DISCLAIMER: This chapter starts two days after the events in the first chapter.

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Carlisle sat at the bar of the Mystic Grill, many empty shot glasses next to him. He stumbled as he got off of the barstool, but was able to catch himself by placing his hand out on the counter.

Standing upright, he strode past a table which held Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena. He tried to avoid them and vice versa. They're personalities clashed and Carlisle wasn't very social anyways.

"Oh my god. Are you drunk?" Caroline asked incrediously.

"No," Carlisle was interrupted by a small coughing fit.

"You look like hell. Are you sick? Why are you coughing?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Carlisle countered, putting his jacket on. He grabbed a french fry of Bonnie's plate, before leaving.

Bonnie rolled her eyes, before plucking up a french fry.
"Am I the only that thinks he's been acting weird? Well, weirder than usual?" She asked.

"No." Caroline and Elena replied in unison.

"Maybe he can't handle his alcohol." Elena offered with a shrug.

Caroline narrowed her eyes at her.
"We both know that the only thing he and Damon have in common is drinking so that's not true."

Elena hummed. "I guess I'm just grasping at straws here. He just moved here a month ago, it's not like we know what his usual demeanor is. Maybe a family member died?"

Bonnie looked thoughtful before nodding. "Yeah, maybe that's it. It's Stefan's problem anyway. You promised that we would hang out today, we need to keep our minds off of everything wrong in our lives for at least an hour or two."

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"Damon, just help me out will you?" Stefan looked more pissed than usual as he stood outside the door of Carlisle's apartment.

"Why did you drag me here, huh? He hates me. It's your problem if he's killing himself." Damon held his hands in mock surrender.

Stefan only gave a searing glare in reply.

"Like you said, he is a psycho's soulmate. A psycho who I want to be no where near. A psycho who is going to kill that man in there once he meets him and possibly everyone in the general vicinity."

"God, you asshole." Stefan slipped the spare key out of his pocket, unlocking the door before shooting another glare at his older brother, and stepping into apartment.

Stefan went to close the door in Damon's face before the other vampire placed his shoe in the doorway. The two brothers rolled their eyes nearly simultaneously before Stefan lead the way to Carlisle's room.

"Hey there, Carly. Haven't seen you in a while."

Carlisle only hummed in reply, his face still stuffed in his pillow.

"Bad sign. He didn't yell at me." Damon commented before Stefan punched him in the arm.

The two brothers continued their journey to Carlisle's bed while the witch cracked an eye half open to look at them.

"Brother dearest says your dying. Gotta agree with him on that one."

"It's juss' a cold." Carlisle mumbled with a deep raw voice.

"Well, that goes to show that you've been coughing up your lungs and have probably slept for 12 hours." Stefan pointed out.

"Come on, let's get ready for your husband to meet you." Damon smirked.

"Damon," Stefan warned with a glare.

"What the hell are you talking about." Carlisle said slowly.

The dark haired vampire waved his hand lightly in the hair. "Well, you're clearly dying to meet him."

"How did you know that?" Carlisle looked to Damon before narrowing his eyes at Stefan.
"Did you tell him?"

"He wouldn't have had to if I heard your heard skip a beat when you lied but you didn't. How did you do that?" Damon inquired with a tilt of his head and a step closer towards the bed.

"A spell." Carlisle didn't explain any further with a glare.

"Fine. Fine. But really, you're clearly going to die at this rate. Just meet the guy. Bonnie says you'll probably have to meet. Now that you know who your soulmate is you can't just ignore it. You're clearly getting worse." Damon grumbled.

"Look, If he wants to kill you, then we'll protect you." Damon offered with a shrug.

"Of course I know I have to meet him. Bonnie isn't as smart and all knowing as she thinks she is." Carlisle glared.

"And besides, I heard that you promised that same thing to Elena when Klaus was trying to kill her." Carlisle countered. He felt his spine tingle right as he had said the hybrid's name for the first time. Odd. Though he knew nothing about original soulmates so he assumed there may be more oddities along the way. That is, if he were to agree to meet him.

"You're dying, Carlisle. You look like you'll be dead by tomorrow. I'm sure Elijah will be there to protect you and so will we." Stefan gave a small reassuring smile while he sat down on the side of the witch's bed.

Carlisle sat up with a furrowed gaze. "I-I... I don't want to meet him. He'll kill me. I can feel it. Dying like this feels a little easier than that." He mumbled with a glance at Stefan's eyes before reverting back to his bedsheets.

"Just leave me alone for a bit," The witch hugged his friend before a raw cough rattled his chest, he quickly layed down again.
"Please?"

Stefan nodded, getting up and heading for the door while Damon followed.

As soon as Damon shut the door, Stefan turned to him with a desperate look adorning his face.

"We have to figure something out."