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 6
They walked silently, side by side. Catherine had forgotten how it felt to
stand beside him. The top of her head just reached his shoulders. She was aware
of his even breathing, the easy way he moved beside her. Catherine's heart
picked up its beat a notch.
A sigh from him brought her head around. He had a blank face, and his eyes
stared straight ahead. Wordlessly, he took her hand and guided her toward a bench
that stood about 10 feet in front of them. Gently, he pushed her down on it, and
sat beside her. They stared at each other. Finally, he spoke.
"My God, Catherine! This is a shock. I honestly never thought I would ever
see you again. I keep thinking I'm losing my mind, that you aren't really
here."
Catherine chuckled. "I'm really here. I was shocked when I found out
you were here. I honestly didn't know how I would avoid running into
you."
"Where did you go? When I got home that night, and all your stuff was gone, I
have to admit, I freaked out a little. And then, my father's assistant showed up
with the divorce papers. Why, Catherine? Why didn't you talk to me?" he
implored.
Catherine swallowed hard. This was the part she had been dreading. Leave it
to Vincent to cut right to the chase. "I bought a bus ticket to Buffalo. I was a
waitress for a couple years, before I came here. I've been here for 3
years."
Vincent's mouth pressed together, his lips forming a white line. He nodded
for her to continue.
"I honestly didn't know what to say to you. How could I honestly keep you in
a marriage that you didn't want? You deserved to live your life, and I knew you
couldn't do that married to me. So, I went to your father. He handled
everything. I asked him not to tell you. That was my choice. He respected my
wishes."
"Catherine, you should have talked to me. We could have figured things out.
You didn't have to just disappear. God, I worried about you so much. I thought
about hiring a PI, but I had no idea where to even have them start looking."
"I thought it was for the best, Vincent," she told him quietly. "After
everything that happened, and the baby....."
Vincent opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when Heather yelled,
"Cat! We need you inside."
Catherine stood up, and looked at Vincent. "I have to go now. I'm sorry."
Quickly, she headed back toward the front desk. Turning around at the door, she
was surprised to see Vincent still sitting on the bench, a pensive look on his
face.
#------------
Catherine kept busy the next couple days. She saw Tess and....what was her
name? Alex, several times a day. They were definitely taking advantage of
the spas luxuries. The men she saw rarely. She hadn't seen Vincent since she
left him sitting on the bench. Was he avoiding her now?
As Catherine rounded a corner, she ran into a large, male body. Arms grabbed
her to support her. Looking up, she saw it was Evan.
"Whoa there, Cat! In a hurry to see someone?" he asked.
"No, I just wasn't paying attention. Lots going on, ya know."
"Seems to be going around, "he mumbled. Catherine threw him a questioning
look. Evan sighed, and said, "Our friend, Mr. Keller, seems to be suffering from
the same affliction. He's either wound tighter than a kite, or it takes forever
to get his attention."
"I'm sure I had nothing to do with that," Catherine said, trying to defend
herself. Evan laughed.
"Right," was his only reply. He nodded at her, and made his way down the
hall.
Catherine stood there, shocked. Was what he said the truth? Was Vincent.....
no! He was just still in shock. That was all.
#------
A short time later, Catherine was watering some flowers along the nature
trail, when she heard voices coming toward her. She was about to walk back up
the trail, away from them, when she realized it was Vincent and Alex. Quickly,
she ducked down behind the flowers.
Peeking through the leaves, she saw that they walked side by side, Alex's arm
looped through his elbow. She was laughing and Vincent smiled at her. Funny, he
didn't look "wound up tighter than a kite."
"So, that's the ex?" Alex said, surprising Catherine. Vincent shrugged.
"She's very pretty." Catherine was shocked. Why was she complimenting her? What
game was she playing?
"Yes, Catherine always was pretty," Vincent replied. Alex laughed.
"Oh, Vince, you seduced that poor girl, didn't you?"
"Not in so many words," Vincent replied, surprising Catherine. Alex stopped
walking, and raised an eyebrow.
"She seduced you?"
"Catherine had just gone through a very traumatic experience. It was a mutual
seduction."
Catherine was very surprised at the amount of information that Vincent was
giving away. He was never like that before. Catherine now wondered just how
close the two of them were.
"Of course she got pregnant," Alex stated.
Vincent didn't answer. Alex glanced at him and continued, "You didn't have
to marry her, ya know. You could have just provided for the baby
financially. Lots of people do it every day."
"Not me. I wouldn't do that to my child. After everything, both of them
deserved better than that," Vincent said with conviction.
"So, why did you divorce her, then?" Alex asked, curiosity coloring her
words.
"She divorced me, actually."
"How extraordinary! Why?"
"Pride, I suppose." Catherine was surprised he answered that question. "I
came home and she was just...gone. I had no clue that she had been planning any
of it. It was......" Vincent broke off.
"Well, she was virtually a child. One couldn't expect her to act maturely,"
Alex smirked.
Vincent just stared ahead. Alex tugged on his arm, and they continued their
walk in silence.
Catherine sat there dumbly, as they moved farther away from her. She was
shocked at what Vincent had revealed. Catherine suddenly wondered if she hadn't
made a terrible mistake by running away.....
#--------
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 6
They walked silently, side by side. Catherine had forgotten how it felt to
stand beside him. The top of her head just reached his shoulders. She was aware
of his even breathing, the easy way he moved beside her. Catherine's heart
picked up its beat a notch.
A sigh from him brought her head around. He had a blank face, and his eyes
stared straight ahead. Wordlessly, he took her hand and guided her toward a bench
that stood about 10 feet in front of them. Gently, he pushed her down on it, and
sat beside her. They stared at each other. Finally, he spoke.
"My God, Catherine! This is a shock. I honestly never thought I would ever
see you again. I keep thinking I'm losing my mind, that you aren't really
here."
Catherine chuckled. "I'm really here. I was shocked when I found out
you were here. I honestly didn't know how I would avoid running into
you."
"Where did you go? When I got home that night, and all your stuff was gone, I
have to admit, I freaked out a little. And then, my father's assistant showed up
with the divorce papers. Why, Catherine? Why didn't you talk to me?" he
implored.
Catherine swallowed hard. This was the part she had been dreading. Leave it
to Vincent to cut right to the chase. "I bought a bus ticket to Buffalo. I was a
waitress for a couple years, before I came here. I've been here for 3
years."
Vincent's mouth pressed together, his lips forming a white line. He nodded
for her to continue.
"I honestly didn't know what to say to you. How could I honestly keep you in
a marriage that you didn't want? You deserved to live your life, and I knew you
couldn't do that married to me. So, I went to your father. He handled
everything. I asked him not to tell you. That was my choice. He respected my
wishes."
"Catherine, you should have talked to me. We could have figured things out.
You didn't have to just disappear. God, I worried about you so much. I thought
about hiring a PI, but I had no idea where to even have them start looking."
"I thought it was for the best, Vincent," she told him quietly. "After
everything that happened, and the baby....."
Vincent opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off when Heather yelled,
"Cat! We need you inside."
Catherine stood up, and looked at Vincent. "I have to go now. I'm sorry."
Quickly, she headed back toward the front desk. Turning around at the door, she
was surprised to see Vincent still sitting on the bench, a pensive look on his
face.
#------------
Catherine kept busy the next couple days. She saw Tess and....what was her
name? Alex, several times a day. They were definitely taking advantage of
the spas luxuries. The men she saw rarely. She hadn't seen Vincent since she
left him sitting on the bench. Was he avoiding her now?
As Catherine rounded a corner, she ran into a large, male body. Arms grabbed
her to support her. Looking up, she saw it was Evan.
"Whoa there, Cat! In a hurry to see someone?" he asked.
"No, I just wasn't paying attention. Lots going on, ya know."
"Seems to be going around, "he mumbled. Catherine threw him a questioning
look. Evan sighed, and said, "Our friend, Mr. Keller, seems to be suffering from
the same affliction. He's either wound tighter than a kite, or it takes forever
to get his attention."
"I'm sure I had nothing to do with that," Catherine said, trying to defend
herself. Evan laughed.
"Right," was his only reply. He nodded at her, and made his way down the
hall.
Catherine stood there, shocked. Was what he said the truth? Was Vincent.....
no! He was just still in shock. That was all.
#------
A short time later, Catherine was watering some flowers along the nature
trail, when she heard voices coming toward her. She was about to walk back up
the trail, away from them, when she realized it was Vincent and Alex. Quickly,
she ducked down behind the flowers.
Peeking through the leaves, she saw that they walked side by side, Alex's arm
looped through his elbow. She was laughing and Vincent smiled at her. Funny, he
didn't look "wound up tighter than a kite."
"So, that's the ex?" Alex said, surprising Catherine. Vincent shrugged.
"She's very pretty." Catherine was shocked. Why was she complimenting her? What
game was she playing?
"Yes, Catherine always was pretty," Vincent replied. Alex laughed.
"Oh, Vince, you seduced that poor girl, didn't you?"
"Not in so many words," Vincent replied, surprising Catherine. Alex stopped
walking, and raised an eyebrow.
"She seduced you?"
"Catherine had just gone through a very traumatic experience. It was a mutual
seduction."
Catherine was very surprised at the amount of information that Vincent was
giving away. He was never like that before. Catherine now wondered just how
close the two of them were.
"Of course she got pregnant," Alex stated.
Vincent didn't answer. Alex glanced at him and continued, "You didn't have
to marry her, ya know. You could have just provided for the baby
financially. Lots of people do it every day."
"Not me. I wouldn't do that to my child. After everything, both of them
deserved better than that," Vincent said with conviction.
"So, why did you divorce her, then?" Alex asked, curiosity coloring her
words.
"She divorced me, actually."
"How extraordinary! Why?"
"Pride, I suppose." Catherine was surprised he answered that question. "I
came home and she was just...gone. I had no clue that she had been planning any
of it. It was......" Vincent broke off.
"Well, she was virtually a child. One couldn't expect her to act maturely,"
Alex smirked.
Vincent just stared ahead. Alex tugged on his arm, and they continued their
walk in silence.
Catherine sat there dumbly, as they moved farther away from her. She was
shocked at what Vincent had revealed. Catherine suddenly wondered if she hadn't
made a terrible mistake by running away.....
#--------