- Forks -
Jasper hadn't passed out as much as he had done this week in centuries. It was never a pleasant feeling, that of losing consciousness and being left to one's luck.
The tension in the air was thicker than ever and he knew Carlisle wanted to speak with him. Be it because of his gift or something else he didn't care for Jasper had chose to hide in Alice's closet.
He wasn't a coward, but he didn't want to speak with Carlisle just yet either.
He knew he was doing wrong, that the more he stalled the more was he risking another attack and the Cullens being at it blind. He knew that Alice was more than right. The Cullens did deserve the truth.
But how was he suppose to tell them? What if it made things weird between them? Or worse.
What if he was kicked out? Originals were never a good presage, be it the Mikaelson or himself. He knew what had happened in the past when people found out about him. He can still remember the fire, the heat, the screams, the pressure, the lies, the pain.
He didn't want any of that.
Even if Alice had assured him that it would be fine regardless of if she could see it or not, to have more faith in Carlisle, he couldn't help but stagger.
But he couldn't stagger forever, and at the end he found himself walking across the house and towards Carlisle's studio. To be honest he never made plans on how to explain things if he was cornered like this. He sighed as he made his way to Carlisle's studio. He was older than the man himself, he shouldn't feel so on edge.
And he had faced worse things, facing a soft hearted vampire who came close to the only father he had ever had was far from a dangerous situation.
He knocked on the door.
-Come on in.
He stepped in and hovered at the door, feeling more nervous than he had felt in centuries.
-Can we talk?
-Of course son.- Carlisle was quick to answer.- Do please sit down.- He requested as Jasper stepped into the studio, closing the door behind him, Carlisle motioned to the chair across from him.
Jasper complied.
-How are you feeling?
-Fine.- He told, not bothering to elaborate. He had never been a fan of letting others into his business for the single fact that the less the Cullens knew about him the better.
It would make it easier for him to not slip and reveal things that shouldn't be revealed.
But now one of his most well kept secrets was threatening their lives and if he wanted them to survive he needed to do better. This time around he couldn't keep lies if he wanted those he cared about to survive.
But how did one tell someone else that their lives depended on whether he did a good job at surviving? That if he wasn't protected their lives would perish?
He couldn't do that. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't bring himself to reveal that truth.
The Cullens didn't need to know who he was, right? He could lie and use one of the rumors instead…
Right?
-Alice said that I should tell you this while there's still time.- He began, taking in a deep breath and stilling his nerves. He felt the emotions downstairs flicker; curiosity, suspicion, confusion, encouragement.
Alice's emotions drowned the rest, encouraging him to speak, he wasn't alone, it would be fine. If he spoke the truth they would understand. This was his chance to come clean.
-Speak, whatever is it that you have to tell, I promise you that we will try our best to understand, we are your family, and beyond all, we love you.- Carlisle assured softly, yet firmly.
-I lied before.- The sparkling disappointment in Alice's emotions didn't went unnoticed and he could do nothing but apologize to her in his mind. He couldn't bring himself to speak the absolute truth no matter what .
So.
He went with the most popular theory.
-I know who the original of our sire line is.- The shock and surprise obliterated the air with such force he felt a shiver run down his spine.
Alice's encouragement keeping him from running off. He took advantage of Carlisle's shock in order to keep talking before he decided against it.
-I am the empath they're lookin' for. And with all due respect sir, the reason why I didn't tell you before was 'cause I failed to see how that could be any of your business. You'd no reason whatsoever to need to know that sort of information, it wasn't as if there was anythin' 'bout it that could require others to know. Until now.
He had to be careful with his words. Choose wisely.
-Alice said it wasn't fair for me to keep on hidin' the truth. But while 'm the one they're lookin' for I swear to you that I've no idea whatsoever why would the Mikaelson be so bent on on findin' me, I've never done anythin' to 'em, I don't even know 'em, yeah, the hybrid and the one that runs with witches tried to find me more than once when I was in the South but I never let 'em. I don't even know how do they know that I know, I never told anyone, well, Maria knows, but I can't really see her givin' me away.
Carlisle didn't know how to even react. While part of him wanted to be mad at Jasper for keeping such important information from him he couldn't help but see reason in his words.
Because in a way, there was nothing that required them to actually know what he knew or not, Jasper had chose to not share much of his life when he first arrived and Carlisle had respected it, but this…
How was he suppose to deal with this? Jasper deliberately hid it even after the vampires began turning up, almost got himself killed because of it, he had put them in danger by keeping them in the shadows of what was really happening.
But he also could see the honesty in his eyes, could see he was telling the truth when he said he didn't knew why were the Mikaelson after him, how did they even know that he knew.
But most of all.
He could see the genuine guilt.
And if he gave it better thought he could understand what would lead him to hide something like that. Jasper has never quite warmed up to the idea of them being a family, never trusting them with much, he did a great job at being close and at the same time distant with everyone.
It confused Carlisle at times if he was being honest. Sometimes it felt like Jasper was starting to warm up to them with that of wrestling and hunting with his siblings, or how he would seek comfort from Esme, and then he would go and remind them the reason he still felt like a stranger.
The original poisonous vampire.
How did Jasper even know this man? How did he managed to become the only apparent person who knew who this was?
-I believe you, but Jasper, this is the originals we are talking about, not some common vampires you can just fight off.
-If it makes you feel better I can just leave, you won't have to worry 'bout anythin' if I do.- Jasper said easily, while he didn't particularly want to lose this he refused to put them in danger any further.
He felt Esme's blazing rejection over his words. Alice's roaring displeasure and Emmett's burning disbelief. Rosalie's irritation. Bella's denial. Carlisle's alarm.
-No, that's not what I meant, I'm not asking you to leave.
-Then what is it that you want?- Jasper asked. For the first time in his life he was willing to let someone decide his fate. He trusted Carlisle's judgement and at the end of the day he knew that the man would forever choose his family above all, whatever he wanted, Jasper would comply, because Alice would be safe. Everyone he cared about would be safe.
And he was willing to do just about anything to keep his family safe. Alice.
-I want to help you, you are my son, whether you see me as your father or not I don't care, because you are still important to me and I care about you, but I can't help you if you won't tell me what's going on, what I want, if for you to trust me, I want you to tell me the truth, I want to understand why is it you.
Jasper didn't need to be a genius to know what Carlisle meant with those last words. He wouldn't lie, the man's words made a pleasing warmness swirl around his chest, it made him feel… relaxed, like he could genuinely tell him anything and nothing would change, like telling the truth was worth a risk.
But he wasn't stupid either.
He refused to bend down to it for if he told them the truth and the Volturi found out… The sole idea of the Volturi getting their hands on him almost made him feel claustrophobic. Aro could never get into his head, of all possible people in this world the Volturi were the last persons he would want to know his secrets. The things he could and couldn't do. His connection to his sire line. How was he turned. How did he manage to get Malivore to spit him back up. What could kill him. What could break his link to his sire line. No one could ever know the truth Carlisle asked for.
Not even Alice.
Thus.
He decided to keep his half lie, though if he gave it better thought it wasn't technically a lie, he did know who the original poisonous vampire was.
-I wasn't born in 1844 nor was I turned in 1864. I lied 'bout it 'cause I didn't want you to feel like you would need to be wary of me or see me as more of a threat than I already looked like, so I chose to be younger than you, but still older than the others.
It wasn't a complete lie if he was being honest.
Because he refused to be called "little brother". He was older and he would rather die than have to put up with Emmett calling him baby bro , he had enough of it during their residence in Portland.
Plus.
Most vampires didn't took well that of someone older than them wanting to join their coven, specially if said someone was a male.
The wariness in the air wasn't surprising nor was it the curiosity, confusion.
-I don't know when was I born nor the exact date I was turned.- That wasn't a lie.- But I do know that 'm around the first vampires of our kind to be turned. I wasn't born in Texas but I did grow there.
He made sure to mention those facts so as to give explanation to what Edward might have seen in his mind. The women dressed in medieval clothes, the forest, anything that may give away that he wasn't born in Texas, not in 1844 and not at any time period.
The obliterating surprise and shock in the air made him wish for Alice to be here. Her emotions would at least help him focus on something else less uncomfortable.
And as much as he wished to stop talking he needed to tell as much of the truth as he could.
But in order to tell the truth he would need to also lie. A careful lie seeing that he had told Esme the truth about his origins in a moment of vulnerability.
-I was a witch when I was human.
That seemed to catch Carlisle's interest.
-Since the moment I was born I was bound to another witch 'cause of a deal made long before my own mother was even born. A deal made between two people who gave no damn whatsoever 'bout what their deal would bring to others. My grandmother wanted children and so she asked a witch; her sister, to help her. Her sister agreed for a price; her firstborn and every firstborn of each generation, for as long as her line was to last.
Horror filled the air. Surprise. Disbelief. Anger.
Anger for him.
It was a nice feeling…
-She claimed she did it 'cause we needed someone capable of keepin' us in control. Somethin' 'bout how the magic from the firstborns of our bloodline could be devastatin'.
Which fine, their magic wasn't particularly weak, but it wasn't as if they could get it to be peaceful when Dahlia was always doing the impossible to test their patience.
-She made a spell once, when my mother was still a child, one capable of renderin' us somewhat immortal without the need to become vampires, but 'cause of it we were also forced to sleep for a certain period of time, sort of like a side effect.
He hated having to speak of this.
-For as long as she lived and the link was intact we would be under the spell.
His next words weren't something he wished he had to let the entire house know. No one in general to be honest. Alice knew and so did Esme but the more people knew the worse it made him feel. Like something to feel bad about, he didn't want people to feel bad about him, he didn't need anyone's pity.
-There was an incident when I was eight... an incident that made her realize she wouldn't be able to control me either. So she took me away, she claimed that my mother was turnin' me against her. That's how I ended up in Texas .
He tried to ignore the emotions in the air were he to become unable to keep on talking. He needed to tell them as much as possible while he still had the courage.
-I wasn't a siphon witch so I thought that if I became a vampire, I would be able to free myself from her grasp completely, but then I realized, when you drink human blood that blood also courses through your veins, as long as I fed off humans she would still have a hold on me.
And here came the load of twisted truths and lies.
-So I made a deal with the original from our sire line, he's similar to a heretic, but he isn't a heretic in itself, it's… complicated.- That wasn't a particular lie seeing that he wasn't sure himself of the reason he could do magic despite not being a heretic.
-A deal?- Carlisle repeated with a frown. All of Jasper's words… he didn't even know what to tackle first of all the things he had said.
-I could see he was tired of how life was turnin' out to be with the world at his throat. If he fred me from the spell I would help him start anew in a world where no one knew who he was. But her magic was stronger than his, he couldn't break the link, instead he switched it. I'm linked to him which means I get to feel whatever happens to him on a stronger level than the rest.
He didn't even know if that kind of spell was possible, switching links, but the Cullens knew nothing about magic, they would certainly believe anything he came up with concerning magic.
-But he did his part and so I did mine. No one but me knows where he is or how to find him. Whatever harms come to me it goes to him too. So I guess that's exactly why would anyone want me to get to him, they can take it out of me same as they can just kill me, though I'm not sure what they believe might happen if I do get killed. I doubt he would die 'cause of somethin' so frivolous.
Carlisle stared at him.
And stared.
Jasper didn't seem bothered at all with the idea of getting killed which was a bit bizarre. In fact. Carlisle could swear he looked too calm for someone who's life was at stake.
A witch turned vampire… from the medieval period, which in return made him what? Over A few centuries? More than just a few?
Carlisle didn't even know what to do with this information. He knew Jasper's past was filled with mysteries, but he never expected that it would be that extense.
-Why 1844 and 1864 specifically?- Was what he found himself asking. Jasper frowned, seemingly not expecting that to be what Carlisle would pick to ask over all.
He threw a look at the floor for a moment before shifting on the chair looking half uncomfortable half like he wished Carlisle hadn't asked that.
Still.
He answered.
-I met someone in 1844 who made me feel like the world wasn't as damned as I thought it to be. I guess it was the first time I got to see that livin' forever wasn't that much of a curse. I met Maria in 1864. I guess I chose those dates as a reminder.
-A reminder?- Carlisle repeated in confusion. Jasper shrugged, he didn't seem like he would answer so Carlisle decided to change the subject.- Was any of your time with Maria true?
-Yes, I did meet her in the desert, I did hate what I'd to do while with her. I did thought there was no other choice. No other way…- He had thought that that's all he would ever be good for. That no matter how much he tried, death and destruction would be the only things he would be able to either do or attract. He had thought he was damned to an eternity of pain… that all that vampires could ever accomplish was death and destruction.
But then he met Alice.
His beautiful Alice with a golden heart.
-What about the Civil War bit?
-I didn't lie about that either. I was a soldier, more than once, in more than one war, I found it easier to feed off people if I told myself it was for a better cause, if I got to feed from those who had no salvation, wouldn't a quick death be merciful?
Silence reigned for a while after that.
-You do realize the kind of danger you are in, right?- Carlisle asked seriously.
-I do, but you've nothin' to worry about, I can take care of myself, the only reason I almost got my head removed before was 'cause I wasn't payin' attention, it won't happen again, you can rest assured.- Jasper told as a statement of fact. He wouldn't let himself be put in such situation again.
-But you don't have to have to care of yourself.
-What is that suppose to mean?- Jasper asked, frowning in confusion.
-I'm saying it's not fair that you are the one who ends up being put in danger because of some deal.
-We're all in danger. If he gets hurt so do we all. He's an original, our lives literally depend on keepin' him safe.- Jasper told easily, the frustration in the air at his words stung, so did the annoyance and resentment.
Even if he understood that of having one's life depend on someone else's life to be an infuriating and hateful thing it still stung.
It stung a lot.
Would the Cullens feel different about it all were his secret to come to light? Would they hate him? Resent him?
It didn't matter.
Because they would never find out.
̶I̶̶f̶ ̶o̶̶n̶̶l̶̶y̶ ̶h̶̶e̶ ̶k̶̶n̶̶e̶̶w̶ ̶h̶̶o̶̶w̶ ̶w̶̶r̶̶o̶̶n̶̶g̶ ̶h̶̶e̶ ̶w̶̶a̶̶s̶ ̶a̶̶b̶̶o̶̶u̶̶t̶ ̶t̶̶h̶̶a̶̶t̶ ̶s̶̶t̶̶a̶̶t̶̶e̶̶m̶̶e̶̶n̶̶t̶̶.̶
~~~~~~~~~~~~
- New Orleans, Mikaelson Residence -
-I think we might have a problem.- Hope said as she stepped into the studio where Finn, Rebekah and Kol were at.
-What kind of problem?- Rebekah asked looking up to her niece. What could be worse than the fact that someone had leaked this map? Or the fact that there were 15 empaths left?
-Lizzie called, she said someone broke into the school's attic last night.
-We care about this school's attic because…?- Finn prompted her to speak with a confused frown. What did this school had to do with anything?
-Because that someone went undetected, and because whoever it was it stole a Norwegian chest, a norwegian chest that happened to house the ashes of an ancient cursed black oak tree. Now, I don't know you, but if white oak can kill originals what do you think black oak might do?
That had been the main reason Lizzie had seen wise to call her, in case it was related to her "family emergency".
Silence.
-Freya can't know this.- Finn broke the silence.
-What do you mean she can't know? Have you gone mental?- Kol refuted.
-Have you gone mental? Do you want her to go and do something stupid? We all know how impulsive and reckless can she become when she feels like she's losing time at something. If she hears that someone might have stolen something capable of killing her son she might go and get herself killed.- Finn said sharply.
-Finn's right. She could end up doing something that she might regret later in an attempt to find him faster.- Rebekah said.
-This isn't working, we need to find him quicker, if there's someone out there who finally found what can kill him it means they know who he is and by extension how to find him.- Finn said with a frown, there were 15 empaths left, 15, they were closing in on him, but it wasn't quick enough, they needed to narrow it down.
-Got any ideas how are we going to do it?- Rebekah questioned as she stared at the 15 silver drops scattered all over the map.
-Actually, I think I got an idea.- Finn said suddenly.
-Well? What is it genius?- Kol asked raising an eyebrow.
-We will need Freya's blood. And more poison from a poisonous vampire.
Hope seemed to realize what he intended because she suddenly frowned.
-You want to infect her blood and see if by doing so you can track him down using that venom?- Finn was surprised by Hope's quick thinking, he might still have troubles with his brother but he had to admit he had come to be quite fascinated with Hope, the girl was smart, a bit impulsive and reckless at times but she was certainly smart.
-Yes.- He answered.
-But she wasn't the one who turned him, the venom coursing through his veins isn't hers.- Kol pointed out as a statement of fact, giving Finn a look as if he was stupid.
-It's no one's, and if one of our kind was the one who turned him it means something in his body must have mutated, it might be a wild guess, but I think the venom in their bodies is nothing but their blood infected, which means, technically speaking, that we might be able to track him down using Freya's infected blood.
-That's actually quite clever, didn't think you still had it in you.- Kol said with a smirk, Finn glared at him, and Rebekah rolled her eyes, this before walking past them.
-I will go get her blood. Do me a favor and don't kill each other in my absence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- Somewhere in Spain -
Maria swore under her breath as she ran through the streets, pushing humans aside as she did so. She hadn't been able to even approach the airport for there were Volturi hiding and surrounding the entire place.
She no longer needed to wonder or make up theories. The Volturi were after her.
She had managed to at least send an unsuspecting messenger to Forks. If she didn't manage to escape these overglorified bastards and got caught she needed to warn The Major, that he was no longer safe. Somehow. The Volturi knew what he knew.
All they needed was his face to hunt him down.
As she turned on a corner she felt the world explode across her entire body, a pain so white it brought her to her knees, she cursed under her breath, fingers curling into fists, jaw set tight.
It rippled across her veins and tightened her throat to the point were she couldn't scream even if she wanted to.
And there before her stood the creepy twins and Aro.
Aro smiled as he approached her. She cursed her damned muscles that refused to answer to her.
-You are quite the hard one to find.- Aro's voice was soft as he spoke, but oh his gaze was nothing if not dangerous.
She tried to move. Push back. Anything as the man came to stand before her. But the pain inside her was such she couldn't move a single muscle. It locked her in place. She could do nothing at all as the man knelt before her in order to take her hand.
Aro for his side couldn't feel even more exhilarated with the fact that finally they had caught Maria.
Finally this whole madness would end.
He took her hand between his and dove into her mind.
A tall figure stands before a group of three, his ravenous red eyes screaming danger and half of his face hidden behind a rag, he wears the uniform of a soldier despite the lack of heartbeat or even the stench of the remaining blood in a newborn's tissues, but that doesn't deter Maria from approaching.
"Hello handsome."- She greets sweetly, the man follows her every move with his eyes, but doesn't move as she comes to stand before him.- "I see you are a soldier, might I possibly ask you if you would be willing to join me? It would be wonderful to have a soldier on my side." - She says, her hand coming to rest on his face.
"Why would I join you?"- He asks as he grabs her wrist, eyes narrowing. Maria smiled as she came even closer to him, noses almost touching.
"A soldier on my side could be of great use to me. Help me train the newborns, and you can have whatever you wish in exchange."- She said, voice alluring as she brought him even closer to her.
~
A dark figure stands stiffly by a giant fire, screams fill the air as newborns who have reached their due date fight to escape the flames without success. The man watches with a troubled expression, dried blood soaks his clothes, stains his face and the rag that hides his identity, his hair is dark, matted in blood.
Maria grins as she goes to him, her hand reaching out to tear the rag away from his face before she is pulling him into a kiss.
Aro dropped Maria's hand as a smirk split across his face.
As matted in blood as he was. As long as his hair was. He knew that face. Aro never forgot a face and much less if said face was among quite the unique specimens.
-Aro?- Caius called.- You found it?
-Of course I did.- Aro dictated with a smirk as he stood up. He turned to look at his companions with an unyielding grin.- It's time we pay my dear Cullens a visit.