AN : Here we go for a new chapter :) Dedicated for my dear friend Johanna ( reign_megan_follows) for her 16th Birthday ! Happy Birthday again ! I hope you'll like this chapter :)

Chapter 15

At Madeleine's house

Francis and Charles were currently walking towards their aunt's house. Charles was so excited and happy to see his mother again after the previous day's events that he ran the last few meters to the house.

"Mama ! Mama !" Fortunately, the door was unlocked so he could open it and run inside. Francis was walking behind him and smiled at his little brother's excitement.

On her side Catherine had been sitting on the couch and watching TV when she heard her youngest son calling for her. She smiled, turned off the TV and before she could get up, Charles was already jumping on her lap.

"Hello Charlie…" she covered his face with kisses.

Francis arrived shortly after and they spent a few hours of the afternoon with their mother.


Back in the family's house

Claude put her hand on her father's knee "Dad… you mustn't give up…" she said softly.

Henry sighed and removed his hands from his face to look at his daughter. "Maybe that would be best… maybe that's what she wants." He wasn't sure anymore.

"Is that what you want ?" she asked him seriously.

"I don't know Claude. I just want the pain to stop…" he couldn't bear it anymore.

"She's in pain too, you know." Claude smiled sadly.

"I know… and that's why, perhaps, we should stop." He sighed, he was so exhausted.

"You should stop what ?" The teenaged girl hoped he wasn't meaning what she thought he was.

Henry stayed silent during several seconds before he swallowed hard and answered her question. "Our marriage Claude."

She didn't know what to say anymore… how could she find the right words in this situation. "Dad… you can't mean that…"

"And yet I do… maybe hoping for something else is madness… maybe clinging to her is foolishness when the only thing she does is abandoning me without an explanation."

Claude's eyes widened, was this really happening now ? after everything they had been through together ?

"You can't do this now… you spent a decade away from each other and you stayed together and now…" but she never got the chance to finish her sentence since her father did it for her.

"And now I have enough… enough Claude… enough." He shook his head. "I can't do this. For a decade, I waited for her to tell me what I had done for her to start resenting me so much, even though I knew I hadn't failed her, at least not in the way she thought I had. And now… now that she knows I did nothing, she leaves me."

Claude looked at the ground, hoping she would find something to say "She… she's never been good at dealing with her feelings… you know this better than anyone… you know how she behaves when she's lost or hurt…"

"Yes. I know she prefers to flee rather than to deal with her emotions but I deserve that talk Claude." He sighed… he wasn't even angry, his heart was just bleeding because hope was slowly leaving him.

"You… you can't give up on her… I know she loves you and you love her too…" She tried to persuade him.

"I do… I love her, but love isn't enough Claude… not for me… not anymore." He looked at her sadly… he couldn't believe this was really happening.

She nodded as tears filled her eyes "I… I understand…" she knew she couldn't go against her parents decision… if they believed it was best for them to be apart… that was their choice.

The general smiled sadly, he got up and kissed Claude's forehead "I'm sorry… I didn't want to make you cry…"

Claude didn't move. She knew that if she moved from one millimetre or looked at him, the tears she was trying to contain would roll down her cheeks.

When he saw that, Henry understood it was time for him to leave… he was so exhausted and he didn't know for how long he would be able to control his own tears. Therefore, he silently left her room.


At Madeleine's house

Charles was playing with Margot in the living room and watching TV at the same time. That's the time Francis chose to drag his mother to the kitchen.

"Francis ? What are you doing ?" Catherine was quite surprised.

"I need to talk to you, it's important." Francis spoke seriously.

"What is it ?" she frowned and waited for what he would say.

"It's about dad… he says he is alright but I don't know for how long…" he was quite worried.

Catherine sighed. "I know the situation is far from easy… for him and for me…"

"I know… but he wasn't even there when you left… don't you think he should at least have an explanation from you ?" He tried to convinced his mother.

"I told him where I was and that we were safe with your sister… and Madeleine even called him…" she crossed her arms. The truth was that she was afraid… of her feelings, of dealing with the situation… of everything.

"You know it's not enough…" Francis thought she should have called him herself.

"It will have to be Francis… because I can't do more…" she looked down… deep down she knew her son was right… but she couldn't bring herself to do that… she wasn't ready to hear his voice that she loved so much… she was scared.

Francis saw his mother's reaction… he knew he had to stop there because it would do no good to keep pushing her… although he knew her actions, or rather her lack of actions, could have disastrous consequences…

"Alright… if you think so…"

Catherine nodded and still looked at the ground… she was so lost.

"I'll be in the living room…" Francis smiled slightly and went back to see Charles and Margot.

Some minutes later, Margot was sleeping in her crib and it was already time for her two sons to leave.

Catherine said goodbye to them, kissed their cheeks and went back to her thoughts.


At the family's house

Henry was walking slowly to his room, the room that in the past used to be the guest room, but before he could get there, he saw the door of Catherine's room… the room that used to be theirs.

He sighed softly and stopped walking right before the door. He took a deep breath and opened it. Sadly, his wife wasn't there… he remembered how she used to wait for him at night and how happy he was to find her waiting for him in their bed… but now the bed was empty… only her scent remained…

He breathed deeply… he knew he could recognize that perfume, her perfume, between thousands… he made a few steps further into the room and stared at the big, empty bed… after some time, he couldn't resist laying down in it… he took her pillow and buried his face in it…

"Why did you leave ? Why like that ?" he whispered to the pillow… "Don't you know I can't live without you ?" he sighed and hugged the pillow. Slowly the general fell asleep, surrounded by the memories of his wife and still very lost in his thoughts…

AN : It's still a hard time for Cathry :( Will they find a solution ?

To be continued…

Laura D.