Warning: Contains disciplinary spanking of a teenage vampire... well two teen vamps, but whose counting. If this is not too your liking please do not read. Feel free to enjoy the thousands of other stories that fanfic has to offer. Thanks.

Disclaimer: All the wonderful Twilight characters that you recognize are the property of Stephenie Meyer. She has been kind enough to loan them to us and I am extremely grateful to her for allowing us to play with her toys. I promise not to break them too badly, but accidents can happen from time to time. Any dings and dents will be pounded out and they will all be good as new at the end of the story.

AN: Well folks, this is what happens when my mind can't seem to focus, but decides to give me a glimpse of a pretty picture. ... or maybe not so pretty as the case may be with this one. I saw a very sullen Jasper and wondered what had happened to him to make him so upset. At my inquiry, this is what he shared with me.

Not sure how long this one is going to run, but I am happy to say that it will help me fulfill a fairly old request by Jasper1863Hale... as long as Jasper, Alice and I play our cards right.

Special thanks to all my readers. Y'all have no idea just how much you guys inspire me or just how amazing you are.

Naturally, I could not be without my most awesome beta, Splinter. Poor thing has put up with me for over a year. That has got to be some sort of record. *hugs*

Without further ado ... let's get this party started.

The ticking of the clock was counting down the minutes to his doom, but at the moment Jasper didn't care. Instead he found his anger growing with each pass of the hand and each impossibly loud mechanical click.

It's not fair. It was a fucking accident and now they are talking possible suspension. What the fuck? Mrs. Riley should not have gotten in my way. It was her own damn fault. I would never dream of hitting a woman and everyone knows that. If she had just kept her sizable nose out of my business she wouldn't have gotten hurt. Busy body bitch. FUCK!

The southerner snorted in disgust as he shifted on the hard wood chair in the principal's outer office. Common sense dictated that he should at least appear contrite, but at the moment he had neither the tenacity nor inclination to uphold such a staged performance. He was pissed off and everything about his body language was projecting that fact loud and clear to anyone who bothered to give him so much as a passing glance. Arms crossed tightly over his chest, head bowed with a scowl darkening his features and outstretched legs crossed at the ankles, Jasper appeared anything but sorry for what had transpired not twenty minutes ago.

God's honest truth, this is that fuckin' jackass DeYoung's fault. If he had been watchin' where he was goin' instead of flirting with his slut of a girlfriend my ride wouldn't be all mangled right now. My poor bike. My baby. That lousy mother fucker backed over my baby and didn't even have the civility to mention it to me. No 'I'm sorry'. No 'Dude I accidentally ran over your bike." Doesn't have the good form to offer to pay to have her fixed. Acted like it was no big deal that he damn near destroyed my bike. Careless son of a bitch. So used to having daddy just bail his ass out of everything, he doesn't even care about how his stupidity effects other people. Bastard figured that it was just a bike so it wasn't anything to be worryin' about. Just started to strut his worthless candy ass towards the main building. I don't fuckin' think so.

Yeah I kicked in his headlight and keyed that damn truck. The damage he did to my property was far worse. He's lucky that I didn't put a really nice dent in the hood with my fist. Maybe if I had cracked his radiator he would have gotten a clue as to just how pissed off he made me.

And then he thinks that he is going to push me? He has no idea who he's dealing with. Just wait until tonight. He won't even recognize that piece of crap he drives as having ever been a truck once I'm done with it.

So completely absorbed in his thoughts, Jasper didn't hear the heavy glass door scrape open, but when a familiar scent tickled his nose he felt his venom run cold.

Without lifting his head, he raised his eyes to glance up at Esme as she stood at the secretary's desk.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Mrs. Cullen. Please have a seat. I'll let Mr. Greene know that you've arrived."

"Thank you, Ms. Cope. I came as soon as I could. I can't imagine what sort of trouble Jasper could have gotten himself into. I'm certain that this must be some sort of misunderstanding and surely we can get it all straightened out."

The red haired woman peered over her glasses at Esme and smiled. "I'm just as confident about that as you are. All of your children are always so well behaved. It's such a pleasure to have them here and Jasper has always been such a quiet studious boy. He's very much the gentleman. I really can't imagine him causing any sort of trouble."

Getting up, Ms. Cope quickly disappeared into the back of the office as Esme made her way over to sit next to her soldier boy.

A glance at her sulking son made the matriarch question every word that the secretary had just spoken. Currently Jasper appeared to be the complete opposite of the genteel young man that Ms. Cope had just praised so highly, but Esme was more than willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Are you okay, Sweetie?"

A grunt was the only response that she received.

"Jasper, I have to admit that I don't appreciate this attitude that you're putting off right now."

"Well I don't care for the attitudes of anyone around here so I guess that makes us even. I swear to you that they have been needling me since this sorry shit started. How much would you care to wager that I'm the only one to end up with my ass in a sling when it was that little shit that started it?"

Esme was mildly shocked at her son's choice of words. Around her, he had always been a perfect gentleman so she could only imagine what he had been through that would cause him to speak to her in such an uncouth manner. Just as she was about to issue a gentle rebuke to mind his manners, the office door opened.

"Mrs. Cullen, thank you for coming at such short notice. I hope we haven't interrupted something important by dragging you down here today." Mr. Greene gave the stunning woman his most dazzling smile as he extended a hand to her.

Shaking the man's hand and allowing him to help her to her feet, Esme shook her head and offered a light smile of her own.

"There is nothing in this world more important than my children."

"I do wish that everyone felt that same way, but with the fast pace of life it appears that sometimes priorities get a bit jumbled and it's always the young ones who suffer." Harold Greene sighed inwardly as he directed Esme into his office. "Please have a seat." Turning his attention back to the sulking youth, he called, "Jasper, would you please join us? I'm sure that your mother will want to hear your version of today's events directly from you."

"Why? Not like it will do a lick of good. I've already been tried and convicted. Don't see how any fucking thing I have to say is going to make a damn bit of difference in this kangaroo court of school justice."

"Jasper Whitlock Hale, you know better than to use that kind of language or be disrespectful to your elders. Apologize to Mr. Greene this instant."

The youth gave a dry laugh as he shook his head. "Yeah right. Elder. Don't make me laugh, Esme."

The woman gave her son a dark look before turning back to the principal. "I cannot apologize enough for my son's abhorrent behavior. He really isn't normally like this."

The man gave her a sympathetic look. He had seen it all before, but still it was always hardest to witness from one of his top students.

"It's alright, Mrs. Cullen. Their teen years are just a very hard time for them emotionally with their hormones riding roughshod over them making things more difficult than they should be. I know that Jasper is a good boy and a most excellent student. He is just having a very bad day, but that still doesn't excuse his over all behavior."

"What is my son being accused of having done?"

"Please step inside so we can discuss it in private. Jasper, you too."

"I aint going anywhere." The teen hugged himself a little more tightly while keeping his eyes directed towards the toes of his boots.

"Mr. Greene, would you mind if I have a moment with Jasper in private?"

"Not at all, Mrs. Cullen. Come in whenever you're ready."

"Thank you, so much."

Esme waited until the office door closed and she heard the man retreat away from it before she stepped over to stand in front of the Major.

"What has gotten into you," she inquired in a fierce whisper.

"I'm tired of playing around with all the jackasses around here. They are careless and ignorant. There isn't a lick of common sense shared among them. My God, Esme how can you expect me not to be pissed off? Do you know what that bastard did to my bike?"

"No I don't considering..." Esme cocked a brow as the soldier's last question fully registered. "Your what?"

"My motorcycle. That little punk ass went and slammed his car into her. I'm sure that Rose can work her magic on her, but she shouldn't have to. If that son of a bitch had just bothered to look before he slammed his fucking pick-up in reverse..."

Before Jasper could react, his mother had a firm hold on his chin and had lifted his head to meet her furious dark eyes.

"Jasper Cullen, are you telling me that you rode that two wheeled death trap to school?"

Her expression caused him to shrink back slightly as he swallowed hard, concern for his immediate future showing in his darkened eyes.

"I don't know if you can really call it a trap since you would get thrown free from it if anything bad were to happen."

"Jasper, don't get smart with me."

His anger ebbed as his grew more uneasy with his mother's reaction. "Actually, Momma, I'm feeling the exact opposite of smart at this very moment."

"Oh, so it's Momma now?"

Jasper's mind instantly replayed every word and deed that he had partaken in since walking out of the house this morning. When it hit the altercation with Bradly DeYoung his breath ceased as his chest grew tight. Unable to lower his head to escape his mother's anger gaze, he closed his eyes only to have her give his head a light shake to get his attention back on her.

"I'm sorry, Momma," he whispered softly.

"You only think you're sorry, young man. I can assure you that you are going to be a great deal sorrier once I get you home."

His dark topaz eyes widened at Esme's declaration, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"Now, young man, I expect you to straighten up and fly right. We are going into that office and hear what Mr. Greene has to say. If you find fault in anything that he says, you may politely offer your side of the story. Consider this your last warning Major. You had better rein in that attitude and clean up your language or I will do it for you."

Jasper's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head and Esme found herself feeling afraid and oddly nauseous. Shaking off her son's projected emotions, she stared hard into his eyes.

"Just because I never have, don't delude yourself into thinking that I can't or won't. If I hear so much as a 'darn' come out of your mouth while we are in there with that gentleman, I will march you straight to the nearest men's room and wash your mouth out here and now."

As Jasper continued to stare at his mother in complete and utter shock, Esme wound down her impromptu lecture.

"You should be thanking your lucky stars that I am showing a bit more restraint than you have been, Jasper because I am extremely close to baring your backside and adjusting that attitude right here. The only thing stopping me is the fact that I respect that we are in public and I don't wish to embarrass you. That being said, if you continue to embarrass me with this juvenile behavior, I will assume that such things aren't really that important to you and act accordingly. Do we have an understanding, mister?"

As she released the hold she had still maintained on his chin, Jasper hastily nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. I understand. You won't hear a peep outta me."

The feisty woman continued to hold his gaze for several more long agonizing seconds, before finally sighing softly and extending her hand towards her boy to bring him to his feet.

Once he was standing before her with his head bowed, Esme felt a shudder race through her body causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand erect.

"Baby, I know that it's difficult, but try to calm yourself."

With his chin still firmly planted in his chest, Jasper glanced up at his mother through dark thick lashes.

"I am trying, Momma, but it's not easy when I'm worked up about what happened and now I have to worry with you being mad at me. Then there will be Papa to contend with. That aint a mix that lends itself naturally to calmness."

Esme took a deep breath as she ran her hand through her boy's honey gold locks.

"Sweetheart, I'll make a deal with you. I'll do my best not to get angry and will intervene on your behalf with your father, but you have to promise me that you will calm yourself down and act like the gentleman that I know you to be."

Jasper continued to watch Esme in silence before finally closing his eyes and nodding.

"Come here, baby." The matriarch enveloped her soldier in her arms and hugged him tight. At first he stiffened at the contact, but soon Esme felt his muscles relax before he wrapped his arms around her in return.

With his head resting upon her shoulder, Jasper whispered softly, "I'm so sorry, Momma. I really am. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"Ssh. I know, Jazz. You're a good boy at heart. You've proven that too many times to count, but you also know that your recent outbursts are unacceptable. Likewise, you also know that you are not allowed to ride that bike to school and we will talk about that when we get home."

"Yes, ma'am."

Releasing him, Esme pushed her son back and brushed the hair out of his face before pulling him down to kiss his forehead.

"Let's not keep, Mr. Greene waiting any longer."

Giving his mother a brief nod, Jasper opened the door for her to enter the office before following meekly behind.

It was with more than a touch of curiosity that the principal watched the beautiful young woman walk confidently over to sit in one of the visitor's chairs before his desk while her son silently slid into the other. Jasper didn't appear to carry even the slightest remnant of his previous combative attitude even though he kept his head bowed avoiding the eyes of both of the adults in the room.

Beautiful, smart and apparently more than capable of controlling her children. That Doctor Cullen bagged himself a true prize when he put a ring on that delicate finger.

Mr. Greene cleared his throat as he struggled to regain his focus on the reason for the meeting.

"Mrs. Cullen, I'm not sure what Jasper has told you of the day's events, but please allow me to offer the story as I know it. There was a bumping of fenders in the parking lot ..."

Esme felt a shot of anger from her soldier boy at the man's take on the accident that appeared to have claimed the life of his motorcycle. Laying her hand lightly on his forearm, she noticed the anger pull away immediately as he closed his eyes.

"As can tend to happen, a dispute erupted between Jasper and the other student involved. When one of our staff members stepped in to separate the boys she managed to get struck."

While Esme couldn't see the contrite expression that shadowed Jasper's face, an unmistakable pang of remorse in her gut was all the verification that she needed to know which of the combatants had hit the teacher.

"Was she injured badly?" Knowing Jasper's temper and strength, his mother felt justifiable concern for the poor woman who had managed to be in the wrong place at very much the wrong time.

"A little bruised up, but nothing serious. These things happen from time to time so we learn to roll with the punches; quite literally." Mr. Greene gave Esme a sad smile before nodding towards Jasper. "We have witnesses that claim Jasper was the culprit in that and as such, he is subject to the harshest corrective action. While I'm sure that it was an accident, attacks on school staff members must be treated as very serious grievous offenses."

"Ya gonna expel me."

Both Esme and Greene glanced at Jasper in mild confusion. The boy had remained silent from the moment that he entered the office and when he did finally speak there had been no question in his flat-toned whisper.

"Violence against a teacher is certainly grounds for expulsion, Mr. Hale, but I don't feel that is necessary at this point." The principal shifted through some papers in Jasper's academic file before continuing. "Though it appears that you have been having some issues lately that I don't feel have been properly addressed. I'm recommending that you speak to an anger management professional to see if we can get you back on an even keel."

Jasper finally raised his head and gazed at the man in wide-eyed bewilderment. "But this wasn't my fault. I don't have any issues with my anger."

"Are you saying that you didn't strike Mrs. Riley?"

"No, Sir. I mean, no, I did hit her, but it was entirely an accident. I never meant to do that. I would never do something like that. You have to believe me."

"But you did mean to strike Mr. DeYoung?"

Jasper quickly looked away. "That was different. He deserved it."

"Jasper, you know that you don't settle arguments with your fists." Esme found herself truly shocked by her son's lack of remorse in attacking the other student. "Maybe you could use some counseling."

His eyes darkened several shades a he stared at his mother blankly. "You've gotta be fuc..."

Esme cut him off quickly with a hard glare. "Don't make me follow through with my promise."

Jasper swallowed hard and lowered his gaze. "Sorry, but still. You must be joking, Momma. Don't you think Papa's counsel tonight will be sufficient?

"Jasper," Mr. Greene interrupted. "Sometimes it just helps to talk to someone outside of your family. A neutral party can give you unbiased support and more easily see where you may be having trouble. There is no shame in admitting that you need some help. We all do from time to time."

The boy folded his arms over his chest and huffed. "Ah don't need anyone fiddlin' 'round in mah head."

"Well Jasper, you are suspended for three days and I will not allow you to return without a note from a licensed therapist letting me know that you have at least taken this seriously enough to talk to someone."

"Forget it."

"Honey, if Mr. Greene thinks that it's for the best..."

"No. Ah don't need no headshrinker. There's not a damn thing wrong with me. Just 'cause ah got pissed when a little snot backed over mah bike that don't mean that ah have a problem. That would get anyone's dander up. How 'bout sending the jackass to an eye doctor or for some damn drivin' lessons instead of me to fuckin' anger management. He needs that way more than Ah need to have mah head examined. "

"Jasper! Enough!"

Esme's tone caused her son's venom to instantly chill.

"Mr. Greene, please excuse my son's tirade. I hate to ask this again of you knowing that your time is so valuable, but Jasper and I have to address an issue. Excuse us for just about five minutes and I'll be right back to complete our discussion and check Jasper out to take him home. I promise you that he will see someone to help control his temper. You shouldn't have to suffer with my child's tantrums; I will see to it that this atrocious behavior is nipped in the bud immediately." Standing Esme extended a hand to the soldier. "Jasper, come with me."

"No." He pressed his back further against the chair. "Ya wouldn't. Ya can't."

"I can and I will. Let's go now."

"Ah said no. Ah won't let ya do that to me."

Esme caught his left wrist in a firm grip and pulled him from his seat. "You are only making this more difficult."

"You're being difficult. You're supposed ta love me regardless; take care of me. Ya not supposed ta humiliate me."

"Jasper, causing a scene isn't helping your case."

"You're the one lookin' ta cause a scene, Esme. Let me go." He wrenched his wrist out of her grip and took a step back.

"Baby, think about where you are and what you're doing? Trust me. You do not want to continue on this path."

"Mr. Hale, just take it easy. Retake your seat and settle down so we can all talk this out. No one is going to do anything to hurt you."

"Like hell. No offense meant, Mr. Greene, but you don't know shit."

The school administrator's brow suddenly furrowed. He can't be saying what I think he's saying. Not the Cullens. I can't believe that Doctor and Mrs. Cullen could be abusive. Then again it's often the family that you least expect who hides the darkest secrets.

"Jasper, if you need a safe haven, I can get you help."

Esme dropped her head and covered her eyes with her hand as she rubbed her temples. This cannot be happening.

Jasper stared at the principal uncomprehendingly then shot his mother a fleeting glance before realization struck like a bolt of lightening. Closing his eyes he shook his head.

"No, Mr. Greene. It's not like that. It's just..." His eyes snapped open and he locked onto the befuddled administrator. "You wouldn't understand. I appreciate your concern, but I really don't need rescuing."

"Maybe you do and you just don't realize it. Maybe this anger is stemming from a subconscious need to draw attention to the real problem that you are no longer consciously aware of. Once aberrant behavior has set a pattern, it's easy to forget it's not normal, Jasper."

"Normal?" Jasper laughed and turned away from the well meaning interloper. "Who is to say what's normal these days? Apparently it's become normal to damage someone's property and not even offer an apology for it. Back in my day, that was unconscionable. If you broke something that belonged to someone else, you fixed it. If you couldn't fix it, you replaced it. If it couldn't be replaced, you tried like hell to find someway to make it right. Now, it has become normal to just blow it off and walk away. The injured party is suppose to suck it up and get over it. God forbid that they want some sort of satisfaction because then that means that they have anger issues or are psychologically impaired in some other way.

If this is normal then that is something that I most certainly don't want to be.

Yeah, I hit Mrs. Riley. No, I'm not proud of that fact at all. It was an accident, but that doesn't mean that there shouldn't be repercussions. I'm willing to take responsibility for what I've done and accept my punishment, but damn it, why shouldn't the bastard that hit my bike be required to do the same?"

His dark eyes flashed angrily as he searched the administrator's face for an explanation and found that none was forthcoming.

Looking away from the "adults" in the room, Jasper ran a hand through his wheaten locks as he paced back and forth like a panther in a small cage feeling his frustration reaching greater levels.

"Jasper, Sweetheart, you need to calm yourself down."

Esme took a step towards him, forcing herself to exude a quiet calm that belied the anxious tension which all three of the room's occupants were experiencing.

The Major stopped in his tracks and gave his mother a look of utter despair. The deep dark burnt chocolate brown of his eyes clearly proclaimed his distress and Esme felt any residual anger that she had held onto melt away. Her mothering instincts took over and all she could think about was how much she needed to reassure and comfort her precious soldier boy, but her next step forward sent him scurrying two steps back.

The heavy emotions in the room were beginning to weigh down on the boy causing him to fidget anxiously as he continued to hold his distraught mother's gaze. For the second time within a span of minutes, Jasper felt a stab of regret at the core of his being. He felt the pain of rejection that Esme had just experienced when he increased the distance between them and he hated himself for hurting her.

"Ah hafta go. Ah... Ah just can't be here any longer. Ah'll see ya back at home later, Momma. Ah... Ah jest can't do this right now. Ah can't."

He turned and was nearly at the door when Esme calling out his name made him hesitate.

"Jasper, please don't do this."

Her pleading tone rang with sadness and hurt that mirrored the emotions rippling through the boy. They both knew how Carlisle would react to his cowardly act of running away and maybe that was part of the reason that he felt inclined to do just that.

"Don't walk away from me. You know that you are only going to make this a great deal harder on all of us. You need to regain control of yourself so we can talk this out."

"That's why Ah hafta go. Ah need ta just get away on mah own for a spell." His voice was soft and thick with emotion. "Ah know what ya thinkin', but Ah won't. Papa aint gonna hafta come find me. Ah'll come home. Jest give me a few hours. Please, Momma. Ah need this." The concern and grief coming from Esme caused the soldier to shudder before he shook his head. "Ah gotta go."

With that he swiftly exited the office and raced out of the building to disappear into the surrounding forest, leaving his overwrought mother behind to work out the details of his academically sponsored chastisement with one very stunned Harold Greene.