A/N - Hey folks! Sorry for the long Haitus, had to do some surgical healing and that involved a lot of sleep, some fuzzy pain meds and tough diet regimes XD. I didn't really have a lot of energy to write, but now that I'm back in action and ready to swing, here's the next chapter. Hopefully, we'll be back to every second Thursday posting again, but we'll see how I feel the next little bit! Much love and drink water so you don't get kidney stones!
Chapter 3: Parental Guidance & Decisions Made(When You Can't Dream at Night - Dayshell)
Flashes of the hex-cameras were accompanied by a flurry of questions thrown at her from the pack of reporters. Like hungry hyenas, they tried to climb over each other, begging for answers.
"Miss Kiramman? Miss Kiramman? Is it true? Did the Sampsons kidnap you? What are their motives? Were you taken to the maternity home? Has your family lost faith in the justice system? Have they found the suspect? Are you fully healed? Is your mother paying off the mafia members who stole you? Are the Trenchers responsible for your kidnapping? Are you and Mister Talis an item?"
They had been relentless when her mother had closed the case with the police and hired a private investigator.
Piltover's finest had failed again, and Cassandra Kiramman was just as hungry for answers as the reporters were. It had been two years and not a single piece of evidence had made itself known.
And with the upper society always ready to place suspicion or even speculate mediocre scandals, there was bound to be reporters to fill up that demand.
Caitlyn ignored them. She kept her focus on the rain pattering down on the windows of their neighbors. It was best she didn't show that they affected her.
She was a Kiramman after all.
Autumn had a comforting chill that made every sense hum for a warm drink and a cozy spot by a fire. It was one of her favorite seasons to walk in and even though the leash her mother gave her was tight, she was allowed to enjoy a small active lap around the outskirts of her family home. A light cascade of rain drummed down on the pristine stone grounds of the Kiramman manor. Her black flats tapped on the thick marble of the front door step.
The security team of two that hovered around her, opened the door for her, revealing the way up the grand staircase of the entryway. The pine green wall paper and ornate gold trimming made the massive room express the power and elegance of the Kiramman family.
Someone took her umbrella, and another took her jacket off of her shoulders. Her lips went flat. She hated this ritual of being catered hand and foot as if she was some fragile being who couldn't sort herself out.
Francis, the head butler of the Kiramman family, directed her toward the stairs. "Your mother is asking for you to retire to your chambers. She would like to have a word with you in private."
Caitlyn raised an eyebrow. Her ice blue focus went to the guest coat room, the door slightly left ajar. She zeroed in on the butler, a sheen of sweat taking over his forehead and a nervous twitch to his left eye.
"Who is here?"
The bustle of the house workers, moving to and fro quickly to shut the curtains and dim the lights near the parlor to her left, made her more curious.
"Miss, I am unable to answer any questions," Francis murmured while clearing his throat. He tried to muster an unmoving demeanor ready to stand against her rebellion.
"Is it the new tutor she hired? I thought I was to have my literature lessons today?" Caitlyn questioned with curiosity.
"Your lessons have been pushed back for tomorrow," Francis informed, keeping his gaze above her head.
The sixteen year old rested back on her heels, her arms crossed over her chest. "Who is here, Francis?"
"I cannot answer that, Miss. Please understand the strict instructions that Madame Kiramman has ordered for you to follow."
Caitlyn rolled her eyes. Behind her one of the security guards gave a quiet chuckle. At least he knew her better than Francis did. "Right, enough of this."
She pushed past the butler, who squeaked before he caught up to her long gait. "Miss Kiramman, please. You do not understand, please go to your chambers!" She had to give it to him, he was really trying his best.
She ignored his pleas for her to obey. She faced the ornate wooden doors with carvings etched into the dark grain. She placed her hands on the doorknobs. Taking a deep breath, she entered into the parlor, expecting to have a tidal wave of Cassandra's fury slam into her chest at full force.
But as those doors swung open, Caitlyn was faced with a small toddler that clung onto one of the chaise lounges, using it as a support to hold her tiny form up. The toddler blinked up at her curiously before turning to face her mother and pointing to the nanny standing behind Sarah Sampson.
Rose Doyle, the family maid and nanny of the Sampsons, gently bowed her head toward the sixteen year old. Her dark brown cardigan seemed to be hand knit and well loved. It covered over her perfectly poised shoulders, always ready for action. Her wiry gray hair was preened into a perfect bun, revealing her wrinkled dauntless features. With her age, it was proven that her wisdom was a vocal tool of advice for Missus Sampson.
Sarah gave a small sheepish smile toward the teenager, before her face went firm to glare at Cassandra Kiramman who stood to her full height from the scarlet arm chair. Her features were sharp, unamused, ready to delve out swift and efficient action.
She looked ferocious.
Caitlyn had seen her mother in many forms of anger. But this...this was something new. This was the silent stare of an irritated owl. This was a lioness stalking in the long grass. This was a mother grizzly bear rising to her back legs.
"You were told to go to your chambers," Cassandra growled with a tip of her chin. Her voice boomed even though it was not raised.
The toddler waddled over to Sarah, her arms raised up and a cry wobbling at her bottom lip. The velvet haired woman comforted the tiny child who began to cry, clearly frightened by the older and angrier woman. Rose cooed to the child and placed a hand on the back of her tiny hand in comfort.
Caitlyn took a sharp breath in as a protective energy circled around her shoulders, making them straighten and her chest rise up to the challenge. She stared her mother down.
"I would assume that this is a meeting that might have to do with me," The sixteen year old defended hotly.
"Go to your chambers," Cassandra ordered firmly, leaving no wiggle room for an argument.
But Caitlyn wasn't going to back down. Not when her biological daughter was screaming in fear. Sarah had shown a brave face in coming to the one family who would be branded as public enemy number one for Cassandra Kiramman. If Sarah Sampson could show that kind of bravery, so could Caitlyn Kiramman.
"Are you alright, Sarah?" Caitlyn asked while she kept a glacial gaze toward her mother. "Is…the baby going to be okay?"
The child nuzzled into her mother's collar, small sniffles and all. Sarah pressed a warm hand to her small back, surrounding her with comfort and love.
"I'm fine, darling, thank you," The Sampson woman hummed gently, her frame slightly rocking from side to side to give the child more comfort. "She's just a bit nervous. She hasn't really been around this…kind of energy. It's a bit frightening."
Caitlyn nodded, and took a large breath. She loosened her body language letting a minutia of resilience remain.
"I will not go to my chambers, and I will not fight you on this. Not around her," The teenager reasoned while she leaned back on her heels.
Cassandra remained stoically angry. "This isn't a conversation for you."
Rose Doyle tried to hide her disdain behind a raised eyebrow and a suck of her teeth.
The passionate fire in Caitlyn's chest roared to life, but she stayed mindful of the child. "Then you and I should excuse ourselves and go into another room."
"No," the older Kiramman snapped. "This doesn't concern you. Do as you're told!"
Caitlyn blinked, before she scoffed. "You're impossible," She turned her back on her mother and moved toward the chaise lounge Sarah was sitting on.
"Caitlyn, I am telling you this for your own good. Go to your chambers. You and I will talk about this at another time."
The teenager ignored her as she sat beside Sarah. She crossed her legs over her knees and waited for her mother to sit down.
"I don't want to cause a fuss," Sarah began while she soothed small circles into the child's back. "I just wanted to discuss the letters I sent, for the consent clauses. With everything kicking off…I just want to make sure we're all on the same page."
Cassandra snapped her focus to the woman like a cobra. "We discussed the consent clauses when we signed over the birth certificate, Missus Sampson," Venomous couldn't even describe the harshness of the words she hissed.
Caitlyn's eyebrows drew down. "Consent clauses? We didn't discuss consent clauses. The lawyer told me we could draw that up when I'm of legal age."
"And she is yet to be of legal age!" Cassandra barked in frustration.
Sarah was unmoving. However, the child in her arms flinched away, her ice blue eyes looking everywhere to hide from the frightening scene. She looked toward the teenager, before extending her chubby arms out toward the Kiramman girl. The warbling cry ached at Caitlyn's heart and stung her ears.
The feeling of wanting to reach back out and give comfort, surprised Caitlyn Kiramman to her bones.
"Rose? Would you please take Dakota for a moment?" Sarah asked calmly even though a part of her voice burned with a fire.
Dakota? Caitlyn thought.
What an elegant and welcoming name. It suited the toddler in a non-logical way; tailor made to be fitting. Loyalty, bravery and unending strength seemed to be the words that followed suit to develop a sense for the name. Caitlyn decided that she loved it.
She had thought about Dakota almost everyday. She devised plans to leave her room in the dead of night, escaping through the window to make her way to the Sampson manner, only to be squashed by her mother's always watchful eyes. She planned on taking her walks just a bit past the boundaries her mother put up. She tried sending letters to the Sampson manor, never receiving a single reply. It felt uncharacteristic of Sarah to not reply to them. Even for her debut in the next coming months, Caitlyn had devised a plan to invite the entire Sampson family to the event.
But the RSVPs didn't return.
Sarah's sapphire blue eyes caught Caitlyn's gaze.
If it were even more possible, Cassandra's face twisted into something even more enraged.
Rose collected the child swiftly. She didn't wince as the warbling cry echoed into the tense room. She caught the child's attention, brushing her raven black hair behind her ear and cupping her tear soaked cheeks.
Just that movement alone, made something pang in Caitlyn's heart.
Soon, Dakota's cries were quieted and she was focused on the rain falling down against the beautiful stained glass window.
Sarah rose from the chaise lounge. Her beautiful frock was a deep blue that matched her irises. A sunflower pattern trailed along underneath it, accenting the front of her torso. Her velvet black hair was twisted in a french braid and hung over her left shoulder, revealing the freckles that touched her sun kissed skin. Where Cassandra stood with regal ferocity, Sarah stood with something more dangerous, something more wild and unforgiving.
"Where are the letters, Cassandra?"
"You will not address me as such, Missus Sampson. Not in my house. We are not acquaintances, let alone friends," The older Kiramman woman snarled, low and menacing. "You have no right to be here bringing that child to my house. This is a clear violation of the contract we created for the safety of my family."
"And what of the safety of mine? We need to discuss where this goes forward because things are changing. We've had to beat back the reporters. They've started trespassing!"
"You agreed to it. You knew the outcomes you could be faced with. You signed the dotted line."
"That was before I knew what she wanted," Sarah argued back, keeping her voice low.
"I doubt the child knows anything of what she wants!"
"Not Dakota, Cassandra."
"Don't you dare utter her name with mine!"
Sarah ignored her. "What does Caitlyn want?"
That seemed to knock the woman back onto her heels. Ice blue eyes snapped to her daughter who looked longingly over to the small child held in the nanny's arms, transfixed with the water streams against the glass. Disgust lined Cassandra's gut, making nausea surface. "That isn't up for conversation. She is a teenage girl with a naive perspective on the world and has no idea what is good or bad for her! She has her whole life ahead of her with goals and ambitions. That child has damaged enough!"
"I think I'm well aware of what is bad for me, I learned in a five month period. And maybe my perspective wouldn't be so naive if you let me leave the bloody house!" Caitlyn snapped, rage building up inside her body like a tightened spring. Her attention seemed to focus on the argument instantly.
Cassandra shook her head fiercely before she faced the Sampson woman. "I am giving you five minutes, to talk about what she wants and then you are out of my house! Or so help me, I will call the enforcers and have you and that evil spawn arrested for trespassing. Do not ever return here again!" She then looked menacingly to her daughter. "You and I are going to discuss your disobedience when they leave!"
Without a reply, the older Kiramman woman turned on her heels, and left the room with a slam of the doors.
Dakota fussed in her nanny's arms. Her tears had returned with Cassandra's harsh words of exit.
Caitlyn couldn't blame her as tears of her own threatened to spill. "I'm sorry, Sarah. You don't deserve to be treated like this."
"I shouldn't have brought Dakota with me," Sarah hummed while biting her lip. "That was a stupid move, but I thought you would have liked to see her."
"I…yes, I'm very happy to see her." Caitlyn sighed gratefully. Her brows drew down in concentration as she struggled to fight the emotions bubbling up in her chest. "It's a dream come true, actually. I haven't stopped thinking about her since…well the last night we had together."
Sarah looked to the teenager with such a guilty look. "I've tried to get in contact with you. I sent letters at least three times a week to keep you updated and to discuss new terms of the contract and allowing more involvement if you wanted it. I even got my lawyer on top of it, but your mother…She won't budge."
"She must've intercepted our letters. I tried to set up a meeting, I tried asking questions…" Caitlyn couldn't fathom the position she was in. A part of her hated that this felt like some kind of punishment, that this was Sarah's fault, but she knew better.
Sarah nodded, understanding the need to keep private.
Caitlyn looked to the Sampson woman, trying her best to stop the tears from falling. She stood up and moved swiftly over to Sarah. She wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in tightly.
"Thank you," She murmured before she stepped away.
There was a moment that she stopped for heartbreaking seconds as she stared at the child. Without a moment to stop herself she moved swiftly over to Rose, who stoically held the toddler. Caitlyn felt herself reach out, a slew of anxiety screaming in her mind that this was both right and wrong. She should be asking Sarah if this was okay, but at that moment she did not care. Her finger tips drifted along the child's tiny back, in a very caring and calm caress. She leaned down, getting into the personal space of Rose and kissed the top of the head of the toddler. She gave a thankful nod to the nanny before she turned on her heels to Sarah. "Thank you for being a good mother."
The velvet haired woman looked forlorn. "You don't have to fight this alone, Caitlyn."
"I won't be, but I need to face her. I need to express what I want on my own."
Sarah hummed thoughtfully. "If you ever need a break…If you need to get away, our home is always open to you. Our family is yours too, do you understand?"
Caitlyn nodded fiercely before she wiped a tear from her cheek. She gave a small smile to the woman. "Get home safe, Sarah. You'll hear from me soon," She then looked at her biological daughter for a moment, letting her mind remember every detail of her features, making sure to catalog the differences between the newborn and the now toddler.
She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come. She turned on her heels and opened the doors to the parlor. The security team of two flocked toward her. "No," She commanded sternly. "Escort Rose, Missus Sampson and her daughter to their home."
"But Miss…"
"I will be talking with my mother. Make sure they get home safe. Right now, protecting them, means protecting me."
"Yes, Miss Kiramman."
Each step felt like a harrowing journey to Tatarus. A doomed moment before another doomed moment.
But she kept herself focused. She would not let the fear of the coming confrontation ruin her stance.
She didn't even take the time to knock. One moment her feet were in the green and gold carpeted hallway, and the next she was in the dusty rose and cherry wood study of her mother.
Cassandra had her back to the entrance, hands leaning on to the massive work desk. By her clenched right knuckle, a hearty crystal glass of scotch sparkled in the low gray light of the moody evening. The book cases, filled to the brim with copies of city ordinances, bylaws and law books, towered over Caitlyn.
They threatened to bear down a future she despised.
"Who are you, Caitlyn?" Cassandra mumbled, her eyes locked on the ornate casement window.
Being one of the many manor houses in Mid Town, there wasn't a peculiar view, other than the twenty or so odd feet of free air before it was met with the crude stone of the neighbors. Cassandra's father had built this home; a gift for her mother. Before the world had torn itself in two, before the Kiramman's earned their place in this society.
While other powerful families carried on toward New Piltover, to raise themselves in lavish greenery; Cassandra Kiramman stayed. She was the stronghold, the representative of the people of Mid Town. She was going to keep within them.
"Who am I?" Her daughter scoffed in confusion.
"Yes," Cassandra began. She straightened her shoulders, and turned to face the teenager. She watched the way Caitlyn's fingers idly tapped along the bottom of her cardigan, or the way that she leaned too far forward on her toes. Cassandra tipped her chin toward her daughter in challenge. "Who are you?"
"I don't understand," The confusion struck her daughter's features. "This isn't about who I am or who I'm not. This is about…This is about Dakota."
Cassandra shook her head. "No, this is not about that. This is about where you stand with who you are and what you want to achieve."
"No, this is about the Sampsons and how we can make sure no one is getting hurt in the process of this," Caitlyn snapped back quickly.
Cassandra tilted her head back, a tired scoff slipped from her lips. "You're too much like your father. Your compassion is admirable, but it isn't your direction. You cannot go down this path without hurting someone. When will you realize that?"
The teenager opened her mouth to speak, her foot stomped to punctuate her rebellious thoughts.
But her mother cut her off.
"That child is not your responsibility, nor is it mine. This was a part of the decision you made when you decided to give birth. It's time that you start understanding the position you play and the consequences of the choices you've made. You need to be an adult about this, rather than a petulant child."
"A petulant child?"
"You are a part of this family, a working cog that drives the Kiramman name forward. I will not have you tarnish it, not after all the work we…my mother and I have done."
"Do you think I asked to be attacked? To go missing and tortured for five months?" Caitlyn's rage engulfed her being. Her tall frame shook with the tears that fell down her cheeks.
"No," Cassandra answered immediately. "But you did ask for the consequences of carrying that trauma with you into a child that you have no legal right to. For your best interest and for your position in this family, I would tread carefully who you choose. Because I will be the first one to tell you that a child isn't going to solve every riddle you have in this world. You are a sixteen year old child, Caitlyn. You are allowed to make mistakes, but not one this big. This has consequences that will last to your death bed."
"I'm not giving her up!"
"You already have!" Cassandra snapped back. "You are NOT her mother. She doesn't look to you for comfort, you haven't been there for her first steps, you haven't been there when she was ill or frightened! You have no right to her, and it is time that you start accepting that."
"Sarah wants me to be included. She understan-"
"Sarah Sampson is a fool, and a questionable mentor for you to be pulled under her wing. What of your career? What of your own family prospects when you come of age? The suitors that you're going to need to choose?" Cassandra demanded, pointing a daring finger to her daughter. "Sarah Sampson does not have the perspective of what you face. This world will crush you because you are not some regular teenage girl, Caitlyn. You hold a name that has been scrutinized the moment you were paired with it. You are being held to an unprecedented standard that is not fair. It's what being in the public eye and a servant of the people comes with. And truth be told, Sarah will never understand that concept. She will not see what pressure will crush you when you put a claim to that child."
"And you do?" Caitlyn snarled. "You don't even know a thing about me or what I want!"
"I know what you will need. I know what you are facing," Cassandra explained sternly. "Your wants will only get you so far. It's about time that the rug is pulled from underneath your feet and you see what you are going to fall to. If you want to be an enforcer, Caitlyn, you need to start accepting what your needs are, more than your wants."
The teenager rocked back on her heels. "How did you know that?"
"My daughter has been talking with recruiters," Cassandra explained in an annoyed tone. "For someone so clever, you are quite traceable. Another fact that you're going to have to live with."
"I'm going to do it," Caitlyn whispered.
"You can try," Cassandra challenged, keeping her piercing icy eyes on her daughter's. "Be prepared for what will come of it though. You will tread a very fine line."
"A fine line of what?"
"Being taken seriously, you foolish little girl."
The teenager stared at her mother in betrayal. She tried to fight the tears that made her vision go blurry.
Cassandra turned her back to her daughter and grabbed at the glass on her desk. She downed the contents into her throat, before her gaze fell back on the window.
"Who are you, Caitlyn?"
A tear rolled down the teenager's cheeks. She turned on her heels, letting her hands fumble to wipe away the trails. She took a large breath, letting it hitch on the threat of a sob. She contained it as best as she could as she stared at the intricate carving in the wooden panel of the door. Her hand reached to turn the door knob.
"Apparently, not a Kiramman."
She slammed the door behind her.
*************************************************(\_/)*************************************************
(BREAKFAST - half-alive)
"Missus Sampson," Rose called, getting the attention of the mother sitting in the middle of the play room. A small children's book was in her hand and Elric was seated precariously in her lap, waiting patiently to have the book read to him. "Miss Kiramman is at the door."
The velvet haired woman cocked her head curiously toward the nanny. "Did you invite her in?"
"Yes, ma'am, she's in the parlor with a cup of tea. Her guards are standing outside at the gates. I informed her that I would get you, the lady of the house, on her behalf," Rose dutifully explained.
"Did anyone else come with her? Any cameras?" Sarah asked while she carefully lifted her son out of her lap. She placed him gently down next to his sister, who was keeping busy with wooden block towers.
Rose shook her head.
"Excellent, thank you, Rose. Would you please mind the children while I handle the matter that Miss Kiramman has brought to us?"
"Of course, ma'am," the nanny obliged, quickly taking a seat at the armchair resting by the far wall. "I'll read them a book as well. Keep them occupied for yourselves."
"Splendid idea. They both seem to enjoy Freddie Frog, I'd suggest that," Sarah explained plainly while she exited the room. She turned to look at the two children. "I will be right back, darlings. Be on your best behavior for dear Rose, eh?"
"Yes mamma!" Elric agreed, carefully helping his little sister raise a blue block to the very top of the tower.
The marble hallways echoed with her steps. Sampson manor was a creative contribution of her expertise and the logical reigns of her husband. It took what she dreamed of as a child; the warm safety of a hearth full of wood and blazing with grand love, and cultivated it into a place where all could rest, be healed and welcomed into a family that knew compassion and loyalty. It was what she dreamed of for her children. Vast hallways big enough for little bodies to jostle each other in and race during bed times or childish games. Tall ceilinged rooms that breathed in light and open space. Cool marble tiling for easy clean up. A beautiful willow tree on the property to shield hot suns and give a picturesque view of the wild fields of long grass and the hidden hollows of the forest's edge. Manicured hedges and floral beds encompassed the outer white plaster walls of the manor, breathing the outstretched ache of ivy toward the roofing.
Sampson manor was a three leveled house that held the virtues of their family, and she was damn proud of every brick, nail, and window.
Her calm gait took her to the parlor that met the entrance of her marble and purple carpeted stairs. She opened the grand mahogany door, and stepped in.
A part of her braced for whatever state Caitlyn Kiramman could be in. It had been a few hours after her own visit to the Kiramman manor, and knowing the viciousness of Cassandra, she was sure to see the teenager either in tears, or adverse anger.
She rocked back in her heels when she caught the cool and calm demeanor of the girl sitting perfectly in the dark leather chair, tea cup in hand and flames of the beautiful stone fireplace roaring behind her. There was a sense about the prim and proper expression that was must have been spoon fed to her since she was a baby. Caitlyn Kiramman, unlike Sarah Sampson, was bred to be an heir, a devastation to suitors, and an absolute impression of piety.
However, Sarah Sampson picked up something in Caitlyn that made the flames of the fireplace hum in curiosity. It is what Sarah truly liked about the girl. No mold could hold the woman she was meant to be.
A misfit with the inner workings of a genius and an unflourished unstoppable force. And yet, even with everything that had happened to her, there was a naive innocence that Sarah's instincts itched to protect.
"Hello, darling," Sarah beamed. She opened her arms in welcome and stepped toward the teenager who rose from the chair.
When they embraced, Sarah gently cupped the girl's cheek, frowning as a tear made its way down toward her chin. "Oh, sweetheart, what happened between you two?"
Caitlyn's ice blue pools pulled at Sarah's heart strings. "I think I made a mistake, and I don't know who to turn to."
"As long as no one had died, we can fix every mistake," Sarah explained gently. She took the teenager's hands in her own and led her back to the dark leather chair. She sat opposite of her, and began to make herself her own cup of tea. "Tell me what happened."
Caitlyn nodded slowly, before she took a long and deep breath. "I don't know who I am anymore. Or…I don't know what I'm doing or what I'm standing for. I'm so confused and…I feel so lost, Sarah."
"What is making you feel the most lost?"
The way her body seemed to curl in on herself in uncertainty, made Sarah want to comfort the girl further. "I…please do not take this the wrong way," Caitlyn croaked.
"I'm only here to listen, and to give out advice. I won't hold anything personally," Sarah promised.
The Kiramman teenager nodded. She brought her knees up to her chest and settled herself more in to the chair. "Dakota is making me lost. I'm so relieved that she is happy, healthy, growing up in a wonderful stable home with an incredible mother. I'm just trying to move on like everyon-...like my mother suggested, but I just…can't. I've been thinking about her every day since she was born. I knew this would be hard, I read up on the attachments that happen, but I thought I could just ignore it.
"Even before you arrived at my house, I was thinking about her on my walk. I was thinking about if she liked the rain, I was thinking who she would grow up to be. I didn't even know her name, Sarah," Caitlyn huffed in frustration. "And the thing is, this is no one's fault but mine. All of these…emotions are from what I chose to do. And I'm alright with that, but I need to make some kind of peace with myself, or at the very least, with us."
Sarah nodded in understanding.
"My mother is obviously against this kind of meeting, but at this point I don't care about her opinion," Caitlyn disclosed, her thumbs rubbed at the edge of the tea mug. "After our argument, I thought on it, and I think I know what I want and what I'm willing to fight for, with or without her."
Sarah's breath was held in her throat. At that moment, a fear that hid in plain sight suddenly rammed in her chest.
What if Caitlyn wanted Dakota back? Was Sarah Sampson willing to give this teenager the daughter she had been entrusted to raise?
A part of her reared back ready to fight tooth and nail to keep her daughter in her household.
"I just…I want Dakota to know as little about me being her biological mother as possible. I want to develop a friendly bond, but I will not cross the threshold to take over your role as her mother. Like I said in that hospital the first night we formally met, I'm glad she is with you. She is your daughter, Sarah. I am not here to take that away from you and I want you to be made aware of that fact as much as possible."
Sarah Sampson released the breath she had been holding. "Thank you, Darling," She whispered softly.
"I wanted to get your opinion and your thoughts on her future regarding the media and what future decisions we need to make to keep them off of all of us. I've been working with my mother on a cease and desist order, and once I have time to formulate what your boundaries and what my boundaries are, I will talk with her to rehash what was agreed previously," Caitlyn explained with a business-like demeanor. "I mostly want Dakota safe, and for her to have a normal childhood as much as possible. I'm completely certain and know that you will provide that, but I want to make sure that no one disturbs that."
There was a moment of tension that seemed to take over the teenager. Carefully, Sarah reached across them and took the girl's hand in her own. She rubbed the back of her knuckles.
Calm took over Caitlyn.
"I want to change the birth certificates and put your name down as her biological mother."
Sarah took the hit to her chest gracefully. "I'm…Caitlyn that is…are you sure?"
Ice blue met Sarah's lake blue. "Yes. I feel like this is the best way to avoid any suspicion and to leave your family in peace. There will always be speculation, especially if I am seen with her. But if we can provide the proof that she is yours, then they can have their answers and be on their merry way to destroy someone else's life."
"What if she asks questions when she is older?"
Sarah watched that question go through Caitlyn's mind. "Then we can tell her the truth, but as far as I'm concerned she is yours. Legally, spiritually, and…physically."
The Sampson woman looked at the teenager with an unsure gnaw to her lip. "This doesn't feel right, Caitlyn. I don't think this…I'm concerned about you."
"This is what I want," Caitlyn solidified, placing her hands in her lap.
"And the role you want to play in her life?"
"Like I said, a family friend if you're comfortable with that. Someone who could even be considered an aunt, maybe?"
That didn't seem to fit to well with the vision Sarah had. "What about a God parent?"
Caitlyn's eyebrows shot up. "A God parent?"
"Yes, it's a bit of an outdated term now. It was mostly used in a religious sense where you would help support the child's path with religion and mentor them. However, it means basically taking over if anything were to happen to Eli and I. God parents are who the parents would choose to have as back up parents. At this moment in time, you aren't quite legally able to, but when you turn eighteen?"
Caitlyn seemed to mull that over, thoughtful in the possibility of obtaining a title like that. "That's…I think I could commit to that."
"Of course, Darling. Maybe we'll revisit this when you're of age and we can discuss where you stand then. I just want you to be okay, and to make decisions that are the best for you. You deserve to have a life full of opportunity and to grab the reigns of whatever wild horse life throws at you," Sarah explained seriously. "I know your mother is very steadfast in her ways, but please try to think without whatever pressure she may put on you."
The teenager nodded in agreement. "That is partially why I'm here, we had an argument or more of a warning slung my way for the future I am choosing. I have to fully see the consequences of what I chose, apparently."
"I don't see how that is the best way in handling our situations. Fully placing the responsibility on your shoulders…I see what she's saying but you only did what you felt was right. As a mother, she needs to be supportive rather than try to squash everything with a contract or hush order," Sarah fully frowned.
"That's all I'm trying to point out," Caitlyn agreed with a sigh. "I want to move forward and accomplish my future goals for myself. Not for a name that feels like a collar."
"That's an honorable goal, Caitlyn."
"Thank you, I just want to earn my place rightfully…like you…like Sheriff Grayson."
"Grayson was a very good Sheriff," Sarah said with a warm smile.
"I am thinking about signing up for boarding school," Caitlyn admitted. "I want to prove myself without having her presence around me, but I don't want you to think that I'm abandoning…that I'm leaving you all behind."
The Sampson woman scoffed. "No, sweetheart, we would never think like that. What direction are you thinking about following once you're finished with boarding school?"
"I'm going to the police academy. Grayson said I had potential, let's see if she was right."
Sarah hummed thoughtfully before she nodded in finality. She rose from her chair and beckoned for Caitlyn to follow suit. "I have something for you then."
Caitlyn cocked her head in confusion.
Sarah grinned at the teenager, excitement hidden at her heels. "Follow me, darling. Let's make a quick visit to the nursery while I sort something out."
"The nursery?" Sarah could see the moment of hesitation on the girl's face.
"Unless you're unsure, I just think you should properly meet your future Goddaughter and Godson," the velvet haired woman invited as she exited the room with Caitlyn following after.
"I think I'd like that," The Kiramman teenager agreed, her long legs took the marble steps easily.
"Good, they'll be pleased to have a friend. Dakota has been very enamored by these building blocks Eli had gotten for her birthday. Maybe she might go into architecture with how impressive these towers get. She's already showing some intriguing signs of brilliance."
Caitlyn smiled at that.
When they arrived at the nursery doorway, Sarah entered first, leading the way so the teenager could get her bearings.
The nursery was an exquisite room with mauve coloured walls and dark wooden floors. A comfortable looking carpet, plush and secure took up most of the room in its navy entirety. Bright white letters of the Piltovian alphabet were painted on the walls. Toys were spilled all over the floor, from patch work teddy bears to automaton toy trucks zipping along the edge of the rug.
Sitting in the middle of the room, concentrating on her tall yet sturdy creation was the dark haired toddler. Her little head turned to the two women in excited glee. She rolled forward, accidentally toppling over her tower. Forlorn, she began to cry.
Quickly, a mop of blonde made his way toward his little sister, comforting her as he began to pick up the wooden cubes. "It's okay, Kota," Elric soothed with a tiny lisp, his loose baby tooth causing the impediment . "We can fix it togever."
The toddler sniffed toward her older brother and rubbed at her eyes. "Block 'urt me."
The little boy scooted over closer to his sister, worry drawing his eyebrows down. "Mamma, Kota needs her hurt kiffed."
Sarah beamed toward her children, happy to help as she approached the little girl. She bent down to wrap her arms around the child and peppered kisses all over her cheeks. "My poor little rug bug," the mother chuckled as she rubbed small circles into the child's back. "I have someone for the two of you to meet."
She beckoned for Caitlyn to step into the room, welcoming her with love and warmth.
Elric got up from his seat on the floor and went straight to his mother's hips, hiding behind her. He peeked out ever so slightly, only to quickly return to being hidden.
"Since when are you shy, Elric? This is Caitlyn, she is a very good friend of our family. Go on, say hello," Sarah encouraged.
The little boy peeked again, and slowly pulled away from his hiding place as he stared toward the very tall teenager. "Hel-Hello."
The young Kiramman waved at the little boy. "Hello."
"Do you like to play dino-dino sars?" He squeaked.
"I've never played. You might have to show me," Caitlyn's small grin seemed to overjoy the six year old.
"You jus gotta grab them and raaaawr," Elric explained as he bounded over to the pile of tiny automatons. One was shaped like a prehistoric scorpion, its claws slowly snapping together with the inner workings of cogs. The little boy busied himself with arranging them in place.
Caitlyn looked to Sara, unsure of what to do next.
The Sampson woman chuckled as she went toward her son, her daughter still sitting against her hip. She found a place to sit and crossed her legs on to the carpet. She readjusted the wiggling toddler in her arms.
Caitlyn took the invitation to sit along with her. She crossed her legs and settled herself in a comfortable position before grabbing the scorpion. "Rawr?"
Elric giggled, while he picked up a burrowing monster "Not like that! Like this…RAAAAWR!"
"Oh," Caitlyn hummed. She cleared her throat, taking a moment to ask herself if she was actually about to do this. "RAWR!"
"YES! RAAAAWR!" The little boy squealed in delight. He mashed the burrowing monster into Caitlyn's scorpion, mimicking primal vicious growls.
The teenager couldn't help the delighted chuckle she made as she wiggled the scorpion along with the boy.
"Elric, darling, would you help give mummy a hand?" Sarah asked, interrupting the play. "I have a special mission."
The little boy piped up. "Okay! You can still pway with the dino sars."
"Thank you," Caitlyn beamed.
Sarah looked over to the teenager. "Why don't you and Dakota have a moment together? How do you feel about that?"
The young Kiramman looked at the toddler that had her cheek resting on Sarah's shoulder.
"Umm, alright. I can do that," the teenager agreed.
Sarah, lifted the toddler up by her armpits. The little girl squirmed in the grip with a tired frown. "Would you like to hold her?"
The sixteen year old nodded.
The velvet haired woman placed the child in Caitlyn's lap, before she got up from her place on the carpet and took her son's hand. "We have to go to my office my love."
Elric's sapphire blue eyes sparkled. "Can we say hi to Gwiffin?"
"We can say hello to Griffin," Sarah agreed, as they both walked down the hall.
"If you need anything Miss Kiramman, I'll be just a call away," Rose offered as she brushed the dirt off her dress and crossed the room to the exit.
"Thank you, Rose." Caitlyn murmured as she held the child in her arms, who grunted with a wiggle.
"Of course, Miss Kiramman."
And then they were alone.
It felt forbidden.
Maybe because her mother's voice was still fresh in her mind.
She gently placed the wiggling child down on the carpet, unsure of what to do next.
"Bal lock!" Dakota pointed toward the bright blue coloured wooden cubes. She giggled before she toddled over, using her little legs to find the right balance. Her grubby hand grabbed the block with a focused face. She waddled back, proud of the prize she had acquired. She presented the block to Caitlyn.
"Ah, I see. It's very blue," Caitlyn hummed.
"Vewy bloooo!" Dakota squealed. The toddler scrambled toward the teenager, throwing her chubby arms around Caitlyn's neck.
Surprised, the teenager's arms wrapped around her small body, catching her from tripping over and falling.
Dakota's giggles were infectious, causing a bright smile to break through Caitlyn's lips. "Be careful, you. Almost toppled over," she chuckled as she pressed her fingertip onto the little girl's nose.
The toddler suddenly stopped her laughter. Her palms extended out so that they could be placed on Caitlyn's cheeks. Her icy blue eyes gleamed with such curiosity while she inspected the teenager's face. Her tiny fingertips drew over the young Kiramman's cheek bones and then over her nose and then over the corner of her lips.
"Pwetty," Dakota hummed seriously, her tiny eyebrows drawn down in a focused pout.
"Th…Thank you, love," she was unsure how to reply, but she was happy when the toddler fully rested into her chest. Dakota nuzzled into her neck, a tiny sigh slipping out.
Caitlyn instinctively rubbed circles into the child's back, reveling in the warmth and comfort this small cuddle felt. She used to dream of this when she was heavily pregnant and unsure of their futures.
She dreamt of cold rainy days spent in the comforts of blankets and stories of the school day. She dreamt of sunny summer hours spent outside with a picnic, games of tag being played around the blanket. She dreamt of soothing nightmares, holding her just like this.
But, these dreams would have to remain that, just dreams. Her mother was right, she had chosen this, and that was her consequence. Sarah had the right to those dreams and it was better off that Caitlyn let them go now. This was how it would need to be for Dakota to have a bright and happy childhood, one where she wasn't questioning who she was or what she was meant to be.
Caitlyn was facing that now, so that Dakota would never have to do the same.
In that moment, holding her biological daughter, Caitlyn felt that it was worth it.
She looked down at the toddler. Her small lips were parted open, cheek resting against the teen's shoulder.
Caitlyn held the child tighter, taking every piece of her dreams and hopes, and hugging them into her biological daughter. This was going to be it, and then she would call for Rose, retrieve her jacket, go back home and get the application sorted out to get school on the go.
But for some reason, she couldn't stop. She just kept holding onto the child. She leaned back against the wall, getting herself more comfortable, her back wiggling to find the right spot. Before long, with her head resting against the paint, her eyes slowly fell closed.
Later, when Sarah came back into the nursery, Elric and an old pocket watch in tow, she stopped to admire the scene. With a small whisper to Elric, the little boy took off down the hall leaving his mother alone with the two sleeping figures.
She silently walked over, taking the time to grab a light purple knit blanket and draped it against the two of them, before she placed a kiss on the top of Caitlyn's head.
"This is who you are, darling. These are the consequences you deserve," Sarah whispered. She carefully left the door open just a crack, before she too went down the hallway.
