Don't Hold This War Inside

Carlisle couldn't explain how, but he knew something was terribly wrong. he was staying at an inn in Dublin for the night. He planned on seeing an old friend of his, Siobhan.

He hadn't even gotten to Siobhan's home yet but he knew he had to go back to London. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Caroline.

Charles smiled maniacally to himself as he walked down the old dirt road in Torreon, Mexico. He knew his Maria was not far.

He walked a little farther and saw the camp. He walked around and saw Jasper and Maria talking quietly on the balcony of the cabin.

Maria smiled sweetly as a laugh escaped her lips. Jasper smiled back, linking his hand in hers.

Rage boiled inside of Charles.

He could not believe what he was seeing. If anything, this justified his killing Caroline even more.

His whole purpose was to destroy Jasper as he did when he stole Maria from him. His eyes held fire in them as he walked slowly toward the balcony.

"Maria." he said, relish in his voice.

Maria spun around, shock on her face. She hadn't expected to see Charles again, at least not for a few decades. Jasper looked slightly puzzled.

The last time he had seen Charles, he had told him to go take those prisoners down to Galveston Bay.

"Charles, you should not be here. It is too dangerous." Jasper said, ignoring the slight burning in the back of his throat.

"Why? I am a vampire, Jasper. Nothing is too dangerous for me."

Jasper's mouth fell slightly. "Maria, turned you too?" he asked.

Charles let out a long and condescending laugh. "Of course, not. I turned her."

Jasper pulled his hand from maria's and looked at her. "Maria, what is going on here?"

Maria's lips formed a straight line as she thought about how awkward this situation must seem. She had never told Jasper that Charles was a vampire or that he was her mate.

"Jasper, Charles was...is my mate." Maria stated almost reluctantly.

"Excuse me?" Jasper practically yelled, immediately stepping away

"You seem so surprised, Jasper. Imagine how surprised I was to learn that you had stolen Maria from me. Now, for a moment if you will, imagine how surprised you will be when you learn that I killed your sweet, precious Caroline." Charles said, almost as if he were talking about the weather.

Jasper's mind seemed to take a few moments to absorb this information. He had thought that for the past two years that Caroline had married another, maybe had a family by now.

"You killed...Caroline?" Jasper asked, his voice shaky. He could feel anger and guilt boiling in him.

Charles chuckled to himself. "My, my, Maria. Not very smart, is he?"

it felt as if something snapped inside Jasper. He ran at Charles, tackling him to the ground. Charles tried to throw him off but couldn't.

Jasper sunk his teeth into Charles' neck as he quickly tore his arm off. Charles screamed out in pain. But Jasper did not care.

Charles would pay for what he did to Caroline, and he would pa in earnest.

"Jasper, stop!" Maria screamed out in horror.

But Jasper was not listening. All he could focus on was killing Charles. Soon, several of Charles' limbs were littered across the ground. Jasper lit a fire within seconds, tossing his remains inside.

"NO!" Maria screeched.

Ha, Jasper thought. She sure does care an awful lot about him. She hasn't even come after me yet.

Soon, purple smoke filled the air, a sweet sickly smell coating the area. Jasper turned around to Maria who looked distraught.

"Are you leaving?" Maria asked, slight nervousness in her voice.

Jasper looked at her hard in the face. "I have nothing more to say to you and Maria, I am nothing if not a man of my word." he said quietly and venomously before he walked off.

When Carlisle got to the apartment and saw the door slightly ajar, he knew something was definitely not right.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside the foyer. He expected Lucy to come bustling down the stairs, but what he got was the total opposite. Lucy was sprawled across the floor, her throat gone.

He edged around her body and went to find Caroline. Where was Caroline?

Carlisle looked everywhere before looking in the library.

There, he saw Caroline lying across the floor, her eyes wide open, staring up at the ceiling. Panic and dread filled his stomach as he walked closer to her body.

He was so certain that she was dead.

Until he heard her heartbeat.

It was slow, so very slow.

He could smell the venom coursing through her blood.

A vampire had done this to her.

Charles.

How had he not known?

How could he have been so stupid?

Carlisle kneeled over Caroline, whispering soothing words to her. He knew that when she woke up, he would have a lot to explain.