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 8
At some point, she must have dozed off, because Catherine woke up a short
time later, feeling light fingers tickling her body. She opened her eyes and saw
that Vincent was awake. He smiled at her.
"Hey," he said.
Sitting up, Catherine replied, "Hey, yourself. That really happened right? I
wasn't dreaming it?"
"It really happened. You aren't sorry, are you? You don't think that was a
mistake?"
"Vincent, we are both adults. 5 years ago, I didn't know what I was doing.
Now, I do. Granted, we didn't cover nearly as much in our conversation as we
should have before hopping into bed together, but I'm not sorry."
Vincent chuckled. "Yeah, we didn't. Although, you were pretty cute
sleeping. You still talk in your sleep," he told her, which elicited a gasp
from Catherine.
"I do not!" she said, acting disgruntled at his words. Vincent threw his head
back and laughed. Then, as if a switch was thrown, he sobered and looked her in
the eye.
"Catherine," Vincent started, "as great as that was, you're right. I think we
got.... a little sidetracked."
Catherine nodded. "What else do you want to talk about?"
Instead of answering her, his fingers coasted over her scar. "I should have
been there for you. I was in surgery when they brought you in. By the time I
found out you were in the hospital and that you had been hemorrhaging, you had
already delivered the baby."
"That wasn't your fault, Vincent," Catherine said gently.
"I know that. But, I still should have been there for you. Your whole
pregnancy, I stayed away and tried to stay detached. I thought I was doing what
was best at the time. Instead of getting involved and sharing in it with you, I
acted like an immature ass. I was forced into the marriage and I didn't want to
take it out on you. I should never have done that. We should have been partners.
Instead, we were almost strangers. And then, when....everything happened....God,
you don't know how scared I was. I knew I could lose one or both of you, and it
scared the shit out of me. I couldn't have lived with myself if something had
happened to you. Catherine, it's never been easy for me to talk about my
feelings. But, our little girl....I loved her too. When I saw her in that
incubator, so tiny and perfect, my heart melted. Even with all the tubes and
wires they had on her, she was so beautiful, Catherine. As beautiful as her
mother."
Catherine felt tears spring to her eyes. He had cared. All this time,
she thought he hadn't cared about her or the baby. Maybe he hadn't loved her,
but he had felt something.
"I never got to hold her, Vincent. I never even got to see her. By the time I
was lucid enough, she was already gone," Catherine lamented.
Wordlessly, Vincent rolled over, grabbing his jeans off the floor. He pulled
his phone out of his pocket. Catherine watched him as he scrolled through
something. When he apparently found what he wanted, he handed her the phone.
Curiously, Catherine took it....and gasped.
There on the screen, was a picture of their little girl. Vincent must have
taken the picture when she had been unconscious. Tubes and wires covered the
tiny body, but Catherine could see just how dark her hair was, how tiny and
sparrow like her little hands and feet were.
"I took that just before.....she wasn't alone, Catherine. I was there with
her. I was holding her little fingers when....she just exhaled, like a little
sigh. She wasn't alone."
Catherine felt tears starting. She ran her finger lightly over the picture,
memorizing everything. "Thank you...." she whispered.
"I...um...hope you don't mind, but they asked for a name. I know we never got
to talk about it, but I hoped that you wouldn't be angry. I named her after your
mother."
Catherine's jaw dropped and the tears flowed down her cheeks. "You named her
Vanessa? Why?"
Vincent shrugged. "I thought it was fitting. And I thought that maybe, you
had already planned to name her that."
She had, but she hadn't told him that. Had she been wrong all this time? Had
she been wrong about him?
"She's buried next to my brothers. I go visit as often as I can," Vincent
told her. She hadn't known any of this....
"I never knew. I was afraid to ask," Catherine told him. Vincent sighed, and
pulled her against his chest.
"I planned to tell you when you were stronger. But, you left before I could.
And, I didn't know where you were, so I had no way to let you know. I can never
make up to you all the hurt I caused you, but, I hope that maybe,
knowing......would make the pain a little easier."
Catherine threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Vincent. It does help,
really."
"I'll make a copy of the picture and give it to you. You deserve to have a
piece of her, too."
"Again, thank you...."
"You are most welcome...."
#---------
Just before Vincent left, Catherine asked him the question that had been
burning in her mind.
"Are you and Alex a couple?"
Vincent paused in the act of putting on his shirt. "Why would you ask me
that?"
"I...um....saw you two walking, and you looked pretty close. I just don't want
an angry girlfriend beating down my door, for sleeping with her boyfriend."
Vincent walked over and took her hand. "Do you really think I would have
slept with you if I was in a relationship with Alex, or any woman for that
matter?"
"Five years ago I would have said "no," but, I don't know this new, older
Vincent. I don't know what he's like."
"I'm still the same guy you knew. That hasn't changed. I wouldn't have let it
go that far if I was with someone else."
"But, she wants you..."Catherine hedged. Vincent sighed.
"Yeah, but I'm not interested."
"Why?" Catherine asked, digging herself in deeper.
"I'm just...not." Vincent said, giving her a funny look. "Besides, how do I
know you don't have a boyfriend lurking around?"
"I don't, trust me on that."
He leaned down and kissed her lips gently. "I've got to get back before the
gang decides to send out a search party. JT probably already put out a trace on
me," he said jokingly.
After Vincent left, Catherine let out a shaky sigh. Maybe he didn't want
Alex, but she certainly wanted him. And, Catherine admitted to the empty
room, "So do I....."
God, what a mess this all was.......
#-----------
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 8
At some point, she must have dozed off, because Catherine woke up a short
time later, feeling light fingers tickling her body. She opened her eyes and saw
that Vincent was awake. He smiled at her.
"Hey," he said.
Sitting up, Catherine replied, "Hey, yourself. That really happened right? I
wasn't dreaming it?"
"It really happened. You aren't sorry, are you? You don't think that was a
mistake?"
"Vincent, we are both adults. 5 years ago, I didn't know what I was doing.
Now, I do. Granted, we didn't cover nearly as much in our conversation as we
should have before hopping into bed together, but I'm not sorry."
Vincent chuckled. "Yeah, we didn't. Although, you were pretty cute
sleeping. You still talk in your sleep," he told her, which elicited a gasp
from Catherine.
"I do not!" she said, acting disgruntled at his words. Vincent threw his head
back and laughed. Then, as if a switch was thrown, he sobered and looked her in
the eye.
"Catherine," Vincent started, "as great as that was, you're right. I think we
got.... a little sidetracked."
Catherine nodded. "What else do you want to talk about?"
Instead of answering her, his fingers coasted over her scar. "I should have
been there for you. I was in surgery when they brought you in. By the time I
found out you were in the hospital and that you had been hemorrhaging, you had
already delivered the baby."
"That wasn't your fault, Vincent," Catherine said gently.
"I know that. But, I still should have been there for you. Your whole
pregnancy, I stayed away and tried to stay detached. I thought I was doing what
was best at the time. Instead of getting involved and sharing in it with you, I
acted like an immature ass. I was forced into the marriage and I didn't want to
take it out on you. I should never have done that. We should have been partners.
Instead, we were almost strangers. And then, when....everything happened....God,
you don't know how scared I was. I knew I could lose one or both of you, and it
scared the shit out of me. I couldn't have lived with myself if something had
happened to you. Catherine, it's never been easy for me to talk about my
feelings. But, our little girl....I loved her too. When I saw her in that
incubator, so tiny and perfect, my heart melted. Even with all the tubes and
wires they had on her, she was so beautiful, Catherine. As beautiful as her
mother."
Catherine felt tears spring to her eyes. He had cared. All this time,
she thought he hadn't cared about her or the baby. Maybe he hadn't loved her,
but he had felt something.
"I never got to hold her, Vincent. I never even got to see her. By the time I
was lucid enough, she was already gone," Catherine lamented.
Wordlessly, Vincent rolled over, grabbing his jeans off the floor. He pulled
his phone out of his pocket. Catherine watched him as he scrolled through
something. When he apparently found what he wanted, he handed her the phone.
Curiously, Catherine took it....and gasped.
There on the screen, was a picture of their little girl. Vincent must have
taken the picture when she had been unconscious. Tubes and wires covered the
tiny body, but Catherine could see just how dark her hair was, how tiny and
sparrow like her little hands and feet were.
"I took that just before.....she wasn't alone, Catherine. I was there with
her. I was holding her little fingers when....she just exhaled, like a little
sigh. She wasn't alone."
Catherine felt tears starting. She ran her finger lightly over the picture,
memorizing everything. "Thank you...." she whispered.
"I...um...hope you don't mind, but they asked for a name. I know we never got
to talk about it, but I hoped that you wouldn't be angry. I named her after your
mother."
Catherine's jaw dropped and the tears flowed down her cheeks. "You named her
Vanessa? Why?"
Vincent shrugged. "I thought it was fitting. And I thought that maybe, you
had already planned to name her that."
She had, but she hadn't told him that. Had she been wrong all this time? Had
she been wrong about him?
"She's buried next to my brothers. I go visit as often as I can," Vincent
told her. She hadn't known any of this....
"I never knew. I was afraid to ask," Catherine told him. Vincent sighed, and
pulled her against his chest.
"I planned to tell you when you were stronger. But, you left before I could.
And, I didn't know where you were, so I had no way to let you know. I can never
make up to you all the hurt I caused you, but, I hope that maybe,
knowing......would make the pain a little easier."
Catherine threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Vincent. It does help,
really."
"I'll make a copy of the picture and give it to you. You deserve to have a
piece of her, too."
"Again, thank you...."
"You are most welcome...."
#---------
Just before Vincent left, Catherine asked him the question that had been
burning in her mind.
"Are you and Alex a couple?"
Vincent paused in the act of putting on his shirt. "Why would you ask me
that?"
"I...um....saw you two walking, and you looked pretty close. I just don't want
an angry girlfriend beating down my door, for sleeping with her boyfriend."
Vincent walked over and took her hand. "Do you really think I would have
slept with you if I was in a relationship with Alex, or any woman for that
matter?"
"Five years ago I would have said "no," but, I don't know this new, older
Vincent. I don't know what he's like."
"I'm still the same guy you knew. That hasn't changed. I wouldn't have let it
go that far if I was with someone else."
"But, she wants you..."Catherine hedged. Vincent sighed.
"Yeah, but I'm not interested."
"Why?" Catherine asked, digging herself in deeper.
"I'm just...not." Vincent said, giving her a funny look. "Besides, how do I
know you don't have a boyfriend lurking around?"
"I don't, trust me on that."
He leaned down and kissed her lips gently. "I've got to get back before the
gang decides to send out a search party. JT probably already put out a trace on
me," he said jokingly.
After Vincent left, Catherine let out a shaky sigh. Maybe he didn't want
Alex, but she certainly wanted him. And, Catherine admitted to the empty
room, "So do I....."
God, what a mess this all was.......
#-----------