To Please the Monster Inside [Carlisle/Jasper][Chapter Twenty-Four]
Title: To Please the Monster Inside [Chapter Twenty-Four]
Pairing: Carlisle/Jasper
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Characters owned by Stephenie Meyer.
Summary: The monster inside Jasper lusts for human blood. When the desire is too strong to resist, there is only one who can help. Carlisle tamed this monster once, and now he must try again.
“My brothers are coming. They think I want to fight you, think I’m dangerous.”
“Are you?”
Jasper considered the question. “I could be.”
Smirking, James stepped forward. “And do you want to fight me?”
The empath struggled with their close proximity, unnaturally intoxicated by James’ scent. He closed his eyes, stopped breathing, and opened them again. “No, I don’t.”
“But you came here to find me?”
“Yes.”
“What for, then, if not to challenge my intrusion upon your territory?”
“We are hours away from Forks - that is our territory. This is not.”
“So then, why search for me?”
Jasper grinned. “I was bored.”
“Hmm, indeed.”
The empath rolled his shoulders, stretching his neck. “Run with me?”
James raised his eyebrows, a dark smirk crossing his lips. “Why?”
Jasper shrugged. “Edward and Emmett will be here in approximately forty seconds.”
“Yes, I can smell them.”
“Well, that is why.”
“Then let us run. Follow me.”
Allowing himself to breathe once again, Jasper inhaled, smiling as he darted after the dirty blond.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Fuck.” Edward swore under his breath. “They’re running from us.”
“Do you know why?”
Edward growled. “Because Jasper is fucking bored. We should not have unchained him. Carlisle is going to be terrified when he finds out what has happened.”
“Carlisle will deal with this.”
Edward glanced sideways at his brother. “Do you really think so?”
Emmett nodded. “He loves Jasper, that will go a long way in helping him accept recent events.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By the time Alice and Rosalie made it home, sunlight was just beginning to force its way over the horizon.
They rushed inside to find Carlisle and Esme together on the sofa, holding hands tightly.
Both looked up with wide, sad eyes as the girls came through the door.
Carlisle stood quickly, heading toward Alice as she moved toward him. “Where is he?”
Alice looked down, her hands trembling.
“Alice, where is Jasper?” Carlisle put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing firmly.
“I should have seen it… I was too scared to look.”
She heard Carlisle’s breathing begin to shake, and knew only the worst possible scenarios were coiling through his mind. “What happened to him?”
“James…”
“Who is James?”
“The stranger I told you about. He caught our scent when we were in the warehouse. I told everyone we had to leave… We made it to the car and then… Jasper was gone. He went to find James.”
Sighing deeply, Carlisle sat back down, resting his head in his hands. Alice thought she had never seen him look so… fragile, exhausted. “I’m so sorry.” She whispered. “I should have seen it…”
“You cannot blame yourself for this, sweetie.” Esme took her daughters hand, pulling her down onto the sofa. “I’ve just spent the better part of the night trying to tell Carlisle the exact same thing.”
Alice shook her head. “I have the power of foresight. What use is it if I refuse to watch for the ones I love?”
“Alice, listen to me. There are things in this world which are inevitable, they will happen, must happen, regardless of the forces trying to prevent them. It was only a matter of time before something bad came of Jasper’s bloodlust. It will do us no good to sit here and burden ourselves with blame. Tell us everything, and then we can decide the best thing for us to do.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
James was fast, and Jasper reveled in the challenge of trying to keep up. He knew the stranger’s profound strength and speed had everything to do with the amount of rich, human blood he consumed.
They ran through the rest of the night, Edward and Emmett never far enough behind.
When daylight hit, they made sure to avoid nearby towns, taking to the safety and darkness of the forests.
Jasper began to notice a new feeling washing over him, pulsing from James’ body and into his own. It baffled him at first, this new feeling. It was soothing, invigorating, wonderful - something Jasper did not recognize as ever having felt in his entire life.
He pushed harder, faster, running level with James, allowing the vampire’s scent to wrap itself around his senses.
Each time Jasper caught up, James accelerated, moving faster than before.
The empath grew frustrated, wanting to match the stranger’s speed, knowing he needed more human blood to do it.
He distracted himself again with this foreign feeling - enjoying the sensation it created as it flowed through his bones. Something so amazing, surely he had to know what it was.
Watching James run, seeing his smooth skin glitter when they passed through a ray of sunlight, the answer hit him.
He knew this feeling - It was freedom.
The pure, careless freedom of a wild animal.
And Jasper thought it was beautiful, and he never, never wanted the feeling to leave.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Alice concluded telling Carlisle and Esme about the events of the past night. Her head hung low, chin against her chest.
“Should we search for them?” Rosalie asked.
Esme nodded. “It may be the best idea.”
“No.” It was Carlisle.
“Why not?”
“Jasper is beyond our control. We could catch him and hold onto him and hope for all of this to get better, but I believe that would be foolish. You know I don’t want this. I can hardly bear the idea of him as a killer - but that’s what he is. And I don’t think we have the right to deny him his true nature.”
“So… We leave him to do as he pleases? And let him murder?”
“Yes.”
“Are you serious, Carlisle?” Alice glared at the older vampire. “You’re just giving up on him? After everything you’ve done?”
“I am not giving up, Alice. I am just… letting him go, and allowing myself to hope.”
“Hope for what?”
“That when he is ready, he will come back to us.”