Bloodborn (sequel to 'Lucky 13')

Chapter 23: Scars

Lily's POV

I was looking outside the window, looking left and right, waiting to catch a glimpse of Catherine's car. I wondered why it was taking her so long to get here.

"Are you sure she'll come?"

I turned around and noticed Vernon was growing impatient, but he was also still clearly nervous. "Yes," I then looked back to the street. "She will."

He sighed loudly.

"Why don't you prepare for all the questions she might have?"

"I am," I heard him getting up, he was walking around the room. He was really stressed. "I just don't know what to expect from her. How is she?"

I then turned back around to face him. I was honestly shocked and upset to hear that question. Vernon didn't know how his own daughter would be with him. He had no clue who Catherine was. He didn't know her.

He must've noticed my expression because he looked down, seemingly ashamed of his question.

"I don't know if she has changed since you last saw her," I said to which he looked at me. "I have only known her for 2 years."

He nodded.

"Marianne has told me that Catherine's carrying a lot of pain with her since she lost her mother," I said to which Vernon gulped and looked down. "So you might want to expect some anger from her."

He went to sit back down, covering his face in his hands. "I ruined everything."

"Listen," I went to sit down with him. "You can't change the past, but you can change the future."

He looked at me.

"What happened before cannot be undone, but what happens next is up to you."

Before he could react to what I had said, the front door opened and in came Catherine and Esmee.

Esmee spotted us first, her eyes widened. She was trying to keep Catherine from seeing Vernon, but failed.

When Catherine turned to me, to Vernon and me, the look in her eyes changed. I couldn't begin to describe the look she had. She wasn't angry, or sad, or shocked, or anything like that. It's like she was in a trans, she was frozen.

Esmee started pulling at Catherine but Catherine pushed her away harshly. "Catherine, come." Esmee tried again.

I walked to Esmee and held her back. "They need this," I said to her as Catherine walked closer to her father. "Let them."

Esmee looked at me. "They'll murder each other, Lily!"

"They need this!" I said, even though I was worried that that could indeed be the result of this meeting...

Vernon got up slowly. He gulped as he stood merely a few feet away from Catherine, his daughter. He seemed lost for words, and I couldn't blame him.

I couldn't see Catherine's face, but I noticed she had her fists balled. And I knew that was never a good thing.

I walked to Catherine and reached for her left hand, which was balled in a fist. I tried breaking the fist apart and, eventually, it worked. I held her hand in mine, showing my support to her this way.

Catherine looked at Vernon, suddenly I saw an emotion I had never seen in her eyes. It was pure sadness, like a beaten dog, an abandoned child. Then I realized that that is exactly how Catherine must've felt back then: an abandoned child.

"Catherine," Vernon managed to say, just above a whisper though. "I'm sorry."

Catherine let out a breath she seemed to have held in for a while. She looked down, sniffling quietly.

"I can't undo what I have done to your mother," He said, gulping. He was starting to sob as well. "If there was anything I could do to bring her back, I would."

Catherine didn't look up at him, she simply started crying.

I pulled Catherine closer and she started hugging me back. She immediately started crying onto my shoulder.

I looked at Vernon and showed him a small smile, showing him that he was doing the right thing.

"Hianag, I-"

Catherine turned around, facing Vernon. "Don't you dare call me that!" She wiped her own tears away, suddenly her sadness made room for anger. "You never acknowledged me, you never once spent time with me, you never showed any love towards me," She then went back to sobbing. "So don't you dare call me that!"

Vernon seemed beaten by this. I don't think he expected this. "I'm sorry, Catherine."

She kept on sobbing but didn't turn away from him. I walked to her and gave her a side hug, to show support. She gladly accepted it.

"I know you hate me," He gulped, he clearly was hurt. "I don't expect that to change, I was awful to you."

Catherine slowly nodded.

"I didn't come back to destroy the life you have now," He said, looking Catherine straight in the eyes. "I came back to help."

"Help?" She sobbed. "You? Helping me?"

He nodded. "I know what's going on with you, and your hianag. I came here to help, to prevent your family to go down like mine," He then looked down, he was clearly having a hard time. "When I met Emily," He gulped. "I just don't want her to grow up without parents," He then looked at Catherine. "Like you did."

Catherine looked down, she hugged me.

"I won't talk to you or your family, if that's what you want," He said, gaining all of our attention. "I will go back to prison and spend the rest of my days there, if that's what you want." He sighed. "I just want to help, I swear."

Esmee and I looked at Catherine, we knew she held so much hatred within herself for her father. We knew she wanted him to suffer, but we knew she was worried about this current situation too.

"Maybe you can help from behind bars, Vernon," Esmee said before Catherine could say anything. "You are still punished for your crime."

"I know," Vernon looked at Catherine. "I'll go back, if that's what you want. After all," He then showed a sincere small smile. "You're the leader now."

That last sentence seemed to have triggered something in Catherine because suddenly she stopped crying. She looked at him. "You can stay here, in this house," She said, surprising us all. "But you are not allowed to leave this house. If you do," She paused, making sure he was listening to her. "You'll die."

Vernon nodded. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"For this second chance, I really appreciate it." He smiled a bit, he seemed to have hope again.

But Catherine would destroy it all with one last sentence: "At least you got a second chance." She then left the house, pulling me with her.