Chapter Fourteen
From high up above, Cameron watched her relive that horrendous night, his heart breaking with each tear she shed. "I never meant to leave you, " he whispered, hoping she would be able to hear.
Seeing what he had to do, minutes later, he paced in front of the closed office door. He had to play this right. If he barged right in and just went off, he'd never be able to get what he wanted. Taking a few deep breaths and shrugging his shoulders in an attempt to relax, he turned and lifted his fist to knock.
Before his hand even hit the door, he heard a voice from inside say "Come on in, Cameron."
Cam pulled the door open and crossed the threshold.
"I'd ask how you knew it was me - but that'd be a stupid question," he said to the distinguished looking gray haired man, sitting calmly behind the desk.
"Young man, there are no stupid questions, except maybe the one you're really here to ask me. I'll save you the trouble. The answer is no." he replied.
"She needs me, Ed," Cameron began to plead his case.
"That, my boy, is debatable."
"No - it's not!" he insisted, forgetting his plan to stay calm. "Can't you see that? I mean, just look at her!"
"I've looked at her - but there's your real trouble. You need to stop looking."
These kids are never happy. They're literally in heaven, and all they want is to be on earth.
It was that blasted satellite feed that was the problem, Ed sighed. They had access to too much. He'd pull the plug on Cam if he had to.
Cameron would not give up easily. He decided to try another tactic. One he was pretty good at. He tried to turn on the charm.
"C'mon, Boss, - please - I'm willing to volunteer, you need someone down there to help with all this anyway."
"Oh, no - no you don't. I clearly was not born yesterday. Don't bother to try that helpful little angel act on me. You're not the first one I've heard that from today - you just missed her mother. And I'm going to tell you the exact same thing I told her. I have someone down there already."
Cam laughed out loud "You're kidding me, right? Ed, look who you've got down there now. You must be out of your mind! You actually sent Casey!"
"My mind is perfectly sound and it's no joke. Casey's got the job. So just relax, you're staying right here."
Cameron knew his next words might be a mistake - but he was beyond caring. Nothing mattered to him anymore but being able to get back to Abby.
"I never knew you were such a hypocrite."
"Watch yourself, son" Ed warned, looking Cam straight in the eye.
"One thing's certain, I am NOT your son." Cameron shot back, his voice bitter and shaking with rage.
Glaring back at Ed he continued, "If I was, you'd let me go."
The kid was beginning to make him lose his patience. Ed's voice was dangerously calm as he warned Cam again.
"I advise you to be very careful. You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh - Pardon me, but I think that I do. I know what you did for him, and I know that he's down there right now, living a life with the woman he loves. Clearly, there are two sets of rules up here." Cam replied, his voice still angry but the tone had softened a bit.
Ed chose to ignore this comment. He knew speaking his next words would be risky, but he hoped in the end, he could make Cam understand.
"Cameron, if you don't like what I have to say - fine. You could be down there with her in the blink of an eye if that's what you really want."
Hope filled his heart, and lit up his face. "W-what? I can? But you just said.."
Ed cut him off as he gestured across the room. "Just open up that door and take the elevator to the basement. I'm sure when you get there they'd be more than happy to help you."
Cam stared at him. He was sure there'd consequences, but he also knew if he did just that, he'd be able to see her again, to help her, to touch her, to hold her. At that moment, there was no decision to make. The mere thought of being able to be with her again had him crossing the room quickly.
The scene was eerily familiar. It saddened Ed to remember the one in his memory as it had played out not that long ago.
"You may not be my son, but my God - you are so much like him." He said quietly. "Go ahead, but I am warning you. It would by no means be as easy as you think. This second chance would come at a tremendous price. There are tricks they'd use on you that you cannot even begin to imagine."
Hoping he'd been able to get through to him, Ed said finally, "If you open that door, I'm not going to be able to save you."
Cameron's hand twisted the knob, but he stopped short of pulling it open, a war waging between his head and his heart.
Ed used the opportunity to speak again.
"She's never forgiven herself." he said.
"I know, I need to help her - that's why I -" so miserable he was unable to finish the thought, Cameron trailed off. He took his hand off the doorknob and stepped back just a few inches.
"You can help her more here. If she can do this on her own, she'll be able to finally let it go," Ed continued.
Cameron turned to look at him then, his eyes filled with pain as he said, "But - she's so scared - please Ed, look at her - she's - she's all alone."
"Ah, maybe now, but not for too long. As soon as my son and his girl figure out who she is, she'll have them both to protect her. I guarantee it."
"I'm the one who's supposed to do that."
"Cam, it's not your job anymore."
"Boss, please," he pleaded, hanging his head, "I just want - I just need one more chance."
Cameron made a last effort to persuade him, even though he knew now what he needed to do.
"I love her." he said simply, looking up at Ed with tears in his eyes, his voice full of desperation.
Ed walked over to him then, put his arm around the younger man's shoulders and led Cam away from the door.
"Ah, my dear boy, I know, I know that you do - and I'm sure that you always will, just as she will always love you. But the fact remains. If you really want to help her, you have to let her do this alone."
From high up above, Cameron watched her relive that horrendous night, his heart breaking with each tear she shed. "I never meant to leave you, " he whispered, hoping she would be able to hear.
Seeing what he had to do, minutes later, he paced in front of the closed office door. He had to play this right. If he barged right in and just went off, he'd never be able to get what he wanted. Taking a few deep breaths and shrugging his shoulders in an attempt to relax, he turned and lifted his fist to knock.
Before his hand even hit the door, he heard a voice from inside say "Come on in, Cameron."
Cam pulled the door open and crossed the threshold.
"I'd ask how you knew it was me - but that'd be a stupid question," he said to the distinguished looking gray haired man, sitting calmly behind the desk.
"Young man, there are no stupid questions, except maybe the one you're really here to ask me. I'll save you the trouble. The answer is no." he replied.
"She needs me, Ed," Cameron began to plead his case.
"That, my boy, is debatable."
"No - it's not!" he insisted, forgetting his plan to stay calm. "Can't you see that? I mean, just look at her!"
"I've looked at her - but there's your real trouble. You need to stop looking."
These kids are never happy. They're literally in heaven, and all they want is to be on earth.
It was that blasted satellite feed that was the problem, Ed sighed. They had access to too much. He'd pull the plug on Cam if he had to.
Cameron would not give up easily. He decided to try another tactic. One he was pretty good at. He tried to turn on the charm.
"C'mon, Boss, - please - I'm willing to volunteer, you need someone down there to help with all this anyway."
"Oh, no - no you don't. I clearly was not born yesterday. Don't bother to try that helpful little angel act on me. You're not the first one I've heard that from today - you just missed her mother. And I'm going to tell you the exact same thing I told her. I have someone down there already."
Cam laughed out loud "You're kidding me, right? Ed, look who you've got down there now. You must be out of your mind! You actually sent Casey!"
"My mind is perfectly sound and it's no joke. Casey's got the job. So just relax, you're staying right here."
Cameron knew his next words might be a mistake - but he was beyond caring. Nothing mattered to him anymore but being able to get back to Abby.
"I never knew you were such a hypocrite."
"Watch yourself, son" Ed warned, looking Cam straight in the eye.
"One thing's certain, I am NOT your son." Cameron shot back, his voice bitter and shaking with rage.
Glaring back at Ed he continued, "If I was, you'd let me go."
The kid was beginning to make him lose his patience. Ed's voice was dangerously calm as he warned Cam again.
"I advise you to be very careful. You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh - Pardon me, but I think that I do. I know what you did for him, and I know that he's down there right now, living a life with the woman he loves. Clearly, there are two sets of rules up here." Cam replied, his voice still angry but the tone had softened a bit.
Ed chose to ignore this comment. He knew speaking his next words would be risky, but he hoped in the end, he could make Cam understand.
"Cameron, if you don't like what I have to say - fine. You could be down there with her in the blink of an eye if that's what you really want."
Hope filled his heart, and lit up his face. "W-what? I can? But you just said.."
Ed cut him off as he gestured across the room. "Just open up that door and take the elevator to the basement. I'm sure when you get there they'd be more than happy to help you."
Cam stared at him. He was sure there'd consequences, but he also knew if he did just that, he'd be able to see her again, to help her, to touch her, to hold her. At that moment, there was no decision to make. The mere thought of being able to be with her again had him crossing the room quickly.
The scene was eerily familiar. It saddened Ed to remember the one in his memory as it had played out not that long ago.
"You may not be my son, but my God - you are so much like him." He said quietly. "Go ahead, but I am warning you. It would by no means be as easy as you think. This second chance would come at a tremendous price. There are tricks they'd use on you that you cannot even begin to imagine."
Hoping he'd been able to get through to him, Ed said finally, "If you open that door, I'm not going to be able to save you."
Cameron's hand twisted the knob, but he stopped short of pulling it open, a war waging between his head and his heart.
Ed used the opportunity to speak again.
"She's never forgiven herself." he said.
"I know, I need to help her - that's why I -" so miserable he was unable to finish the thought, Cameron trailed off. He took his hand off the doorknob and stepped back just a few inches.
"You can help her more here. If she can do this on her own, she'll be able to finally let it go," Ed continued.
Cameron turned to look at him then, his eyes filled with pain as he said, "But - she's so scared - please Ed, look at her - she's - she's all alone."
"Ah, maybe now, but not for too long. As soon as my son and his girl figure out who she is, she'll have them both to protect her. I guarantee it."
"I'm the one who's supposed to do that."
"Cam, it's not your job anymore."
"Boss, please," he pleaded, hanging his head, "I just want - I just need one more chance."
Cameron made a last effort to persuade him, even though he knew now what he needed to do.
"I love her." he said simply, looking up at Ed with tears in his eyes, his voice full of desperation.
Ed walked over to him then, put his arm around the younger man's shoulders and led Cam away from the door.
"Ah, my dear boy, I know, I know that you do - and I'm sure that you always will, just as she will always love you. But the fact remains. If you really want to help her, you have to let her do this alone."