Chapter 4
The worst of the chemotherapy had passed. At least for this course. Catherine's hair began to fall. This time her body is taking it harder than it had before. She is weaker. She knows that she is. Still a little weak, Catherine staggered downstairs by herself. She could hear a few voices taking downstairs. And she knows exactly whom the voices belongs to except for one.
Not wanting to be heard or seen, Catherine sat quietly on the steps of the stairs. Although the thick wall between the lounge and the stairs makes it impossible for her to see the people who were talking but it does not stop her from hearing what they were saying.
Caleb's words trembled with anger, Pouge was calm, Evelyn have hint of remorse in her voice and there were one voice however she had ever heard of before. Although unsure of why there were talking about her but she knows something is terribly wrong.
"Did Tyler know about this?" Evelyn asked. Her voice soft, but stern but in there, they were hoping that Tyler did not know. Of what she was not sure of.
"He suspected something. But we told him off. We told him as we said to everyone." The unknown lady said.
"You should not have kept this for her. From me." Caleb said angrily. "It doesn't matter whose child she is, but at least tell her the truth, not sent her away and shut her off."
"Caleb, you don't understand. It is for her own good. Your father made her swear not to will her power. The only way to keep her save is to keep her in the dark about her powers." Evelyn said trying to explain.
Catherine rose from the place she was sitting and head towards the lounge. As much as she is angry at the fact she is being lied at all her life, she is also glad for that she know it on her own term told by her mother, or at least the one she knows as her mother.
"Hey, you feel alright?" Caleb said rising from his seat as soon as he saw Catherine walking towards them. Catherine just nodded and she took her place beside Caleb. Caleb wrapped his arm around Catherine's shoulder as he kissed the top of Catherine head.
"So it's true?" Catherine asked Pouge. Pouge who was keeping quiet since just now nodded. "Well, tough luck. But it really didn't matter who my parents are. Or who my real brothers are. I mean no one can replace them. No offence, Pouge." She said before continuing. "Mom, you took care of me, nurse me and feed me almost all my life, Daddy protected me and it cost him his life. Caleb had been there or me for always, until 4 years ago. 4 years that changes my life. But I did not lose anything, if anything, I gain 3 brothers." Catherine said. Pouge smiled. Relief, a part of him felt jealous, but a bigger part of him felt like a thousand tonne burden had been lifted off him.
"Maintenant vous ne pouvez pas avoir un coup de cœur pour Baby Boy secret plus longtemps. Il est votre frère." Pouge teased.
"Je suis tout à gauche est maintenant Reid. Il va être extatique." Catherine said. Then she made a face to Pouge.
"So, now Baby Boy is out of reach for you huh, princess." Caleb whispered. Catherine let out a laugh.
"That was what Pouge were saying." She smiled.
"What were Pouge saying?" Mrs. Simms asked.
"Nothing." The three of them answered concurrently.
"Une chose que vous ne connaissez pas c'est que je ne parle français." Mrs Simms said. Catherine face redden.
"Does Tyler know about this?" Catherine asked. Mrs. Simms just shook her head. "For 16 years he had been going to an empty grave that he thought as his sister's."
"But why? Why did you give me away?" Catherine asked.
"I… I'm sorry. I can't. There is no reason. There never will." She replied. There we hints of regret in her voice but she do not feel truly sorry for what she had done.
Flashback
The sky is finally cleared up. It had been raining for 3 days. Rosalind Simms curl up against her husband with her very pregnant form, no matter in which position she is in, she is uncomfortable.
"Is Tyler asleep?" She asked her husband, her voice was soft and caring. Glenn just nodded as he caresses his wife's hair. "Are you still angry at me?" She asked again. Glenn looks into her eyes.
"I know I can't give you another child. But why does it have to be Wayne?" He asked her.
"I… it was not. It's like a spur of the moment kind of thing." She answered. 7 months ago she had cheated on her husband with Wayne Parry. One of his best friends. Wayne's wife died while giving birth to their only son, Christopher.
"Let's hope, this little one is a boy too." Glenn said stroking her belly.
"Honey, I think…" Rosalind grimaced. "Oh, god. My water just broke." She said. "Quick. Call Evelyn." She said hastily.
"But, it's too soon." Glenn said as he dialed for the Danvers's Mansion.
After almost 4 hours of labor, Rosalind finally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl at exactly 11:59pm on the 31st of October 1990. Even though she was pre-matured, but she was as strong as a full term baby.
"What's her name?" Evelyn Danvers asked.
"Catherine, name her Catherine. Tyler would love her. He wanted a baby sister for so long." Rosalind said as her eyes rimmed with tears. "But I can't keep her. We'll have to make up some thing, but we can't keep her. Take care of her. Take her as if she is your own." Rosalind begged.
Glenn held her hand the whole time. He knows how much it hurts her and how much it would affect Tyler. They had to let her live and let her destiny catch up with her. William who was just watching from a far came into the room.
"You don't have to give her up. I will not ask her to will her power to me. I will never do that. Unless she willingly wants it." William said. He just felt wrong about the ritual that his ancestor before him did towards their witches. And he felt wrong to part a daughter from her mother.
"She have to. Putnam's descendents can't know about her. It would be too risky for all of us. At least when she is with you, she could be better protected." Rowena reasoned.
"Does Wayne know this is his girl?" William asked again. Rosalind just shook her head. "Did he even talk to you after?" William questioned more. Rosalind shook her head again.
"Let's keep it that way. It's better for him not to know." Glenn said.
"Christopher is here isn't he?" William asked. Glenn just nodded.
"I can't stand to see him shout at the little boy. He is so innocent. He is barely 2 years old for god's sake. He is getting beaten up every day." Glenn speaks his mind. "Not this girl. He will never lay a single finger on her. But I could not do it. Please take care of her." He begged. William made a promise. A promise that almost cost him his life. A promise he held on nonetheless.
End Flashback
Caleb was sitting on his bed trying to figure out his homework as Catherine crept up beside him. She had always found a sense of security when she is with Caleb. "Having math trouble again aren't we?" Catherine teased her brother. Caleb made a face to her and admitted it. "Wait. Are we not in the same class?" She said teasing him more.
"Are you going to help or not?" He said getting slightly annoyed. "Or even better can I please copy your work?" He asked.
"No. I would never let you plagiarize my work. I can show you the steps though. It's really easy. It's just calculus." Catherine said as she looks at the question and begins to explain the steps.
"How come it's so easy for you?" Caleb asked.
"Because I've done it." Catherine answered.
"I mean… ever mind." Caleb rolled his eyes.
"Cal, you think I can go to school tomorrow? I'm bored sitting at home and wait for you guys to come home and give me my work." Catherine asks.
"I don't know. I don't want anything to happen to you." Caleb replied.
"Come on. I'm in the same classes as all of you. At least one of you guys are in all my classes." She reasoned. "You are in my calculus class, Reid in my Physics class, Tyler in my Chemistry class, and all four of you are in my Literature class. How come I don't have any class with only Pouge?" Catherine suddenly asks.
"He's only taking AP Lit. How about biology? You don't have anyone in that class." Caleb said.
"Tyler and you." She smiles. Caleb nodded. He agreed to let her to school as long as she stays with them at all times. "Even to the loo?" She asked trying to be funny.
"Funny." Caleb retorted. "I'm serious. Don't go missing on us." Caleb said. Catherine just nodded.
"Caleb, Catherine!" Evelyn shouted from down stairs. "Reid's here." She said.
"Alright mom." Catherine said. Caleb smiled. "What?" She asked.
"Mom?" Caleb smiled.
"Cal, I sort of know that she is not my real mother when I fought with dad when I was about 5, when I found another birth certificate. Since then, we never spoke about it. But I knew. I asked her. She protected me from the truth." Catherine said.
"Hey, you guys did not see Tyler today did you?" Reid asked hurriedly. Catherine and Caleb just shook their heads. "He's gone. He never went home after school, not at Nicky's, definitely not here and I've checked the grave yard. He's vanished." Reid said.
"I might have an idea where he is." Catherine suggested. "I'm sure you can't get him on his phone right?" Catherine questioned and Reid just nodded.
"Alright, let's go." Caleb said as he grabs his car keys.
"Hey," Catherine stopped in their way. "Don't be too hard on him." She warn Reid and Caleb.
Caleb drove to the Cross Marble Head, a place that Catherine and Tyler always go to if they want to hide from everyone else. Or for them to just talk without anyone else around. A figure sat in the dark. The figure, as soon as he saw the head light from the car just jumped over the cliff.
"Tyler!" Caleb yelled after him.
"Let me." Catherine said. "Ty, catch me. I can't control this." Catherine said and she jumped over as Tyler did. She did not even know whether she can fly like Tyler always does it with her. She risk it and do it anyway.
"Andy, don't!" Reid ran after her. "Cal? The hell?" Reid glanced towards Caleb and then went after Catherine. As his eyes went black, he jumped over the cliff. Only to land and saw Catherine was caught by Tyler.
"You really think I'm going to let her fall?" Tyler questioned.
"Do a stunt like that again and I swear I'm going to kill the both of you." Reid retorted.
"We've done this a million times." Catherine said. "Only to run away from you guys." She smiled as she saw Caleb came down.
"So you know?" Caleb asked.
"I've known for years. I'm not an idiot, Cal. The grave. Please. You know what I kept there that I used to go there? Remember Frankie and Selina? I buried them there." He smiled.
"Your frog? You put Frankie there with Sel? Are you crazy?" Catherine laughed. "A frog and a snake."
"Sel ate Frankie." He answered. "Then Pouge killed Sel."
"Crazy people." Catherine uttered.
"And you're not. You nearly made me get a heart attack." Caleb said.
"I've done it a million times with Tyler." Catherine said again. "I know what I was doing."
"You don't have control over your abilities yet." Tyler reasoned. "He's worried. You cant even control your levitation much less flying." He said.
"I thought you're on my side." Catherine said smacking Tyler's arm.
"I don't want you to die." Tyler reasoned.
"Then why'd you jump when you see the car?" Catherine retorted.
"I did not. I caught you from above didn't I?" Tyler asked.
"Then who is it? Can't be Pouge. Too skinny, compared to Pouge I mean. No offence." Catherine said as she smirked at Tyler.
"None taken." Tyler said. "I came here to think. To digest what my mom just told me, about what really happened. I mean she cheated my dad, sort of made me mad. It was not because I got to know you're my sister or anything. I knew about that, about the time you almost killed yourself." He continued. "I heard you called my name and I saw you jumped. So I ran after."
"Who was that than?" She questioned. "Who did I ran after?" She questioned.
"He's back." Reid said. "Chase came back."
"He's dead, Reid. I finished him in the barn." Caleb replied.
"Maybe I am not." A figure suddenly said as it emerge from the darkness. "Maybe you just made me stronger than I could possibly be." The man said. His voice filled with youth but he appears to be older.
"Who are you?" Catherine asked.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't little miss sunshine." The man voiced. "Didn't Caleb tell you that he tried to get rid of me? Chase Collins. The guy tried to hurt your brother. And did hurt Pouge Parry. How is he anyways? Still alive I supposed." He kept talking. "Well, recognize me now, my dear?" He said as me moved nearer towards Catherine, Caleb, Tyler and Reid.
"Mr. Pope. You're… you're Chase Collins?" Catherine stammered.
"Well you know what they say right. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Chase laughed. "Well, now I'm out for more. You know what you can do Catherine. You, well after ‑
this, after your brother explain to you what witches can do with their power, you can will me your power. Even though it is not much compared to your brother's but it will hurt him like hell." Chase said and he fade back into the darkness.
Translation for French dialogue:
"Maintenant vous ne pouvez pas avoir un coup de cœur pour Baby Boy secret plus longtemps. Il est votre frère." Pouge teased.
Translation: "Now, you can't have a secret crush on Baby Boy any longer. He's your brother." Pouge teased.
"Je suis tout à gauche est maintenant Reid. Il va être extatique." Catherine said. Then she made a face to Pouge.
Translation: "My only choice is Reid now. I'm ecstatic." Catherine said. Then she made a face to Pouge.
…..
"Une chose que vous ne connaissez pas c'est que je ne parle français." Mrs Simms said. Catherine face redden.
Translation: "One thing people don't know about me is I do speak French." Mrs Simms said. Catherine face redden.