Epilogue

Getting out of the hospital the next morning was easier than Cat expected, they needed the bed, she's been supervised for long enough and she promised to check in with her doctor. It helped that she pointed out she worked with a full qualified doctor, even if he did mostly stick to working with the dead these days. She may have exaggerated her friendship with Evan just a little seeing as he hadn't even come to visit but she figured she could still count on him to drop by the apartment if it was a real emergency, and secretly she knew there was another doctor who would most certainly come running if she called. The more her memory came back the more confident Cat grew in her feelings for Vincent. The truth was not as frightening as it had seemed at first and she felt oddly vindicated that their relationship had survived the not so small roadblock of a little memory loss. The past three days felt like weeks and it seemed like they'd had a chance to fall in love all over again, this time without Alex intervening. The way he'd held her hand at the hospital, the way he'd opened up to her and trusted her and put her needs ahead of his all solidified her faith in their connection.

Slipping away from Heather and the apartment was harder but Heather had just started a new job so it was easier to get away. Thankfully neither her Dad nor Brooke had felt the need to hang around. They were closer than they had been before the wedding but they were all used to leading their own lives.

Cat wasn't really meant to be driving yet but she could hardly get a taxi. She parked a few blocks away and walked the final half a km to the loft, feeling stronger know she was up and about. The head injury had been serious but beyond that she wasn't really badly injured – there were no broken bones, just a few bruises. She'd be back at work in less than a week once they cleared her head injury, it helped that she'd lied a little about her memory lost and convinced them that it had mostly just been a concussion. She knew she shouldn't lie to her doctors but she hated being forced off work and treated like an invalid. Most of her memories were back and the x-rays didn't show any more swelling so no harm no foul.

"It's me Catherine," she told the intercom when JT's startled voice answered her buzz. She heard him complaining as he buzzed her in.

"You're not supposed to do that! Did you forget that? Because you seem to remember where we live," he grumbled.

"He's just cranky because you forgot him," Vince teased.

"Coming here is supposed to be as last resort."

"I know, but I wasn't followed, I took my time. I just needed to see you, both of you."

"So you're okay?" JT asked, finally looking more like a concerned friend and less like a haggard school mistress. "You remember everything?"

"Pretty much," Cat smiled. "Sorry I gave you all a scare. Promise I'll buy you some more Tums?" she gave him a sheepish look and JT smiled despite himself.

"I'm glad you're okay. You had us worried there. Guess I'm getting used to having you around," he admitted reluctantly.

"Well I'm not going anywhere fast."

"I told you JT she was amazing, even when she wasn't sure about everything she was incredible," Vincent grinned as he shyly approached her and took her hands. "So you remember it all now? Everything?"

"Everything about you. And I meant what I said before, I accept you, all of you."

"Because you did look kind of worried at the hospital," Vincent admitted.

"Worried? That's the understatement of the year."

"How'd it go with Tess and Heather?"

"You mean did I give you away?"

"I hate to ask, but I need to know. Do I need to start packing my bags?"

"I think you're okay. Heather remembers the other night."

"What happened the other night?" JT butted in, immediately suspicious.

"She walked in on us," Vincent explained absently, his eyes still on Catherine. "Not like that," he added when he sensed JT was about to have a heart attack or start whooping like a football fan, he wasn't sure which. "Then how?"

"We were about to kiss," Vincent explained.

"Were we? I think you should remind me," Catherine teased.

"Well it was like this," Vincent explained, and he moved towards her. "See you were standing like this, and I was like this…" he whispered.

JT coughed his throat and tried to look busy. "When you two are done making out could you let me know if we need to flee the country? Because that would be something I need to know."

"Its fine JT," Cat laughed. "Heather just thinks he's a regular guy I'll just tell her it's over it'll be fine. I told Tess you're in witness protection and she can't tell anyone about you."

"Tess knows about me?"

"Sort of, she pieced a few things together."

"How much?" JT interrupted.

Frustrated Cat and Vincent stepped away from each other. "She knows he's a witness in my Mom's case but not about Muirfield or the experiment. It's a good thing JT, she's a cop, she would never jeopardise a case. This will work in our favour."

"Sure as long as she never gets drunk and blabs, because cops never drink."

"You can trust Tess."

"JT man you've got to quit worrying. Cat said she sorted it out. It'll be fine. We'll keep an eye on her, what else can we do?" he turned back to Cat. "I'm just glad you're okay." JT groaned with frustration and announced he was going out. Vincent and Cat waved him off but ignored his warnings of gloom and doom and imminent death.

"So we're alone," Cat remarked. "At last."

She smiled. He smiled down at her. They were standing so close together their feet were almost touching. He wanted to say something romantic or eloquent but all he managed as, "Yeah," and then everything was focused on cupping her face and kissing her lips and the touch of her hands on his back. He was lost in her and surrounded by her and floating away. Catherine felt the same way. It was their time at last. They had finally found their moment. There would be time later to worry about the thickening web of lies surrounding their lives together, in that moment all that mattered was that they were together.

FINISH