The Question

Catherine sat curled against Vincent on the sofa in the old club he and JT had found to live in. The movie on the screen had faded to black sometime ago, but neither of them was in a hurry to get up and shut it off. Vincent had picked out the flick. It had been sweet, if a little corny, but she didn't mind. It was the company that was important. She snuggled deeper into his shoulder, feeling contented and more than a little bit drowsy.

"So . . . I've been thinking," he murmured close to her ear. His breath ruffled her hair, tickling her neck and she shivered.

"Uh oh."

He laughed. "Yeah, well."

She pulled his arm more firmly about her middle. "Sounds mysterious, Mr. Keller. Better spill; I'm about ready to fall asleep right here."

He looked down at her and she twisted toward him with such a contented smile, he thought she might start to purr at any moment. He couldn't resist touching his lips to hers.

"Okay, so what's on your mind?"

"I've been thinking that . . . I've never been happier," he said against her lips.

She squinted at him. "Mmmm. Never? Not even . . . before?"

Before meaning with Alex, his ex-fiance. Before Muirfield. Before Afghanistan. Before the Twin Towers fell, taking his brothers with them.

"Yep. Never."

That gave her pause. She knew he'd had a happy childhood. A slow warmth curled in her belly.

"And do you know why? Because of you."

She touched her hand to his cheek. "Me, too."

Vincent looked into her eyes a long moment then took a big breath. "So, that got me thinking—"

"There's more?" she teased, that intriguing dimple making an appearance in her cheek.

He answered it with one of his own. "What if . . . what if things were normal for us? I mean, if we were just a regular couple—what would come next?"

They'd had this conversation before. But things weren't normal and they never would be. "It's nice to dream but, as much as I want normal, Vincent, I'm happy—"

"Would you marry me?"

She stared at him wide-eyed, that curling warmth turning into butterflies. "You know that isn't possible. And besides, I am okay with the way things are, truly. All I want is to be with you, however that can be."

"Well, what if it wasn't so impossible?"

"Vincent, you're still technically deceased, remember?" She sat up in his arms and faced him more fully. "Besides, a marriage certificate is just a piece of paper. It's meaningless, really, in a lot of cases, even for 'normal' people."

"It wouldn't be for me." When she looked like she wanted to argue again, he jumped in. "And I'm not actually dead. I mean, yeah, the world thinks that, but I am alive, and I'm still me, Vincent Ryan Keller. That man can still make vows."

"Vincent—"

"You know, JT could get a 'justice of the peace' license. He could perform the ceremony for us. Tess could witness. Just because it wouldn't be 'technically' legal doesn't mean it wouldn't be real in the eyes of God."

"But is it really necessary?"

"I want to say vows to you."

Her heart thudded heavily in her chest. "Oh, Vincent . . . ."

"I mean, maybe . . . maybe someday we'll be free of this mess. Maybe we'll find a cure; maybe not. If Muirfield one day gets outed and everything comes to light, it's possible my veteran benefits could be restored. If we were married and something happened to me, even if things didn't get cleared up until long after I was gone, as my wife, those benefits would go to you. They could provide for you."

She'd dreamt of it on more than one occasion-being free. "That's a lot of maybe's, and I don't want to even think of something happening to you. Don't even talk like that."

"I'm not really thinking of that, I'm just . . . thinking of us. There are so many things we can't do right now, like go to a real movie theater for a first-run show. But I could give you my name."

She emitted a frustrated sigh. "A name I couldn't use."

"Not yet. But it would be yours. We would know."

Catherine Keller. What a beautiful sound that had to it. But no. "All I want is you. It's enough for me."

He wove his hand through the hair at her nape. "Are you sure? Because you think that now, but maybe later—"

"You know, we have more pressing issues to worry about right now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Besides," she smiled, trying to lighten the intense mood. "It isn't like you've actually proposed or anything yet."

His eyes went wide.

When she realized what he was about to do, she stopped him with another caress to his cheek. "I think we should wait. Let's just see how the next few months go; get us to a better place, safer. By that time, you may even be anxious to be rid of me and regret—"

"I'll never regret a single moment with you." She wasn't ready. He understood. And she might never be. This was Catherine, after all. The offer still stood and he'd wait until a better time. He kissed her.

She lifted her head long, sweet moments later. "See, this is all I need . . . ."

*End*