Summary: Catherine needs to see Vincent after she can't concentrate on work.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Beauty and the Beast

Pairing: Vincent/ Catherine

Rating: T

THINKING OF YOU:

Catherine couldn't concentrate on her work when she was thinking about Vincent. Lately he was all she thought about, all she could think about and her work was starting to show that lack of concentration. Joe had called her into his office and chewed her out for her apparent lack of caring. Catherine gave the appearance that she was listening; that she knew he was right and would do better. This was the first time that she had let her work slip and she wouldn't let it happen again. Catherine knew she didn't need this job but she loved it because she was helping people who had been taken advantage of through their lives. It felt good to help. But right now Vincent invaded her thoughts, filled her with comfort, with love, and distracted her from her work. She had to smile though, Vincent was a welcome distraction compared to the case load she had to deal with right now. Catherine had depositions to go over, briefs to write, and a multitude of other things that she didn't have enough time for in one day, let alone one week. No, she should just go home and find Vincent. He made her feel safe, secure, and he filled her heart with love. Vincent was the only thing in her world that made sense, complete and utter sense. Vincent was her heart and soul and her love.

She knew she couldn't work, wouldn't work until she saw Vincent. Catherine needed to see him like she needed to breathe, or she needed her heart to keep on beating. Moving quickly Catherine wrote out a note and left it on her desk in case Joe came looking for her; it was her lunch hour or close to it, so she took a break early. Grabbing her purse and her jacket Catherine sped out of the office and to the elevator before she could get caught by Joe. She wanted to go home, get changed, and go into the tunnels to find him, find Vincent. Thinking back over her life and the men she had dated Catherine realized that none of them could even compare to Vincent. Sure, they had all been handsome, debonair, and sophisticated, but none of them had a heart as pure as the one she knew Vincent possessed. He was selfless, caring, and he put his needs on hold for those of his family and his friends in the world below. She knew that whenever she was in trouble he was always there for her, risking his life for her. It made a girl stop and think about what she had. Catherine had been asked out on several dates, but she turned them all down for Vincent, so she could be with him, share things with him. The things they shared, the music they listened to; it was as if Catherine was hearing it all in a new way, hearing it the way Vincent heard it.

THE WORLD BELOW:

Vincent had stolen himself away to the underground hot springs Mouse had discovered two weeks ago. The cavern was a natural limestone in which the water was filtered and the stone kept the water warm, just the right temperature for soothing away aches and pains. Vincent was stronger than normal men, but even he had his limits of endurance. For the past couple of days they had been reinforcing the great hall, and making changes to a few other chambers. The labor was hard and intensive but worth it in the end to know that they wouldn't suffer cave-ins. Right now he had a few hours' free, hours he wished he could spend with Catherine. She was living her life in the day, at her job with the DA helping those who could not help themselves. Shaking his head Vincent shucked his clothing and sank down into the hot water. Almost instantly his body relaxed and some of his pain vanished. Vincent exhaled in pleasure, the pure unrefined pleasure of soaking in hot water. It was heaven, it was his paradise. He leaned his head back against the ledge and thought again of Catherine. For the past year Vincent had tried to understand what she saw in him beyond the fact that he loved her deeply and that he saved her life. What made him special in her eyes?

He moved his hand through the water and watched the hair sway. Sometimes he was more lion than man in features. His hands had five fingers, but with claws and thick, coarse hair on the back of his hand and all the way up to his forearm. Only the rest of his body had fine, soft, almost invisible fur. Vincent was just fortunate not to have a lion's tail to go with the rest of his leonine features. The Fates had smiled on him for that. He didn't hate the way he looked; it allowed him a unique view on the world and on humanity. To hate himself, it would be as if he was cursing the darkness for chasing the sun from its rightful place in the heavens. Without the shelter of the night to cloak him in shadows, Vincent would never be free to see the world above. He would have no way to escape the tunnels that were his home. This secret place was his home, his refuge, and his sanctuary, but also it was his prison, a prison of stone and steel, of books and music. Catherine was his freedom, his salvation.

Stopping this line of thought Vincent sank down lower into the water. He let the soothing temperature, the steam take away his pain, his stress and his worry. All he needed to do was relax. At this both the man and the beast relented. He was a being of duality; both man and beast. The human side thought with reason, acted with compassion, but the beast, the lion in him acted with anger and struck out with rage when what he loved was threatened. Letting his mind wander Vincent searched for Catherine, latched onto their bond like it was a life line. He felt her then, felt her distraction and her sense of contentment. That contentment poured out from her and into him relaxing Vincent's mind even further. With the soothing thoughts of Catherine, Vincent closed his mind to everything else around him.

CATHERINE'S APARTMENT:

Catherine opened her door and dropped all of her stuff as she headed straight for the bedroom to change. There was no was that she was going down in the tunnels alone in heels and a suit. Instead Catherine put on jeans, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Grabbing her flashlight she headed back out of her apartment and down to the basement. All the while she pondered what Vincent could be doing. Was he reading? Was he listening to music? Was he teaching the children of their community some great work of literary history? The ride in the elevator was slow. It seemed that on every floor the elevator car had to stop and someone had to get on. Catherine had never felt like she was in such a hurry in her life. Finally the doors opened in the basement level and Catherine all but ran out and down the hall

As she stepped through the hole Catherine breathed a sigh of relief. This was more familiar, more comforting than being at her desk in the DA's office. Catherine loved her job, she loved helping people, but sometimes she needed a breather during the day. Reaching out with her mind, reaching through their bond, Catherine tried to find Vincent. Without the guidance of her mind her feet started to walk, to follow a path to him. The last time she had felt him was when he had been trapped in a cave-in. That day is one she will never forget, because her fear had been nearly choking her. But she had done what she had to just to get him out of there and back in her sight.

She continued to walk, passing chambers, passing tunnels, and she listened to the sound of the people communicating on the pipes. This was the world she had come to love, these were the people who had become her family. How had she survived before without them? Catherine stopped dead in her tracks and looked around. Where was she? How did she get here? And then saw him. Catherine guessed that it had been the steam that made her stop. Or maybe it had been that the bond she shared with Vincent had suddenly ended right there. Being very quiet she looked around at all the different pools and realized that they were hot springs . The world below never ceased to amaze her. And right there in the center was her Vincent. He looked like any man relaxing with his arms stretched out along the ledge and his head reclined back. Vincent looked so peaceful that she wanted to watch him longer. But she knew sooner or later he would sense her.

Vincent knew the moment she had stepped foot in the chamber. He had wanted her to leave, at least long enough so he could get dressed, but to do that now would look as if he were turning her away and that he was ashamed of what he was. Vincent would never turn her away and he wasn't ashamed of who he was. So he was going to let her watch him, not that she could see much past his arms, his broad shoulders, and the back of his head. If Catherine was to accept all of him then she needed to be aware of just much of an animal he was. Vincent was an animal with the mind of a man. "I can feel you watching me."

Catherine shivered when he spoke; his voice echoed around them. "Yes, I was wondering when you would notice." She was lying she knew he noticed the minute she stepped foot in the chamber. It was just how he was. Vincent was always on alert. Catherine moved closer to where he was and sat down on the wet stone. It didn't bother her that her jeans were now wet. Reaching out her hand she ran her fingers very lightly over his hair and felt the coarse lion strands tease her fingertips. This was a side of Vincent she wanted to see and never had the chance. He was relaxed and out of his armor, so to speak. Daring to push her luck further, Catherine let her hand settle on his shoulder. It was there that she felt the fine, soft fur that looked almost like skin. She was about to pull her hand away when his settled over hers. He grasped her fingers and brought her hand down to rest over his heart, a heart that beat faster and faster whenever she was around. Right now she could feel the thundering strength of his heart as it beat steady and strong in his chest. She leaned over him and rested her temple on the top of his head. Catherine was so comfortable around him, so at ease that she worried about nothing. There was no world above her head, there were no problems, and there was nothing more important than being with him and letting her heart swell with love for him. He was all that she cared about in this moment and in every moment after it. The universe had a way of giving you what you needed when you needed it and she guessed that that night in the park she truly needed Vincent to find her and to care for her. Since then she had turned to him for every thing. Vincent had denied her nothing. He told her the truth when she needed to hear it, listened to her when she was troubled and helped her find a solution to keep her life in balance. Vincent was so much apart of her need for balance that if she ever lost him she wouldn't know what to do. There would never be anyone else for her. All other men seemed so simple, so normal compared to him, compared to Vincent and how he made her feel.

Vincent marveled at what he was feeling from her. He felt complete and utter acceptance. She was not repulsed at what she felt and he mentally kicked himself for thinking that she would be. Catherine had seen him when had been at his most violent. She had been the only one unafraid to come near him and through their bond had freed him from the drug that held his rational mind captive. Under his large hand her fingers rubbed over the fine hair of his chest. Oddly enough the gesture was comforting and it brought out the first deep rumbling purr he had ever felt before. For a moment he let the purr continue then he stopped abruptly worried if it bothered Catherine.

Catherine had focused and thought only of Vincent; she was trying to feel what he was feeling the same way he seemed to know what she was feeling and it was working. He was feeling contented, slightly on edge with her so close to him as he was, and she felt his love for her. Then she felt that deep rumbling purr in his chest. It was subtle at first and then it built and built until it was continuous. She had never heard that from him before and she liked it; it was comforting. As suddenly as it started, it stopped and Vincent froze, almost as if he was waiting for her reaction. He was slightly wary of her now, but he made no move to have her slide back away. Leaning head had to the side she whispered, "Don't stop." And she kissed his temple. These were the moments, the stolen moments, that Catherine cherished the most. The low rumbling purr sounded again; instantly she was at ease. As of late Vincent had been more open, allowed her to know more of his other side and she truly appreciated it.

For the whole of his life Vincent had been accepted by those who lived in the tunnels, loved by the children, and loved by his father. But Catherine hadn't known him when he was a child but she loved and accepted him like none of the others in his world had. She had seen him when he had been ruled by the beast he resembled, and she loved the man who took great pains to be. He could feel that acceptance filling her and flowing into him. Vincent leaned his head back and let the light rumbling purr continue.