Heya Guys. This is the first update of 2k20. It's almost over 4k so enjoy.

*********

The first thing Coltrane noticed after waking up was that Cassandra was not on the bed. He sits up and the blanket falls off.

"Cassandra??" He called, searching, slowly panic set in. He rushed out, calling Ben and asked him to search the house. They start looking for her. After searching the whole house the only place left was the terrace. He went to the terrace. She was there. He sighed in relief but it washed away as soon as he touched her.That's when he noticed those dried trails of tears.

"Cassandra?" He called her.

"Cassandra wake up" Coltrane shakes her. She did not react.

He picked her up rushing out as fast she could.

"Keys" Coltrane yelled at Ben who grabbed the keys. He went straight to the hospital.

"Doctor. Call for a doctor?" He yelled, keeping her closer to him trying to keep her warm.

They rush her inside a warm room. The doctor checked her pulse.

"She is fine, just a bit cold and dehydrated" Coltrane sighed in relief again as he was paranoid at a small change.

"She will wake up and you can take her home. Just make sure she is warm" He nodded his head. Sitting on the chair beside her bed, staring at her room.

"What were you doing there?" Coltrane whispered, kissing her forehead.

Cassandra woke after one hour just like the doctor said but something seems really off about her. The relief he was feeling washed away as anger took place. She slowly sat up and he helped.

"What were you doing on the terrace?" Coltrane glared at her. She just stared at nothing.

"Cassandra?" He called.

"I am asking you something" he calmly tried not to grab her shoulder, shaking her. She stayed silent. He rubbed his head trying to think this through.

"We are going home" Coltrane said after a while calling the nurse to remove her saline. He pulled her up by putting his hand around her knee and back.

After they reached home he went to his room. Making her sit on the bed, he covered her with a blanket. He sighed and sat beside her holding her hand rubbing it softly.

"I am locking the terrace if you don't say anything. Do you know how worried I was?" He asked again but she still kept her silence looking away.

Something makes him feel uneasy. He held her chin forcing her to look at him and she did not resist. A chill ran down even though she looked at him. Why does it feel like she is not?

"Look at me," Coltrane said painfully. Her face remained blank like she did not hear his words.

"Talk to me, Cassandra," he whispered, bending down so that their nose almost touched.

"Please?" He requested almost begging her but no words came out of her mouth, only a tear fell from her eye. He put his forehead against her.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Say something," he pleaded with her. He needs her to react.

"Don't you want a divorce?" He asked gulping down those words hurt him but if he could get any answer from her it was fine , not this cold blank silence. Cassandra looked away, it almost seems like she is tormenting herself.

"We need to talk about it" Nothing not a word. Not once she reacted when he kissed her a tear slid down his eyes. He hugged her tightly.

"Won't you talk to me? Would you talk to Austin?" He asked again. She remained silent staring at nothing.

He walked out, and went to the kitchen.

"Sir, breakfast is ready" the maid informed him.

"Send it to my room" Coltrane ordered that's when Ben walked in.

"You have Austin's number right? Give it to me" Ben looked at him shocked. He does have Austin's number so he can keep tabs on Meera and Marylyn but he knows Austin would not appreciate that. Against his better judgment he gave him his number.

Coltrane focused on his phone wondering whether he should call him or not. After a while I decided not to.

He called Jeremy, "Can you come to my house?" He asked. Jeremy wanted to flat out refuse him but he did not.

"I will be there" Jeremy answered coldly.

He closed his eyes taking a deep breath and walked towards his room. She was still sitting in the same position.

"Let's eat" he held out a plate. She did not react after trying. He started feeding her. She refused to open her mouth.

"Do you want me to force it in?" He asked his voice dangerously low. Cassandra did as he asked her and started eating silently. He stood up glaring at her .

"Do you think stop talking will solve everything freaking fucking thing?" He yelled.

"If you want to leave me. Go ahead fight me" Coltrane bent down to her level.

"But if you think that not talking and staying silent, I will let you go then you are gravely mistaken" Coltrane said angrily and left without eating.

*********

Coltrane sat down on the couch, rubbing his head. After a while Jeremy entered. He looked at Coltrane who already looked exhausted.

"Talk to Cassandra" Jeremy's eyes narrowed as he gave him a look that clearly explained.

"She is not talking to me" he sighed looking behind him.

"You called me all the way here just to ask me to talk. Have you lost your head?" Jeremy snapped.

"She is not talking to me damn it" Coltrane yelled standing up almost frustrated.

"I want to see if it's only me or she is not talking to any one" Jeremy nodded his head gulping down.

"Let's do this. Where?" He asked. Coltrane points at the room.

"I don't know you would come?" He said looking away. Catherine looked down for a while.

"I was worried about Cassandra," She said. Coltrane nodded his head.

"She is..." before he could say anything.

"I know" this is still a sore topic for him. He followed Jeremy with Catherine and waited outside the door.

The moment Jeremy entered the room his heart almost stopped. He knows who decorated the room, it must have been their room if they got married. A bitter reality settled in but he shook his head.

His eyes focused on Cassandra who was sitting on the bed staring out.

"Cassandra?" Jeremy called her. She remained still without a word coming out of her mouth and averted her eyes.

"Cassandra??" He called again walking up to the bed sitting on the chair in front of her.

"It's been a long time since we talked right? Usually you are the one chatting off , I just sit there and listen. Look, how our role reversed" the more Jeremy spoke the more he realized how easy it is to talk to her.

"Talking about it alway helps,you always said that then Why are you not saying anything?" Jeremy asked as his voice revealed how hurt he was. He has a far away look.

"I will not say move on and forget everything. When I myself can't do something like that, I can never expect it from someone else" Jeremy opened up. His eyes held years of anguish. He was not someone to let his emotions go wild, he held it. He always did.

"After everything happened to me, I became too busy to keep myself intact. In the hospital I thought I would not intervene" Cassandra stared at him.

"I did not want to relive that hell where I was fighting to keep my sanity intact. But I can't" Jeremy looked away with a tear falling from his eyes. Cassandra stared at him and tears filled her eyes.

"Don't do this. It will eat you away" He held her hand.

"Don't hold back"

"Don't think that people will get hurt"

"They did not think when they hurt you. They need to know how it feels going through this same agony"Jeremy said painfully.

"Forgive me, I am sorry. This does not change anything. This does not change the fact what they did to you?"

"Even if you forgive them. Can you forget?" He asked her. Cassndra looked away staring outside. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She still keeps her mouth shut.

"It will erode you to the point everything around will fall apart. Not even one piece will be left for you to hold on"

"Forgiveness comes with a price. Someone has to pay for it. Don't make yourself that someone" Jeremy squeezed her hand.

"If you want a divorce and get out of this house. I will help you. But don't do this to yourself and don't hurt yourself more than you are please" Jeremy said, she looked at him. A tear trailed down his cheek. He does not know what he is saying anymore. Cassandra wiped his tears and looked away. They sit there silently.

Catherine gasped, tears falling from her eyes. Coltrane was silent. They went back to the living room leaving them in their serenity.

Both have hurt the person they love.

"I know Jeremy is hurt but he never opened up about this. This is the first time I heard him talking about it" Catherine looked down, tears falling from her eyes. She sobbed.

"When someone is hurt they become too kind or too heartless" She whispered. Jeremy stands there.

"You heard everything," He stated. Catherine looked at him, tears falling from her eyes.

"I did not ask you to provoke her," Coltrane said coldly. Jeremy glared at him.

"I am giving her an option. I will stand by it" Jeremy said.

"You are not giving her an option. You are just seeing your life through her" Coltrane stand up. Jeremy's eyes flashed with pain, he looked away.

"Think whatever you want to think '' Jeremy said coldly walking out of there. Catherine followed him without saying anything.

************

Coltrane knows what he needs to do. He walked out of the room calling his number.

"Hello. Can I book an appointment with Dr.Ernest?" He asked.

"Sorry. But it will after six month..if you are okay with that" the receptionist said. He closed his eyes, talking to him privately is the only way.

"Okay thank you" Coltrane said. He entered his room. Taking a shower and getting dressed.

"I will be out for a while if you need anything call me. Or ask Ben" he waited for her to say yes or okay but she did not.

He took his car and went directly to see Ernest. He was quite early so he could catch Ernest at the door.

"I don't think we have any appointments," Ronald said.

"I know, I am here to talk about..." before Coltrane can finish his sentence Ernest stopped him.

"Let's go inside," He said.

After entering his cabin they sat in silence.

"I want you to take her case," he said. Ronald was silent for a while, he already heard from Austin what exactly happened. He had no idea that information was leaking out of his clinic. He started investigating who did it. And he already talked to the police.

"How is she?" Ronald asked. Coltrane closed his eyes for a while then explained what happened early. Everything how she stopped talking to him or anyone even though she can hear them perfectly fine.

"I can't take her case, Mr.Mayor" after a while, Ronald said, looking at him to see his reaction. It's true he can't.

"Why?" He was shocked. He thought Ronald would understand her.

"You know five no let say four years ago. I wasted 6 months but she was totally cut off from the world. The only way we got a breakthrough was your name. Now that you are standing right in front of her, I don't think you will get any reaction out of her '' Ronald sits down on his chair as Coltrane thinks this through.

"I can't put a hold on all my cases to get involved in a hopeless case" Ronald sighed. Coltrane glared at him.

"I can give you as much money as you want," He said.

"I don't need it" Ronald rolled his eyes.

"Look Mr.Mayor I won't go around and make you admit that she is a lost case" Ronald said nonchalantly.

"Do you think Austin did not ask me for that?" He asked. Coltrane flinched.

"I will only treat her if she come here and ask for help"

"That's...." Coltrane trailed off as much as he wanted to say impossible he can't. He left feeling hopeless. When he returned home Jeremy was walking out of the house with some documents. He thought Cassandra was ready to fight but no nothing happened, only the situation got worse.

Three months have passed since that day, but their lives remain stagnant. He who preferred not to bring work home started working from home. Only when it's totally necessary does he go to the office.

After that day Cassandra stopped talking. She stopped smiling most of the time and it feels like she is not even breathing. She does not go out of their room. She does not acknowledge him or anyone after talking to Jeremy. Sometimes Coltrane can see a tear falling from her eyes. Even if he forced her to do anything she did, it almost feels like he is living with a doll. He even called Austin to come and visit her but nothing happened. Her eyes still blank and face pale. She feels cold and unemotional except for those occasional tears.

Coltrane shifted her to his room after changing all the decoration. He returned it back to its original colour.

Cassandra would just sit on the bed staring at nothing. She would not acknowledge anyone's presence once in a while she glanced at him or anyone else but kept her mouth shut.

She is sickly pale from the lack of sunlight and sleep. One day he thought to see how much insomniac she was. So, he waited that night. She did not sleep at all. The only time he could make her sleep was those awful sleeping pills which were recommended by those doctors.

When Ernest rejected his offer he went to another psychiatrist but they only said she is severely depressed giving her antidepressant. They even told him that suicidal thoughts are common so keep an eye on her. Eventually they give up.

Coltrane needs to drag her out of the bed other than that she would sit on the bed. At the first she ate less than average after that he started feeding. Not only that Carson visited and tried to talk to her but she did not reply. That time she intently listened to Jeremy's words. After that day Jeremy came back with his commotion with Jeremy, he called him for divorce as much as the words hurt him but he did. Coltrane wanted her to react even if it means letting her go but she did not. The only time she reacted was when Catherine was here. She is heavily pregnant. Even that does not have any effect on her. When Catherine placed her hand on her belly that when her eyes settled on her belly. She kept her eyes on her and waited for the baby to react. It was a good sign but it did not last longer. There was something odd going on with Jeremy and Catherine. He can feel it but keep quiet. He has many things to deal with, without worrying about others.

Coltrane looked down, closing his eyes, something wet trailed down his eyes. He does not know how much he could hold on before having a complete mental breakdown. Even though he is working with Ernest on his problem. But no one knows how it feels repeating the same thing every day, she does not react to anything as if nothing has any meaning in her life. What happened that day when he found her on the floor? He looked at the clock and it was almost time for her to wake up wiping his tears. He stood up walking to their room, he took a deep breath and he opened the door.

"Good morning love" Coltrane said the first thing. She remains still sitting in the same position.

"Why aren't you fresh and up?I will come back with breakfast" He asked her if he didn't she would not react at all. He came back with a plate full of fruits, bread, egg and a glass of juice.

Coltrane started feeding her. She took a small bite. After feeding her half way through, Cassandra looked away. That's his cue that she won't eat anymore.

"Why don't we go out?" He asked, waiting for her to react. He sighed.

"Let's go, we can go to the nearest pet shop," Coltrane said, smiling at her. He grabbed her hand, tucking it. She stood up. Her hair was still wet from the shower. He pulled her to sit on the chair. He took the hair dryer and slowly dried her hair.

"You will catch a cold" He said, her blow drying her hair. Her usually mid length hair has now grown out and it falls beautifully around her waist. He softly brushed her hair. After that Coltrane went to the closet grabbing a jacket for her. He went out softly holding his hand as they went by Ben greeted her.

"Good morning Mr. and Mrs.Mayor" he greeted her blankly trying not to smile at her. Coltrane has strictly forbidden them to smile near her.

"Good Morning" He said and walked away. Coltrane opened the door for her to get in slightly pushing her in.

"Where should we go?" He asked out loud. If it was 7 years ago and someone told him that he would spend days and nights with Cassandra silently he would have laughed at them at how ridiculous they sounded. But now he looked at her. She stared off outside the car.

"Coltrane?" Before he could drive off there was a knock on his door. He was shocked to see Carson but what shocked him more was the little boy standing beside him. He looked down.

Coltrane turned to Cassandra who was still looking out, not bothering.

He went down and looked at Carson.

"Who is he?" He asked, closing the door behind. The little boy flinched.

"Please let him meet her," Carson said.

"I don't think that's a good idea" Coltrane sighed, bending down to the kid's level.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Cameron Gautier" The little boy whispered in a hoarse hearing his name shocked him. He stood up abruptly and gave Cassandra a side glance then glared at Carson.

"What is the meaning of this?" Coltrane asked, masking his anger as much as possible, he did not want to scare the little guy away.

"I will tell you before that. Can you let him meet her?" Carson said.

"No, not in my life" Coltrane refused. Cassandra was not giving any reaction. The last thing he wanted was to give the little boy any more fear. He looked almost like Cassandra and he felt a slight attachment to him. What his mother did was another matter that does not mean he will hate him. His eyes soften Cassandra might have liked to meet her brother if this was any other situation.

"I don't think that is a good idea" Coltrane sighed, looked at Cassandra and then looked at the scared little boy.

"Hey kid don't be scared" He told him.

"Carson, can you take him inside? I will come back a little later" Coltrane said and waited for them to go inside. He opened his car door.

"I am sorry" Coltrane said softly holding her hand as he pulled her out before hoisting her up in a princess style. He went to their room rapidly. He set her down on the bed, covering her with duvet.

"I will be back," he said, keeping the door open.

"When can I see my sister?" Cameron asked, his innocent eyes looking at Carson.

"Soon" he sighed.

"Hey kid! Why don't you go with that uncle and he will buy you chocolate?" Coltrane asked, pointing at Ben who smiled at him. Cameron stiffly nods his head obeying him at once. That's weird but for now he let that matter go there is more pressing matter.

"Why the hell is all this about Carson?" Coltrane asked not to hold back his anger anymore which he controlled very well around the kid.

Carson sighed before rubbing his head and closed his eyes, " Coltrane" he gulped down.

"Cassandra passed away" Coltrane froze for a freaking moment he wanted to rush in and make sure she did not hear anything, even though he knew she did not. It's impossible but that fear did not go away. As much as Coltrane wanted to feel sad or even remorse he did not feel anything though a bit sad that the kid was left alone at such a young age.

"I understand but Why is he here?" He asked and flinched at his tone. It almost seems like he is displeased about the kid but that's not true. He just does not want that kid to be in this environment.

Carson sighed he thought he would explain it before but could not. Everytime he came to visit Coltrane's hopeless eyes with a dark circle. He visibly lost a lot of weight, not only that he was exhausted at work. He needs to take care of Cassandra and he did not complain but asking to keep a child was absurd. Coltrane could not give that much time towards a child. Which will be unhealthy for the kid.

"Cassandra is his legal guardian" Coltrane froze hearing that.

"What?" He asked almost in disbelief.

Carson opened his mouth to explain...

************

Carson was working in his office after everything that happened. It's been one month already. He visited Cassandra twice a week but she did not respond. He closed his eyes as exhaustion washed over him. He had no idea how Coltrane was keeping up with her every day and he did not complain at all.

Today something unexpected happened. He looked up to see Cassandra.

"Who let you in?" Carson asked coldly.

"I just told them that I want to see you. They let me in," She answered. He looked at her and she looked pale, almost exhausted. Her once beautiful face now seems hollow lifeless with dark circles around her eyes.

"Get out before I call the security,"Carson ordered her. She closed her eyes.

"I... I don't have much time left" Cassandra choked.

"Please I came here with a lot of resolve" she begged.

"I don't want to hear it" this is the woman because of whom his life was miserable. All he felt seeing her was hatred, there is no need for him to listen to her words. But the first question was how did she get out of the confinement.

"How did you get out?" Carson asked.

"She let me go not only that she signed off half of the Walmart properties to me" Cassandra said, waving the papers. Carson looked shocked. He had no idea that might be because she did not sell any shares.

"What is she? My daughter?" Cassandra asked, tears filled her eyes.

"She forgave me and asked for me to live a good life for my son. How could I have such a kind daughter?" She asked.

" Me, I know I don't deserve forgiveness or anything as a matter of matter. But she came giving me a chance at life. After what I said and did. How can she just let me go? Without taking revenge or making me suffer?" She cried out.

"The person who goes through too much pain tries not to make the other person go through that" Carson whispered.

After a while she calmed down and handed him some papers with a letter.

"I don't have much time left
Give it to her when I die" Cassandra looked down as another tear fell.

"Carson, you know I have a son," she said. Carson narrowed his eyes .

"Yes??" He asked bitterly, trying to hold back his distaste.

"My son is innocent, he is just a 10 year old boy, he does not know anything about what I did. All he knows is that he has an older sister. I am giving his guardianship to Cassandra. I want him to grow up with someone who will love him unconditionally not like his father" Carson flinched as she indirectly said that.

"Why should I?" he asked.

"Please I am dying. I just want you to tell her. And hand her that letter. Even if I had lots of money my son will end up in an orphanage. I don't want that and I know Cassandra will love him" She said, requesting him as much as he wanted to say that Cassandra is not in her right mind. He did not, she already looked deadly pale.

"I will," Carson sighed.

"Thank you" Cassandra smiled and went out not before saying that her lawyer will contact him. Even though he agreed he needs to talk to Coltrane and confirm it.

*************

Thank you for reading dearest...

Cassandra (Mother) died. Did it come as a shock? And She wants Cassandra to be her son's legal guardian? How will she react when she sees her brother? Will she hate him? Love him him? Ignore him?

Do share your comments and thoughts...

Until next time..