The thought of killing his counterpart did make some part of Charles squirm in discomfort. The man had, after all, not done anything worthy of death (to Charles at least), and it felt unusual plotting against him.
But he did stand between Charles and home, and Charles was ruthless enough to set aside his own discomfort. Doctor White certainly did, and although the man was more firm in his insistence on Charles's counterpart's death, it was quite obvious that he, too, was not fully at ease.
It was nice to see that something of the gentle doctor that Charles knew had remained intact. Some measure of concern for a man who had done him and his far more wrong than Charles had ever thought possible.
Charles shivered and wrapped his coat more securely about himself. He should not be surprised, he knew, from what he saw of the Charles Lee of this universe, but even though he knew the man's measure, even though it had been near two weeks since he learned of the Alpha's trangressions towards this world's Connor and his friends...
Charles never thought himself capable of such atrocity. To be given proof and see it daily was...unsettling.
And to see Doctor White struggling so hard for his friend...it was humbling.
Had he struggled so hard for his wife? Had he struggled so hard for his family?
“What about poison? I know of many substances that would cause an averse affect similar to a disease...”
Charles shook his head.
“How will we explain away the fact that no one else got sick? And is not poison too obvious? Mary and Ronald would likely call Doctor Davies back, and I guarantee you, he would know.”
The Templar Doctor had gone away, likely to report on these strange circumstances to the Haytham Kenway of this world.
Charles shuddered again. While he had the utmost respect for Master Kenway, he knew how ruthless his mentor could be. That he was not incarcerated and kept careful watch over meant that they did not yet suspect him of anything nefarious.
And how could he do anything while imprisoned?
“And if I just stab him and hide the body?”
It was Doctor White's turn to shake his head.
“And how will you explain his disappearance? The servants will likely be suspicious of you, especially since you look so similar to him.”
Charles considered that.
“If I learn his habits? From what I see, they are not so different than mine.”
“No, because you cannot hope to learn all his history, all the changes between your timeline and his. If you arouse the servants' suspicions, they will test you, and you cannot afford that. You need to make him disappear in a way that is natural.”
“Natural,” Charles murmured to himself.
This was all giving him a headache. Normally, when he needed someone to disappear, he ordered one of the lower ranks to remove the problem and, if necessary, he would explain it all away.
It was partly why his brothers in the Templar Order said that he had a silver tongue.
“An accident, perhaps?” Doctor White theorized. “Does he enjoy any activity that may be dangerous?”
Charles scoffed.
“Too convenient. The servants are already suspicious of me, and I am sure that they would find it odd that my counterpart only had a fatal accident while I was around, and not during the other many, many years of his life.”
Barring those ridiculous days chasing after Master Kenway on top of roofs and nearly falling and splitting his head open, Charles had always had uncanny good luck and the same seemed to be true for his counterpart.
Honestly, Charles did not even truly want to kill him. If only he would just leave on vacation or something and never come back...
He straightened from where he slouched in his chair then.
“Or I could just leave.”
Doctor White looked alarmed at that.
“If you even think of leaving me to this travesty, of leaving Connor to this, then I—“
Charles impatiently shook his head.
“No, no, not that. I meant a send-off. Where I will leave and, because my counterpart is a paranoid bastard, he will follow me to make sure I truly go.”
A glimmer of understanding entered Doctor White's eyes.
“Ah,” he murmured. “You plan to lure him away under the pretense of leaving. Kill him when the opportunity comes and—“
“—return here in his place.”
Doctor White looked thoughtful.
“There would be no suspicions then because only one of you is supposed to return.”
He then looked at Charles archly.
“Provided you make no mistakes.”
Charles shook his head.
“As much as it pains me, we are very alike in mannerisms and attitudes. It is only the way he treats his wife and you that truly sets us apart.”
Doctor White sighed.
“We shall have to feign that then. It would be strange if he suddenly started being cordial to me.”
Charles shrugged.
“I will pretend you are one of my enemies. It should help with the mindset.”
Doctor White suddenly seemed to think of something.
“But the servants...will they not expect you to bed Connor?”
Charles stilled at that. His mouthed worked, but no sound came out.
“They see him visit Connor nightly, and they are the ones responsible for dressing Connor. They would notice the lack of bruises.”
Charles reddened, remembering the finger-sized bruises on Connor's hips. Such lovely skin marred by such ghastly purple.
“And it's not as if you could take the monster's place in this. It would make his demise utterly pointless. And I would kill you.”
“There is also the fact that I would not cheat on my wife,” Charles muttered.
Really, he would not. He meant it when he said the Connors were not the same. He would not betray his own with this one, no matter how alike they looked.
“Good. That means I won't have to kill you.”
Charles wasn't sure whether he was relieved at the Omega's protectiveness over his friend or unnerved by the matter-of-fact tone the doctor used.
“Thanks,” he settled on saying.
The good doctor waved it off.
“I see now way around it. You'll just have to deliberately bruise him.”
Charles nodded unhappily. He had no desire to hurt the convalescent Omega, but if it meant keeping them all safe and letting Charles return home without breaking his commitment to his Connor...
“The only thing left then,” Charles whispered, “is the when.”
Doctor White looked slyly at him.
“Why, the end of this week of course.”
Charles blinked.
“Why the end of the week?”
“It is Connor's birthing day. It would be a fitting present.”
Finding Connor 24
Chapter 23
The thought of killing his counterpart did make some part of Charles squirm in discomfort. The man had, after all, not done anything worthy of death (to Charles at least), and it felt unusual plotting against him.
But he did stand between Charles and home, and Charles was ruthless enough to set aside his own discomfort. Doctor White certainly did, and although the man was more firm in his insistence on Charles's counterpart's death, it was quite obvious that he, too, was not fully at ease.
It was nice to see that something of the gentle doctor that Charles knew had remained intact. Some measure of concern for a man who had done him and his far more wrong than Charles had ever thought possible.
Charles shivered and wrapped his coat more securely about himself. He should not be surprised, he knew, from what he saw of the Charles Lee of this universe, but even though he knew the man's measure, even though it had been near two weeks since he learned of the Alpha's trangressions towards this world's Connor and his friends...
Charles never thought himself capable of such atrocity. To be given proof and see it daily was...unsettling.
And to see Doctor White struggling so hard for his friend...it was humbling.
Had he struggled so hard for his wife? Had he struggled so hard for his family?
“What about poison? I know of many substances that would cause an averse affect similar to a disease...”
Charles shook his head.
“How will we explain away the fact that no one else got sick? And is not poison too obvious? Mary and Ronald would likely call Doctor Davies back, and I guarantee you, he would know.”
The Templar Doctor had gone away, likely to report on these strange circumstances to the Haytham Kenway of this world.
Charles shuddered again. While he had the utmost respect for Master Kenway, he knew how ruthless his mentor could be. That he was not incarcerated and kept careful watch over meant that they did not yet suspect him of anything nefarious.
And how could he do anything while imprisoned?
“And if I just stab him and hide the body?”
It was Doctor White's turn to shake his head.
“And how will you explain his disappearance? The servants will likely be suspicious of you, especially since you look so similar to him.”
Charles considered that.
“If I learn his habits? From what I see, they are not so different than mine.”
“No, because you cannot hope to learn all his history, all the changes between your timeline and his. If you arouse the servants' suspicions, they will test you, and you cannot afford that. You need to make him disappear in a way that is natural.”
“Natural,” Charles murmured to himself.
This was all giving him a headache. Normally, when he needed someone to disappear, he ordered one of the lower ranks to remove the problem and, if necessary, he would explain it all away.
It was partly why his brothers in the Templar Order said that he had a silver tongue.
“An accident, perhaps?” Doctor White theorized. “Does he enjoy any activity that may be dangerous?”
Charles scoffed.
“Too convenient. The servants are already suspicious of me, and I am sure that they would find it odd that my counterpart only had a fatal accident while I was around, and not during the other many, many years of his life.”
Barring those ridiculous days chasing after Master Kenway on top of roofs and nearly falling and splitting his head open, Charles had always had uncanny good luck and the same seemed to be true for his counterpart.
Honestly, Charles did not even truly want to kill him. If only he would just leave on vacation or something and never come back...
He straightened from where he slouched in his chair then.
“Or I could just leave.”
Doctor White looked alarmed at that.
“If you even think of leaving me to this travesty, of leaving Connor to this, then I—“
Charles impatiently shook his head.
“No, no, not that. I meant a send-off. Where I will leave and, because my counterpart is a paranoid bastard, he will follow me to make sure I truly go.”
A glimmer of understanding entered Doctor White's eyes.
“Ah,” he murmured. “You plan to lure him away under the pretense of leaving. Kill him when the opportunity comes and—“
“—return here in his place.”
Doctor White looked thoughtful.
“There would be no suspicions then because only one of you is supposed to return.”
He then looked at Charles archly.
“Provided you make no mistakes.”
Charles shook his head.
“As much as it pains me, we are very alike in mannerisms and attitudes. It is only the way he treats his wife and you that truly sets us apart.”
Doctor White sighed.
“We shall have to feign that then. It would be strange if he suddenly started being cordial to me.”
Charles shrugged.
“I will pretend you are one of my enemies. It should help with the mindset.”
Doctor White suddenly seemed to think of something.
“But the servants...will they not expect you to bed Connor?”
Charles stilled at that. His mouthed worked, but no sound came out.
“They see him visit Connor nightly, and they are the ones responsible for dressing Connor. They would notice the lack of bruises.”
Charles reddened, remembering the finger-sized bruises on Connor's hips. Such lovely skin marred by such ghastly purple.
“And it's not as if you could take the monster's place in this. It would make his demise utterly pointless. And I would kill you.”
“There is also the fact that I would not cheat on my wife,” Charles muttered.
Really, he would not. He meant it when he said the Connors were not the same. He would not betray his own with this one, no matter how alike they looked.
“Good. That means I won't have to kill you.”
Charles wasn't sure whether he was relieved at the Omega's protectiveness over his friend or unnerved by the matter-of-fact tone the doctor used.
“Thanks,” he settled on saying.
The good doctor waved it off.
“I see now way around it. You'll just have to deliberately bruise him.”
Charles nodded unhappily. He had no desire to hurt the convalescent Omega, but if it meant keeping them all safe and letting Charles return home without breaking his commitment to his Connor...
“The only thing left then,” Charles whispered, “is the when.”
Doctor White looked slyly at him.
“Why, the end of this week of course.”
Charles blinked.
“Why the end of the week?”
“It is Connor's birthing day. It would be a fitting present.”
Ah...
“The end of the week it is.”