The Same Last Name
Disclaimer: This is an original piece based on a book of the same title by
Kathleen Gilles Seidel. No copyright infringement is meant and all rights for
Beauty and the Beast characters belong to CBS and the CW Network.
DISCLAIMER: THIS FIC IS RATED M FOR SEXUAL CONTENT, LANGUAGE, ETC. IF YOU ARE
UNDER 18, SCRAM!!! IT IS NOT MY JOB TO POLICE YOU!
#-----
Chapter 12
When Catherine woke up a short while later, she was still pressed into
Vincent's side. He was breathing deeply and evenly. His hand was wrapped around
her waist.
Trying to be as stealthy as possible, she shimmied out from under his arm,
and rolled over, sitting on the edge of the bed. Vincent didn't move, only
sighed and slept on. Catherine got up, and made her way into the bathroom.
Closing the door gently, she looked at herself in the mirror.
She looked very sexually satisfied. Her hair was a mess, and she had faint
whisker burns on her face, neck and breasts. Splashing cold water on her face,
she stared harder.
New York City? Why did he want her to go back with him? She knew if he
loved her, she would follow him anywhere he lived. But, he didn't love her. He
wanted her, he said as much, but that wasn't love. She had already had one
relationship like that. She couldn't go through another one. So, why did he ask
her? Did he just want her for sex? No, he said he didn't.
No, as much as she wanted to be with him, she couldn't go back. She was
staying right here. Besides, they were just starting to get to know each other
again. It was too soon to be thinking on those terms. It's not like they were
back in a relationship. It was just sex.
A gentle knock sounded on the door. "Catherine, you in there?" she heard
Vincent ask.
"Yeah, gimme a second," she said, composing herself before she opened the
door. Vincent stood on the other side. He had pulled his boxer briefs back on,
but nothing else. He gave her a worried look.
"You okay?" he said, taking her in. She nodded and walked past him. Grabbing
fresh panties from the drawer, she slipped them on. She grabbed some comfortable
jeans and a t-shirt and slipped them on. Vincent followed suit, pulling his
clothes back on.
They sat on the couch, and faced each other. Catherine sighed, and took his
hand.
"Vincent, I can't go back with you. We don't know each other anymore. That is
a huge step that neither of us is ready for. I don't even know anything about
what you've done the last 5 years."
Vincent sighed. "Not much to tell. I work in the same hospital, I live in the
same house, I drive the same car. Nothing has changed," he told her
woodenly.
"You still live in the house? I thought you would have moved out. You know,
to get away from the memories," Catherine said, shocked.
"How could I move out? Stupidly, I held out hope that maybe you would come
back," Vincent said, his confession shocking her even farther.
"Vincent....."Catherine breathed out. He met her eyes, and Catherine noticed
a slight flush to his skin. Was he embarrassed about what he gave away? What
did his confession even mean?
He stood up, and thrust his hands through his hair. "I know, I know! Why
would you come back? It's not like I ever gave you a reason to want to stay. I
couldn't tell you," he gritted out.
Catherine stood up. Walking toward him, she grabbed his hands. "Couldn't tell
me what?" she asked softly. He stared at her. Then, he wilted to the floor.
Catherine followed him down, and pulled him against her.
He started shaking, and Catherine realized Vincent was crying. She hushed him
and asked again, "Couldn't tell me what?"
"That even though I made you miserable, I still wanted you to stay my wife. I
didn't want to lose you. I didn't want to let you go...."
"Why? Vincent....tell me why...." Catherine urged.
Vincent looked her in the eyes. His were haunted, and she knew he was looking
into the past. "Because....after you left.....I realized....."
"Realized what?" Catherine said, her voice barely a whisper.
"I realized....I couldn't let you go."
"Vincent...."
"Catherine, I haven't had a relationship with any other woman in 5 years. You
ruined me to other woman. Every woman I met, I compared her to you. Every time I
saw a petite woman with dark brown hair, I chased after her, thinking it was
you. Every time the phone rang, I hoped it was you."
"I wanted to contact you, so many times. I picked up the phone more times
than I can count. Hell, I even dialed the number a few dozen times. It would
ring once, and then I would chicken out and hang up."
Vincent blinked rapidly. "Guess we were more affected by each other than we
knew..."
"Seems so..."
#--------
Disclaimer: This is an original piece based on a book of the same title by
Kathleen Gilles Seidel. No copyright infringement is meant and all rights for
Beauty and the Beast characters belong to CBS and the CW Network.
DISCLAIMER: THIS FIC IS RATED M FOR SEXUAL CONTENT, LANGUAGE, ETC. IF YOU ARE
UNDER 18, SCRAM!!! IT IS NOT MY JOB TO POLICE YOU!
#-----
Chapter 12
When Catherine woke up a short while later, she was still pressed into
Vincent's side. He was breathing deeply and evenly. His hand was wrapped around
her waist.
Trying to be as stealthy as possible, she shimmied out from under his arm,
and rolled over, sitting on the edge of the bed. Vincent didn't move, only
sighed and slept on. Catherine got up, and made her way into the bathroom.
Closing the door gently, she looked at herself in the mirror.
She looked very sexually satisfied. Her hair was a mess, and she had faint
whisker burns on her face, neck and breasts. Splashing cold water on her face,
she stared harder.
New York City? Why did he want her to go back with him? She knew if he
loved her, she would follow him anywhere he lived. But, he didn't love her. He
wanted her, he said as much, but that wasn't love. She had already had one
relationship like that. She couldn't go through another one. So, why did he ask
her? Did he just want her for sex? No, he said he didn't.
No, as much as she wanted to be with him, she couldn't go back. She was
staying right here. Besides, they were just starting to get to know each other
again. It was too soon to be thinking on those terms. It's not like they were
back in a relationship. It was just sex.
A gentle knock sounded on the door. "Catherine, you in there?" she heard
Vincent ask.
"Yeah, gimme a second," she said, composing herself before she opened the
door. Vincent stood on the other side. He had pulled his boxer briefs back on,
but nothing else. He gave her a worried look.
"You okay?" he said, taking her in. She nodded and walked past him. Grabbing
fresh panties from the drawer, she slipped them on. She grabbed some comfortable
jeans and a t-shirt and slipped them on. Vincent followed suit, pulling his
clothes back on.
They sat on the couch, and faced each other. Catherine sighed, and took his
hand.
"Vincent, I can't go back with you. We don't know each other anymore. That is
a huge step that neither of us is ready for. I don't even know anything about
what you've done the last 5 years."
Vincent sighed. "Not much to tell. I work in the same hospital, I live in the
same house, I drive the same car. Nothing has changed," he told her
woodenly.
"You still live in the house? I thought you would have moved out. You know,
to get away from the memories," Catherine said, shocked.
"How could I move out? Stupidly, I held out hope that maybe you would come
back," Vincent said, his confession shocking her even farther.
"Vincent....."Catherine breathed out. He met her eyes, and Catherine noticed
a slight flush to his skin. Was he embarrassed about what he gave away? What
did his confession even mean?
He stood up, and thrust his hands through his hair. "I know, I know! Why
would you come back? It's not like I ever gave you a reason to want to stay. I
couldn't tell you," he gritted out.
Catherine stood up. Walking toward him, she grabbed his hands. "Couldn't tell
me what?" she asked softly. He stared at her. Then, he wilted to the floor.
Catherine followed him down, and pulled him against her.
He started shaking, and Catherine realized Vincent was crying. She hushed him
and asked again, "Couldn't tell me what?"
"That even though I made you miserable, I still wanted you to stay my wife. I
didn't want to lose you. I didn't want to let you go...."
"Why? Vincent....tell me why...." Catherine urged.
Vincent looked her in the eyes. His were haunted, and she knew he was looking
into the past. "Because....after you left.....I realized....."
"Realized what?" Catherine said, her voice barely a whisper.
"I realized....I couldn't let you go."
"Vincent...."
"Catherine, I haven't had a relationship with any other woman in 5 years. You
ruined me to other woman. Every woman I met, I compared her to you. Every time I
saw a petite woman with dark brown hair, I chased after her, thinking it was
you. Every time the phone rang, I hoped it was you."
"I wanted to contact you, so many times. I picked up the phone more times
than I can count. Hell, I even dialed the number a few dozen times. It would
ring once, and then I would chicken out and hang up."
Vincent blinked rapidly. "Guess we were more affected by each other than we
knew..."
"Seems so..."
#--------