Under The Yellow Tree

Disclaimer: I do Not own any of the characters in this story, nor any of the stories themselves. There owned by The CW and the companies that work with the network. Any dialogue and or story likeness is coincidental and not intended to offend anyone.

CPOV

"Immediately the fairy gave a stroke with her wand, and in a moment all that were in the hall were transported into the prince's dominions. His subjects received him with joy. He married Beauty, and lived with her many years, and their happiness - as it was founded on virtue - was complete."

I sigh as I close the book I had just finished reading. Beauty and the Beast. So appropriate and yet so far away. I know that some people have compared Vincent and myself to the fairytale couple, but there are some many differences, no matter how much I can wish that my life where a real life fairytale.

I lean my head against the trunk of the tree that has become my escape. This tree, that is hidden to the world, is an oasis of peace and magical enchantment for my soul. There are so many fond memories here since I discovered it.

Here was where Vincent and I had our first official date outside any of our living spaces. Here was where Vincent told me about his past, his family, his friends, med school, the war, and the ten years after. Here was where he told me how and when he checked up on me for those 10 years before we officially met. Here he told me that he fell in love with me since he first saw me in the woods, when I was 19 and just starting to try to live the world my way. Here I told him about my childhood, my past relationships and experiences. Here we came to escape the world, to be just two people in love with no other cares in the world.

Here we were free to be who we really were, not having to look behind our backs or lie to people. Here we could fantasize about having a life together. How was our wedding going to look like, the guest list, the food, the venue, the dress. Here we could think about how would our house look like, if we really wanted the white picket fence and blue shutters, or just a nice flat that overlooks the city. Here we looked into the possibilities of leaving New York, which we both shoot down very quickly since we both loved the city to much to leave it behind.

Here we talked about becoming parents. How many and what we wanted. We both wanted two children; Vincent wanted a buddy and a princess and I was okay with whatever we had. HEre we talked about watching them growing up, how Vincent would teach our son to throw a ball and fish and would have to really learn to control the beast in order to be able to let our daughter date.

Here we talked about finding a cure. Well, more like fantasized about this matter. We both had an inkling that this would never happen and that this was just what fate had in store for us. But it never hurt anyone to dream, now did it?

Here was where Vincent and I had meet again after having to spend three months apart thanks to Murfield. This place became our personal safe heaven. A meeting point that no one else knew about, not even JT.

Here was where Vincent decided to propose to me. We both knew that this had to be a secret engagement. I have to say that that moment was the most magical experience that I have had in my entire life. He had texted me to meet him under our tree and I got there as soon as I could get away from work. He was there all dressed in black, since he knew I loved him dressed in that color, bended on one knew and smiling at me in a way that I had never seen before. He looked care free and really truly happy. I was still in a state of confusion as he took my hand in his and told me "You are my sunshine, my northern star, the air that I breathe and the heart and soul of my existence. You make me happy when there is nothing to be happy about, you give me the confidence that I lack and you believe in me when I don't even believe in myself. You are my one and true love, my soul mate. I know that this cannot be a reality at the moment but would you make me the happiest men in the history of this earth and be my wife?"

I was crying like a baby at that moment and smiling so much that I thought that my face would break. But I pulled him up to a standing position and just kissed him with all the love that I could put into that simple action. As we came apart he had this glow on him and his smile had gotten bigger, which I had thought that was impossible. I just told him "Yes, of course I would be more than happy and honored to be your wife. I will love you always , forever, eternally; in this life and all the ones that come after that."

An then he surprised me once more. As he took the beautiful ring of the box, I saw that he had actually bought a chain for it. He walked behind me and made me pull my hair up so that he could fasten the chain around my neck. "I know that having the ring on your finger would be a little hard explaining to your friends and family, plus a little dangerous if Muirfield came to notice and link us together in that way, so I opted for a way in which you could have the ring with you yet be placed in a way that no one will pay much attention to it. In this way we can have a secret engagement, that will make us both happy and keep us safe."

As I turn around and kiss him, the cool breeze caressed our cheeks and the yellow leaves formed a magical wall that disconnected us from the troubles of our lives and lets us live in the moment. It is like a halo in the earth, a magic that only we were blessed and honored to see.

Here was where we had to say "I'll see you latter" knowing that that latter might never come. This was the place where I saw him for the last time.

He had told me that Muirfield were closer than ever, that he thought that there was no way around this one and that the only option was infiltration on the enemy. This time even I understood that I had to go away and not contact him since it would mean the death of all of us. Even JT had to leave, this was something that Vincent had to do on his own, with no help.

That was the hardest thing I had to do. We just stayed in each others arms for a long time, listening to the others heartbeat and remembering all the good times and the things that we had overcomed together.

As we were to say our goodbyes he looked me in the eyes and told me to never forget him and to try to move on with my life if something were to happen to him I told him that he shouldn't be so negative but that I could only promise him that I would try. He took the ring from my necklace and placed it on my finger, telling me to latter take it off but that he wanted to place it there, just to have the memory of doing it. We kissed and as our lips told the other one that we were soul mates, the other's one true love and that we would never forget each other, our tears let us know that there was a high possibility that this was the last time that we would see, touch, kiss and embrace the other.

And that was true. Years later, after Muirfield was taken down, a young woman came to me and gave me a diary. It had been her father's and in its last pages I read how the love of my life had given his life in order to save 5 soldiers that were going to be treated to a new round of experiments that would probably kill them. My Vincent died a hero, but those men treated him as worse than dirt. The soldier had seen how they mutilated his dead body and how they had just burned him and them thrown his ashes to the garbage.

I gave my thanks to the girl because, although I wanted to bring those Muirfield agents back from the dead and torture them, I knew that they were rotting in hell, she had given me the wonderful gift of closure. Of knowing that my Vincent didn't die in vain and that he did what he always did, the right thing, not even thinking twice of the hurt that it would bring him.

I never took the ring of my fingers and I never explained any of the circumstances around it to anyone. They eventually decided that it wasn't worth their time to try anymore since I was so determined to not say anything. JT was the only one who knew because he had helped Vincent buy the ring but he never asked any questions, for which I was very grateful.

They also decided that it was best for me to do what I wanted with my life. They stopped trying to get me to be happy and bubbly all the time. They stopped asking me questions about why was I so sad, why was I depressed. They stopped trying to get me to go get some help for my depression that had apparently come out of nowhere. They had stopped trying to get me to have a love life, or much of a social life outside of work. Those who knew about Vincent had a suspicion that it had to do with him but they never knew what happened and eventually decided to stop trying to get it out of me.

This is the place where I still come to remember him and cherish those memories. There are so many fond memories here since I discovered it.

Here I am fifty years after that whole chapter of my life ended. After Vincent left this world too soon for his time. After my heart was ripped out of my body. After I lost the love of my life. I have never married and have never had a relationship after him, I have never felt what I felt for him. It was like a really huge part of me died with him.

I didn't even get the chance to cry over his body or bury him, so this is the place that I come instead to cry over the loss and to tell him what is going on in my life. Because in one way or another I still feel him with me, I still feel like he is watching over me.

JT and I are still friends and I am welcome at his house very often. He is still worried about me, since he says I am stuck in this limbo state from which I cannot apparently rip myself from. He lost a brother, but in a way he doesn't fully understand what I lost. I lost my best friend, my partner and the love of my life and he was able to marry his and live a life with her.

I brush away a tear that had fallen and a weak smile forms on my lips. "I will love you always , forever, eternally; in this life and all the ones that come after that." I place a kiss on my fingers and gentle caress it onto the tree.

As I close my eyes, I feel the cool breeze caress my cheeks and the yellow leaves form a magical wall that disconnects me from the troubles of our lives and lets me live in the moment. It is like a halo in the earth, a magic that only I am blessed and honored to see.

It is then that I feel a bright light in front of my eyes. As I open them I had some difficulty adjusting to the brightness but then saw that there was a figure standing in front of me and was locking the bulk of the light so it wouldn't hurt my eyes.

It is then that I notice that it was Vincent, My Vincent! At first I was too surprised to say anything and he just smiled at me, that smile that tells my that he is truly happy. He then extended his hands toward me and as I take them and he pulls me into an embrace, one that I had longed for for so long. After what I had felt for too little time, he pulled away and caressed my cheeks and my hair.

I got lost in his eyes for a while and then I finally found my voice and asked him what was he doing there. He just smile and told me "I'm here for you, always for you Catherine, my Catherine." And as I look down I no longer see the old lady with the wrinkles and the weight of the world on my shoulders, I looked like when I was almost 30 and when I was madly in love with a man that was widely not understood and alone.

As I look up, I could only see love in this beautiful hazel eyes. We stared into each others eyes for a while and he just slowly moved his hands along my cheeks as if re-memorizing my features and the softness of my skin. He then looked me in a way that suggested that he was reading my soul and asked me "Catherine, do you love me?" and I could only smack him playfully in his arm and laugh with all the giddiness of a school girls who is in the arms of her true love, and just looked him in the eyes trying to put all the love and emotions in my eyes as I answered "Don't you remember, Vincent? I will love you always , forever, eternally; in this life and all the ones that come after that."

With that he kissed me and I have nevered feel so happy in my life. He then lead me towards the brightness. Leading me to the arms of my father and mother, who I hadn't seen in so long.

Now we are able to start the next chapter of our lives, together since our love is forever, eternal; in the life we had had and all the ones that are still to come.

AN: Sorry I didn't update as I had said, and you guys had to wait so long! This place was having some issues with me and wouldn't let me log in and upload this for you guys! But this was done for you guys quite some while ago. But here it is, better late than never! I will try to start uploading another story but I am honestly having a little of writers block so please bear with me and cross your fingers that my muse will want to inspire me! Thanks and I hope you liked the story! For me it felt sad and beautiful all at the same time.

- OA

PS: Sorry that I forgot to warn yo, some of you may have used tissues so, sorry for that!

PS2: The first paragraph is the ending of the original Beauty and the Beast story by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.

PLEASE REVIEW!