Gen 3 Ch 1

"So per my mom,  I am the 'heir to Moonstone Manor.' Seems kinda ostentatious to me, I mean, we have a pretty nice house and all, but geez."

"Heh, I know what you mean,my parents are all over me about finding a girl to 'carry on the family line.'"

Jasper's best friend Walter Tex had been trying to distract him  from his girl problems, so they had headed down to the Red Rendezvous to hang out and play some foosball.

"Don't look now, but guess who's comin' in the door."

Jasper couldn't help but take a sideways glance, and was chagrined to see Chiquita arriving just in time to ruin his evening.

She strolled right up to the foosball table and stood there a few minutes watching them play.

Jasper tried his best to ignore her.

Finally she spoke.

"Hey Jasp, can I talk to you a minute?"

"I guess. What do you want?"

"Privately, I mean." She glanced over at Walter.

They headed over to the bar, and Chiquita ordered a drink.

"Want something to drink? It's on me."

"No thanks."

"Jasp, I broke up with Jeffry, for real this time."

"Yeah, right. Why tell me? I could care less about your boyfriend problems."

"Jasp, I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry. All I'm asking is a place to crash for a few nights. I'll sleep on the couch."

Jasper tried his best to ignore her plea, but it was so hard. He had to admit he still had feelings for her, and she did seem to be in a predicament.

"Please?"

Jasper sighed."Okay, just a few days."

"You can sleep in my sister's old room."

"Thanks so much, you don't know how much I appreciate this."

But when he half awoke sometime in the night, he found she had crawled into bed beside him.

Despite what his head was telling him, he just couldn't resist her charms.

After that first night, there was no more talk of her sleeping in Leah's room. As the days went by, she confided in Jasper just why she had finally left Jeffry for good, and how badly he had treated her.

Not long after she moved in, Chiquita began feeling quite ill, and Jasper often heard her racing to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Worried, he insisted she go to the doctor. He continued to be distracted all day while he was out on patrol, and as soon as his shift at the police station ended, he hurried home.

Chiquita met him with a huge grin on her face.

"Guess what? I'm pregnant!"

"Oh wow! I'm gonna be a daddy?"

Jasper was thrilled. He thought Quita had never looked more beautiful.

He would look back on the days that followed as some of the happiest in his life. Chiquita loved watching TV, and although it wasn't really his thing, he was glad to spend his Saturday mornings watching her silly cartoons with her.

Walter wasn't thrilled however, that Jasper wasn't available much anymore to hang out at the Red Rendezvous.

"You just watch out, Jasp. That girl is bad news. I heard her ex-boyfriend is out to get you."

"What can he do? I'm a patrol officer now, he wouldn't dare do anything to me."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

As Quita's delivery date grew closer, and there was no sign of Jeffry, Jasper forgot all about him. Every day he could hardly wait to get home and see Quita, and feel the new life she was carrying.

Finally the big day arrived, and they headed to the hospital in the middle of the night.

They were both shocked to bring home, not one but two sweet little ones. He let Quita name them, and she called the girl Ruby, and the boy Rocky. Not the names he would have picked, but she was thrilled, and he was so much in love, he would have done anything for her. In fact, he had already picked out the ring he would give her. He planned to pick it up on his way home from work the next day.

Early the next afternoon, Leah called and needed Amber to babysit.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine," Chiquita assured her as she left. "Jasper will be home in a little while."

Jasper whistled as he drove home in his new squad car, Quita's engagement ring burning a hole in his pocket. He could hardly wait to see her reaction. His excitement turned to fear as he saw a fire truck parked in front of the house, and a crowd of neighbors at the door.

Ignoring the firefighters' warnings, he rushed in to help, Amber right behind him.

He could hear Chiquita screaming somewhere behind the wall of flames.

Finally the fire was out.

"Go check on the babies!" He called to his mom, as the firefighters approached with somber expressions.

"I'm so sorry, sir. We did everything we could, but the fire was too far advanced by the time we arrived. We couldn't save her. A tragic accident. It looks like the rug in front of the fireplace caught a spark as she was tending the fire."

Jasper was overcome with grief. But he had to put his mourning on hold as his worry for his babies came to the forefront.

Fortunately, Ruby and Rocky were hungry and soiled, but otherwise alright.

"Oh, mom, what am I going to do without my Quita?"