Chapter 38: Celeste Perrault – Friday, September 16th, 2016

Omens can come in many forms. They are clear as the day or ominous as the night. Interpretations can be limitless, but making the wrong assumption can be deadly.

Saturday, September 28th, 2013

"Celeste, can you hear me?"

Celeste could hear Joselyn's voice, but she could not see her. Laying on the ground in the DiMera owned castle in Urbino, she was bleeding from debris that had fallen on top of her. She was in excruciating pain, but even in her dilemma she could not stop thinking about Cameron. She hated Stefano for taking him away from her and wondered how Maddalena found out about him.

"Celeste, stay with me," Joselyn repeated.

Celeste searched her surroundings for Joselyn once more, but something else happened. She suddenly found herself standing in front of the casket for Stefano's funeral before the explosions went off. Those who attended stood around her yelling at Stefano for ruining their lives, but Celeste kept her focus on the casket.

A familiar ominous song began to play. "I danced with a million devils. Died from a life of sin. Made love to a million angels. Murdered a million men. There will be blood…"

Blood began to escape the cracks and creases of the casket in front of Celeste. She watched in horror as the flow grew stronger and faster by the second. Turning to face those around her, even Stefano, Celeste tried to warn everyone. "We must get out. Danger is here!" No one would listen though.

Coming out of her vision, Celeste laid on the ground injured. She remembered where she was when she heard Manny speak, "We'll get help."

Celeste saw Manny leave the destroyed castle with Theo and Joselyn. Now Lexie sat next to her. "Hold on, mom. I am so sorry for everything, and I wish I put more faith in you. I shouldn't have shut you out. I should have listened to you…"

Celeste looked to her daughter and tried to comfort her through her pain. "Darling, I am happy… you and Theo… are safe now. You must tell your brother… you have another brother… It is Cameron…"

With a nod, Lexie caressed the top of her mom's head. "I know mom. Just conserve your energy. We're getting you out of here."

(*)*(*)*(*)

Present: Friday, September 16th, 2016

After Chad left the hospital with Dario, Celeste thought about how she told Chad she did not sense anything bad happening at his wedding. He seemed determined to do whatever necessary to make sure Stefano did not get in the way. Focusing on her daughter, she asked, "Are you worried about Stefano?"

Lexie turned to her mother, and though she had fleeting concerns about what Chad would do, she told herself he would come to his senses and remember his focus should only be on Will. Remembering her plan to help her son, she replied, "I'm not really. I'm more concerned about Theo."

Confused, Celeste brought up, "You told Chad you were feeling positive about Theo's situation."

Lexie clarified, "I do believe Theo will be discharged today, but I also told Chad that so he would leave. I've been thinking, and I fear that if something doesn't change, Theo will keep ending up in the hospital only to take tests that will show nothing."

Celeste was happy Lexie wanted to discuss Theo's unusual circumstance, but before she could say anything, Cameron walked into the hospital waiting room and interrupted. With a look of realization, he said, "I can come back…"

Lexie swiftly stopped Cameron from leaving. "You're fine because we are waiting on news to see if Theo will be released today. I will go and find Daniel to see if there is any news."

Disappointed, Celeste watched as her daughter left. They would have to talk about Theo and his gift later.

Wednesday, March 5th, 2014

Now that Celeste had come out of her coma, Lexie and Nathan met with her to discuss her road to recovery and what it would look like. Since Theo walked out, Lexie felt more comfortable informing her mother on what happened and how she got to the hospital. After she and Nathan filled in most of the blanks, Celeste tried to process it all. "Thanks for taking good care of me. I want to talk to Theo though. I should also talk to Cameron – I didn't say much the last time he was here."

Lexie caught her mother's attention. "Slow down, mom. You will have time for all that after you are cleared to leave." She didn't think it would be wise if Celeste and Theo discussed anything else at this point because she didn't want to upset her son even more. She hoped Cameron was okay watching him.

Chad knocked on the door before entering. "I heard the good news and decided to stop by."

Seeing an opportunity, Lexie pulled Nathan aside and requested, "Can I talk to you in private?" After Nathan agreed, Lexie turned to her brother and asked, "Can you keep an eye on my mom to make sure she doesn't overdo anything."

"I will," Chad promptly promised. After Lexie and Nathan left, he moved closer to Celeste. "Do you remember anything that happened?"

Celeste thought about what Lexie and Nathan told her and what she could actually recount from her experience. "I remember some. I tried to stop the bombs from going off. I remember seeing Azzura's dead body. Did Theo tell anyone about it?" She remembered how Theo rushed out of the room because she couldn't help him get rid of his gift. She was so worried about him.

Shaking his head, Chad showed he was surprised by what Celeste said. "I had no idea you two actually saw Azzura's dead body."

Trying to sit up more, Celeste asked with some urgency in her voice, "Has there been any word from André?"

Confused, Chad gave Celeste a concerned look. "André is dead," he reminded her.

Celeste looked away to take in what Chad said. Rubbing the top of her head, she apologetically stated, "I meant Stefano. Not André. Stefano."

Chad scratched the back of his head wondering if he should be the one telling Celeste all of this. "EJ and Lexie saw Stefano before he managed to escape."

Noting that Chad did not call Stefano father, Celeste remembered a conversation she had with Stefano before he left Salem. "Once again, Stefano puts himself above all others."

"Are you really surprised by this?" Chad rhetorically questioned. Now that he and Will could focus on building their home again, he wanted to make sure Stefano didn't get in the way of that anymore.

Celeste continued to think about the conversation she had with Stefano in her old apartment. "I am not a cheerleader of Stefano's but in his own way, he does love his children even if it is an extremely dangerous and unstable love. At the end of 2012, he came to me because he was concerned about your involvement with Maddalena. He didn't want you to get mixed up with her."

Chad immediately shook his head. "This is a joke because after Maddalena stabbed him on the pier, he asked me to return to Salem to help him figure out who stabbed him while also requesting I keep his big secret of him actually being awake. He told me he didn't know who was responsible, but it was a lie because he already did. It was only a ploy to set up Maddalena and get some sort of sick entertainment from everyone he knew." Trying to control the contempt inside of him, he continued, "Stefano never cared for me in the end. It's all fun and games for him, and when someone gets hurt, it's even better for him."

Celeste could see Chad was clearly jaded. "Did you only come here to check on me?" she frankly asked.

With some shame on his face, Chad admitted, "I came to see if you could help me."

"What sort of assistance do you need?"

Taking a moment to breathe deeply, Chad eventually shared, "I want to know if you have any insight on how to be rid of Stefano permanently."

Celeste's brain returned to when she was alone with Stefano in her apartment. "Something strange happened the same night I had that conversation with Stefano about you and Maddalena," she admitted before revealing, "Stefano left while accidentally dropping a pin on the floor. When I picked it up, I felt something dark – a dark energy that told me a tragedy was coming."

Intrigued, Chad questioned, "Did you see anything specifically?"

Celeste swallowed recognizing that the feeling was still impacting her in this moment. She looked to Chad and said, "I saw this all ending with Stefano in a pool of blood."

Hearing Celeste's words, a memory came to Chad. "He did end up that way on the pier when he was stabbed… well, I can't remember if he was actually in a pool of his own blood though." Wracking his brain on trying to remember the exact details of that night, he continued, "Things didn't end there either though."

With an anxious sigh, Celeste admitted, "I believe Stefano's attack on the pier was connected to my omen, but it's possible I could be wrong." She began to rub her head again as she suddenly felt overcome due to overworking herself.

Chad realized he may be pushing Celeste too much. "Are you okay?"

Continuing to rub her head, Celeste maintained, "I will be fine, but my Self is slowly coming back to reality." She took a moment to rest her brain before saying, "After you escaped Salem, I left as well because I felt compelled to leave. I had to protect the family by searching for secrets connected to Maddalena, Azzura, and Madeline. I was close to uncovering a tie with André, but then I felt the pull to return you to Salem so the answers could become clearer."

Chad reflected on the contents of his mother's diary and how the secrets within it were revealed. "I am still looking into finding more information from my mother's past, but it's been difficult. Maybe we have learned what we needed. Maddalena lost Gustavo because of Stefano. Maddalena pushed André away afterwards. Stefano took in André and used his abandonment for his own gain."

"André was psychotic, but also very intelligent," Celeste cut in.

Releasing a long audible sigh, Chad stated, "It's a good thing André killed himself because Stefano doesn't need access to that kind of psychotic intellect anymore."

Celeste felt a chill and nodded her head in agreement.

Present: Friday, September 16th, 2016

After Cameron headed out to meet Chelsea at Salem Place, Lexie turned to her mother and said, "I couldn't find Daniel. He must be with Dr. Wesley and the radiologist. You and I really need to talk about Theo."

Celeste quickly agreed. "Alexandra, I am concerned because Theodore may have caused this by fighting his gift."

Surprising her mother, Lexie admitted, "I have realized this and just wanted to see the first tests to make sure. I also kept you away to avoid upsetting Theo further because he doesn't want to talk to me about it either. I don't need Daniel to come in and tell me there's still nothing showing up on the results. Will this continue to happen as long as he pushes these visions or feelings out?"

With some fear, Celeste regretfully confirmed it. "I believe so."

Lexie rubbed her forehead and said, "I know Theo is stuck on the idea that he should not accept his gift, but I will do what I have to do. With you driving the both of us home, I will try to convince Theo to talk to you."

Daniel abruptly entered the room with news. "Theo has been cleared for discharge as the results are still in the clear. It seems this won't happen again. Although we don't have any answers as to what could have caused the seizure, I need you to look for signs."

Agreeing to Daniel's instructions, Lexie thanked him before following Daniel to Theo's room to help him get ready. Celeste still felt anxious about the ride home.

Thursday, May 22nd, 2014

After being discharged from the hospital, Celeste met with Cameron at the pub to talk to him one on one for the first time since she remembered his birth. She also now realized how her dreams that featured the theme from Swan Lake were trying to tell her about Cameron's existence. "There is so much we need to discuss because you are my son, and I had no idea until before the explosion. Stefano took those memories from me after taking you away from me. I am sorry I was unaware."

Even though he had some time to adjust to finding out his true parentage, Cameron still felt a bit overwhelmed by it. For one, Celeste had been in a coma for a lot of the time since he discovered the truth, and two, he struggled with the fact that Stefano gave him away because he was half black. "Stefano is truly evil for what he did, but I am thankful I had Maxine for a mother because she really did raise me in the best way."

Celeste reflected on how she gave Lexie away and told Cameron, "I do not want this to be uncomfortable. I understand you already have a mother." She remembered the original name she gave Cameron: Alexandru.

"I still want to know you and my sister though," Cameron maintained. Even if this was uncomfortable, he did not want to let that get in the way of what he knew he should do. Celeste definitely deserved the opportunity to know him.

With a nod, Celeste replied, I want that as well." Glancing down at her hands, she showed her insecurities with the way she couldn't sit calmly. "I am not perfect. Have you spent much time with Alexandra and Theodore?"

Cameron confirmed it. "Theo seems more comfortable around me now, and Brandon has helped with that. I'm really excited about Theo's birthday coming up…" Focusing on his sister, he shared, "Lexie is in a better place, and we have bonded as well. I have learned so much about her past and how it has shaped her."

"Has Alexandra discussed my past?"

"I know some of it," Cameron revealed. "I know you have a complicated history with Stefano, which I guess should be obvious since Lexie and I exist."

Continuing to focus on her hands, Celeste spoke, "I asked my sister to take care of Alexandra to protect her from Stefano because of the biracial issue." She raised her head somewhat as she continued, "Unfortunately, I was unable to hide my pregnancy when I was pregnant with you."

Cameron heard shame in Celeste's voice and admitted, "It's hard to know Stefano didn't want me because I am half black, but then I think about how Stefano came around concerning Lexie…"

Celeste finally made eye contact with Cameron once again. She warned, "Be careful because Stefano can pull you in making you believe it is safe and a warm love he has to offer." Shaking her head, she shamefully confessed, "I am guilty of many horrible actions. I did them for Stefano. I planted false memories in Hope Brady. I almost burned Marlena and John Black alive in Maison Blanche because I was obsessed with Stefano's love. I was jealous of the way he felt about Marlena."

Before Celeste could continue confessing, Cameron grabbed her hands to stop her. "You don't have to do this because Lexie has told me about Stefano's influence and how he uses broken people to his advantage. I understand you made decisions you are not proud of, but you also seem to be where you need to be to protect everyone from Stefano now."

Celeste nodded her head taking in Cameron's words. "I have dedicated my life to keeping my family safe. Again, I apologize I was not aware of your birth because my life may have played out differently if I remembered your existence and how you were taken away."

Trying to take the guilt away from Celeste, Cameron upheld, "Everything happens for a reason. It will all work out now."

Celeste continued to agree with Cameron while noting it was hard to read him.

Present: Friday, September 16th, 2016

While waiting for Theo and Lexie, Celeste pulled out her tarot cards due to her inability to escape a strange feeling all day. As she shuffled her deck, she felt as though something was coming and wished to fully understand it.

Celeste laid a few of her cards on the table. She flipped over the first one revealing the Death card. What did this mean? Celeste needed to know more.

Just as Celeste was about to flip over another card, Maxine entered the waiting room. "What on earth do you think you're doing? You can't do that here."

Celeste immediately put her cards away and tried to placate Maxine. "I was only passing time until Alexandra and Theodore were ready."

Maxine decided not to make a big deal about it and shared, "Lexie sent me to tell you they are ready to leave and are waiting for you near the nurses' station. It's good that Theo is going to be fine."

"Thanks for letting me know," Celeste said with a pleased nod. She couldn't help note though how awkward things remained between her and Maxine.

Tuesday, June 17th, 2014

Arriving to the hospital for a checkup, Celeste exited the elevator and found Maxine standing near the nurses' station. Since she had time to spare, she approached her. "Nurse Maxine, I would like to discuss Cameron with you if you have time." She wondered if there was something hidden from Cameron's past that she needed to uncover.

Maxine turned around revealing a look of discomfort. "I've been meaning to reach out to you but I kept putting it off," she admitted. She didn't know how to feel about the town psychic being the real mother of the son she raised.

To help with the uneasiness of this conversation, Celeste reiterated, "You are Cameron's mother. You raised him and watched him grow. I do wonder though, what he was like growing up."

Relaxing a bit, Maxine didn't look directly at Celeste as she reminisced on her son's childhood. "Cameron was a good kid. He got into things and was always very curious, but he did what he was told to do and was extremely helpful in a very direct way."

"I have noticed that about his personality," Celeste acknowledged aloud. "What of the father who helped raise him?"

Celeste's latest question through Maxine off. A tension returned in her body as she revealed, "He went missing one night…"

"What happened?" Celeste immediately questioned. The considerate tone she used before was no longer there.

The tension only increased. "I do not want to discuss that with you," Maxine adamantly refrained. "Now, if you want to discuss Cameron in any other form such as his health issues and high IQ score, I am more than welcome to discuss those things, but my former husband is off limits."

Hearing that Cameron had health issues, Celeste requested, "Please tell me more about his health."

Maxine showed she still felt very uncomfortable and flustered. She purposely looked at the time and apologized, "I am sorry, but I no longer have time to talk. We should try again another time."

Celeste watched as Maxine walked away in a hurry. She knew the woman who raised Cameron was not genuine in her apology and only wanted to escape having to say anything more. Celeste wondered what it all meant. Who was Maxine's husband?

Present: Friday, September 16th, 2016

In the parking garage at the hospital, Lexie convinced Theo to sit in the front seat next to his grandmother as Celeste drove them home. Celeste kept her eyes on the road but would glance at her grandson here and there. "How are you feeling, Theodore?"

Theo focused outside of his window. He knew his mom wanted him to talk to Celeste about what happened, but he still wasn't sure that was a good idea. "I'm fine. I want to get home so I can get ready for the rehearsal dinner tonight."

From the back seat, Lexie shared, "Chad said you don't have to go if you aren't up to it."

"I still want to go," Theo unflinchingly declared.

Trying to get her grandson to open up more, Celeste asked, "Do you remember anything when you had your seizure?"

Theo rested his head against the tinted window and said, "I don't want to talk about it." He wondered if his mother told her mom that he had a vision.

Celeste wasn't going to give up. "How did you manage to suppress your gift? It seems like you haven't had an episode in a long time."

Theo stalled but showed he was remembering something by the perplexed expression on his face. Lexie noted it right away even though she was sitting in the back. "Theo, tell me what you did."

Figuring he should just be honest, Theo admitted, "I got help from someone."

"Who did you get help from?" Celeste asked with concern.

Theo was not going to tell them who and realized he shouldn't have said anything at all. "It doesn't matter at this point because it worked."

Celeste made eye contact with Lexie through the rearview mirror. "I'm not so sure it did because of your seizure."

Getting frustrated, Theo firmly pushed, "Can we just drop this?"

Lexie patted Theo's shoulder because she didn't want to get him worked up. "Fine. We'll leave you alone." She figured they could get more from him later once he was home.

Celeste remained quiet dissecting the little Theo did share. Who did he get help from? How did he find this person?

Sunday, July 27th, 2014

Making lunch for Theo while he sat at the table, Celeste tried to get her grandson to talk about his gift. "Have you finally accepted it or do you still believe you can be rid of it?"

Theo knew right away what his grandmother was referring to. "You told me you would not help me, so I have nothing to say to you about it."

Celeste took a seat next to Theo and cautioned him. "The best thing you can do is accept it and let it happen. Your life will be a lot easier if you do so." Calming her tone, she continued, "I will help train you as I was trained in Tibet…"

Scoffing at the idea that his life would be simpler if he accepted his gift, Theo interjected, "It would be easier if I didn't have it. I will find a way to get rid of it."

Wishing she could get through to Theo, Celeste admitted, "You may be able to suppress it, but you will never be rid of your gift."

Standing from the table, Theo announced, "I'm not hungry," before heading to his room. He had already found a way she may not have realized was there and decided not to tell her because he feared she would try to talk him out of it.

Celeste leaned back and sighed.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Present: Friday, September 16th, 2016

After telling Lexie and Theo that she would check in with them later and to have fun at the party, Celeste exited the Carver house deciding against attending Chad and Will's party because she needed to contact some of her past connections. Leaving the front door for her car, she found Ciara approaching the Carver home. "Ciara, what are you doing here?"

Ciara looked up to where Theo's room was. "Are Theo and Lexie here? I heard Theo got released."

"They are," Celeste confirmed. "They are getting ready for the party tonight."

Pulling out Abe's watch, Ciara looked it over. "I guess I should just wait to give this back to Theo tonight then."

Celeste studied the watch in Ciara's hand and asked, "How did you get that?" She felt a powerful energy exuding Abe's watch.

Thinking nothing of it, Ciara explained, "Theo gave it to me yesterday when we talked at the hospital."

Celeste remembered when Lexie led Ciara to talk to Theo. "Did Theodore tell you of his experience?"

"He did," Ciara confessed as she thought about what Theo told her. She looked up from the watch and into Celeste's eyes. Sensing a familiarity unexpectedly, fear began to fill her body. She did not understand what exactly triggered it.

"What happened?"

Ciara looked into Celeste's ravenous eyes and realized why she suddenly felt so fearful. She swallowed hard remembering how she cowered to the teacher in her dream. It was like she was in that room all over again. Unable to control her lips, Ciara revealed, "I'm worried about Theo. Theo had a vision again and in his vision, he saw Stefano."

Celeste stepped back in shock breaking the strong link between her and Ciara. "He saw Stefano?" she questioned. "Did he give you any specifics?"

With the link severed, Ciara wiped her eyes because they had started to water due to her lack of self-control. "I… I shouldn't have told you that just now. I promised Theo I wouldn't."

Seeing the uncertain guilt upon Ciara's face, Celeste assured her, "Do not worry because we need to help Theodore with this. You must keep talking to him about it, okay?"

Ciara felt extremely uncomfortable with what just happened. "I don't feel right doing that. I… I have to go… I have to get ready for the party, too."

Celeste watched as Ciara rushed off with Abe's watch still in her hand. She wondered what Stefano was up to now.