Timeline: Post 2x07 Guess who's coming to dinner and AU after that. Basically the infamous kiss happens. Catherine breaks up with Vincent and after a while he decides to leave NY for Catherine's sake.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters
A/N It was not my intention to start a fanfic but I just needed to get this story out of my system! First of all this IS 100% a VINCAT story. Tori will be addressed, but she won't be a part of the story; I just wanted to resolve her character (and her relationship with Vincent) in a more satisfying way than they did on the show, but she WON'T get in the way, I promise!
Chapter 1: Welcome to Liberty Village
"I just want what is best for you" He said full of sincerity.
"Best for me or best for you?" She coldly replied.
Catherine replayed that conversation for the 100th time in her head. She dreamed about that day the night before… a nightmare really. A recurring one.
She didn't fight...
"Catherine" her friend Michelle snapped her out of her reverie.
"Where were you? You looked like you were a million miles away".
Catherine looked around the book-shop café she co-owned with Michelle. It was full of customers, but she didn't even notice anyone coming in. She was having a hard time focusing for the last few days. Something wasn't right.
"Sorry, I haven't been getting much sleep lately" That much was true. "This is going to sound silly, but I've been getting this constant feeling… like someone is watching me… It's a little unnerving"
Michelle looked at her worried, but decided to let it go. "I am sure it will go away… Anyway, Mr. Perfect is here. I thought you may want to go have breakfast with him. I can take over here"
Catherine slipped out her apron as Michelle took her place behind the counter. She walked to a corner of the café where she knew she would find her boyfriend. "Mr. Perfect" as Michelle jokingly liked to call him.
He looked up smiling brightly and gave her a kiss as soon as she reached the table. He was always so pleased to see her.
Jason was a great guy. She had no doubts about it. He was smart, cultured without being pretentious, sweet yet strong and he was very successful. He had a construction company and basically built the entire town. Everyone in the community adored him. But he is not perfect… he isn't him.
"I wasn't expecting you till later" Cat told Jason as she sat down.
"I won't be able to make lunch, I am sorry"
"The school job is still giving you a headache?"
"Yes, I am still a couple of men short. But I am meeting a guy later, from out of town… So hopefully that will work out"
Jason was building a theatre space for the local high school and they needed to get it done by the end of the term so the kids could have their recital. Normally it wouldn't be an issue, but all the workers were occupied with a road construction job and Jason was struggling.
"How about you? Everything OK?" He asked.
Definitely not OK. Catherine thought, however she didn't feel like sharing her existential crisis with him. Where would she even begin? As far as Jason knew she was a former lawyer who got tired of city sharks and decided to move to small town and become a small business owner to improve her quality of life… In his eyes, she was untainted. She decided to stick to an everyday topic.
"Our Cappuccino machine is broken so I was going to get a replacement thermostat"
"I can do that for you. You won't know which one to get"
"I think I can figure it out" she replied a little annoyed by the suggestion that she wasn't capable.
"I am sure, but you don't have to… that's why you have a boyfriend"
He is just being nice. She thought… and trying to help. Then why did it bother her so much? Jason was very old-fashioned and attentive, but sometimes he seemed to think of Catherine as an ethereal being made of glass. He had no idea of what she was capable of.
"You don't have time for it. I'll manage" she put her hand on top of his to make her point "Really"
"Fine, but when you go to the store stick to the main road OK? We've been hearing a lot about some weird animal attacks in the woods"
He kissed her and left for work.
Cat stayed at the table finishing her breakfast and took a minute to contemplate the current state of her life. She really meant to become a lawyer at one point in her life, but then her mother died and she was saved by a beast… Her life could never be the same. That was a simplified way to look at it, but it was pretty much how it began.
Now she realized that her life stopped the night her mother died, not just because of the tragedy, but because of him. In a way, she spent the next nine years sleep walking, just waiting… waiting for him to come to her, because something inside her knew instinctively that she was meant for him… that they were meant for each other. And when it happened… it was like she could breathe for the first time. She knew that he would never hurt her… and he wouldn't… but they took him away and although he returned, he was no longer him. He wasn't hers. Her world was shattered once again.
He hurt her and it was a pain like no other. He left New York and her behind. He said he was leaving for her… to give her a chance at a life… because he couldn't be the man she once knew. She didn't see it that way. He chose her. She told herself, but deep down, she never believed it.
She let him go, she didn't fight.
But once he was gone, the memory of his betrayal faded away and all she could remember was the man she loved more than life itself. Everything reminded her of him. Fire escapes, rooftops, the park. Her job didn't help either, it just reminded her of the times they solved cases together and the temptation to look for clues of his whereabouts was too big.
So she did something about it and she left everything she knew behind. It was an impulsive decision. She didn't plan it. She woke up one day and decided she couldn't live like that anymore. In order to survive, she needed to move on and she couldn't move on in New York. She needed a fresh start.
She got in her car with a couple of bags full of her clothes and drove away. Her first stop was an old informant of hers. A guy that could get her fake IDs. She wasn't running away, she wasn't hiding, but she wanted … she needed to stop being Catherine Chandler: the woman who was 'saved by a beast'. So she became Catherine Thorne… The last name seemed fitting somehow.
She continued driving for almost a month. She developed a routine. She would drive for a few days, find a small town. She would find a small inn and make up a story of why she was on the road. She was a post-grad student, a photographer, a writer. She would stay in the motel reading a book until the pain would return and she felt the need to leave again.
She didn't want Heather or anyone else that cared about her to suffer. After she was far away enough from New York, she called Tess and explained what she was doing. Tess didn't get it at first, she wanted to come and get her, but deep down… she knew. Catherine would never be able to let Vincent go if she stayed… and that would eventually kill her. So Tess let her go, with the promise that she would call her as soon as she settled. Cat knew Tess could have found her if she had really tried but she didn't, and for that, she was grateful.
After a few weeks on the road, Catherine started craving having a home, a place of her own. She couldn't go on as a nomad forever. And that's when she arrived to "Liberty Village" Population 40,000. Catherine drove by the town sign shocked to discover places like this actually existed. It looked so idyllic and far removed. Quaint little shops, perfect little houses, awnings, kids riding bikes. It was like a Rockwell painting!
She spotted an old fashioned diner and decided to stop. I bet they have pie. She thought.
As soon as she walked in, a friendly looking waitress around her age approached her with a warm smile.
"Welcome to Liberty Village. Fancy a piece of our famous rhubarb pie?" She asked.
Catherine chuckled to herself. "Just some coffee… black, and a grilled cheese sandwich"
Cat sat down in a booth and quickly finished her food. She stayed for a few refills of coffee. Lost in thought. Suddenly she realized hours had passed. It was late and all the customers were gone except for her. She looked up to find the waitress holding two pieces of pie.
"Are you OK?" the waitress asked.
"No… not really" Catherine replied with unexpected sincerity "I am sorry, you must be waiting for me to leave..."
"Actually" the waitress said "I was just going to enjoy a piece of pie myself. Care to join me? It's on the house" Catherine nodded and the waitress sat in front of her handing her one of the pies.
"I am Michelle" she introduced herself.
Catherine didn't know what it was, but this woman made her feel at ease. Like she had known her her entire life. She asked again if she was OK. Perhaps it was the toll of being on the road, perhaps it was Cat's need to just be honest for once, but she decided to tell Michelle the truth.
She was not OK. She had had her heart broken. The man she loved left… with someone else. And even worse… she wasn't sure letting him go was the right thing to do. She didn't fight.
It was the first time she said it out loud. By telling her story to Michelle, she realized the secrets, murders and government conspiracies didn't really matter. Her story was a simple one: She loved a man… and now he was gone. The rest were just details.
Michelle listened to her silently and comforted her when she shed some tears. She didn't give her any advice because "Nothing anyone tells you will ever erase the pain. You just learn to live with it until eventually; your life is so full of other emotions the pain just fades into the background".
That was exactly what Catherine needed to hear. After she composed herself, it was Michelle's turn to speak. Catherine learned that she was a native of Liberty Village, but she left when she graduated high school. She was the typical small-town girl with big city dreams. Unfortunately, she was so desperate to leave home she got married too young. Her marriage turned out to be a disaster. It took her a while, but she finally got out of her abusive relationship. By the time she did that, she was in her late 20s without a job and without a college degree. After struggling for a while to survive in the city, she decided to come back.
"Better the evil you know…" she said, with a hint of bitterness.
Michelle decided to get a business degree at the local community college and work as a waitress while she completed her studies. She was determined to improve her life as much as she could.
Catherine never told Michelle, but she was the reason she decided to stay in Liberty Village. Seeing a woman who had been through hell and returned there to be "reborn" felt like a sign. Destiny, even.
While Catherine was on the road, she made arrangements to move some money around. She never had a lavish lifestyle and, even though she had a low salary, she had decent savings. Plus there was the inheritance from Mr Chandler. She had more than enough to start over.
Catherine grew fond of the picturesque town, but she had yet to figure out what she was going to do with her life. What is a retired cop to do in a town where crime is non-existent? She flirted with the idea of becoming a private investigator, but it just seemed ridiculous.
As she was getting restless, it was Michelle again who came to the rescue, without even knowing it. Michelle and Catherine became close after she moved to town. Catherine went to the diner every day and they chatted when business was slow. One day, she found Michelle buried in paperwork.
The coffee shop in Main Street was on sale and final offers were due that week. It was Michelle's dream to own a café. And she was perfect for it. She was smart, hard-working and she knew how the business worked. Only problem was, she didn't have enough money for the down payment.
Catherine didn't think it twice. She volunteered to be an investor, they could co-own the place. It was crazy. She got into business with a woman she barely knew, and she never regretted one bit. And that's how "Catherine Thorne" became the proud half-owner of a quaint bookshop café.
Getting a business off the ground and then maintaining it afloat was no easy task. Soon Catherine's depression was replaced by everyday problems and worries. She had finally moved on. She had made a life for herself. It was nothing like she envisioned, but it was a life. Far away from the craziness of her previous life.
She became well known around the small community. It was only a matter of time until an eligible bachelor took notice of her. In fact, many did. She rejected everyone's advances for obvious reasons. And then came Jason. And he was… as Michelle said "perfect". He asked her out many times. She said "no" every time. One day, she decided to say yes. The date was lovely and Catherine agreed to a second date, then a third, a fourth and soon they were a couple. It wasn't "love", she knew it. But it was as close as she would ever get…
Catherine came back to reality and looked around the café again. There she was… a woman with great friendships, a loving boyfriend and a successful business that made her proud. And what was she doing? She was thinking of him.
She didn't know why, she just knew she couldn't stop. She would be lying if she said she never thought of him. She did, but the last few weeks it had been more often than before. She couldn't shake the memories of him. It was almost as if she could feel his presence around her and it was driving her insane.
Deep down, she knew the reason. It had always been the reason…
She let him go. She didn't fight. And maybe she should have…
After closing the cafe, Michelle decided to go to the local bar for a drink. It was the kind of place where you can just walk in and run into someone you know. Sure enough, as soon as entered, she spotted Jason sitting at the bar.
Michelle knew Jason since they were three. They went to pre-school together, then primary school and then high school. They had always been friends. She thought of him almost as a brother. When Catherine finally agreed to go out with him, Michelle was over the moon. She knew that Jason was the greatest guy and if anyone deserved him, it was Catherine.
"What are you doing here instead of home with your beautiful girlfriend?" she said as she sat down next to him.
"We don't live together yet, as you know well…"
"You spend most nights at her place anyway, don't you?"
"Yeah… I do. I have to meet my new potential employee. For the school theatre" Jason explained.
"Oh"
"Want to help me vet him?" Jason jokingly asked.
"Sure, I am an excellent judge of character" Michelle replied only half joking. She was indeed an excellent judge of character.
The bartender put a beer in front of Michelle and she took a big gulp, spilling some of it on her shirt. As she was busy trying to swallow and repair the damage she saw Jason standing up to greet someone.
"You must be Ryan" Jason said. "Thank you for meeting me here, I am Jason. I am the project manager. This is my friend Michelle"
Michelle turned around to look at Jason's potential worker. She wasn't sure of what she was expecting, but it was definitely not a guy like him. He was very tall, in excellent shape and looked like he could handle himself in a fight. He probably had his share of fights in the past, as evident for the pronounced scar on his right cheek.
He extended his hand to greet her and spoke with a deep reverberating voice. "Nice meeting you, Michelle"
Michelle couldn't quite explain it, but the second she met Ryan, she knew something was "off", for lack of a better word. She felt him being there was the beginning of something major to come.
"Welcome to Liberty Village, Ryan" She simply said as she shook his hand.
A/N I haven't written fanfiction for over a decade now. I have been a fan of the show since the start and even though S2 had its ups and downs, I still love the show. I just love "What if" scenarios and this is one of those.
By now I am sure you have all figured out the identity of the mysterious tall dark and handsome stranger. In case you were wondering the return of the scar is no accident. It will all be explained. I really hope you enjoy this because I am excited to keep writing. Leave some feedback if you can!
