So, lets pretend Evan didn't die, wasn't snared by Muirfield and he bows out gracefully on behalf of VinCat in season 1. VinCat tries and tries but dies in season 2. Vincent goes off with Tori and Cat is.. I dunno. 4 months pass between VinCat. Evan's been running a successful private practice in the city since season 1.
I don't know where this is going. Just writing because... lol frustration. Review are always welcomed.
One day, at Heather's engagement party at the Loeb Boathouse in Central Park.
Cat walked into Heather's engagement party late and minus one as usual. She saw her sassy little sister and her fiance, Chase, making the rounds, greeting and mingling with friends and family. They were beaming with young love and open possibilities. Cat couldn't help but admire their embrace of love and commitment.
"Catherine, you're late." Thomas lectured. "You look lovely as always." He added and kissed his daughter on the cheek. Brooke followed.
"Thanks, dad. Brooke."
Brooke smiled warmly in agreement with Thomas. "You look beautiful Cat. Emerald green is your color."
"Thank you Brooke. You look lovely too." Cat forced a smile.
"Are we waiting for anyone else? " Thomas inquired with a stern grin.
"Nope. Just me dad.. Still single. I drove here alone and the sky didn't fall, gasp." She joked in spite.
"That job of yours is not doing you any favors. There's more to life than just work, Cat. In a blink of an eye, Catherine. You hear me?" Thomas tried get his daughter to understand that life was short and love should be experienced.
"I know. I know, dad. It's just that, I haven't been lucky in that department. Besides, this... "
"Luck? Oh honey, luck has nothing to do with love. You have to go out and find it. Search for it. It's not going to just fall on your lap and it's definitely not in that precinct of yours." He looked at Brooke and smiled proudly.
Cat rolled her eyes.
"Between you and Heather, Brooke and I are expecting at least 6 grandchildren." Thomas grinned but Brooke's eyes bulged out in comical fear.
Here we go again, she thought. Her dad bluntly speaking his mind, just like Heather. If he only knew half the hell she's been through.
"Honey, can you get us a drink." Brooke interrupted.
"Sure darling, what will you have, Catherine?"
"Vodka for me and my 3 unborn babies?" She joked.
"Martini it is, then." Thomas smiled and walked over to the bar.
"Thanks Brooke." Cat smiled with relief.
"Your dad has no clue how hard it is out there." She linked arms with Cat. "The flakiness of men and women of our generation, the endless options on Tinder! Thank god I found the right one.. " she murmured. "Come on, I'll take you to your seat. Yep, Heather seated you at the singles table. It's only for few hours. You can do this." Brooke smiled in solidarity. "Now, let me find Thomas before he finds you for round two."
"Thanks, Brooke… errr...soon to be grandmom?" She cracked a joke.
Brooke gave her a cringy 'god no' smile.
"Cat!" Heather found her sister sitting alone at the table while everyone else was dancing. She gave her a warm hug and sat next to her. "Ahhh, can you believe it? I'm engaged! Ahhhh" She couldn't contain her happiness.
"I'm so happy for you Heather. Chase seems like such a good guy. My god, the way dad gushes about him whenever he talks about you two. It's like he found his long lost son." She smiled.
"Yeah well, they got that lawyer camaraderie thing going on." Heather smiled innocently. "He's so wonderful Cat… and hot, did I mention hot?" Heather giggled, as did Cat. "He's so good in bed. Generous, Cat! So generous… shhhh! Don't tell anyone. haha." She continued, laughing at herself. "Like who are you going to tell, it's me with the big mouth, sis. Haha.." They giggled like they were in high school.
I wish mom was here to celebrate with us, Heather." Cat reminisced.
"She would have been so proud of you... us."
"I know." Ever the optimist, Heather cheered on her sister. "She is here with us, Cat. Her spirit is right here." She held her fists together on top of her heart.
Cat teared up a bit. She tried to smile the tears away but Heather pulled her in and gave her a big hug. "I know you miss her. We all do."
"Hey lovelies..." Chase called on Heather.
"Chase-y.. " Heather responded playfully.
"Hey there soon to be big sis." He sent out a friendly wink.
"Hey there soon to be little brother." Catherine replied with a warm smile.
Chase smiled and asked Heather for another dance. "May I?"
"Of course" Heather extended her hand, grinned ear to ear and let out a super geeky laugh.
Cat admired at them, dancing arm in arm and very much in love. She felt content for a moment.
Suddenly something triggered memories of Vincent and a rush of emotions flooded over her. These emotions cut so deep that it stopped her dead in her tracks. She froze as she began to replay the crucial moments of their volatile relationship. The dance at her dad's engagement party, their fights, the shootings.
Did he truly love her? Did she? She questioned herself. Was he a project that needed fixing? Was she his only real option? Of course not, she thought. But their lies and deception made her second guess everything that transpired between them. She wondered where it went all wrong. She searched for the justification of the pain she caused and felt.
A woman seated next to her on the singles table tapped on her shoulder and said something.
"I'm sorry, what?" Cat replied.
"Are you feeling alright, Cat? You're staring at your wine glass like you've seen a ghost."
"Oh, I'm fine, thank you. I've just got massive headache, that's all. I just need some fresh air." She got up and walked out onto the large patio facing the lake. The cool spring air felt so good on her skin. She looked out onto the tranquil lakeside.
"Fancy seeing you here."
She knew that voice by heart. "Evan.." she turned to find Evan standing by the french patio doors.
"Well, it's my sister's party after all, you know?" Her eyes twinkled as she smiled in joy of seeing an old friend.
"Is that right?" He paused to take in her beauty. "Judging by that smile, I gather you're happy to see me." He grinned back. "By the way, you owe me a dance."
"Do I?"
"And I'm not leaving until I collect, sweetheart."
He stood there, half smiling, in his impeccable suit, hands in his pocket, looking very sure of himself.
"We're still very confident, I see." She joked.
Evan walked over to Cat and took her hand. A haunting song by Lori Carson called 'Fall in the Light' spilled out on to the patio. He pulled her close and they began to dance. His eyes engaged hers and she took refuge in them, in him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
~It's in this moment, hold on, when everything has come apart.
~It's in this moment, right now, when it can come together
~Raise your sights, what's there to lose?
~Fall in the light, fall in the light, fall in the light.
~In all this trouble, hold on, to the innocence with which you were born.
~There's so much struggle, be strong, find the faith you need to carry on.
~It's a long night, you're not alone.
~Fall in the light, fall in the light.
~Sweet how it falls into place. Sun through the haze.
~Doesn't it feel a little like grace.
~It's in this moment, Hold on, when everything has come apart.
~It's in this moment, right now, when everything – come together
~Raise your soul. What's there to lose?
~Fall in the light, fall in the light, fall in the light.
~Hold on... I know you'll catch me.
"Come on, let's go for a walk."
Cat hesitated.
"Just around the lake, Cat. Heather's fine. She's a princess at her own ball." He reassured her.
Evan offered his arm and she took it. He gave her a friendly wink and she chuckled.
"So, a little birdy tells me you've been burying yourself at work?"
"Oh, does this little birdy's name happen to begin with HEATHER?'
"I plead the fifth." He contained his smile.
"How are you even here, Evan? You know Heather used to have a huge crush you?"
"Just like her sister, I see." Evan smirked. "Ahh, well, I told her I was a scoundrel and my heart was taken and stomped on by a certain detective. I think she caught on."
"All this time you've been friends with my sister and she didn't say a word to me?"
"It's not like you had time for her, or anyone else for that matter, Cat."
"Ouch! Was I that terrible?" She paused for a second. "I supposed I haven't been the best sister of late, or daughter for that matter."
"After you got shot, she wouldn't stop calling. She was worried for you Cat. She wanted to make sure you were going to okay, medically and otherwise. I was upholding my duty as a doctor, reassuring her."
"Duty, right..." Cat repeated sarcastically.
"Honestly, she is like a flea that you miss once it stops biting. Bright girl. Very American." He grinned.
"It runs in the family." Cat smiled.
"So…? how are you?"
"Besides an ex-boyfriend running off with some barely legal bimbo heiress and parading around on tabloid tv?" She turned to him with the most serene, I don't care, I'm so over it smile. "Never better."
"Ahh.. the heiress. Isn't that like the American version British Royalty? Rich, spoiled and inbred?" He joked and she laughed.
She turned the tables. "What about you, Evan? Are we still seeing Ms. Sinclair?"
"We remember her name?" He looked at her gleefully.
"How can I forget? She's a doctor, globetrotter and intellectual rolled into a supermodel's body."
They both chuckled.
"Well, I started private practice and we've decided to go our separate ways. Besides, I wasn't too keen on climbing Everest. I guess I'm a concrete jungle kind of guy." Evan paused. "Come and have a drink at my place, Cat. I promise I won't bite." Playfully, he coaxed her.
Cat was hesitant. Part of her wanted to go but the other half thought it was a bad idea.
"Afraid you can't keep your hands off me?" Evan joked.
"In all honesty, I don't know if I'm there yet. I want to be fair to you, Evan. I can't promise anything."
"You know you can lean on me, anytime, for whatever reason."
He smiled and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Come on, let's get you back to the party."