Vincent's pov

I just wish she'd never had to go through something like that. And the idea that I am the one responsible just about drives me to the edge of madness. Beast not included.

As I watch her as strands of her hair dance around her face, it dawns on me. That feeling I get whenever I don't know if she's safe or not, my stomach clenching every time she says my name, the way I'm powerless to her every demand, that hopelessness and vulnerability I feel whenever she would look into my eyes. Maybe, just maybe I can give it a name...

But am I even capable of something like that anymore?

I file that question away for future obsessing and focus on the evidently sad girl sitting in front of me. She just said she also wishes it didn't have to be this hard, did she mean it the way I did? Can she really care about me despite what they showed her? She knows now what I'm capable of, and despite the initial understandable fear, she now says she trusts me. Can I trust myself with her trust?

My mind goes blank when I feel her touch on my clenched fists. I look up at her and I meet her sweet smile.

- stop obsessing, I can handle this - she whispers.

How can she read me like an open book? Maybe it's because she's a detective. She's used to reading people. But the way her eyes seem to cut right through all the walls I put up and just get to me. I don't even want to think about it, I'm afraid I'm beginning to understand what's going on with me. And that scares the hell out of me.

I take her small hands into mine and look her straight in the eyes, trying to convey in one look all the messy feelings I have.

-I'm so sorry you have to go through this - I try not to read too much into how her heartbeat spikes when I touch her, or how her breathing accelerates the longer I keep my eyes locked on hers.

Or could it be fear? She didn't flinch when I touched her, I dare to hope she's not completely repulsed by my touch.

Then she shivers, hard. It must be fear, that's it. I scare her.

Or maybe she's just cold. Is it that cold out here? I didn't notice. But again I'm not exactly normal. Again I'm daring to hope.

-you're getting cold. You should get inside, and I should be going- I say standing. When my hands leave hers they suddenly feel tingly, they felt so right holding hers.

Then my eyes fall on her lips, they look so pink and soft... All my body is tingling now, I ache to touch her and worst of all I ache to kiss her. To feel her lips on mine, her body close to mine.

I never fully realized how much I missed human contact. Until Catherine came back into my life. Maybe that's what keeps me sane, maybe that's why I manage to control myself around her. She keeps alive what little humanity I have left.

Bad, this is just bad.

Before I do something she probably doesn't want I turn away and prepare myself to jump out when two cold hands catch one of mine. I immediately stop and I turn to face her. Her eyes are full of doubt.

-I want to ask you something but I don't know how you'll take it – her voice would be inaudible to human ears. I barely hear her through her heartbeat.

Unable to help myself I squeeze her hands. Then I lift her chin with one finger, now it's her turn to look vulnerable.

-it's okay, whatever it is. Ask me anything- and it's so true it makes me sad. I'd do anything she asked me to, probably even stay away for good.

My chest constricts at the thought. Is she going to ask me to stay away? Jeez, I'm getting paranoid.

-will you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone-

And right there, in that moment, standing in the fire escape of her apartment, my chest implodes with this wonderful feeling. I don't make the smallest attempt to stop it, I let it grow a life of its own and it swells in my body from head to toes. I feel it everywhere, my stomach, my arms, my legs. It threatens to swallow me but I welcome it because after what it feels like a lifetime, I feel completely human.

I'm in love.

I can't believe she'd ask me that, I'm completely disarmed at her honesty. All I can do smile and nod while my arms take a life of their own and encircle her. She fits perfectly into my arms, her head fits like a puzzle piece under my chin leaning on my chest. I feel rather than hear her heartbeat slow back to normal, her breathing too is calming down. Was she too feeling that unbearable ache to be close?

I feel her hands on my chest and it's the most amazing feeling in the world, she feels so real in my arms. I feel her quiet sobs and I hug her tighter to me. Her arms snake around my neck as she draws me closer to her, I feel her breath on my neck and it's my turn to shiver. I bury my face in her hair and take deep breaths of her scent. I never felt calmer in my life, right now I feel like I'll never lose it again. I feel normal. A normal guy hugging a sad girl.

A sob escapes her chest, there it is. All the build-up tension is crashing down on her. My hands run slowly up and down her back trying to soothe her, she was scared. She had been scared all day. She may be a bad-ass detective but you don't get kidnapped like that without experiencing a little after shock. Thank god she asked me to stay, I never would have wanted to break down like this and being alone.

-I'm... so... sorry- she says through the sobs.

I shush her and caress her hair. Something I wanted to do for a while now. She shivers again, this time I'm sure she's not cold. Am I making her shiver? That would be good.

-I was so scared... they were gonna take you away... and it would've been all my fault...- She manages to say through the tears.

Is that what she was afraid of? Muirfield taking me away? I'm speechless. She really does care about me. If she feels even an inkling of what I'm feeling right now...

-it's okay Cat. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere- it's all I manage to say, and it's also the absolute truth. Nothing will take my away from her, not in a million years.

But I don't trust myself saying anything else, it just may scare her away. I'm beyond happy that she wants me here as much as I want to be here, I do not dare ruin the moment.

Only when she's calmed down I dare loosen our embrace but I do not let go of her hands.

-better?- I whisper to her. She smiles up at me.

-very- her wit is back, I can't help but smile too.

-but I still want you to stay with me tonight, I'd feel safer. Is that okay?-

Is she really asking me that?

-sure, whatever makes you feel better- I squeeze her hands. She blushes. And I'm lost again.

I thank whatever God is out there that she can't hear my heartbeat because it's going on a roller coaster ever since she asked me to stay. Good thing my heart's stronger than the average, otherwise I just may have had an heart attack tonight.

She leads me into her room, our hands never breaking contact. I thought it's be somehow awkward but it's not. It feels so natural as I lay down on her bed and she nestles herself on my side. My arm naturally comes to rest on her waist and my other hand intertwines with hers on my stomach. She uses my chest as a pillow as she hugs me closer.

-your heart's beating fast- she murmurs. Crap, she can hear my heartbeat now too.

-yours too- I tease.

-must be all the action from today...- she murmurs as an excuse but I feel her face warm up, she's blushing. I smile at myself.

-must be.- I whisper.

I listen to her heartbeat as she's undoubtedly listening to mine. I never had someone so close as to be able to hear my heart. It feels intimate and I feel unexpectedly exposed, she can tell I'm excited to be near her. And I wonder if she feels like that all the time since I can hear hers all the time.

I erase all the questions and doubts from my head and try to enjoy the feeling of having her so close to me. I'm in her bed holding her, she's not terrified nor repulsed by me and moreover she wants me here.

For the first time in 10 years I fall asleep feeling human. And serene.

Hi everyone, thanks for the reviews on "Daydreaming"! I love reading them, so keep em coming! I'm a newbie writer and English is not my mother-tongue so hearing that you like what I write and how I write it is wonderful to me.

So, this is how I wanted 1x04 to end. The ending felt a little up in the air to me, like it was missing something, so I wrote my version of what happened. I didn't make them kiss because I feel we're not quite there yet. I mean the sexual tension is obviously there and it's strong but I feel it'd be untrue to the characters. They have built walls upon walls around themselves and it will take time to break them all down.

I'm sorry if Vincent feels a little whiny but I picture him like this, full of doubts and insecurities about whether Cat is repulsed or scared of him.

Let me know what you think, I love writing about these two, there's so much potential! I'll maybe write something else after the next episodes, I need to watch them to be inspired! And the next one looks really promising! Can't wait.