A/N: The italicized parts are obviously the memory.

Chapter 5

Little Charles started to cry. Elsie held him closer to her and wondered if, in addition to being hungry, he sensed the tension between his father and mother.

"What happened to us?"

Charles' question seemed to echo in her ears.

"I have to feed my child," she responded flatly.

"Our child," Charles reminded her.

Elsie's lips pulled into a dangerously thin line, but she did not reply. He leaned forward to caress the crying baby's cheek, but she backed away out of his reach. He yearned to go after her as she left to feed little Charles, but he knew better than to do such a thing.

Charles sank onto the bed with a heavy sigh. Soon, however, he found himself anxiously pacing the floor as he waited for her to return.

When Elsie returned with the baby, she seemed to be making a conscious effort to remain as far away from Charles as possible.

"Elsie..."

"I'll take the baby to Rebecca," she said in a small, strained voice, "and then we can talk."

Charles partially expected her to leave and not return but was thankful when she, looking flustered and somehow out of breath, finally did. However, he found himself frustrated with the distance she still maintained from him. He watched her chest rise and fall as she sighed audibly.

"Don't you remember?" she asked, her weak voice cracking with emotion as the memories flooded back to her.

"I'm not certain I'm ready to be a father," Charles admitted quietly.

"It's a little late for that now," Elsie snapped. "You can't simply take it back."

"Bound to the consequences of our actions..."

"Our child is a 'consequence'?" she nearly shouted.

Charles averted his eyes from her.

"It's not easy being married to me, is it?" she cried. "You take what you want from me but don't want to take responsibility for the 'consequences'."

"I never said that," he said helplessly.

"There's a lot you've never said..." she spoke slowly.

"What do you want from me?"

"I don't think I know anymore."

"Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing here," he admitted.

Elsie had hoped that their love would have been enough; perhaps she had been wrong all along. He clearly didn't want their child, and he didn't seem to want her either.

"Far be it from me to keep you here against your will, Charles," she replied almost mockingly.

"Elsie..."

"Please. Leave."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, feeling a pain shoot through his chest as she began to cry once more.

"I never wanted you to go," she said. "I had hoped you were happy."

"I was happy," he urged.

Elsie sniffed.

"Yes, before our 'consequence'."

"You don't think I love our son?"

"You said you didn't want him."

"I said I wasn't certain I was ready to be a father, not because I didn't want a child but because I truly feared I would fail at it."

Elsie hastily wiped away her stubborn tears.

"Why would you ever think such a thing?"

"I wasn't responsible enough for a child of my own," he explained. "All I knew was that I loved you and wanted to be with you; I was selfish enough to think that a baby would take away from that."

Elsie felt the hot, wet sting of tears once again.

"And now?" she asked quietly, trying hard to control her voice.

Charles looked ashamed.

"I hadn't realized I could love anyone as much as I love both of you. I didn't know that my love for our child could somehow make me love you more, but it has. I do still love you, Elsie; I never stopped loving you."

He felt a burden lift from his chest, yet still he feared her reaction.

"I can't imagine that makes up for me leaving," he went on, "and I won't stay if you don't want me."

Charles' heart seemed to beat irregularly and his breaths grew labored as he continued to wait for her response. Her expression, usually so easily readable, was all but blank. Her eyes were wide and bright with unshed tears. He swallowed hard and gave a nod.

"I understand..."

"No!" she interjected, taking a small step forward. "I do. I want you to stay."

To be continued