Exposed

Setting: Vaguely a-little-bit-in-the-future post episode 13ish.

"Vincent I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but you've got to go. We've got to get out of here. In five hours everyone in this city will know your face," Catherine's voice was strained, her urgency etched into her facial expression. Every muscle in her body was tense as adrenaline pumped through her body. They were standing in the middle of the loft in the warehouse. Her abrupt arrival had caught JTs attention and as soon as he'd heard her news JT had begun implementing his 'escape' protocol. It was Vincent who was still standing here shocked. His face was aghast and disbelieving.

"There has to be a way, I'll break in, I'll steal the photographs and the video," Vincent reasoned.

"You can't, this is a major metropolitan newspaper, everything's digital, and there is no way of back tracking it and ensuring that every copy gets deleted. There will be editors, copy editors, publishers, dozens of people already know about this. They could decide to go live and put it up on their website at any moment. This is our only chance. Vincent I know you're scared. I know this is your home, but we have to go."

"We?" He dared not read the significance of her choice of words.

"I'm coming with you," Catherine announced as if it was a perfectly matter of fact statement.

"You'd do that? For me?" Vincent couldn't believe what she was saying.

Catherine paused, she swallowed deeply, she let herself feel a fraction of the pain and loss of leaving her sister and her father behind. Of leaving Tess. Of never seeing them again. Of giving up her career. She wasn't like Vincent, she couldn't volunteer in some free clinic in Mexico or Africa. She was a cop, that was her whole identity before Vincent. But the moment she'd found out about the photographs – taken from a video showing him before and after he changed - she'd realised something – she couldn't let him leave alone. Maybe if there had been a chance he'd be able to return she could have waited, but this level of exposure was final, there was no coming back from this. It was either leave with him or say goodbye forever and Cat had known in that instant that she couldn't say goodbye.

"Yeah," was her answer, hesitant but strong. "I'm doing this."

"But your family? Catherine are you sure? I can't have you hate me for the rest of our lives. I couldn't live with that. Can you really be happy without them?" He hated to ask. He hated to be the one that had to talk her out of this, but he had to know she wasn't rushing into this.

She didn't answer straight away; she took a moment to gather her thoughts and her words, silently testing them out in her head as she said them. She knew she had to be certain, there would be no going back. "I won't be happy without you. I've already lost my Mum. Heather has Dad and Tess. If I leave she's got a better chance at a normal life than if I stay, it was only a matter of time until my involvement with you, with this, with Muirfield, put them all in danger. I never blamed my mother for what happened but her involvement with Muirfield almost got me killed; I won't do the same thing to my sister."

"So you're sure?" His dark eyes penetrated hers, compelling her to be honest.

"I'm sure." Cat nodded sadly. There was a note of finality in her tone. The choice had been made.

"But if we stay, we could expose Muirfield."

"No we can't, we don't have enough proof, we don't have names or locations. They would never pay for what they did and you would spend the rest of your life in a laboratory, if they let you live. I'm not willing to take that risk."

"And neither am I," JT interrupted. "Come on, the bags are ready, it's exit time. You know the drill. Cat I made one for you," JT explained offering Catherine a black duffle bag.

"You did?" Cat was surprised.

"When things got serious between you two, I sort of figured it paid to be prepared. I'm sorry if the clothes aren't a good fit, shopping isn't really my area of expertise."

"They'll be fine. Thanks JT," she flashed him the biggest most forced smile but they knew that she meant it. She was touched that he'd had such faith in her, until now she hadn't trusted herself to be able to do this. To take this leap.

"Yeah thanks, thanks for everything," Vincent added, turning seriously to his friend. "You have been amazing, for all these years, I couldn't have survived without you. But it's time to say goodbye buddy."

"You're talking nonsense. I'm coming. That was the plan," JT argued.

"The plan changed. I've got Catherine now, and you've got Sarah. Hiding two people is hard enough, three would be impossible. You're a liability JT, you can't defend yourself and you're a hopeless liar. Plus if you disappear the same time as Catherine it will just make it easier for them to work out you're with me. It's too much of a coincidence. You need to stay here, live a normal life. Leave this place get a normal apartment and pretend none of this ever happened."

"You know I can't do that," JT was hurt and angry, even though he knew that Vincent was trying to protect him.

"You can. Maybe one day you'll make a big discovery, find that cure, and if you do I'll find my way back her somehow."

"What about the degeneration, what are you going to do when things get worse? I hate to say this but do you really think Catherine can put an end to this if she has too?" JT didn't want to voice their darkest fears.

"She won't have too, I'll end it myself if it gets that bad," Vincent promised.

"What are you two talking about?" Catherine asked, shocked and outraged. "Are you really talking about killing Vincent? About killing yourself?"

"It might never happen, but we've always been prepared that it might be our only alternative. Look don't worry about it now, we could have years before anything happens. JT might come up with something before then. You've got enough of my blood to continue your work right?" Vincent gave JT a look.

"Yeah, I guess. For now. It's not the same thing as having you here. I should monitor you."

"I'll find a way to send you information if something happens. But right now we need to leave. Every moment we stand here talking reduces our chances of getting out of the country alive."

"Okay," JT admitted reluctantly. "You're right, I'd slow you down. You two go, get out of here, you keep him safe." He was trying not to cry.

Catherine hugged him and then it was Vincent's turn. "I love you man," Vincent mumbled into his hair in a strangled tone. Such words were really unnecessary between them but what else could you say to the best friend who'd given up years of his life to protect you?

"Me too," JT responded, his lip quivering.

"I need you to get a message to my sister. Please I know it's dangerous and I know I can't tell her the truth but I need you to give her this."

"Of course," JT agreed.

Cat grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. She wrote frantically, conscious that the time was ticking and there would never be perfect words or the right way to say the things she had to say. She comforted herself in knowing that at least she could say these final words, her mother never got that chance. Muirfield had taken that away.

"I'm so sorry I'll never get to say goodbye or be able to explain why I left. But you need to know that this was my choice. I did it for love and I would do it again. I hate leaving you but I want you to have your best life, I want you to find yourself and the perfect guy and be happy and safe and grow old. I'm afraid that won't happen if I stick around.

Please don't hate me for leaving you, know that I did it to protect you and that I will always love you and if it's ever safe for me to come back I will. Don't grieve for me, know that I'm not alone and I never will be again. I'm with someone I love and that's enough for me. Don't tell anyone about this letter, don't tell them you ever met him or that you knew anything about our relationship. Don't report me missing, wait until work notice I'm gone, then let them think whatever they want, they can think I committed suicide if they want. Never worry about protecting my memory, the only memory that matters to me is the ones you have of me.

Love always, your sister

Cat xox"

Catherine folded the page and passed it to JT. He took it solemnly and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Time to go," Vincent prompted, handing her the black duffle bag again. "Are you really sure about this?"

Cat just nodded.

With one last tear streaked wave to JT they headed out of the loft and away from the life that they had known so far. Catherine couldn't help but think about how other women her age got married and talked about starting a new life with their husbands. She'd never thought she'd be able to make a commitment like that, but here she was making a commitment that was so much bigger, so much more final, and yet she was certain of her choice. She had once resented Alex for offering to run away with Vincent when she couldn't but now she understood when you really love someone and you're ready to spend the rest of your lives together it's a leap you're willing to take. Back then Cat hadn't been ready, maybe because she hadn't really felt it was necessary, she'd still believed that Vincent would be able to go on living in the city, hiding in the shadows. She'd hated him for being willing to leave her all for the chance at a new life in a new country, but now that she was part of that life she was almost relieved they were going. Lying to stranger was so much easier than lying to her family and friends. She would no longer be caught between two worlds. She had no idea what she could do other than being a cop but she'd find out. They'd find out together.

Author's Note: I was really angry at Vincent for wanting to run away with Alex, but at the same time like Vincent I couldn't imagine Cat making the same sacrifice at that point in their story, so this story came from wanting to imagine a not-too-distant future where Cat had finally reached a place where she could really commit to Vincent. At the beginning of the series Cat is this woman who is her job, her whole identity is Cat-the-cop, so I really wanted to show that because of Vincent she's started to move beyond that and realise that there are other things that are more important to her. At the same time I'm fairly career oriented myself and I don't know if I could give up my job for love. I like to think I could because at the end of the day you can find something useful to do wherever you go and a job is just a job, there will always be others willing to step up and do what you do.

Disclaimer: Beauty and the Beast and its characters are not mine.