Chapter Text
“Oh, this is so exciting. I can’t wait for you to see all the changes we made just for you.” Helena cooed at Christopher as she once again made sure that his crutches were in a nearby spot. A thoughtful look appeared on her face, “Are you sure we shouldn’t get you a wheelchair? Airports are so busy, and I don’t want anyone to bump into you or knock you over.”
Christopher, who hadn’t said a word since the moment he walked out of his house with his grandparents, let out an aggravated sigh, “I’m fine grandma. I can handle it.”
Looking over Christopher's head, Helena met her husband's eyes, "Ramon, go see if you can get Christopher a wheelchair."
Looking at his grandson, who wore a defeated look on his face as if he knew that his Abuelo would do as Helena demanded. Ramon's mind flashed back to another younger boy wearing that same expression so many years ago. For once, Ramon hesitated when it came to doing what his wife wanted. "Helena, if Christopher says he is fine, then leave him be. We will only get him a wheelchair if he truly needs one."
Helena's eyes were blazing as she glared at her husband. 'How dare he question me. Still, it doesn't matter. Eddie has finally screwed up like I thought he would, and Christopher is where he belongs with us. Though I will have to make sure that he understands that he has limits. Oh, why did Edmundo have to mess up his relationship with that wonderful Ana? She understood that Christopher isn't like other children.' "Fine, but the moment Christopher starts struggling, you will be getting him a chair, Ramon."
A sigh of relief escaped Christopher; anger and rage at his dad still coursed through him, so he never let it cross his mind that this wasn't the only time his grandmother might try this. All he could think of was his dad and the woman who looked like his mom. For one brief moment, Christopher had hoped that somehow she had returned to him. 'How could Dad do this to me? I hate him! And Buck, what if he knew? Have they both been doing this behind my back?" Christopher's fingers itched to pick up his phone and reach out to Buck and ask him if he knew about that imposter, but he didn't. He was allowed to be angry.
Months Later
"No, Edmundo Christopher doesn't want to talk to you." Helena sighed, she couldn't understand why her son couldn't understand that Christopher was home where he wanted to be with her and Ramon.
"Christmas is coming up. I want to spend it with my son, even if I have to come up there." Eddie's voice was desperate.
"He doesn't want you here." Helena was blunt and lying. But Christopher hadn't mentioned seeing his dad for Christmas, and she took that as agreement that he didn't want him here.
"What?"
"I think it's time you face facts, Christopher has made his choice, he wants to stay here in El Paso with your father and me. I told you that all you would do was drag him down with you, and he did. It's time to let him go and heal and move on without you." With those last heartbreaking words, Helena hung up the phone, cutting off anything that her son might have said.
A cold chill blew through the house, one that had Helena wrapping her arms around herself. As quick as it came, it was gone. "I hope I'm not getting sick."
Turning away, she never noticed the frost that appeared on the window behind her or the see-through figure that wrote in the frost, Another Chain Forged, before they faded.
"Is Dad coming for Christmas, or can we go to LA?" Christopher asked as he picked away at the food on his plate, the food that his grandmother had cut up for him.
Lifting his head, Ramon glanced at his wife, that was something he had wondered as well. So far, he has gone along with everything that Helena wanted and has done little to curb the anger that Christopher has for his dad or help to create a path for his son to be able to reach out to his grandson. Helena had wanted Christopher to be with them since he was a little boy, and now he was. Helena was happy, and that was all Ramon wanted: for his wife to be happy.
Wiping her mouth carefully with her napkin, Helena looked Christopher in the eyes and lied, "No, your dad is stuck on shift, and Pepa's children are going to be spending the day with her. It will be you and us. Hopefully, Adriana and Sophia will be available to come."
Christopher slumped in his chair; disappointment radiated off of him. "I'm not hungry anymore."
A sigh escaped Helena. "I worked hard on this meal; you could at least appreciate the work I put into this."
"Sorry," Christopher mumbled under his breath as he picked up his fork and forced himself to eat another bite.
"Edmundo doesn't have a shift, does he?" Ramon asked as he looked at his wife. They were getting ready for bed, with Christopher having left for his room after supper and refusing to come out.
"It's time that they both understand that Christopher is better off with us. We have both worked too hard to make a life for Christopher here, and it's time that we make Edmundo understand that Christopher is better off with us." A steel-eyed look appeared in Helena's eyes, "I think in the New Year we need to sue for custody over Christopher."
Ramon froze, "Do you really think that is right? Edmundo is our son, and this will hurt him deeply." There was a pain in his chest he knew that this would destroy his son.
A scoff escaped Helena. "It's Edmundo's fault if he had just given Christopher to us when he was younger, he wouldn't be in this mess. We will make an appointment as soon as our lawyer's office opens after the holidays." Helena's word was final.
Helena was sleeping soundly next to him, but Ramon could only stare up at the ceiling above him, once again asking himself 'is this the right thing to do? I am hurting both my son and grandson to keep my wife happy.' His sister and mother were already both so angry with him. Three months ago, Pepa had finally had enough.
"What you are doing is wrong, Ramon. You don't see how this is slowly killing Edmundo. The only reason he hasn't left us yet is because of Evanito is keeping him with us. He is breaking, and you are helping break him. Until you get your head out of your wife's ass, don't bother calling me again. As far as I am concerned, I have no brother."
His mother was worse; she just looked at him with sheer disappointment in her eyes. "Your father would be ashamed of you, Ramon, as I am ashamed of you. You are not the son we raised."
Isabel had moved back to LA. She had offered that Christopher could come with her, but he shook his head and stayed silent when Isabel moved home. He was still wrapped up in anger and hurt at his dad.
Adriane and Sophia only came around to see Christopher, trying to talk to him. They had arranged for Christopher to talk to Eddie, only for Helena to arrive and “collect” Christopher to come home or to interrupt the call.
“If you keep letting mom act like this, soon you will lose all your children and grandchildren.” Adriane's warning had gone unheard.
Ramon fell into an uneasy sleep.
He wouldn't sleep for long.
“Ramon. Helena. Your day of judgment is here.” The words were whispered, but they held pure power.
The bedroom of Ramon and Helena shook as the spirit took form. All around them, pictures fell from their hooks and nightstand, the glass shattering on impact.
The hands on the clock spun toward and backwards until returning to the correct time, where it froze.
The glass on their mirror and windows cracked under the ice that had covered them and shattered inward.
Screaming, Helena clung to Ramon.
“Stop your screaming.” The see-through figure ordered as it appeared in the chair by the window.
"Padre?" Ramon was certain that he was seeing things.
The ghostly figure shook his head, "I am so disappointed in you, Ramon. This is not the way that your Madre and I raised you." Edmundo Diaz looked at his son in pure disappointment. His eyes flickered over to his daughter-in-law. "Isabel was right, you were toxic for our son. The only good things that came out of the two of you getting married are Edmundo, Adriane, and Sophia."
Ramon flinched while Helena huffed out.
Raising his hand, Edmundo Sr froze the words that were about to come out of Helena. “I have grown tired of your vile words. Today, after you lied to my grandson and great-grandson, you forged your heaviest chain, and should you not change your ways after tonight, then you have truly damned your souls.”
Suddenly, a heavy pressure wrapped itself around Ramon and Helena. It was so great that they felt as if they had been chained to the bed.
Edumndo paid no attention to them as he looked out the window up towards the moon, where he could see a thin veil that connected the world of the living and the dead. “Tonight is a night of magic. Where those gone may visit their loved ones. And for those who are in endless torment, try and do good to remove a chain or two.” Edmundo turned to look at them. “They always fail.”
Climbing to his feet, he approached his son and daughter-in-law. “Tonight you will be visited by three ghosts. DO NOT ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME!” Edmundo's voice boomed like thunder, rattling the room at Helena's eye roll.
“Tonight is your last chance. You will see the path that you walk.”Since he appeared, Edmundo softened, “I do this because I love you, son and wish you to join me and the rest of your family when your time comes. Do not disappoint me or my belief in you.” With his final warning, Edmundo faded, and the destroyed room was once again returned to its original state.