The Unexpected Guests
by Thomas Mc
This little vignette was inspired by Edith Crowe's Candle to Candle and The Rose by Lori Lum. It is just a bit of whimsy on my part. Catherine and Vincent's wedding is touched by a little bit of magic.
Unseen, Charles Chandler watched while Vincent cared for Catherine as she grieved over his recent death. He moved up to the bed, and brushed the back of spectral fingers, unfelt, against Cathy's cheek. Then his gaze shifted to the creature sitting in the bed and holding his daughter, trying to comfort her. The gentle scene he'd just witnessed had brought him to tears - and left him with a sense of uneasiness. Charles gazed into the creatures frighteningly fierce face with those terrifying fangs and those gentle compassionate blue eyes. He looked at those furry hands with their deadly claws that held her in a tender loving embrace. The contradictions boggled his mind.
A thousand thoughts ran through his mind as he watched over his daughter. One question in particular kept surfacing. "Why, hadn't she trusted her own father enough to tell him sooner?" Charles had realized imediately that this was the same Vincent she had brought to that party at the top of the Empire State Building last Halloween and what he had assumed to be an elaborate costume was actually his true appearance. Vincent obviously cared very deeply for her. He had seen that from the first time he saw them together. Over the next few days, Charles watched over his daughter, as Vincent did his best to try and help her. A few times he even followed Vincent out of curiosity. He noticed that everyone Vincent encountered down in this strange, subterranean world of his seemed to care about Catherine as well. They were all asking after her, concern plainly showing on their faces. Down in this subteraniun world, she was loved by a vary unique and special family. He listened in on Vincent's conversations with the man he called Father (There was no apparent resemblance), and learned about the special bond that this Vincent shared with her.
In Vincent's chamber he spotted a beautiful half finished painting of Vincent and Catherine together, sitting on an easel. Catherine's face was complete but Vincent's face was little more than eyes and a hint of nose and mouth. As he was looking at it, Vincent placed the journal, he had been writing in, on the shelf and left the chamber, walking right through the painting as though it wasn't there. Several times over those days he went back to stare at that painting. Each time Vincent was a little more complete in it. He never saw the painter and Vincent seemed unaware that it was there. Catherine and Vincent's love for each other had been beautifully captured in that incredible ghostly painting.
The rest of the time he watched over Catherine. He watched. He mulled. He worried. He thought about his one limited encounter with Vincent. He wished she'd talk to someone.
Finally one night, he entered her dreams. He talked to her. He comforted her. He said his final goodbye to her.
The next day, once again unseen, he watched her cry in the arms of someone who cared deeply for her. He watched this lion-man she called Vincent hold her as she cried herself out, comfort her, dry her tears, and finally walk her home. He had always hoped Cathy would one day find that someone special who would understand and care for her, but he had never expected anyone like this.
As a gray mist began to swirl up around him, he found himself wondering what would become of his daughter and that strange creature Vincent. For a moment, in that gray void, time became meaningless.
* * * * *
The swirling fog began to clear and Charles found a scruffy looking young man with an irrepressible grin standing before him and next to the scruffy man stood his wife, Caroline, seeming as alive and beautiful as ever. She stepped forward into his embrace. His joy was so great he thought his heart would burst.
Caroline looked at him tears of joy in her eyes. Then she spoke. "I saw it Charles, I saw it all. It was Vincent that found her dying in the park that night she was attacked. He carried her to his home and saved her life. He helped her find the courage to carry on and to find meaning and purpose to her life. And the people down there have become like a second family to her." Her eye glistened with unshed tears as she gazed up into his eyes. "And she's done it, Charles. She's finally found what she was searching for."
The scruffy young man stepped up to them with his Cheshire Cat grin and Charles asked, "Who are you?"
Caroline answered. "He's the one who painted that beautiful picture of Vincent and Catherine."
The young man bowed, with a flourish, in response, then spoke. "Quickly, we haven't much time." The young man touched them and they were suddenly at the top of a spiral stairway in what Charles now recognized as Father's underground study. The chamber was crowded and on the other side of the room stood two people who were obviously getting married. He recognized Caroline's wedding gown on the woman. As the pair faced each other to proclaim their wedding vows he realized it was Catherine and Vincent. Charles looked over at Caroline as she squeezed his hand. Her face was as radiant as Catherine's. They kissed once and turned back to watch the rest of the ceremony. He felt Caroline rest her head against his shoulder as he placed his arm around her. Charles could feel the love that filled the chamber to overflowing and he was content.
* * * * *
The walls between the worlds had fallen and the impossible was finally happening as Catherine and Vincent faced each other and recited their vows of marriage. Catherine's heart was filled to bursting with the love she could feel coming from Vincent over their special bond. Simultaneously the love she felt for Vincent was washing over him through that same bond like an irresistible tidal wave. As she pledged herself to Vincent, she felt a new warmth, as of two unseen presences beside her. She believed that somewhere her parents were looking down on her and rejoicing with her.
Father Nigel Atwood intoned that magic phrase. "I now pronounce you husband and wife." Then he looked out to those gathered in that chamber. "What God has joined together let no one put asunder."
For a few seconds, silence reigned while Vincent and Catherine stood facing each other as if they couldn't quite believe it had really happened. Then they moved into each other's arms for the kiss. For a moment the world faded from their perception and there was only them as the emotions flowing through their, now two-way, bond reached an intensity equal to when they made love. Then the world came back into focus again as they slowly pulled away. For a few moments more they stood there gazing into each others eyes. The chamber was filled with happy grins and a sudden burst of talk and laughter from their assembled friends
As they parted, Vincent suppressed an almost irresistible urge to roar as he took Catherine's hand. Catherine could clearly sense what he was feeling and with a look of mischievous delight appearing on her face, she softly whispered. "Go ahead, Vincent. Do it for us."
Vincent could no longer hold back. He leaned his head back and cut loose with a powerful roar of triumph. The assembled room cheered back in response while Catherine held him tight, her head on his chest, and laughed. Even Nigel Atwood smiled. Then Jenny handed her back her bouquet.
As they turned to face their friends, Catherine gazed up at the top of the spiral stairs, where Nancy had taken position, and saw her mother standing there with her head on her father's shoulder, and behind them stood Kristopher Gentian still sporting that irrepressible grin of his. Catherine closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened her eyes they were still there, smiling down at her. Then her father and mother both nodded at them as though they were giving her their blessing, and she could distinctly feel their joy enveloping her. Meanwhile Kristopher grinned and waved at them. Catherine realized that Vincent had momentarily hesitated. When she looked at him he was staring at the top of the stairs, then he turned his head and was looking at her with a happily dazed look on his face. When she looked again at the top of the stairs, the spot was empty. Then as she looked back at Vincent, he broke out in a big smile and off they went, leading the way to the Great Hall. Father tried to maintain a dignified pace, but he felt like fainting with both joy and relief. Fortunately, a brother physician was in attendance ... although Peter seemed miles, or possibly years, away.
The excited crowd flowed behind Catherine and Vincent, acting like this was every holiday they'd ever known rolled into one, and several more they hadn't thought of yet. As the crowd flowed through the painted tunnels, on their way to the great Winterfest chamber, everyone slowed down to gaze at the few paintings that depicted scenes of Catherine and Vincent. At the far end was a few sketched lines that hinted at three wedding pictures that would one day exist there.
* * * * *
Later during the reception, Jacob and Peter were watching Catherine and Vincent from a corner enjoying the triumph of their union. Jacob turned to Peter. "I know this sounds crazy but I swear when we turned to face the gathering, I saw Catherine's parents and some young man I didn't recognize, at the top of the stairs. I looked over at Catherine and Vincent but they were looking at each other. When I looked back they had disappeared."
Peter shook his head. "You saw them too? I thought I was seeing things. Then as I watched Charles smiled and nodded at me, as though telling me that I had done right by his Cathy, then they just faded out." He paused remembering the scene. "But I have no idea who that young man behind them was."
"Is that who they were?" Both men turned to find Father Atwood standing behind them. "I first noticed them up there when Catherine and Vincent started saying their vows." Nigel looked over at Catherine and Vincent then back at the two men. "I caught a glimmer out of the corner of my eye and when I looked up, there they were. I thought I was seeing things." He frowned for a minute. "I swear that while they were up there I could feel an aura of loving peace settle over the whole room."
All three men looked back over at the bride and groom out on the dance floor and smiled.
* * * * *
The band was playing a slow waltz and out on the dance floor, Catherine's friend, Nancy, had somehow managed to coax Father into dancing with her. She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling in the candle light. "I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life as that wedding. Thank-you for letting me come." She paused. "I even thought I saw Cathy's parents standing next to me for a moment. It brought tears to my eyes."
"Several of us saw them up there." Jacob replied, smiling.
* * * * *
After a while Catherine and Vincent had taken temporary refuge on the back stairway to rest and observe the crowd. "I never thought I'd see people happier than they were last Winterfest, but look at them." Catherine gestured toward the crowd below them. "I think it's because tonight we celebrate the fulfillment of an impossible dream." Then she pointed over to the right, "Look at Mouse and Jamie over there dancing together. I think they've discovered a new dimension to their friendship." Then she giggled.
Vincent looked back at Catherine and noticed a faraway look come over her face. "What are you thinking about?" He asked as he reached out to caress her face.
Catherine seemed to drag herself back from some faraway place. "Nothing much." She looked up at Vincent. "It's just that for a moment as we were about to leave Fathers library I thought ... well, I thought …"
"You thought you saw your parents and Kristopher Gentian at the top of the stairs." Vincent finished as he looked into her eyes. "I saw it too. I had the feeling that they were there to give us their blessing." He became thoughtful. "I swear your father and your mother, both, looked right at me, smiled and nodded giving me their approval. Then I blinked and they were gone. When I looked at you, I was wondering if you had seen it too. The look on your face convinced me that you had."
Vincent took Catherine in his arms and kissed her thoroughly, not caring they were visible to all. Catherine smiled at him. "Why Vincent you are so bold."
Vincent retorted. "If a man couldn't kiss his wife in public ..." Vincent looked startled. "his wife ... MY wife!" A look of pure wonder spread across his face and he kissed her again, even more thoroughly.
Jenny came up the back stairway as Catherine and Vincent again turned their attention to the merry making below. She looked at Catherine her eyes solemn. "Catherine I know how much you miss your parents but I want you to know, that they were there. I could sense their presence and I'm sure I saw them for a moment, standing at the top of the spiral stairs with some third person I didn't recognize."
Catherine smiled, her eyes shining. "I know." As she reached out and took Vincent's hand. "We both saw them at the top of the stairs. That third person was Kristopher Gentian."
"Your ghostly artist?" Jenny asked her in surprise.
"That's him." Catherine replied.
Jenny gave them both a big hug her eyes beginning to mist up.
"Is that who those strangers were? I looked away for a moment and they were gone." Standing behind Jenny, Devin cleared his throat and shook his head. "Well," he grinned, "It looks like this party can go on fine without you, if you can think of other things you have to do." A sparkle of pure mischief filled his eyes.
* * * * *
Charles Chandler knew, to the depths of his soul, that Catherine was in good hands. He knew that there was at least one person in her world that would always accept her, unconditionally and without hesitation. He knew that Vincent would always be there for her. He wasn't sure where the relationship was heading and it would face many challenges, but the gentle strength Vincent and Cathy's own indomitable spirit would see them through. He gave Caroline a gentle squeeze and, as the scene below faded away, he thanked the powers that be, knowing not everyone is so lucky as he had been and Cathy now was.
Before him a brilliant light burst out of the swirling grey. Hand in hand with Caroline he stepped towards the light.
The End
'Beauty and the Beast' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.