Destiny

Thirty seven

"Hey, Jackie," Caitlin greeted her mother's secretary at the counter, Charlie followed behind her staying quiet while holding the tapes. "Is mom free?"

"I think she is on break right now, let me check," she replied checking the desktop on the front counter. "You know she told you to start calling before you visit, right?"

"Yeah," Caitlin replied, "but I think she'll make time for this..."

Jackie pressed a button making a beeping sound, and said, "alright you can head up." 

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Entering her mother's office, Caitlin used her jacket to conceal her bump, so it wouldn't seem like a slap on the face when she told her. Charlie, although stayed silent behind her, holding the tapes, the outcome to her reaction to him would be inevitable.

But as if she was blind, Dr. Tannhauser said, not even looking up from her desk, "What is it now Caitlin, you know I can't drop everything, every time you come for help."

"Mom," Caitlin exhaled, trying to stay calm. "There's just some really important news I need to tell you, we need to tell you."

Carla looked up finally from her desk and turned her head to her daughter, then looking behind her, she gasped, "Elijah?"

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Charlie stood frozen for a second, the stuttering, "Uh- no. No. Not Elijah..."

"Okay, guess we're going to do this first," Caitlin whispered to herself, as she took a seat in front of her mom's desk, then signaling Charlie to follow her.

Leaning back in her seat, Carla asked her daughter, "Caitlin, what's going on?"

"It's a really long story mom," she replied, grabbing one of the tapes from Charlie, she continued, "Umm... maybe this will make things easier to explain."

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(skip to after tapes. Basically, they were similar to Caitlin's, only what was wiped was Carla getting frustrated at her husband when she discovered his powers or Caitlin's. Elijah had left a message on the first tape, just like Caitlin's too. He did love her, he knew she probably hated him because of Charlie.)

After watching the tapes, Carla sat quiet, her eyes looked infuriated yet also confused.

"M-mom?" Caitlin said to break the silence.

"Where is your Uncle right now?" she asked.

"Somewhere backpacking through Europe," she replied.

Carla muttered something, and then said, "Will be coming back to visit?"

"He said maybe next year, or whenever..." Caitlin said, "Why?-" she then asked before her mother cut in.

"I'm going to kill him!" she yelled as a whisper. She sat back, breathing into her hands.

"Mom, are you okay?" Caitlin asked, as Charlie still sat silently in his seat.

"No- no, not exactly Caitlin, but I think I'm having just as a normal reaction to this as anyone would," she replied.

After a few moments passed, so Carla could calm down and regain her breath, she looked at Charlie and finally smiled.

"You really do look like him," she said, causing both her children to smile. "Charlie right?"

He nodded in reply, Carla then smiled and let out a small laugh.

"What?" he smiled in return.

"Charlie Christian, his favorite jazz musician," Carla looked down and smiled wiping her eye, "His song, Old Fashioned Love played at our wedding."