The transmigrated villain has a plan

Chapter VIII

The rest of that evening dragged, culminating into a spiral of obsessive and gloomy thoughts. Cael revisited the image of the kids running away from him. He laid in bed and wondered: could I have done something different? The kids feared him and wanted to be as far as possible from him. But, in a way, he could understand. They had someone that cared for them and cherished them, and they didn't want to lose that person. He felt that with his uncle, someone who gave him a home when he had nowhere to go.

Cael sat on his bed, grabbed his phone, and called his uncle. For a while, the phone just rang. But then a soft male voice answered the call.

Hi, Cael, the voice said in a low tone.

"Hi uncle, were you sleeping?"

Yeah. Abe put on a movie for us to watch and I ended up falling asleep.

Abe was Finnian husband, a physicist.

"Say hi to him for me. How is everyone? Tell Lydia I'm sorry for losing her show".

It's okay, she knows you'd be here if you could.

Finnian and Abe had three kids, the youngest Lydia, 12, Rebecca, 17, and Nicolas, 21. Cael grew up with them, and considered all of them his little siblings. When he moved in with Finnian, Nicolas was only five-years-old and didn't understand the situation. Still, every night he got up from bed and went to sleep with his 'bigger brother'.

Cael recorded the moments that changed his life. At the age of eleven, most kids find out their secondary gender and the privileged families of alpha kids send them to a private alpha-only school. There Cael met Erwin Baumgartner. Erwin was confident, but not arrogant. When they went out together and the other kids tried to mess with the omegas and the girls from other schools, he recriminated then and put them back in their places. Cael felt uncomfortable around him, as if someone was holding a mirror showing that all the truths he believed were grotesque versions of reality. But the first time his father trapped him in a room with an omega in estrus to test him, Erwin was the only person he could think of that would listen to him. He ran away and went to his house in the middle of the night. Erwin's parents opened the door and saw him, his clothes messy and bite marks all over his body from trying to contain himself. They couldn't believe that was the image of an eleven-year-old child. After he told them what happened, Erwin all the time by his side helping to calm him, they asked:

"Is there any safe place we can take you? Someone you can trust?".

At the moment, Finnian was the only person that came to mind. He didn't remember the last time he talked to his uncle, but he was probably the only person who could go against his father and protect him. So he spent the night at the Baumgartner's house and they took him to his uncle the next morning.

When his uncle opened the door, the small Rebecca in his arms, he didn't understand anything. After Erwin's parents told him what happened, Finnian held Cael closely, crying in anger. Abe sat with Cael in the living room while Finnian called his father, telling him about the situation of his grandchild. The old man brushed off most things and just said "Maybe it was a little early to start it". By the end, Finnian just informed the Delaney Patriarch that henceforth Cael will be living with them and if Gearalt ever tried to get his son back, that he would be in the headlines the next day.

His days with Finnian, Abe and the kids were filled with lots of therapy but also lots of joy and care. And love. They always tried their best so that Cael wouldn't feel less loved than their biological kids. Still, Gearalt always came back to ruin his life somehow, to abuse him and generate more trauma. If it wasn't for Finnian and Abe being by his side, he could only imagine who he would have become.

"Uncle, have you ever wanted me to call you dad?" Cael didn't know what he was asking. He could just remember that morning. How much he wanted to hear this world from their little mouths.

Silence followed this question.

Why do you ask that? Finnian answered, more awake now.

"Nothing. It's just... You and Abe are the only real parents I have in this life, the only people I'd really like to call dad and mom. I just wished you knew that. And that one day I want to be to someone what you were for me, and to really thank you for being by my side all this time". He said, lightly, but with a strange warmth in his chest and a tingling in his stomach.

Again, a silence. He could hear something like crying on the other side and Abe saying something.

Thank you for being in our lives, son. Finnian answered.

"Thank you, dad".

***

The next monday, Antoine called Cael to his office again. When he arrived, Antoine was talking with Cyrus Deveraux. He didn't see him the other day in the lake, but he understood that he was the man the kids were calling for as they asked for their dad. Cyrus and Antoine were talking and smiling, he thought that they looked so lovely together. The four of them must look like a beautiful family, a family that had no place for him.

When Antoine noticed Cael, he invited him to sit down and also sat next to a table. There was tea served for three people. Cyrus sat next to Antoine. The tall red-headed man looked nervous and Antoine held his hand to appease him. They noticeably had a close relationship.

"I'm sorry for what happened Saturday, but I think it's better if Dev accompanies us in the future when we talk about the twins". Antoine said, still holding Cyrus' hand. "Dev is not only my best friend, but he is someone who has been taking care of the twins since before they were born; and who has been recognized by them as a father, someone who cherishes and protects them". Antoine stopped talking, trying to grasp Cael's emotions.

"I understand", He smiled. After his talk with Finnian last night, he had a new perspective of the facts and new objectives in his relationship with his sons. "I had someone in my life that is a dad for me too, more than my parents would ever be".

"Thank you for your understanding. And Dev being their father, doesn't mean we will exclude you or prohibit you from being close to the kids. We just believe that we need to take it slowly. Talk to them first and reassure them that no one is trying to substitute their loved ones. We want to give a sense of security and stability through this process, so that they won't get hurt".

"I agree". Cael answered. "I want to become their father, for them to want me to be their father. I understand, now, that I can't just go and ask for their love". He looked at Cyrus. "I know I don't have to say this, but I'm thankful for you, for being in their lives and showering them with love and care. And I hope you will stay by their side for the rest of their lives".

Dev smiled and looked at Cael. He always had a good impression of the man, although he thought he was a little timid.

"And I know that I can't show up out of nowhere and demand a space in their lives, and that I can't rush a relationship just because I want it. That's not fair to anyone involved. I want to prove to them that I deserve their love, and that I'm someone they can trust". Cael proceeded talking. "I just ask for a chance".

He tried his best to show his confident and adult side, that he was someone competent and trustworthy.

Dev tightened his grip on Antoine's hand seeking reassurance, then looked at Cael.

"This weekend, I will go to the park to teach the twins how to ride a bike. It's basically a tricycle, but still. Antoine can't go, because he has a meeting in another city. But Nathaniel, An's secretary, is coming to help me. Maybe with more people they won't feel so uncomfortable. And don't worry, Nate knows everything about the situation - it's not like we could really hide it from him". Cyrus laughed, trying to lighten up the mood.

"I'll be glad to go".

After he left the room, Cael had a stupid smile on his face that lasted the rest of the week.