Hayden & Dean (The Sequel) - A Tethered Love

Chapter 44: Final Straw

I hear Paul through the monitor begin to whine and cry out for me. I get up quickly, enjoying being able to hear his cries again. He's standing up and crying in the crib saying daddy over and over again. I quickly lift him into my arms "hi baby, ohh what's the matter? Did someone have a bad dream? Ohh, it's okay."

As I try and sooth him, he continues to cry out for his father "dadddaa, dadda."

It kills me that I can't go and give Paul to his father but I just keep trying to bounce him up and down "it's okay baby, mommy's here. I know, we'll see daddy soon. It's okay."

He keeps crying and crying and it must wake Charles up because he comes shuffling into the bedroom "hey, little guy can't sleep?"

I give him an apologetic smile "guess not." However, Paul's cries start to lower when his eyes meet Charles.

He lifts his little baby arms up and tries to reach for him "dada. dada"

My head jerks to look at Charles and whatever was somehow managing to hold my heart together, breaks and I feel everything inside of me go numb "did he?" But I can't even say the words as Charles comes over to take Paul from my arms and sooth him.

"Hey little guy, it's alright. Look, your mommies here now. Yeah, that's right. That's mommy. It's okay, it was just a bad dream. You are okay." I watch, not sure what I am feeling as he calms my son back down and soothes him enough where he lays back down in his crib.

Him and I walk quietly out of the room and I walk aimlessly back to the bedroom. I sit down on the bed, staring at the baby monitor as Charles stands in the door way "did he just call you his father?"

I wipe a tear from my eye as I look over to him, Charles exhales and goes to explain "he, uhh, he started to call me dad about 3 weeks ago. And I promise Hayden, anytime he did, or does! I would sit with him and show him a picture of you and Dean and remind who his parents are. Every time. But at night, when he has his nightmares, it's just easier to console him and put him back to sleep."

I have no words to answer to him. I can't be mad at him, and I believe every word he just said to me. But has it been that long since Dean has seen his son that Paul is starting to think Charles is his father? I try to push all those thoughts out of my head, knowing I can deal with them later and then I ask him "his nightmares?"

Charles nods "it started back at your dads I guess. Lizette told me it happened like three times. But it's been happening more often now."

"It's the darkness" I say flatly, knowing in my gut that's what's causing everything.

Charles asks "you mean Amara?"

I nod "she's connected to Paul somehow. As much as I want to say she isn't, she is." My jaw clenches and I know I need to go back to the bunker and help end her once and for all. My eyes find Charles again and I ask him an important question "Charles, I know I have no right to ask this of you and that you have an entire life at home you put on hold for me, but.. Can you stay here with him, and keep watching over him?"

He comes to the bed and sits next to me "of course, whatever you need. But what are you going to do, can you help them?"

I shake my head and shrug at the same time "I don't know but I need to try. These nightmares, Paul's illness, it has everything to do with Amara. I can't sit on the sidelines and hope they can do it, because I know I can. He's my son and I'd do anything for him." Charles pulls me in to his chest and I rest my head against his shoulder. He knows I need a shoulder to cry on right now and he just lets that be what he is. After a few minutes, the tears stop and I sit up while wiping at my face "thank you again, and I promise I'll come check on him, on you, very soon."