The Camp Out
Disclaimer: These characters are owned by CBS
and the CW network. I mean no infringement of any sort and am only using the
characters for personal enjoyment and for others to enjoy as
well!
IT IS NOT MY JOB TO POLICE WHAT YOU ARE READING!
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT, SCRAM! I WON'T TOLERATE BULLYING!
#------
Chapter 3
Catherine paced the small confines of the cabin. Vincent had been gone for 2
hours, and she was afraid he wasn't coming back. She mentally kicked herself.
He'll be back. He has to. He said he would!
When they had first made the plans to come on this trip, she had hoped that
some time away from the City would do them both good. Now, she seriously
wondered if it had been a huge mistake.
The door to the cabin swung open, startling her. Vincent stepped through, and
Catherine fought the urge to throw her arms around him. Her heart was pounding
so loudly, she knew Vincent could hear it.
He stood awkwardly by the door, in a pose that resembled the night before. He
sighed and met her eyes.
"Before.....this....goes any farther, there are some things you need
to know about me. Some things that....might change how you feel about me.
So.....after...if you want me to leave, I will. I'll leave and you won't
ever see me again," he told her.
Catherine looked at him, confused. Then, she gestured toward the couch. They
sat down, facing each other. She watched him, waiting.
Vincent took a deep breath. "First off, I just want to say
that.....nobody has ever made me feel the way that you do. You have
accepted so many things about me, that most other people......would run
screaming from. For that alone, I want to thank you. For being so trusting and
generous. I can only hope you still feel the same way after what I have to tell
you."
"You know you can trust me, Vincent. That won't change."
"I've always trusted you. Even before I really knew you, I trusted you."
"Then...trust me know. No matter what you tell me, it won't change how I feel
about you."
Vincent nodded. He took her hand in his. "I really hope you still think that
way...after."
"Just tell me...." she said softly.
He looked into her trusting and compassionate eyes, hoping she would still
look at him that way when he told her everything. He took a deep breath....
"I came from a family of firefighters. My Dad. My older brothers. But, I
wanted something different. I wanted to heal people. So, I entered Med School
after Graduation. My family was..... not happy. Eventually, they did come
around, but it was pretty bad for awhile. In Med School, I excelled beyond
anything I could have imagined. JT and I were roommates at that time. I had it
all.....and then 9/11 happened."
"After my brother's died, I spiraled. I.....got hooked on medications." He
heard Catherine gasp, but forged on. "I just wanted
something......anything to dull the pain. I alienated people, pushed them
away. But...one person wouldn't let me do that to them. They fought me, forcing
me to see what I was doing to myself. To everyone around me. They forced me to
see how much I was hurting everyone. Because of that person...I cleaned up my
act, but I still wasn't myself. I still wanted....revenge. So, I signed up for
the Army. All I wanted to do was kill the sonsabitches that had ripped my family
apart. I had no idea just how much it would change my life..."
"Who were they? The person that helped you?" Catherine asked. Vincent's head
dropped. He sighed deeply.
"Her name was Alex. Alex Salter. She was a nurse at St. Benjamin's
when I was an ER Resident. But.....she was more than just a nurse to me."
"You were dating her, weren't you?" Catherine asked, almost afraid of his
answer.
"Yes and no. Alex.....was my fiancée." Catherine's head shot up, and she
gasped. Her eyes widened. "We'd been together since we were kids. We were
suppose to get married the next year. Then.....Afghanistan happened."
"Did you try to contact her....when you came back?"
Vincent shook his head. "No. I let her and the rest of my family and friends
think I was dead. I damn near gave JT a heart attack when I showed up on his
doorstep as it was."
"I see. I mean...I knew you had a life before Muirfield, before everything
happened to you. I guess....I never even thought that you had someone else in
your life. Someone....special," Catherine said, her head down.
Vincent sighed. "Catherine....I haven't thought about her in years. There's
only one woman who has dominated my thoughts lately," he told her, drawing her
head up with his finger. "That's you."
Catherine stared at him, her feelings conflicted. Before she knew
about....Alex, she could have believed him. But, now? She saw the honesty on his
face, wanting to believe he told the truth.
"What would you do if.....Alex came back into your life? Would you still feel
the same way then?"
Vincent was shocked. "Alex is in my past. After 10 years, I'm sure she's
moved on and found someone else. I closed that door a long time ago. I let
everyone who mattered to me believe I was dead for a reason. So I wouldn't
endanger them. Even if.....somehow.....Alex found out I was still alive,
I wouldn't put her in danger like that."
"You say that now..."
"I also wouldn't because it would hurt you, and that is the last thing I ever
want to do."
"Why would it matter if it hurts me? Aren't we just friends?" Catherine
asked.
Vincent looked her in the eyes. "Catherine....when two people kiss the way
that we did last night......that's more than "just friends."
Catherine nodded again. Christ, she was starting to feel like a freaking
bobble head. Nod......nod........nod.......nod...... "You're right. I'm
not really sure what we are."
He reached up, caressing her cheek. "You are more important to me than you
know. More than I could ever begin to explain." He pulled his hand back, but
held her gaze.
"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Catherine asked.
Vincent thought hard. He could end it there. She'd never know. Finally, he
shook his head....
"No.....there's more...."
#-------
Disclaimer: These characters are owned by CBS
and the CW network. I mean no infringement of any sort and am only using the
characters for personal enjoyment and for others to enjoy as
well!
IT IS NOT MY JOB TO POLICE WHAT YOU ARE READING!
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT, SCRAM! I WON'T TOLERATE BULLYING!
#------
Chapter 3
Catherine paced the small confines of the cabin. Vincent had been gone for 2
hours, and she was afraid he wasn't coming back. She mentally kicked herself.
He'll be back. He has to. He said he would!
When they had first made the plans to come on this trip, she had hoped that
some time away from the City would do them both good. Now, she seriously
wondered if it had been a huge mistake.
The door to the cabin swung open, startling her. Vincent stepped through, and
Catherine fought the urge to throw her arms around him. Her heart was pounding
so loudly, she knew Vincent could hear it.
He stood awkwardly by the door, in a pose that resembled the night before. He
sighed and met her eyes.
"Before.....this....goes any farther, there are some things you need
to know about me. Some things that....might change how you feel about me.
So.....after...if you want me to leave, I will. I'll leave and you won't
ever see me again," he told her.
Catherine looked at him, confused. Then, she gestured toward the couch. They
sat down, facing each other. She watched him, waiting.
Vincent took a deep breath. "First off, I just want to say
that.....nobody has ever made me feel the way that you do. You have
accepted so many things about me, that most other people......would run
screaming from. For that alone, I want to thank you. For being so trusting and
generous. I can only hope you still feel the same way after what I have to tell
you."
"You know you can trust me, Vincent. That won't change."
"I've always trusted you. Even before I really knew you, I trusted you."
"Then...trust me know. No matter what you tell me, it won't change how I feel
about you."
Vincent nodded. He took her hand in his. "I really hope you still think that
way...after."
"Just tell me...." she said softly.
He looked into her trusting and compassionate eyes, hoping she would still
look at him that way when he told her everything. He took a deep breath....
"I came from a family of firefighters. My Dad. My older brothers. But, I
wanted something different. I wanted to heal people. So, I entered Med School
after Graduation. My family was..... not happy. Eventually, they did come
around, but it was pretty bad for awhile. In Med School, I excelled beyond
anything I could have imagined. JT and I were roommates at that time. I had it
all.....and then 9/11 happened."
"After my brother's died, I spiraled. I.....got hooked on medications." He
heard Catherine gasp, but forged on. "I just wanted
something......anything to dull the pain. I alienated people, pushed them
away. But...one person wouldn't let me do that to them. They fought me, forcing
me to see what I was doing to myself. To everyone around me. They forced me to
see how much I was hurting everyone. Because of that person...I cleaned up my
act, but I still wasn't myself. I still wanted....revenge. So, I signed up for
the Army. All I wanted to do was kill the sonsabitches that had ripped my family
apart. I had no idea just how much it would change my life..."
"Who were they? The person that helped you?" Catherine asked. Vincent's head
dropped. He sighed deeply.
"Her name was Alex. Alex Salter. She was a nurse at St. Benjamin's
when I was an ER Resident. But.....she was more than just a nurse to me."
"You were dating her, weren't you?" Catherine asked, almost afraid of his
answer.
"Yes and no. Alex.....was my fiancée." Catherine's head shot up, and she
gasped. Her eyes widened. "We'd been together since we were kids. We were
suppose to get married the next year. Then.....Afghanistan happened."
"Did you try to contact her....when you came back?"
Vincent shook his head. "No. I let her and the rest of my family and friends
think I was dead. I damn near gave JT a heart attack when I showed up on his
doorstep as it was."
"I see. I mean...I knew you had a life before Muirfield, before everything
happened to you. I guess....I never even thought that you had someone else in
your life. Someone....special," Catherine said, her head down.
Vincent sighed. "Catherine....I haven't thought about her in years. There's
only one woman who has dominated my thoughts lately," he told her, drawing her
head up with his finger. "That's you."
Catherine stared at him, her feelings conflicted. Before she knew
about....Alex, she could have believed him. But, now? She saw the honesty on his
face, wanting to believe he told the truth.
"What would you do if.....Alex came back into your life? Would you still feel
the same way then?"
Vincent was shocked. "Alex is in my past. After 10 years, I'm sure she's
moved on and found someone else. I closed that door a long time ago. I let
everyone who mattered to me believe I was dead for a reason. So I wouldn't
endanger them. Even if.....somehow.....Alex found out I was still alive,
I wouldn't put her in danger like that."
"You say that now..."
"I also wouldn't because it would hurt you, and that is the last thing I ever
want to do."
"Why would it matter if it hurts me? Aren't we just friends?" Catherine
asked.
Vincent looked her in the eyes. "Catherine....when two people kiss the way
that we did last night......that's more than "just friends."
Catherine nodded again. Christ, she was starting to feel like a freaking
bobble head. Nod......nod........nod.......nod...... "You're right. I'm
not really sure what we are."
He reached up, caressing her cheek. "You are more important to me than you
know. More than I could ever begin to explain." He pulled his hand back, but
held her gaze.
"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Catherine asked.
Vincent thought hard. He could end it there. She'd never know. Finally, he
shook his head....
"No.....there's more...."
#-------