http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5379147/1/Fractured
Word Count: 6,674

Official Description: Alcoholic blackouts are causing Edward’s life to spin dangerously out of control. Jasper is a working boy desperately trying to survive. When their worlds collide, everything changes. – AH/AU – Rated M for language and adult situations.

–
jjuliebee says: I’ve been hanging around this fandom for the past couple of months now, and I’ve read a whole lot of stories. T rated, M rated, angst, drama, romance, you name it. I enjoy them all. I love the fact that there is a genre and a fic for whatever mood I happen to be in.

I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve been completely mindfucked. I’ve been sick with worry over plot developments. I’ve had had other – ahem – reactions as well. You know what I mean, ladies.

What I hadn’t had was a feeling of utter surprise, of complete and total shock, a feeling of being punched in the gut and having the wind knocked out of me. I hadn’t read a story where my jaw dropped and I was left breathless. Speechless. Blown away.

Of course, I hadn’t read Fractured yet.

Dariachenowith, my dear friend and writer of one of my favorite fics, encouraged me to read Fractured, assuring me that I’d love it. I put it on my “to-be-read” pile, as I have a list a mile long (don’t we all)? Intrigued by the summary, I was expecting a bittersweet tale of Edward and Jasper, both broken, their love conquering all. Based on daria’s recommendation, I moved it to the top of the heap. I’m glad I did.

We know right off the bat that things aren’t quite right with Edward. He’s an alcoholic suffering from blackouts, and who knows what he’s been up to during his drunken binges. He’s a doctor, so of course we worry about the repercussions of drinking on his career, his relationships, and his patients.

On first read, it’s the little things that start to creep into the reader’s subconscious. Subtle little details that hit you in ways that you can’t quite place – he’s anxious, he’s scared. He has bouts of uneasiness; he feels uncomfortable with his own reflection. These things seem rather ominous, but as the story is unfolding, we don’t quite see it that way. They’re nearly hidden, just under the surface as we strive to make sense of Edward’s alcoholism.

We meet Jasper, a street-wise male hustler. He’s jaded, resigned, but confident in himself. He knows who he is and what he’s doing. He matter-of-factly winds his way through a sea of tricks, accepting his lot in life and making the best of a bad situation.

Definately Staying very cleverly weaves additional POVs to flesh out the story – Bella, a pediatrician with a relationship to Edward that is hard to define; Alice, Bella’s best friend who knows something isn’t quite right; and Carlisle, a fellow physician who begins the process of unraveling some shocking secrets.

I would be doing a real disservice to readers to give anything away, but I will say this. Fractured is an incredibly original, powerful, thought-provoking story that tackles difficult themes in a realistic, compassionate way. Definately Staying has written a haunting, poignant story that will leave you heartbroken and longing for more.