Work Text:
In 1918, when Elizabeth Masen begged Carlisle to save her son, no matter what, Carlisle called on Jasper.
And so, Jasper Whitlock was the one who turned Edward Masen.
He sat with the boy through the entire three-day transformation. Carlisle had been careful to inject the boy with an overwhelming dose of morphine before he let Jasper sink his teeth into him. So, Edward was trapped inside a motionless body that was filled to the brim with agony.
Jasper let himself feel what he protected Edward from, because he was the cause after all. It was his venom that tormented Edward so.
When the three days were up and Edward’s scarlet eyes opened, Carlisle and Jasper were ready with a bucket full of deer’s blood to tamp down that all-consuming thirst. It would be best to start Edward as a vegetarian, so he would not know the temptation that plagued Jasper all the more after his years as the doctor’s assistant.
He could start as he was meant to go on and never know the true depths of the temptation of human blood.
Edward Masen was gifted in much the same way as Jasper. As Jasper knew the feelings that sat in the hearts of men, Edward knew their every thought. He looked into the core of Jasper and Carlisle that day and found them to be better men than he ever thought he could be.
It was Jasper who noticed it first, the subtle shift in the color of Edward’s eyes. He didn’t want to say anything, the boy could be following Jasper’s lead, ending the suffering of those who begged in the dark for their end to arrive.
Who was he to tell Edward how to help others?
After all, he himself gave in to the vice that was drinking from humans time and again.
But then he came across Edward holding down a struggling patient . . . a patient who radiated pure terror. A patient meant to be discharged the next day.
Jasper had never felt such strong dread in his life, and it was all his.
Sick, rapturous pleasure was radiating off of Edward as he pried himself away from the dead woman’s neck.
Jasper was bereft at the loss of her terror. She was gone. Snuffed out when she was ready to go home.
Edward smiled at him; teeth stained a brilliant red that matched his eyes. He was pleased with himself.
“I’ve saved them,” he said into the quiet.
Jasper felt Carlisle at his back then, felt the horror climbing up his spine to settle over his heart.
“Edward . . .”
“I saved them from this wretched existence. You couldn’t hear them, they’re better off now. Their thoughts were full of cries for death, for an end . . . for me.”
Jasper’s thoughts were racing, he could barely tell which way was up as he stared down the boy he had accepted as his brother. The boy he’d made a murderer.
“That’s what you think of me, Jasper? A murderer. A monster.” Edward laughed. Then dead serious, asked, “You think you’re better?”
“I don’t.”
He had spent the last few decades doing as Edward had done. . . but he’d never had to restrain his victims as Edward had, had never taken such pleasure in ending a life.
Edward snarled, “Don’t lie to me!”
Jasper didn’t flinch, held out a hand, intending to soothe, but Edward was gone before Jasper could even think to use his powers to calm him.