm as I could into my voice. No easy feat given how tired I was, my energy tank rapidly reaching empty despite the delicious dinner my sister prepared.

"Caro sell?" Owen tried to pronounce the unfamiliar word.

"It's a fancy word for a Mary-Go-Round," Maggie added helpfully.

"Oh," Owen nodded his understanding. "We have one in the park," he stated, referring to the spinning contraption usually commandeered by the bigger kids.

"It's kind of like that, but bigger. It has horses and other animals that you can sit on that move up and down while the carousel is spinning. And it's big enough for adults. Jasper and I rode on it."

"You did?" Owen was impressed.

"Yup," I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the stored pictures until I found one I snapped of Jasper riding the carousel horse. I showed it to Owen, whose mouth shaped into a soundless wow! Then I passed the phone to Rosalie and watched it travel from her to Maggie to Liam.

"It looks like you were having fun, Edward," Rosalie teased.

"We were," I laughed. "Riding carousels and stuff," I said, vaguely enough for the boys to miss the subtext.

"So everything went well?" Maggie asked, pulling the phone out of Liam's hand when he was done examining the picture and handing it back to me before he could think of scrolling through the other pictures. I smiled at how well my sister knew me as I slipped the phone into my pocket.

"Pretty much, yeah. We went out with some of Jasper's friends Saturday night, and then had dinner with his dad last night. That went so much better than I expected. He's as great a guy as Jasper."

Maggie looked a bit surprised, but she nodded her understanding.

"And you told him about us and the boys," she prompted.

"I did. It was time."

"What did he think?"

"He was surprised, of course, but he's looking forward to meeting all of you."

"And when will we get that pleasure, little bro?" Rosalie pitched in. I grimaced.

"I'm not sure. Jasper insists it's his turn to travel next, but he's pretty swamped at work so we haven't been able to make any concrete plans."

"Did you tell him about Seth's Halloween party?" Rosalie asked, a glint in her eye.

"He doesn't think he'll be able to fly here for the party," I told her. "Too much stuff going on that weekend at his work."

"Oh, what a shame," she said with a wicked smile. "That would be a great way for him to meet everyone. Juan, Milan, Kiril, all your friends."

I rolled my eyes and scowled at her, though I couldn't deny that Seth's catering staff would be an issue at any of his parties. I hadn't give them a lot of thought, until I saw them at Emmett's wedding and realized how awkward their presence would have been if Jasper had been there with me. Not that I wouldn't have preferred him to be there anyway, but avoiding those kinds of discussions had been the one silver lining of his premature return to New York. I hadn't taken enough time during that wedding to make it clear to all of them that my dalliances with them or anyone else were categorically over, and I hoped I would have a chance to do so before Jasper joined me at a catered event, if for no other reason than to avoid the kind of awkward situation we had faced with Lance.

"Even if he doesn't come to this party, eventually he will make it out here for one of Seth's parties, and Seth is not likely to change catering companies, so you should probably let Jasper know ahead of time what to expect," Maggie advised, with an undertone of 'See, I told you not to sleep around with all those guys.'

"He knows I haven't been a monk, Mags, and neither has he. The past is in the past. It's the future that matters."

"Maybe," she said, sounding skeptical, "but it's one thing to accept the concept, and quite another to be faced with the living, breathing evidence. All I'm saying is that it would probably be better if you let him know."

"Don't nag the boy, Freckles," Rosalie jumped in to help me. "The two of them will figure it out over time."

I shot her a grateful look and concentrated on encouraging Owen to eat another bite of his food, pleased to see that he managed to eat most of it while we sat around talking. The rest of us were nearly done too, so Maggie stood up and went to the kitchen to bring out the apple crisp she'd made for dessert. Over dessert I told them all about Nasir and Emmett's penthouse, which wasn't nearly as exciting for the kids as it was for Rosalie. As soon as dessert was done Liam and Owen pleaded for me to play with them, and I was close to giving in, but Rosalie noticed the yawn I tried to hide with my hand and quickly informed the boys that play time would have to wait for my next visit. Fortunately they understood, especially when I reminded them that I had to pick up Remmy. Of course, talking about the cat only reminded them that they haven't seen him in a while and made them want to come with me. Rosalie almost ran interference again, but I caught her eye in time.

"What if I take them with me for the night and drop them off on my way to work tomorrow?" I asked her and Maggie.

"Are you sure? You must be exhausted. I can bring them to visit later in the week," Maggie offered.

"Aw, Mommy, we want a sleepover," Liam complained.

"I am tired, but I'm sure we'll all be ready for bed soon. And it would be nice to have them with me tonight." It was that last statement that convinced the girls. I'm sure they understood why I didn't want to be completely alone on my first night back.

"Okay. Don't even bother with trying to wash or feed them tomorrow, just drop them off in their pajamas on your way and I'll take care of the rest," Maggie said. Rosalie had already rounded up the excited boys to change them into their fleece footed pajamas.

I called Diane on the way to make sure it was all right for me to stop and pick up the cat. It was just a formality, since I called her earlier from work to let her know my plans. The boys stayed in the car while I retrieved Remmy and then drove down the street to my house. I parked in the driveway close to the door to make it easier to unload the boys, the cat and the bag with the clothes I had worn on the flight back. Inside, I let the boys play with Remmy while I prepared my lunch for the following day. It felt good to be home, especially since Liam and Owen's squeals and laughter made it feel full and welcoming. I still missed Jasper, though, and that night I was glad for two squirmy little monkeys who kept my mind from drifting into lonely, depressing thoughts.

They were still sleeping the next morning when I got up before my alarm went off. Owen looked adorable, still sleeping on his back with bent arms resting above his head as if he were surrendering to some dream police. Liam had started sleeping on his side, one arm curled under the pillow beneath his head. They looked so peaceful, I hated to wake them up, so I showered, dressed, fed myself and Remmy, and put my lunch in the car before going into the bedroom and gently shaking the boys awake. I might have tried to put them in the car while they were still asleep, but as usual they had insisted on copying me and only wearing their sleep boxers to bed, and getting them dressed while they were still asleep wasn't an option.

"Guys, time to wake up and go home," I whispered. Liam opened his eyes first and grimaced for a moment before smiling at me.

"Hi, Uncle Edward," he mumbled.

"Hey, buddy. Good morning. How did you sleep?"

"Good. I like sleepovers here," he announced. I turned to Owen, who still hadn't stirred, and stroked his cheek until he finally opened his eyes.

"Hey, little guy. Time to get up."

"Noooo," he complained, closing his eyes again.

"Sorry, Owen, but you can't go back to sleep yet. You have to go to the bathroom and put on your PJs. Then you can sleep in the car, OK?"

Owen stuck out his lower lip in a pout.

"Come on," Liam sat up and extended a hand to his younger brother. "Uncle Edward has to go to work."

Reluctantly, Owen took Liam's hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. Then the two of them crawled out of bed and made their way to the bathroom, where I had already set out the foot stool for Owen. They peed and then I lifted them up to the sink so they could wash their hands before taking them back to the bedroom to put on their fleece sleepers. When they were dressed I had a sudden thought. I brought them back to the bathroom and sat them on the counter, taking out my phone.

"Let's take a picture for uncle Jasper, you guys. Smile!" I said as I pointed the phone at the mirror and took a picture of our reflection, all three of us smiling widely.

"Are you gonna send it right now?" Liam asked, excited.

"Sure I will," I said after glancing at my phone to make sure the morning show would be over and a text would not be an unwelcome interruption. "There, done." I said as I pressed the send button. "Now come on. We have to go now, or else I'm gonna be late."

Jasper texted back just as I was getting behind the wheel after strapping Owen into his car seat.

"I love the picture. Thanks! Good to know you're not lacking for company this morning :)"

I chuckled to myself and typed back:

"Wish you could have been here too. The boys look forward to your visit! I'm dropping them off now, on my way to work."

I put the phone away and buckled my seat belt before doing a three point turn in my expansive front drive and pulling out into the street. I missed him too much already, and I had no idea when I would see him again.

The first week wasn't too bad. I threw myself into work and banked as many weekend hours as I could to make it easier to take weekends off in the future. The second week was harder, and by the middle of it I found myself offering to fly back to New York with Emmett. The only thing that stopped me was Jasper's uncertainty about his ability to take the weekend off, due to some special show he was working on. When I discovered that Friday that work had wrapped up early and Jasper would, in fact, have the weekend free, I very nearly headed straight for the airport. I was scheduled to work, of course, but it was so tempting to call in sick. I couldn't do that to Roger, though. Not after all the times he'd bent over backwards to accommodate my travel needs.

Saturday morning, like any other, I dressed and left for work early enough to make it there by the time the park opened. It was a fine fall day, morning chill and fog hanging low to the ground, waiting for the sun to burn both off. The drive to the Mountain was uneventful, as was the morning ranger briefing up in Paradise. The first visitors were the hard core hikers who liked to hit the trails early in the day. Later the parking lot filled with out of state tourists and families, happy to get their glimpse of Rainier. I was scheduled to guide the first interpretative hike of the day, down an easy trail that was suitable for nearly all tourists. As a result my group was made up of both kids and adults, ranging in age from about 8 to over 60 in age. We were only about a quarter of a way into the hike when Roger's voice crackled over the radio. I stopped my tour and unclipped the radio from my belt.

"What's up, boss?"

"Edward, where are you?" Roger's voice was short and clipped, definitely not typical. It instantly put me on guard.

"We're on the Nisqually Vista Trail, about a quarter into the loop," I explained what he should have already known.

"Okay. We have a code three three seven in the park. I need you to head back immediately with your whole group, as quickly as possible."

I furrowed my brow. Three three seven was a code for a high level emergency. It was a code I hadn't heard used in all the time I worked in the park, reserved for situations where visitors faced immediate and present danger. I instantly had a million questions, but I figured Roger couldn't and wouldn't give any details over the radio, so I didn't bother asking.

"We're on our way," I replied, instead.

"How many in your group?"

"Twenty two," I answered immediately, having counted everyone at the start.

"Edward, I'm closing the park. Everyone in your group needs to get back to the trail head. No one should go off on their own. I will send a shuttle to pick you all up and bring everyone to the visitor center. Now get moving."

"You got it. See you in a few," I said and clipped the radio back to my belt. I could see everyone in the group was confused and getting agitated, having heard the entirety of the exchange.

"What's code three three seven?" A teenage boy who stood next to me asked the question that was undoubtedly on everyone's mind.

"It's just a code for park closure that requires us to bring all visitors back to the visitor center," I lied. "We're turning around and going back the way we came. Would you like to lead?" I asked the teen, who nodded enthusiastically, brimming with pride at having been asked.

"What's your name?" I inquired.

"Tomas."

"I'm Edward, nice to meet you," I said holding out my head and shaking his when he took it. "I'm officially promoting you to a rank of junior ranger. Everyone!" I said louder to get the group's attention. "Our Junior Ranger Tomas is going to lead us back to the trail head. I'll be in the back of the group. Now, we don't need to run, but you heard my boss. We need to get back as soon as possible, so let's not dally. All right?"

"Aren't you going to tell us what's going on?" A middle aged man, visiting the park with his wife and two kids, asked.

"You heard my conversation and know what I know. I'm sure everything will be explained at the Visitors' Center. But now we need to go. Lead on, Tomas." I said loudly, then leaned down and spoke just to him. "Look back every once in a while to make sure we're all keeping up, okay?"

He nodded and scurried to what had been the back of the group and was now the front. Everyone turned around and followed him obediently down the trail. I felt badly about not taking the lead, but it was an easy trail and it was more important for me to stay in the back to make sure none of the group wandered off. I glanced around as we walked, maintaining vigilance against anything unusual, but everything was the same as it had always been. I couldn't imagine the cause behind the emergency.

As Roger indicated, by the time we reached the trail head, the shuttle was waiting. The man who had questioned me on the trail had parked in the lower parking lot and wanted to take his family and leave. Following Roger's earlier instructions, I insisted that the four of them go to the visitor center along with everyone else.

"This is ridiculous," he blustered. "It's wrongful imprisonment!"

"I apologize, Sir, but it's park procedure. We need to give you all the information you need about the park closure. I assure you we will not keep you here any longer than is necessary for your and the other park visitors' safety." I spoke with authority and stood my ground. It helped that I was taller, younger, and obviously in better shape than the man.

"It's okay, honey, let's just go to the visitors' center," his wife said, tugging on his elbow. "The kids wanted to go to the gift shop anyway."

"Fine," he said angrily and stalked onto the bus.

"That's everyone," I told the driver, who looked like he was more than ready to leave. "I'll follow you in my car."

He didn't argue, just pulled the lever that closed the door and drove away. I jogged to the ranger truck parked nearby and quickly followed behind him. The last of my group were still getting off the bus when I pulled into a parking space in front of the visitor center. One of my co-workers was herding everyone inside. Her body language radiated tension.

"I got this, Cullen," she told me brusquely. "Go inside and talk to Roger."

I didn't need to be told twice, quickly making my way past another ranger to Roger's office.

"What's going on, Rog?" I asked as soon as I saw him. He was sitting behind his desk, staring at a large topographical map of the park spread out in front of him.

"Close the door, Edward," he directed as he waved me in. "There's been a shooting. This morning we received a bulletin from Seattle PD that a suspect in a double homicide could be heading our way. The gate agent recognized the description of a vehicle as one that drove into the park earlier and radioed Longmire. Martin saw him passing through and followed, attempting to pull the guy over. At the same time, Aaron and Beth drove down from here to create a roadblock. The guy stopped when he saw their cars blocking his path and fled into the forest. Then he began shooting at them."

"Shit! Is everyone okay?"

"We know Beth and Martin are fine. Beth nearly got hit, but the shot went wide. Aaron was hit and is still in his car, but we can't get to him because the suspect keeps taking random shots from the cover of the woods. Pierce County Sheriff's Department is on the way, as is Seattle PD and the FBI. As soon as they arrive, we'll start hunting him down. In the meantime, we've been ordered to keep all visitors here and away from the windows, just in case the guy takes off deeper into the park and decides he needs a different target."

"Damn, Roger! Aaron? He's just hurt, right? I mean he can't be..." I didn't even want to complete the sentence. The thought was too horrific. "Does Michelle know?" Aaron and Michelle were both full time career rangers, both in law enforcement. They met at the park, got married in Paradise and now had three kids. They were both wonderful people, and I refused to believe that this family could be torn apart by something as awful as this.

"I spoke with her personally and told her as much as we knew. She and the kids heard the sirens of the vehicles heading into the park, so she knew something was going down. She's holding it together for the kids. If it wasn't for them, I'm sure she'd be on her way in too. As it is..." Roger paused. We both knew what he meant.

"Aaron's tough. He's gonna make it," I said with strong conviction.

"Yeah," Roger nodded. "He is tough. I'm sure you're right. If only we could smoke this asshole coward out of the woods..." he ran a hand over his eyes. "This shit isn't supposed to happen in my park. Fuck!"

I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it in solidarity.

"Are you going to tell the visitors what's going on?" I asked after a few moments of silence.

"We have to. There's no other way to explain why they can't and shouldn't want to leave. It'll be a challenge to keep everyone calm. I'm counting on you and the others to do that while I work with law enforcement."

"But Roger, my group wasn't the only one hiking out there. What about the individual day hikers? Someone needs to go round them up."

"We have been ordered not to send anyone else into the field. Once this guy is on the move we have no idea where he'll go. It's too dangerous. We have one man down already that we can't get to. We don't want to add to that count."

"But what about the hikers? I'm more familiar with the trails and the park. Once I find them I can get them back here quickly. I'm going out there," I told him in no uncertain terms, my mind made up, orders or no. The worst thing he could do was fire me afterwards, and the lives of the hikers were worth that. Besides, if I was fired from my job, it would make my decision about moving that much easier.