Kindred Spirits

28 - He is not my dad!

Book: Kindred Spirits
Chapter 28 (3x12)
Word Count: 815

A/N: Just a short filler episode. I am really looking forward to writing tomorrow's chapter since I love the episode, but the update might not be able to be published until really late tomorrow night since I have work first.

Cassidy was hanging with Elijah, actually enjoying her day, when she got the call. The call that had her blood boiling in anger.

"He wants to see me?!"

"Cassie, he just wants to talk. Apologise."

"No, Caroline! Dad came into town, chained you up and burnt you until you were raw, and then fled without even speaking to me once. He hasn't made any move to contact me in years, and the one time he came into town, he spoke to you, mom, and even Tyler... but he just forgot to let me know that he was even in town. I hate him."

"You can't let your daddy issues stop you from seeing him! He's still our dad!"

"And he still chained you up and abused you for days, all because you are a species which cannot be reversed. You didn't choose to be a vampire, but do you think he cared when he was ripping off your daylight ring and revealing you to the sun?"

"Cassie... he's right beside me. He wants to speak to you."

"No."

"But he's our--"

"He is not my dad! He never even tried to be a dad before, so he will always be nothing to me!" And with that, Cassidy angrily hung up the phone. She turned around to see Elijah stood there, staring at her sympathetically.

"Are you alright, darling?"

"I mean, everyone has their baggage. Mine is that I have raging daddy issues." Cassidy tried to joke, but the tears soon became evident in her eyes.

---

Night had fallen, the day was relatively easy. Cassidy had headed off to bed earlier than she normally would, hoping that if she just slept her worries away, she would wake up and her dad would be the last thing on her mind. Because all day, she couldn't help but think that her dad was in the same town as she was. The dad whom she hadn't seen for years, even if her parents had shared custody. Her dad just never cared. So, why should she? Cassidy hated her father. That would never change. He had given her so much insecurities and doubts about herself... she would never forgive him for just abandoning her and her family.

Cassidy's mates were worried about her silence all day, she knew that... she had to reassure them twice that she was alright before she headed to bed. But, she lay awake for over half an hour, and just as she decided to start counting the stars out of her window to get her to sleep, her phone buzzed repeatedly on her nightstand. With a sigh, Cassidy rolled over onto her side and picked up her phone, unplugging the charger. Seeing that it was Caroline calling for the eleventh time that hour, Cassidy decided to finally answer.

"I'm trying to sleep, Caroline. This better be important."

"I've been trying to call you for an hour, Cassie!" It sounded like Caroline was close to tears.

"Yeah, and I've been trying to sleep, so if you excuse m--"

"Dad's in the hospital!"

"..."

"Tyler turned and accidentally attacked him."

"..."

"Please say something."

"...I'm on my way." Cassidy hung up and flung the covers off of her, jumping to her feet as fear pricked at her heart. She might hate her dad, but she would always need him in her life... and at that moment, she had never felt so scared.

---

Running into the hospital in her PJs and slippers, a coat draped over her, Cassidy spotted Caroline and Tyler sat alone outside a room. Caroline jumped to her feet once she spotted her older sister.

"Is he in there?" Cassidy asked, gesturing to the room. Caroline didn't respond straight away, pulling Cassidy into a hug. But Cassidy took the hug the wrong way, her heart dropping into her stomach. "Is he still alive? Please tell me--"

"He's okay." Caroline pulled away and smiled. "Dad's doctor, Meredith... he saved his life. He... he wasn't going to make it... but she saved him."

"What do you mean?" Cassidy frowned in confusion. "How did she save him if he was so close to death?"

"She..." But Caroline hesitated, nervously scratching at her eyes and avoided eye contact. Cassidy rolled her eyes, impatiently waiting to go and have the long-awaited talk that she wanted to have with her dad for years.

"Spit it out, Care."

"Fine!" Caroline sighed. "Meredith fed dad vampire blood to save him. We just can't let him die until it is out of his system."

Cassidy eyes widened in surprise at that news.

"She did what?!"