CHAPTER TWO
WALK TO HELL
JASPER AND KATHERINE HAD TAKEN UP A TEMPORARY RESIDENCE A FEW TOWNS OVER FROM MYSTIC FALLS. Jasper had been trying to get Katherine to leave for a few days, but she refused to go until they talked about what had happened.
Currently, the two were sitting across from each other in a booth in a small diner called Denny's Diner. Katherine was explaining the current situation of Mystic Falls. She seemed nervous. On edge. As if she were waiting for something bad to happen.
"So what I gathered is Klaus hasn't been seen since Damon tried to kill him, Stefan saved him and gained his freedom, you practically laughed on his doorstep and I killed his father?" Jasper looked at Katherine with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds normal to me."
Katherine groaned. "You don't get it, Jas," She exclaimed. "He's been gone for almost a week. He's getting under all our skin– making us paranoid, waiting for the perfect time to strike and it's working okay? Its working."
"Then why are you still here, Katherine?"
Katherine looked at Jasper as if he'd grown a second head. Jasper raised an eyebrow asking a silent what. "Are you serious right now?" Katherine asked. "I'm here because the man you've been dreaming of since your mother died is Klaus and you haven't muttered a word about it since you first saw him!" Her voice softened when she noticed Jasper was now staring intently at his plate. "I'm worried about you."
Jasper was silent for a few moments. Thoughts from the week came surfacing. What was he supposed to say?
"What am I supposed to say?" He whispered. "It's a sick joke. The one thing that had kept me sane for over five hundred years was just ripped away from me. The man in my dreams is the one whose been hunting my best friend her entire life? If this soulmate thing witches have been feeding me is real then it's a joke. This fate thing covens all over the world have told me about is a joke, Katherine," His voice had grown harsh the more he talked. He inhaled deeply while running his hand through his hair. "I'm at the center of it. I've been made into a fool." He laughed and looked out the window into the parking lot where a small child had fallen and their mother was now cradling them.
The two sat in silence. Katherine taking in Jaspers words and Jasper marvelling over his feelings. The waiter, Clara, a young blonde no older than seventeen came and refilled their drinks. Jasper shot her a smile that made blood rush to the young girls cheeks and she quickly scurried behind the counter.
"It doesn't make any sense," Katherine finally said redirecting his attention back to her. "You've never done anything to deserve a doomed fate."
"I was casted away from my birth coven before I was even born because a witch had visions that I was literally doomed to be evil." Jasper deadpanned.
"You weren't born yet. You were a baby. Those visions could have been based on how you would have been raised in that coven. Visions change. We both know that." Katherine stated.
Jasper understood the words and recognised the truth in them but he himself found them hard to believe. His biological family got rid of him before he took his first breath. They didn't even name him.
Katherines phone going off broke Jasper from his thoughts. Katherine set down her fork and turned over the phone that had been laying face down on the table and unlocked it. She was reading something on the screen that seemed to unrev her.
Jasper leaned forward curious as to what or who caused the sudden mood change. "What is it?"
"Damon," Katherine started. "He sent a warning. Klaus showed up at the Grill a few minutes ago. Said he was looking for Stefan because he stole something from him," A smile played at Katherines lips when she read that sentence making Jasper suspicious, but before he could comment on it she continued. "Apparently he had a hybrid following Elena all morning," She paused. "He didn't mention anything about you."
Jasper nodded. Klaus not mentioning him to Damon was an extremely good thing. His and Damons history was not good. Taking into account Damon killed him.
Katherine looked at Jasper for a moment before speaking. "Go back to Mystic Falls," Jasper went to protest but Katherine stopped him. "And before you say no, I think you need closure. Whether it's to prove to yourself that he isn't the same man you dream of or if you guys are connected in a completely different way. You need to know."
Jasper hesitantly nodded. "I'll cast another cloaking spell for safety when we get back to the apartment."
Katherine scowled at the mention of the apartment Jasper made her compel. It was smaller than she was used to. If it was up to Katherine, she would have gotten a house in a nice suburban neighborhood, but Jasper didn't want that. He felt having space that ended up being unused was pointless. Being alone in a big space made him feel lonely.
Staying with Katherine was always nice. Jasper met her extremely early into his immortality and had a close bond with her. She was in a way his little sister. Living with her was like finally staying with family. He enjoyed it.
Jasper went up to the counter while Katherine headed out to the car. He was counting money when a new voice spoke. "Your girlfriend is really pretty."
Jasper looked up and locked eyes with Clara. He laughed and looked out the window to Katherine who was applying lipgloss in the mirror of the car. "Oh, her?" He asked rhetorically. "No, not my girlfriend. She's my sister."
Clara looked surprised, so Jasper continued with a more logical lie. "We're adopted." He smiled. Clara made a surprised face and her embarrassment was evident, "Oh I'm so sorry! I just assumed and-" When she noticed Jaspers amused look she stopped and looked down as blood rushed to her cheeks. She began messing with the register. "That'll be 20 dollars and 43 cents."
Jasper nodded and pulled out the cash plus a bit more. He handed it over to Clara who seemed to choke at the amount of money being handed in her hands. "This is like, way more than 20."
Jasper nodded. "I know," He winked and began walking backwards towards the door. "Hope I'll see you around, Clara."
Jasper had a foot out the door when he heard a rushed wait. He turned his head to see Clara. "What's your name?"
He smiled. "Jasper."
He walked out the door and slid into the drivers side of the car where Katherine was glaring. "Have fun flirting?"
Jasper just laughed as he pulled out of the parking lot.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
When Jasper got back to the apartment he started off by casting a cloaking spell on Katherine, but when the realisation dawned that the two were separating he casted an extra spell. A simple protection spell for safety measures.
He also packed all his things. Which wasn't a lot. Enough to fit in a vintage duffel bag he'd had for a few decades and a backpack Katherine had gotten him for Christmas in the twenties. While they were packing Katherine decided to stay in Jaspers penthouse in New York. It settled his nerves. No vampires besides Katherine were invited in, Katherine couldn't be compelled because she was on vervain and to get into his penthouse was nearly impossible due to the security measures.
Katherine stole a car from a car lot where the two shared their goodbyes and separated. Katherine heading to New York and Jasper back to Mystic Falls. He decided he was going to stay under the radar for as long as possible, but he knew he needed to be on the lookout for Stefan. Katherine had something to do with whatever Stefan stole from Klaus. Wherever Stefan would be Klaus was going to be close behind and personally Jasper wanted to avoid that conversation for as long as he could.
The town he and Katherine were staying in was three hours outside of Mystic Falls. Usually, long drives are calming for Jasper, but this one was anything but. He was nervous. How was he going to do this?
When he passed the Welcome to Mystic Falls sign again he tensed even more. He had a destination in mind, he just didn't know how it was going to play out. Jasper didn't like not knowing.
He drove through the silent town. It was late and he thought maybe there was a town curfew with all the vampire attacks.
Turning into the neighborhood Jaspers heart was racing. Seeing the house he could swear it was going to come out of his chest. He didn't know how long he sat in front of the house contemplating on getting out, but he finally did. He walked up the sidewalk and onto the porch. He stared at the door and before he could back out, knocked.
He stepped back and waited. Looking around the neighborhood when the door opened. He turned and the air left his lungs.
"Hi, can I help you?" Her voice sounded like Amelias.
He looked at her for a moment then smiled. "Bonnie Bennett I presume?"
Bonnie tensed. Her grip on the door visibly becoming tighter. "How do you know me?"
"Did Shelly really take down the pictures?"
Bonnies anger turned to confusion. "Who?"
Jasper then realised he had used a nickname and quickly corrected himself. "Sheila Bennett. Your grams correct?"
Bonnie opened the door a little wider. "How do you know my grams?" She asked defensively.
Jasper smiled attempting to settle Bonnies nerves a little. "I'm Jasper," he started. "I–" but Bonnie cut him off.
"Your him," Bonnie said in disbelief. "You were married to my Great Grandma- Amelia, right?" She asked.
Jasper shook his head, his face becoming solem at the mention if Amelia. "We never married, no."
Bonnie seemed to have the realisation. "That means your a–"
"A vampire?" He asked while raising a brow. He took a few steps forward till he was inside the house with Bonnie looking confused as ever. He walked further in the foyer and turned his head over his shoulder to Bonnie. "Pardon my intrusion, I'll answer all your questions, but I need you to answer mine."
Bonnie turned defensive and crossed her arms over her chest. "So what? You barge in here and demand answers? Grams said you were like a father to her and then you died. Then you mysteriously show up on her doorstep decades later asking her granddaughter for help? You come back because you want something? Do you even know that she's dead?"
Jasper looked down at his feet. "I know of her death and the circumstances surrounding it. I know of Damon Salvatore and his involvement. I know Lia died because of him. I know you're being controlled and used by vampires," He paused. "I can help. With your magic. I can make it to where no vampire will mess with you, but I do still need your help, Bonnie."
Bonnie sighed. "With what?"
"Klaus. The hybrid."
Bonnie looked startled. "What do you want to know about him?" She looked anxious and Jasper narrowed his eyes.
"Preferably what Stefan Salvatore stole from him."
Bonnie seem like she was having an internal conflict. She wanted to tell Jasper something, but she couldn't. She looked around and then grabbed Jaspers arm startling him. Visions passed in his head of vampires, Bonnie crying, her being continuously used and pushed around. When she let go she hesitantly raised her eyes to his. "What happened to you?"
Jasper smiled sadly. "A lot," he said softly. "And I want to stop you from feeling everything you just did that I have lived through at the hands of vampires. Will you help me?"
Bonnie nodded.
Bonnie began walking up the stairs and motioned for Jasper to follow. He followed her to the last door at the end of the hallway where she walked in. The room was nice. Purple with hints of innocence. Things were scattered around, presumingly from how stressed she'd been lately. Jasper stood in the doorway as Bonnie ruffled through papers on her desk till she picked up a book. A grimoire Jasper recognised to be Emilys.
"Stefan stole Klaus' family," Bonnie rushed out shocking Jasper with the information. "For the past few days I've been having dreams about these coffins. Klaus was always in one of them. I decided to follow the dream to the place and that's where I found Stefan. Apparently Klaus kept his family with him at all times. Daggered and stored in coffins. Stefan stole them after Klaus released him from his compulsion. There's one coffin that he can't open. It's spelled shut and Stefan think whatever or whoever is in it can kill Klaus," She paused reigning in her breath. She looked up at Jasper. "He's forcing me to cloak them in the old house where a hundred witched were burned. The witches are helping me because they hate Klaus, but it's wearing me out and I don't know how long I can do it. The witches were mad at me before all this, so I can't depend on them. And he wants me to try and open the fourth coffin. I don't know what he'll do to me if I refuse. He's completely focused on ruining Klaus," She paused then began whispering. "It's like his only emotion is pure anger."
Jasper froze. Katherine had something to do with this. Using Stefan as a distraction so she could escape or making Stefan finish what they started in a different way. Bonnie was flipping through the grimoire when Jasper spoke. "The spell your looking for won't be in that," He began noticing he gained Bonnies attention. "He walked over to Bonnies' bed and sat down. "Emily I doubt would have a spell for something like that, but if you want to you can look through my grimoires. I might have something in there from the centuries that could help."
Noticing Bonnie hadn't spoken he looked up at her. "What?"
"You're immortal... and a witch."
"Yes." Jasper nodded.
"How? That's not possible." Bonnie looked at him dumbfounded.
Jasper shrugged. "I don't know." Honesty was always the best route to go with another witch. Especially a Bennett.
"How do you not know?"
"I don't know."
Bonnie paused. "How old are you?"
"I was born in 1412," Jasper paused doing math in his head. "I turned 598 in September."
"Wow," Bonnie said. "You're like, old old."
Jasper laughed loudly and shook his head at the witch who was smiling. "Come on, little witch," Jasper stood holding his hand out for Bonnie. "We have a night of spell searching ahead of us."
Bonnie looked at his hand and sighed before taking it and standing. Jasper smiled at the witch to which Bonnie returned.
All Jasper knew he was going to help Bonnie Bennett to protect herself from the vampires of Mystic Falls.
She was a Bennett after all. Bennetts aren't supposed to be at the mercy of others. Others are at the mercy of Bennetts.
Jasper was going to remind Bonnie of that.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
kais notes. jasper dated sheilas mom and helped raise sheila, but eventually had to fake his death to protect his secret.