Chapter Ninety
Colin's eyes opened slowly. Something was different. He felt weak and though he was awake he felt exhausted – but the wrenching pain he'd felt earlier had disappeared.
He knew he hadn't fed. He would have remembered that. As he turned to his side, he saw his father sitting beside him.
"How do you feel?" Caleb asked.
"Strange." Colin replied, moving to sit up. "I almost feel like I'm back to normal. But that can't be true. You'd never let that happen."
"Strange. That's a good word. It's certainly the way I feel at the moment." Caleb got up and stood to look out the window. "I'll never get used to what this is like."
"What are you talking about?" Colin ran his hands over his face, then running them up and down his arms. As he became more fully awake it took him a minute to realize the fangs were gone.
"Your mother is very persuasive." Caleb said as he turned back around. "There was a way to save you. I had hoped you'd want to join us but I can't deny her something that would make her so happy." He gave Colin a knowing look. "I think you understand what it's like."
Colin's heart lifted just thinking of Katrina. He didn't dare hope. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Colin couldn't believe it was true.
Even Caleb couldn't miss the obvious joy on his son's face. He hadn't seen him look like that for years – he couldn't even remember when it was it had been so long ago. Though he had fought it every step of the way he knew now he had done the right thing.
"We've all been turned back – for the time being. You. Me. Your mother. Even Anastasia." Caleb sighed and tried to sound nonchalant. "You're free – Colin." He said quietly as he walked towards the door.
"What about you?" Colin called after him, still reeling from the fact that he'd been spared the horror of living a life he never wanted.
"Your mother has some plans. Once they're in motion we'll both be turning back." Caleb replied. "But I won't ask that of you. Not anymore."
"I can't believe you did that - even temporarily – you gave up all that for Mom." Colin's voice was full of disbelief.
As he moved to leave Caleb shook his head said softly. "No. Colin. I gave it up for you."
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"Hi Ethan." Lynnie whispered as she sat on a chair on the front porch and gazed at the stars. "How are you?" She knew she wouldn't get an answer, but every day since she'd been home she took some time to talk to him. It made her feel better just pretending he could hear her. "Everything's good here." She continued. "Lia and Kate are getting ready to go away to school tomorrow. I decided to just get out of the way – even though I know I'll regret it. She's probably stealing half my clothes." Her heart ached a little as she said the words aloud. "I'm going to school too. I'm just not going with them."
Lynnie took a deep breath. "It's because my parents are scared – they don't want anything to happen while I'm so far away from home. Plus - I love Lia but she shouldn't have to watch out for me all the time. It's better if I stay close by."
She blinked back tears of disappointment. "I'm not going to lie. Not to you, Ethan. Port Charles University is fine – but I'd much rather be with Kate and my sister. The journalism program is so much better where they're going and that's what I want to do. I want to write – like my dad."
"It's OK – though. I'll work in the bookshop and I might get a part time job at the paper too. So honestly I'll get more real experience that way." Lynnie looked down at her lap and twisted the bracelet she wore nervously. "But at Worthington – that's where Kate and Lia will be – they have this really great art history program too and I'd really love to study that. – or maybe even astronomy. You know - it's not as easy as everyone thinks. God. I want to study everything, Ethan." She sighed heavily and gave a small quiet laugh. "I know that makes me a huge dork – actually wanting to study."
Lynnie looked up at the night sky again and smiled. "I can hear you now. You're not a dork, Lynnie. I know what you'd say. You happen to think I'm fascinating." She blushed just thinking about the time he'd said that to her. "You know – that's something I never had before. No one's ever told me that." She suddenly felt a tightening in her chest as she realized something. "I don't think anyone else ever will."
Abby gazed out the window at her daughter. She could feel Cam come up behind her before he reached around and put his arms around her waist. "What are you doing?" He asked as he pressed a kiss to the side of her neck.
"I'm watching her. She's talking to him again." Abby said with a sigh. "God. I know just how she feels. I used to do that all the time."
"I know. I remember." Cam said with a smile. "I used to hear you."
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"Don't forget this." Rafe scolded her as he stood in the doorway of her room. He shook a small paper bag in Kate's direction.
"What is it?" Kate looked at him, not knowing what on earth he was talking about.
He stared at her, surrounded by piles of clothes and supplies for her dorm room. She smiled slightly, though it didn't reach her eyes. Knowing that she was still so unhappy broke his heart.
She walked over to him and took the bag from his hand. After peering inside, she looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "Dad. There's a perfectly good lock on the dorm room door already."
"It's a piece of junk. Now that." He said as he gestured to the bag. "That's what you call a lock."
Kate knew it was pointless to argue. She leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek before crossing the room. "Yep. It's a lock alright. Thank you, Dad."
"You're welcome." He replied with a smile. Rafe watched her go back to packing and couldn't help getting choked up. His baby was leaving home. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Finally, he was able to find his voice. He tried to make it light as he teased her. "So. You're really going to abandon me?"
Kate looked over at him and sighed. "Dad – you know that's not it. I just can't..." She blinked back tears as she tore her eyes from his.
He was over next to her in an instant, pulling her in his arms and holding her close. "I know. Shh. It's OK."
"This is a good thing." Kate insisted as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm trying to move forward. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"
"I'm just worried about you." Rafe said softly as he hugged her tight.
"Who are you kidding?" Kate said with a laugh. "It doesn't matter at all. Even if I stayed you'd still be worried about me." She took a deep breath and whispered. "I have to go Dad. It's the only way I'll be able to survive."
"Then you should go." Rafe agreed, even though his heart was breaking. "I'll miss you, Princess." He whispered as he held her so tight she almost couldn't breathe.
"Oh Dad." Kate moved to comfort him now. Her heart was heavy but she struggled to keep her voice light. "C'mon. Parent's Weekend is like two weeks away and then before you know it I'll be home for Thanksgiving."
"It's not soon enough – but I guess I'll take it." Rafe chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a bit.
Before he could ease away, Kate clung to him and hugged him back. She looked up at him and whispered. "I'll miss you too."
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"Don't you have something you want to ask me?" Ed asked as he came up behind Ethan.
He was still gazing at the monitor. "She's so pretty Ed. Just look at her."
"I know. She takes after her mother." He replied. "I bet you miss being down there."
"Yeah. I guess." Ethan said with a sigh.
"You guess?? What do you mean you guess?" Ed was completely confused. He was sure Ethan would come back up begging to go back downstairs.
"I mean – it was great." Ethan straightened his glasses and sighed. "No – it was amazing. But I know that I've got work to do for you. I know there would be some test I have to pass before I even have a shot at coming back."
"What are you talking about?"
Ethan turned his attention back to the screen and kept talking. "Your son – who's great by the way – he fought evil his whole life and he had to jump through hoops to get a second chance. Lynnie's dad – before he came back for good, he fought Caleb too and he won and she told me her mom really did a lot to make it happen. It's OK. I understand why I can't go."
For once in his afterlife - Ed didn't know what to do. He was used to having kids like Ethan beg and plead for another chance. Leave it to this one to be satisfied just having met someone like Lynnie.
"So what are you saying? You don't want to go back?" Ed's voice was full of skepticism.
Ethan shook his head. "No. Ed. I want to. I really want to. If wishing made it so I'd be back there already. For now I'm just glad I can see her everyday. She's really incredible – Ed."
Ed's heart warmed as he watched the young man in front of him. "So are you, my boy. So are you."
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"Me?" Colin gasped.
Caleb nodded and turned back around, knowing there wasn't anything else to lose. He was mortal now – he might as well act like it. "I did a lot of things wrong when you were younger. I know you won't believe this but though it was definitely your mother's idea - I did this to make up for it."
His voice was sincere as he added. "I have to say I underestimated you. You're far stronger than I imagined. You might just be the one person walking this earth that's actually a match for me."
Colin continued to be stunned by his father's admissions. "OK. I'm back. So, what do I do now?" His son asked. "Are you really going to let me go?"
"Didn't you hear me?" Caleb was getting impatient. "I said you're free. You can do whatever you like."
Suddenly uncomfortable, he moved towards the door again.
Caleb stopped when he heard Colin say without sarcasm – for the first time in many years. "Dad?"
His heart lifted as he turned towards the sound. "Yeah?"
Colin looked into his father's eyes and said softly. "Thank you."