The Choice
Disclaimer: Beauty and the Beast is owned by CBS, CW Network and the
producers of the show. No copyright infringement is meant. I am using the
characters for enjoyment purposes only.
#-----------
Chapter 3
As Vincent walked the downtown streets, he thought about seeing Catherine
again. God, how he missed her. He couldn't even imagine the pain and suffering
he must have put her through these last few weeks. He was such an idiot! Yes, he
had been engaged to Alex. If 9/11 hadn't happened, they would have gotten
married and had a family.
On the heels of that thought, came the realization that if 9/11 hadn't
happened, he would never have enlisted, therefore never getting experimented on.
He would never have had the beast inside him. He never would have been there to
save Catherine all those years ago…
Catherine would have been killed that night, just like her mother. That
thought almost brought Vincent to his knees.
In that instant, Vincent realized that all the choices he made, all the
happenstance and chances had led to this moment, this decision…..
And he wouldn't change any of it. Good or bad, he had known since the moment
he laid eyes on Catherine 9 years ago, that she would be his salvation. She
would be everything he would ever need in his life.
Now, it was time to prove it to her.
As he neared the flower stand a couple blocks from Catherine's apartment, he
spied a small bouquet of red roses. Smiling, he grabbed the roses and paid the
vendor. Perfect! With a spring in his step, he made his way to
Catherine's.
Reaching Catherine's apartment building, he looked up and saw her fire escape
window open. Hope flared inside of him. She hadn't given up on him yet!
He jumped up, gaining the lowest one to the ground, and quietly made his way
up to her window.
Once he was there, a quiet sobbing reached his ears. Vincent knew it was
Catherine. He wanted to slap himself. Why had he treated her that way? Why had
he taken so long to make his decision? Then, he realized something. Catherine
had always been his choice. Since that night 9 years ago, everything he
had done had been for her.
Slipping soundlessly through the window, Vincent carefully placed the roses
on Catherine's bed. As he pulled back, his elbow accidentally jostled the table,
causing some papers to fall off. Looking closer, he realized that they were the
notes that he had written to her. His heart started pounding. Even through all
of this, she had still held onto those notes. Taking a step back, he almost
groaned when his foot hit a loose board, causing it to creak.
From the living room, silence suddenly fell. Vincent heard Catherine get up
from the couch. He heard her begin to move quietly toward her room. He looked
around, finally deciding to hide behind her door. He stopped breathing as she
entered her bedroom. Drawing a small breath, his senses were immediately
assaulted by her unique scent. He heard her breath catch, knowing she had spied
the roses.
As she walked toward her bed, Vincent stepped from behind the door. Catherine
had her back to him, the roses clutched to her nose. She lifted her head up
sharply, looking at the fire escape. Her shoulders dropped, and he heard her
sniffle when she realized he wasn't there. He stood quietly in front of her
door, waiting for her to turn around.
Finally, Catherine turned and gasped when she saw him. Vincent heard her
heart pick up speed. She clasped the roses even tighter, and they just stared at
each other. After a moment, Catherine breathed out…..
"Vincent…?"
Vincent stared back at her, wanting nothing more than to pull her against
himself, and never let go.
"Hello, Catherine," he said. Vincent looked her up and down, taking in all of
her beautiful features. He saw Catherine starting to blush under the hotness of
his gaze. Their eyes collided, and he was lost in her hazel eyes. Her eyes held
questions. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Catherine continued to stare at him, barely breathing. She then reached down,
and pinched her arm, wincing when she did so. Vincent fought the chuckle
building inside him. Does she think she is dreaming?
"What….what are you doing here?" Catherine asked, her voice slightly lower
than a whisper. Vincent heard her though. A step brought him closer to her. The
need to touch her was too great. It had been too long. Reaching his hand up,
Vincent glided his hand gently over the softness of her cheek. Unconsciously,
she leaned into his touch. Vincent was ecstatic.
Looking into her beautiful hazel eyes, Vincent told her, "You told me I had
to make a choice. To follow my heart. I wanted you to know that I've made my
choice." He then stood silent, waiting…..
Something flared in Catherine's eyes a heartbeat before she stepped away from
him, breaking contact. Vincent worried when she turned away from him, hiding her
face from his gaze. Her heart had picked up speed again, and he saw her
shoulders shaking slightly. Fear now gripped him.
He was about to turn her around again, when he heard….
"Thank you for the roses. But…they weren't necessary. A text would have
sufficed. You didn't have to come all the way over here to say….goodbye."
Vincent's heart stopped at her words. Shit!…..
Vincent could only stare helplessly at the back of her head. Did she really
think that? What had he done to her? Vincent realized that Catherine had come to
a vastly wrong assumption. Stepping behind her, he gently put his hands
on her shoulders, turning her toward himself. Her head remained downcast, and he
heard her shallow breathing as she fought tears. Placing his hand under her
chin, he tipped it up, and finally, she made eye contact. Her eyes sparkled with
unshed tears.
Leaning forward, Vincent settled his lips over hers. He kept the kiss light,
with only a slight amount of pressure. When Catherine gasped against his lips,
Vincent sucked her lower lip into his mouth. Heaven! He heard Catherine
groan as her fingers twined into his hair. Vincent pulled her closer, so that
Catherine was nearly on her tip toes. His desire and want for her exploded, and
Vincent deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping into the moistness of her mouth.
A second later, he felt Catherine respond, and he couldn't help the growl of
satisfaction that left his throat.
Finally, oxygen deprived, they pulled apart, panting lightly, their hearts
pounding in rhythm. Vincent reached up, running his fingers through Catherine's
hair, feeling the silky weight run over his fingers.
Catherine gazed up at him, her eyes shining with love and desire. Vincent
knew his own eyes reflected that as well. "I'm not saying goodbye. Not to
you. Not ever," he told her, causing Catherine to blush slightly.
"After that kiss, I kinda figured that out," Catherine said, sounding
breathless. Vincent chuckled, as he pulled her toward him again.
"Alex is my past. But you…you are my present, and my future," Vincent told
her, as he held Catherine tightly. Catherine snuggled into his warmth, and
finally, he felt whole again.
He didn't know what the future yet held. But, he did know one thing. Whatever
happened, they would face it together. Because, Catherine was his, and
always would be.
#---------
Disclaimer: Beauty and the Beast is owned by CBS, CW Network and the
producers of the show. No copyright infringement is meant. I am using the
characters for enjoyment purposes only.
#-----------
Chapter 3
As Vincent walked the downtown streets, he thought about seeing Catherine
again. God, how he missed her. He couldn't even imagine the pain and suffering
he must have put her through these last few weeks. He was such an idiot! Yes, he
had been engaged to Alex. If 9/11 hadn't happened, they would have gotten
married and had a family.
On the heels of that thought, came the realization that if 9/11 hadn't
happened, he would never have enlisted, therefore never getting experimented on.
He would never have had the beast inside him. He never would have been there to
save Catherine all those years ago…
Catherine would have been killed that night, just like her mother. That
thought almost brought Vincent to his knees.
In that instant, Vincent realized that all the choices he made, all the
happenstance and chances had led to this moment, this decision…..
And he wouldn't change any of it. Good or bad, he had known since the moment
he laid eyes on Catherine 9 years ago, that she would be his salvation. She
would be everything he would ever need in his life.
Now, it was time to prove it to her.
As he neared the flower stand a couple blocks from Catherine's apartment, he
spied a small bouquet of red roses. Smiling, he grabbed the roses and paid the
vendor. Perfect! With a spring in his step, he made his way to
Catherine's.
Reaching Catherine's apartment building, he looked up and saw her fire escape
window open. Hope flared inside of him. She hadn't given up on him yet!
He jumped up, gaining the lowest one to the ground, and quietly made his way
up to her window.
Once he was there, a quiet sobbing reached his ears. Vincent knew it was
Catherine. He wanted to slap himself. Why had he treated her that way? Why had
he taken so long to make his decision? Then, he realized something. Catherine
had always been his choice. Since that night 9 years ago, everything he
had done had been for her.
Slipping soundlessly through the window, Vincent carefully placed the roses
on Catherine's bed. As he pulled back, his elbow accidentally jostled the table,
causing some papers to fall off. Looking closer, he realized that they were the
notes that he had written to her. His heart started pounding. Even through all
of this, she had still held onto those notes. Taking a step back, he almost
groaned when his foot hit a loose board, causing it to creak.
From the living room, silence suddenly fell. Vincent heard Catherine get up
from the couch. He heard her begin to move quietly toward her room. He looked
around, finally deciding to hide behind her door. He stopped breathing as she
entered her bedroom. Drawing a small breath, his senses were immediately
assaulted by her unique scent. He heard her breath catch, knowing she had spied
the roses.
As she walked toward her bed, Vincent stepped from behind the door. Catherine
had her back to him, the roses clutched to her nose. She lifted her head up
sharply, looking at the fire escape. Her shoulders dropped, and he heard her
sniffle when she realized he wasn't there. He stood quietly in front of her
door, waiting for her to turn around.
Finally, Catherine turned and gasped when she saw him. Vincent heard her
heart pick up speed. She clasped the roses even tighter, and they just stared at
each other. After a moment, Catherine breathed out…..
"Vincent…?"
Vincent stared back at her, wanting nothing more than to pull her against
himself, and never let go.
"Hello, Catherine," he said. Vincent looked her up and down, taking in all of
her beautiful features. He saw Catherine starting to blush under the hotness of
his gaze. Their eyes collided, and he was lost in her hazel eyes. Her eyes held
questions. "I didn't mean to startle you."
Catherine continued to stare at him, barely breathing. She then reached down,
and pinched her arm, wincing when she did so. Vincent fought the chuckle
building inside him. Does she think she is dreaming?
"What….what are you doing here?" Catherine asked, her voice slightly lower
than a whisper. Vincent heard her though. A step brought him closer to her. The
need to touch her was too great. It had been too long. Reaching his hand up,
Vincent glided his hand gently over the softness of her cheek. Unconsciously,
she leaned into his touch. Vincent was ecstatic.
Looking into her beautiful hazel eyes, Vincent told her, "You told me I had
to make a choice. To follow my heart. I wanted you to know that I've made my
choice." He then stood silent, waiting…..
Something flared in Catherine's eyes a heartbeat before she stepped away from
him, breaking contact. Vincent worried when she turned away from him, hiding her
face from his gaze. Her heart had picked up speed again, and he saw her
shoulders shaking slightly. Fear now gripped him.
He was about to turn her around again, when he heard….
"Thank you for the roses. But…they weren't necessary. A text would have
sufficed. You didn't have to come all the way over here to say….goodbye."
Vincent's heart stopped at her words. Shit!…..
Vincent could only stare helplessly at the back of her head. Did she really
think that? What had he done to her? Vincent realized that Catherine had come to
a vastly wrong assumption. Stepping behind her, he gently put his hands
on her shoulders, turning her toward himself. Her head remained downcast, and he
heard her shallow breathing as she fought tears. Placing his hand under her
chin, he tipped it up, and finally, she made eye contact. Her eyes sparkled with
unshed tears.
Leaning forward, Vincent settled his lips over hers. He kept the kiss light,
with only a slight amount of pressure. When Catherine gasped against his lips,
Vincent sucked her lower lip into his mouth. Heaven! He heard Catherine
groan as her fingers twined into his hair. Vincent pulled her closer, so that
Catherine was nearly on her tip toes. His desire and want for her exploded, and
Vincent deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping into the moistness of her mouth.
A second later, he felt Catherine respond, and he couldn't help the growl of
satisfaction that left his throat.
Finally, oxygen deprived, they pulled apart, panting lightly, their hearts
pounding in rhythm. Vincent reached up, running his fingers through Catherine's
hair, feeling the silky weight run over his fingers.
Catherine gazed up at him, her eyes shining with love and desire. Vincent
knew his own eyes reflected that as well. "I'm not saying goodbye. Not to
you. Not ever," he told her, causing Catherine to blush slightly.
"After that kiss, I kinda figured that out," Catherine said, sounding
breathless. Vincent chuckled, as he pulled her toward him again.
"Alex is my past. But you…you are my present, and my future," Vincent told
her, as he held Catherine tightly. Catherine snuggled into his warmth, and
finally, he felt whole again.
He didn't know what the future yet held. But, he did know one thing. Whatever
happened, they would face it together. Because, Catherine was his, and
always would be.
#---------