A/N: I'm off to parts unknown until Sunday. I might bring my laptop - if so - more chapters before then. If not - be back Monday. Until 52 - Enjoy! xox-G
Chapter Fifty-one
"It was different when he was little." Livvie said softly as she moved to sit in the chair next to Alison's bed. "When Colin was born? Caleb was so proud. They were together constantly. Colin was Caleb's shadow. He'd follow him around everywhere. I used to love to watch them together. It was the cutest thing - when Caleb taught him how to play guitar…." She trailed off, too emotional to go on.
"Livvie…" Alison said sympathetically. If they could just get past the part where Livvie announced how ready she was to kill her it was almost like when they were friends long ago. Alison gazed at Livvie and sighed. When Rafe and Katie were fighting, she'd had a taste of what it would be like to be constantly at odds with one of her children. It broke her heart just thinking about it. She couldn't imagine feeling like that for years.
"It was when he was about fourteen." Tears began to spill from Livvie's eyes. "We figured he'd realize what we were sooner or later and we wanted to be the ones to tell him. Caleb sat him down and spelled it out for him." She took a deep breath and looked desperately over at Alison. "As you can already guess - he reacted - badly. We sent him to boarding school and soon all he did was study. He went to school all summer long so he could finish. He graduated when he was almost sixteen. I rarely saw him after that."
"Livvie." Alison reached out to grab her hand. "You can still fix it. You just have to accept who he is. He just won't be like you."
"That's so easy for you to say, Alison." Livvie laughed bitterly. "You, hopefully, will outlive your children. You won't watch them age while you yourself will never die."
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"This should be easy then." Caleb said with a grin. "Because you have nothing."
"I have everything I need. I don't need anything from you." Colin replied. "I don't need your legacy. I don't need any thing from you except to be left alone."
"I can't do that." Caleb insisted.
"Why?" Colin asked, his voice full of pain. "Why can't you just leave me alone? You can have the rest of the world. I just want this little piece of it."
"You're denying everything I want to give you. Power, privilege. You'll experience everything in a new way."
It was as if Colin didn't hear him. "How did your father pass down this wonderful gift to you?"
Caleb shrugged. "You know that already."
"Yeah. I know. I know you didn't want it. He forced you and you struggled with the life that was thrust upon you. Why do you insist on making me follow you when you know exactly how I feel?"
"She's destined to destroy our family. You realize that?" Caleb said then.
"She's destined to destroy the likes of you. I know that." Colin said quietly. "It doesn't matter to me."
"You'd let her kill me? Or your mother?" Caleb's voice shook with rage.
"Oh please!" Colin yelled. "Stop. She can't kill you – you reminded her why. And she wouldn't ever try and kill Mom. Don't you dare. You don't know her." Frustrated Colin began to pace. "You know what? You and her father? God - you are so alike. I swear that's why you two can't get along."
"We are not." Caleb was shocked at his suggestion.
His son nodded. "Oh you certainly are. I don't know him well but I can see it - in so many ways. Except – there's one really big difference."
"Oh enlighten me." Caleb said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm on pins and needles."
Sarcasm was like a weapon his father used. Colin ignored it. "He was angry and frightened for Katrina when he found out who I was. He told her to stay away from me. But she's here now."
As Colin said the words he honestly didn't believe it. His voice shook as he realized she really had come back to him. "She's waiting for me up there and I know for a fact that it's partly because though he may despise me - her father won't keep her from being happy. By some miracle – she thinks she can be happy with me. Ultimately, that's all he wants for her. Why can't you do that too?"
"Please. Are you reading romance novels now?? Surely you don't believe that crap." Caleb's voice was full of disgust.
Colin's anger returned. "No. You don't believe that crap because you're too scared too. You're so afraid Mom wouldn't love you the way you were so you messed her up and now she can't live without you. "
"You don't know what you're talking about." Caleb's voice was shaking. The truth hitting him like a slap in the face.
Colin saw that he was getting to him. He took a deep breath and continued. "I think I do. And more than that? I think you know it. Keep trying if you have to. I'm used to it. You don't want to give up? Fine. Just know this. I'm a lost cause – Dad." Colin choked on the word. "No matter how hard you push I will never follow you."
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"Does Caleb realize that's what you're afraid of?" Alison asked then.
Livvie nodded. "He does. It's actually his biggest fear. He loves him, Alison. That's the biggest problem. He loves him and Colin's rejecting him. It's what's been wrong his whole life. The ones he loves the most turn on him."
"Livvie..." Alison didn't know quite how to put this. "I know that Rafe is not a normal guy." She giggled a bit, mostly from nervousness. "We don't live in a normal place and though we pretend, every day? I know how unusual it all is. But your life - I don't get. I don't understand the way you take hold of people and bend their will. I don't understand how essentially biting and killing someone brings them a better life, how feeding on other people is desirable to anyone. But I can see you love him - and I can see you love your son too. I hope you all can find a way to be happy. I truly do."
Livvie was suddenly embarrassed. She was getting angry again. Everything was so complicated. Unable to sit still anymore, she stood and moved towards the door. "I shouldn't be here." She said as she wiped her eyes.
Ian burst through the door. "You all right in here Alison?"
"I'm fine, Ian. Thank you." Alison said with a smile.
"You sure?" He asked again, waiting to see her nod before he turned and glared at Livvie. "Visiting hours are over Mrs. Morley."
"No kidding?" She said bitterly as she walked out the door.
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Colin turned and walked away. There was nothing more for him to say at the moment. He just wanted to be with Katrina.
He looked over his shoulder, happy to see he wasn't being followed. Then he realized his father could be waiting on his doorstep.
Luckily, that wasn't the case. Colin moved to turn the doorknob when it swung open. Kate nearly ran him down as she burst through.
"Whoa. Where do you think you're going?" He said with a grin.
"Colin…" She breathed as she jumped in his arms. "Oh my God."
He pulled back and stared at her. "What the hell were you thinking??"
"What?" She asked innocently.
"What do you mean what? Tell me - is that common slayer practice? You tried to kill my father with your shoe?" He said, laughing a bit in spite of how scared she'd made him.
"I can't kill him, you know that. I just wanted to prove a point." She said softly. "You know - slayers are very resourceful. That's what I had handy. All you really need is something pointed and sharp, actually. My mom once tried to use a letter opener."
"Really? I thought your dad was the slayer?" Colin asked confused.
"He is. She…." Kate stopped talking and stared at him, realizing that none of this was important anymore. She looked deeply into his eyes and reached up to touch his face. "I wanted to make you dinner. It was something German but I lost the recipe somewhere…" She trailed off
"I don't want dinner." He sighed as he stared into her eyes. He moved closer and whispered against her lips. "Katrina…" His mouth closed over hers and he stole her breath. Everything about her was so soft. Her hair, her skin, her lips. If he hadn't seen for himself just how tough she was he'd never believe it.
Kate ran her hands through his hair, amazed that she was back here with him. She thought she'd never feel this way again. "I was trying to be brave. I was going to make a sacrifice," She said softly as she kissed him back. "I wanted to do the right thing - but I can't live without you - Colin." She kissed him again and pressed herself closer to him. "I don't even want to have to try."
"You won't have to worry about that at all anymore." He replied as his arms closed around her. His lips sought hers and he kissed her breathless. Pulling away he gave her a huge grin. "There's no way I'm letting you go."