I Need You

48. Daddy Issues

"I think it's your father" she finally says. 

What about my father? I don't get her. I look at her questioningly. I see tears running down her cheeks and Damon rubbing her back. 

"I think the one who killed Aiden and Aaron, is your father" she says breaking up into more tears. I think I heard wrong. 

"I killed Henry" I say without letting them speak anymore. "Cara has been sent for treatment and we need to get her back" I say and turn to Damon. He just nods and whispers something to Em and comes along with me. I know this is tough for him but I need this to happen. And I need time to process what they said. 

She was telling that my father killed my brother. And I need time to process that. All the incidents that took place flashed infront of me. And they all complete the puzzle. All the missing parts of the puzzle have been found. Everytime I get close to the killer, my father shows up there. He keeps being neutral about the situations. He has been shot in the leg. His scars, his attitude everything, every fucking thing tells me something is wrong.

"Do you even know where she is?" Damon asks looking at me when I get into the car. I just nod and motion him to sit. He sits in the passenger seat and I immediately start the car. 

"Why Henry?" he says after staying silent for sometime. I look at him and see that he is worried. I think he have been holding him back soo much. "He was with the killer. He was with my d-" I stutter at this point. I can't say it out, but I know. I know it is my dad. 

I hold the steering so hard to the point that my knuckles started turning white. "How did you know that it's my d--" why is it so hard for me to tell the word Dad. I keep looking at the road. I don't think I can handle his expressions now. I don't know. How would mom take this? How will aunt Lisa take this? What about everyone else? How are they going to handle this? How am I going to handle this?

"We went to meet your mom. Last time in the hospital she told someone kept breaking into the house and there is no evidence. So we went to check on it. We tried everything we could but couldn't find any. Meanwhile Em went into your parents room to get your mom's phone and then she found the knife, gun and the mask. Em never forgot any detail about the incident so, she could recognize them immediately." He says and I understand. I just nod and keep driving.

I stop infront the large gates and the guard opens the door when he sees me. Maybe they were expecting me here. I park the car and we both get down. Damon tenses beside me. It's just been days and he still didn't get over her. But this for his good and for her. She doesn't deserve all this. 

It's a good thing that Henry didn't send his daughter to some sanitarium. She is staying with her grandmother now and she has some sessions on alternate days. The door open on the third ring and we meet a dull Cara. She isn't herself anymore. Her face lightens when she sees us but it fills with regret again.

"Gonna make us stand here" I ask with a mocking tone and she smiles. She welcomes us in and she sits in the chair opposite to us. "We are going" I say turning to her grandmother who is sitting in the chair beside Cara. I know her for long and she is a sweet person. She smiles and nods in agreement.

I pull Cara to her room and pack her bags. She just stays still. "Just come with me. Let's get back to normal and start fighting over a boy. Ummm may be Rick. He is the only person left now" I say and wink at her. She smiles and nods.

Both Damon and Cara stay silent in the car. They both don't speak anything. I nudge him in the shoulder to ask him to speak. "We both are together" he says out loud. I look at her in the mirror. She keeps looking between me and Damon and she smiles. "Not Mia. It's Emily. I and Emily are together" he says and she smiles more brightly now. Emily is a sweetheart for us all and so I Damon.

"I am sorry for everything. I didn't know my dad was doing all this on purpose. I just thought he was-" she says and breaks into tears. I stop at Julia's parlor. I don't know but everytime someone is sad, I end up getting them here and she ends up giving us the best ice-cream. We three sit in the corner and do the order.

"It's okay" Damon says trying to break the silence. Cara is still crying. "Want me to call Rick" I say and she smiles. Damon looks at me confused and I wink at him. "Actually I thought it would be good for us to fight over a man rather than cry" I say and he bursts into laughter.

Julia serves us more ice-cream and with extra toppings. We thank her and we enjoy our ice-cream. We talk about the old days, how we used to fight with each other, how we were so possessive about our things and how we used to envy each other. Damon just listens to us and he laughs when we say some funny stuff.

"I shot your father" I say when we get into the car. Her expression changes for a second, but she pulls up immediately. "Let me get one last look and I'll be okay" she says. I turn to look at her and she gives me a half smile but it is genuine. 

I drive her to the last place I saw Henry. The place where I shot him. It's covered fully with blood. Damon stops by Aiden's grave and he asks us to go forward. I take Cara inside and she sheds just a single tear for her father. I know it is killing her from inside but she isn't showing it out. How much she hates him. he is still her father and she is still his daughter. She bends down to take his hat and pen from the table and turns to me and smiles half-heartedly.

I look at the mess I have created here. I killed many people. Many whom I shouldn't have. I don't remember shooting Alex. But he lies on the ground dead and with a gun in his hand. 

Cara pats me on the shoulder and rubs my back. "It's okay Mia. I am not going to avenge you for this. He deserved it" she says trying to calm me down. I just nod and motion her to move forward. 

"Danny is awake" Damon says as soon as we both get out from the room. This is one thing I wanted for soo long. He is the only one who can tell me if it's really my father.