AN: Welp! I'm a big ol' liar. I said this was gonna be the last and it's not. I just could not keep this a minimal discussion. I know a lot of you wanted Catherine's friends to to meet Vincent, unfortunately, that will happen in the next chapter. I'm gonna try to make sure it's the last, but at this point, no guarantees until I start writing it.
Until then, I hope you all enjoy this long chapter.
Chapter 7: The Truth Revealed
It was very late in the evening when the cab pulled up to the brownstone. The front passenger door opened and Joe got out to open the door for the two ladies in back. They waited on the curb while Joe paid the cabby. He then joined his companions as they made their way up to the house. They were all very quiet as they thought of what to expect.
"Do you think we'll finally get our answers?" Nancy finally asked.
"I'm not sure," Joe replied, "but I'll be damned if I leave without any at all."
It had been almost two weeks since the incident at the café. Joe had not stopped worrying about Catherine since she disappeared. He had been surprised when during his search, he encountered Peter Alcott. He remembered the man being a close family friend of Catherine's. He smiled at the memory of how the doctor's story of first meeting Catherine involved her being naked and screaming.
However, he was not expecting Dr. Alcott to be the physician attending Catherine now. Now he was worried about Catherine being discovered, even though Dr. Alcott had used her alias name. That had been why he was determined to get information on Catherine and the baby before her true identity was revealed. It was the most important rule of the Witness Protection Program that the witnesses must not contact former associates or unprotected family members. They also must not return to the town from which they were relocated. If Catherine was discovered, she'd have to be relocated again.
Things only got worse when Jenny began snooping around. He had thought she would've let the matter aside but he was wrong. She had been just as determined as him to find out answers.
So, when Dr. Alcott called and asked that they arrange a meeting at his house with the promise to answer all questions, Joe immediately contacted Jenny and relayed the information. Jenny in turn contacted Nancy, who made arrangements for her husband to stay with the children while she went into the city.
"I wonder why he asked us to meet so late?" Nancy wondered aloud. "And why all the secrecy? It seems like he could have just told us everything over the phone.
"Peter said we couldn't talk about it over the phone. It had to be in person," Jenny said.
"Yes but, why get you and I involved? We barely know this woman."
"Probably just to take a statement, which is likely for my benefit," Joe lied. He hated that Jenny and Nancy had been involved in the first place, but there'd been no talking the doctor out of it. So, he had to prepare some excuse on his own. "Margaret Wells is involved with a particular, and rather complicated investigation."
"Right, you mentioned she's involved in a case that you're working on."
"Still, Dr. Alcott has never been secretive as long as I've known him," Jenny added, tightening her scarf against a small wind. "This is the first time he's ever held something back."
"Well, looks like will have our answer soon."
They reached the door and Joe rang the bell. It wasn't long before Peter answered. "Mr. Maxwell, Ms. Aronson, and Mrs. Tucker. Good to all of you. Please, come in." They were ushered inside and lead into the living room. The ladies sat on the couch while Peter offered Joe the lounge chair. When all was quiet, Peter gave them all his full attention.
"Now, I'm sure you all have questions…"
"You better believe we do!" Jenny interrupted. "For starters, why have you been dodging us?"
"Jenny!"
"Sorry Nance, but I've had it with all this crap," she said, looking pointedly at Peter. "I get you have that whole doctor-patient confidentiality, but something's been off about this whole thing. And forgive me, Doc, but I can't help getting a weird feeling about your involvement or what I felt from that woman. I'm sorry but I just have to know."
"I completely understand, Ms. Anderson…"
"Jenny, please," she corrected.
"Jenny. Believe me, the circumstances are rather extraordinary, and that's why I asked all of you to come here tonight," he explained. "First, I want to ensure all of you that the young women in question is doing just fine. While you are correct in that, as her physician, I normally cannot give out her information, and given the circumstances, I would not be allowed to share anything at all. However, I have been given permission to do so."
Nancy was a little startled. "I'm surprised she trusts us like that," she said. "We only just met her. We're complete strangers."
Not as strange as you think, Peter thought. "Second," he continued, "she has been in the best of care and has made a full recovery."
"Well, that's good to hear," Joe said, although he was still anxious. "What about the baby?"
Peter smiled. "A healthy young boy," he reported. "He was premature, mind you, but he's gotten much stronger and has been cleared to be with his family."
Joe finally breathed a sigh of relief. He remembered that Cathy had told him she was not too far along in the pregnancy. He feared the child might have health problems or she might've even lost the baby. There were also many complications that could've occurred during the delivery. He was just relieved to know his friend had gotten to a hospital and was receiving the best medical care. Still, he was concerned about whether Dr. Alcott knew Cathy's real identity. Even if he did, then why hadn't he been allowed to see her? And why hadn't Cathy contacted him once she'd given birth?
"So, if that's the case, why couldn't you just tell us before?" Jenny asked, drawing Joe from his thoughts.
"Well, that's where this begins to get difficult given the delicacy of the case," Peter tried to explain. "Perhaps you would care to explain this, Mr. Maxwell?"
Joe felt he was on the spot. Both Jenny and Nancy turned to him with incredulous looks, as if he had been the one keeping secrets. Well, they weren't completely wrong, but he couldn't tell them the truth. Not only would it be breaching security measures, but he had also made a promise to Cathy to keep her whereabouts hidden.
"Dr. Alcott, I'm not sure that's the best–"
"Mr. Maxwell, I understand it is your job to ensure that those under Witness Protection remain unidentifiable, but I assure you that now is the time for such secrecy to end."
"I'm sorry but did you just say Witness Protection?"
Joe felt like losing it. Okay, so the doctor knew Catherine was in the program, that he could be fine with. It still didn't let on if he knew her real identity. What angered him now was telling two civilians—who just happened to be personal friends of the witness no less—what was happening. The doctor was a professional. He should know that was confidential information you don't just toss out there. However, something reminded Joe that the elderly man wouldn't be doing this unless he had reason, and more importantly, he had been granted permission to do so.
Joe took a breath. He couldn't reveal Catherine's identity, but he also couldn't lie while the doctor just taken away any chance not to tell them about the case. He decided to stick to the facts as closely as he could.
"Yes, Margaret Wells is under the protection of the Federal Witness Security Program. For security reasons, I can't reveal everything but I can tell you that she was involved in a dangerous case, and while the man who was initially looking to silence her is gone, there is a chance those who served him will be looking for her. I suspect after she and the baby are given medical leave, she'll be relocated with a new identity and I'll have no further contact."
"Oh, that's awful," Nancy stated. "I can't believe it. That poor woman."
"Well, if that's all you can tell us." Joe made to stand when suddenly Jenny's voice stopped him.
"Hold on! Something's not right here," she stated. "If this is all true, then why not just tell us that in the first place? You made it sound like she wasn't even a real person when we tried finding out what happened her."
"Please, you must understand the delicacy of the matter," Peter tried assuring her.
"Joe, tell me you're not buying this?"
Joe cleared his throat. "Much as I'd like to take your side, Dr. Alcott, I'm afraid the lady makes a compelling argument. I'm assigned to Ms. Wells case so it makes my job difficult when I haven't received any contact from her."
Peter cleared his throat. "Circumstances as they are were too complex to allow for any contact, I'm afraid."
"Bullshit. You don't get what's going on here, Doc."
"I'm more aware than you think. It was not my decision, but Cathy's. You must understand…"
"You've no idea the danger you could put her in!"
"Excuse me, but, I thought the woman's name was Margaret?" Nancy piped in. "Why did you just refer to her as Cathy?"
The realization hit Joe like a bullet. Both he and the ladies stared at the physician wondering at how slip of the tongue.
"You all heard me correctly. I called her Cathy, though I've called her that since she was a girl." Peter could see the sweat on Joe's brow but he continued. "Though you'd know her better as Catherine. Catherine Chandler."
Both women turned white while Joe's jaw dropped from shock. "You know?!"
Peter smiled grimly. "Sorry for not telling you before. Though I'm surprised you haven't been more skeptic toward her family friend being involved."
"What the hell!" Jenny shouted before Joe could respond. Her voice was on the verge of tears. "Are you two telling me that Catherine, our best friend who was announced in the paper as dead, murdered even; who's funeral we both attended four years ago. That she's a-alive?"
Joe could only nod. This was one of the reason he never liked getting involved with Witness Protection. Someone always got hurt.
"Damnit!" Jenny stood from her seat, glaring accusingly at him, tears spilling from her eyes. "All this time you knew, and you never told us? How could you!? How could you not tell us she was alive, Joe?"
"I couldn't! She's in the Witness Protection Program, I couldn't tell anyone! I tried asking Cathy but she said she didn't want to put you in danger."
"You still should've told us!" Nancy was in tears while Jenny continued to vent. "All this time we thought out best friend was dead."
"If I may?"
"Shove it, Peter!" Jenny turned on him. "You're as much to blame! Why could you know and not us?"
"As I've tried to explain, the circumstances were complicated-"
"That's bullshit and you know it!"
While the two men tried to calm the hysterical woman, another was listening to the ordeal from the next room. Catherine felt tears run down her cheeks. She knew this might happen, and she could hardly blame her friends for being upset. When it had discussed how to explain everything to her friends, Catherine hadn't been enticed at the thought of bringing her friends directly Below. The news of her falsified death alone would be a shock. So, it had been decided that Peter would explain a few things before Catherine revealed herself. Now she was also glad she insisted that Vincent remain Below with the children. After hearing their reactions, Catherine event so sure that Jenny, Joe, and Nancy would handle seeing her, let alone her unique husband.
When they calmed Jenny and Nancy enough, Peter could explain. About finding Catherine at her family's cabin and bringing her back to the city. From there he explained how she was taken again, and Joe added his account of the raid on the warehouse, rescuing Catherine and finally Gabriel's death. It was a lot for them to take in.
"No, you can't expect me to be calm after dropping a bomb like this!"
Catherine pulled her attention back to the group. It was clear Jenny was about to lose it. Joe and Peter wouldn't be able to sate her for long.
"Jen, please, would you just listen?" Joe pleaded.
"No! I won't listen to a word you say until I see proof!" Jenny all but screamed. "If you're going to make me believe that Catherine Chandler is alive then where the hell is she now?!"
"She's right here."
They all turned to see another woman standing in the entrance to the living room. Joe stared in shock while Jenny and Nancy tried to get a better look. The woman stepped into the light. She wore strange patchwork clothing, yet unlike the day in the cafe, they saw her hair was a honeyed brown that reached passed her shoulders. But it was the green eyes that drew their attention.
Catherine waited on baiting breath as she stood before her former best friends.
Nancy was the first to move. She stood from the couch and approached cautiously. Catherine was patient as her friend stared at her intensively. She was after all seeing a ghost. Out of habit, Catherine tucked a bit of her hair behind her left ear. That was when Nancy spotted the scar. The tears fell and she was instantly enfolding Catherine into her arms. "Oh Cathy!"
Catherine cried and hugged her back. "It's me, it's really me Nancy. I'm so sorry."
"You're alive. I just can't believe it!"
"Neither can I!" Jenny walked up to them. Catherine looked into her eyes. She saw disbelief, hurt and anger. She disentangled herself from Nancy to give Jenny her full attention.
"All this time, we thought you were gone and you were just…hiding out?"
Catherine nodded. "I can't imagine how much I've hurt you. Both of you." She placed a hand on Nancy's shoulder.
Jenny was struggling. "We thought you were dead. They found a body."
She shook her head. "When I was taken, I knew Gabriel and his men were going to kill me. After I escaped, I had to go somewhere safe, somewhere he couldn't find me. I couldn't let anyone know that I was alive," Catherine answered. "I didn't know Gabriel had staged my death until last year when I came back to the city."
"But why didn't you tell us when you were safe?" Jenny demanded. She was in tears now, trying to understand but the pain was too much. "Cathy, we're your best friends. Why not contact us and let us know?"
"I couldn't, Jen. At least, not at the time. There were too many things about my kidnapping that I couldn't explain. I also was never sure if there were anyone working for Gabriel who would come after me. They'd use my loved ones to get to me, and I'd never forgive myself if you'd gotten hurt, so I had to disappear."
"She's right," Joe said, walking over to stand beside Jenny. "The Federal Witness Security Program is intended for crucial witnesses whose prospective testimony puts them in immediate danger."
"You still should have said something." Jenny turned on Joe and started saying, "Damnit Joe! How could you do this to us?"
"Hey, I was under government orders, so don't go attacking me, Jen," he fought back. "When I found out she was alive, I wanted to know the same things you're asking now. One of the federal agents explained what was going on, so my hands were tied."
"See Jenny, she couldn't have contacted us," Nancy added, coming to stand beside her. "They were protecting us. And she just said she had not known that she had been declared dead."
Jenny was starting to see it, but there was still one thing she couldn't understand. And it was the look she caught on Catherine's face as Joe talked about the Witness Security Program. "Then what brought you back?" she asked. "If you couldn't contact anyone, why come back if you were supposed to stay hidden? Hell! I never heard anything on the news about a trial, so what is your excuse?"
Catherine didn't get the chance to respond. "Jen, the doc just told us she was found by Gabriel's underlings," Joe pointed out.
"But that was after she made the choice to return to the city," Jenny countered. She turned to Peter and pointed an accusing finger at him. "He told us he found Catherine hiding out in her family cabin. Now, why on earth would the Federal Witness Security Program place her so close to the city if they knew some corrupt psychopath was looking for her?"
"Ms. Aronson, please, allow me to explain."
"Shut up! The only one I want to hear an explanation from is her." Jenny turned around and walked until she stood not an inch from Catherine's nose. The tears were threatening to fall, but she wouldn't back down, even if this was her best friend. "I want the truth, Cath. We all want the truth!"
"That's why I'm here now, so that I can tell you everything." Catherine gestured for them all to take a seat. Peter gave her his chair, standing behind her and placing a hand on her shoulder. Once they were comfortable, she began with, "I need to start by telling you the reason I was taken, why Gabriel stopped at nothing to get to me."
"Come on Radcliffe, what's to tell? That fed friend of yours explained it already."
"Not to us," Jenny muttered.
Joe curled his lip. "Hey, lay off, Jen. None of this would've happened to her if I hadn't given her that damn book!" Joe still felt guilty over that, the evidence clear on his face. "It had everything on him, and since I never got a chance to look, Cathy was the only one who'd seen it. And let me tell you, Gabriel was a real psycho, a cold-blooded killer. Even from his cell he was one step ahead. He sent men after Cathy knowing she could bring him down. They watched her, waited till she was alone, then kidnapped her again. Don't forget, I was there when it happened." Joe shuddered as he recalled the scene.
"I heard the explosion and by the time I arrived, other feds already had Cath out. My team found Gabriel's body, and several of his men. Some got caught in the explosion, others had been gunned down."
"How awful!" Nancy whispered.
"So see? We already know everything," Joe continued. "Got it all in the statements."
"Not everything Joe," Catherine interrupted. "There was something that you were never told about, something that no one knows. Because if it got out, many lives would be at risk."
"What're you getting at, Radcliffe?"
"Gabriel never wanted me because of the book. He did at first, and that's why I was held captive that first week," she explained. "They drugged me in hopes I would tell them what I knew. I never could figure out the codes for that book, so there wasn't much I could tell them. But then they stopped because of my…condition."
"What do you mean?" Jenny asked, not the only one suspicious of the tone Catherine's voice had taken.
"I was pregnant when they kidnapped me. Though I didn't want to reveal it, I had to because I didn't know what the drugs would do to my baby."
Jenny and Nancy were shocked, meanwhile Joe already knew but felt best not to voice it aloud. He was curious to where she was going with this.
"I assume they would have killed me and the baby, but before they could do anything, I was almost recused. It was because of that person Gabriel kept me alive for the following six months."
Joe frowned. "Hold on. I thought you said you escaped?"
"I did but not on that night. See, though I didn't have anything I could tell them about the book, Gabriel had found something else he wanted from me. He wanted my son."
"Okay, now I'm confused," Jenny interrupted. "Why would he want your baby?"
"Because of who my child's father is," Catherine confessed, the memory of that night bringing tears to her eyes. "That night he tried to rescue me. He took on Gabriel's men himself, only his strength against their guns. I didn't know Gabriel had cameras but he watched the fighting. When he realized I was carrying his child, Gabriel wanted our son to raise as his own. So, he had me relocated and kept alive and physically healthy, planning to kill me after the baby was born. I was guarded round the clock. My only chance was the night I went into labor. Gabriel got my son, but after they left, the doctor found out I was having twins. I used that distraction to escape with my daughter."
"And then you made it to the shelter where you could contact the feds and get into Witness Protection, and we know the rest," Joe finished, though at Catherine's slight shake of the head, he guessed there was still more to the story.
"So, your baby's father tried to rescue you and when he failed, that made Gabriel want your baby?" Jenny shook her head. "I still don't get it."
"Me either," Nancy said. "It just doesn't make any sense."
"You have to admit it sounds like a badly written book, and I've read plenty of bad copies," Jenny added.
"That's because the father of my children is no ordinary man," Catherine further explained. "I've never met anyone like him. He comes from a secret place, far below the city, hiding himself from strangers. He is a protector with a gentle spirit, but there are those who would abuse him because of his differences."
"What do you mean differences?" Joe asked.
Catherine turned to him. "You always wondered how I was able to solve all my impossible cases," she began, "finding witnesses out of thin air and being rescued from criminals, many who disappeared without a trace. It was because he was there, watching over me from the shadows, coming to me when I needed him."
Nancy was the next to speak. "Cathy… This guy? Is he… Is he Vincent?"
Catherine nodded, making both Jenny and Joe turn. "Don't be mad, I only told Nancy his name but nothing more than what the both of you already know."
"Well, nice to put a name, though I still can't place a face," Joe commented. "Hey Radcliffe, this Vincent guy, if he was involved in your cases then why did his name never come up in the records?"
"Because he couldn't be named. He's not exactly someone who could stand trial, or face a judge because…" Catherine felt her nerves wavering. "Because of what he had to do to protect me."
Joe instantly got her meaning. There was a body count connected to many of Catherine's cases. He never questioned her about it, but then again, how do you question someone about bodies that looked like they'd been mauled by wild animals? Many times when he overheard her giving a statement she'd say she didn't remember, or didn't see what happened. It made him start to wonder.
Catherine could see the wheels turning in Joe's mind. This had been what she was afraid of. Joe was the type of man who took the law seriously. Now she needed to convince nice him that Vincent couldn't be prosecuted for what he'd done in the past.
"I know what you're going to say but don't even ask. Yes, legally, Vincent should be held accountable for what he's done but he can't, Joe," she protested, going into what Vincent deemed her "lawyer-mode." Hopefully it would help get her point across using the terminally Joe responded to best. "The law in regards to justified homicide, self-defense, and defense of others—all of which Vincent would be charged if he were able to plead his case—all these defenses account for whether the defendant had reasonable cause or the use of force was reasonably necessary under the circumstances. You know from the case files that the men were not attacked with conventional weapons, though the coroner never confirmed what weapon was used. Am I right?"
Joe nodded. "But Cath, if he had probable cause, if he had reasonable basis for fearing for his life, then..."
"No Joe, it's not that simple! Please, he already condemns himself for what he's done, even if it was done to protect myself and countless others. But he can never go before a judge."
"Cath, I…"
"Joe, I know what you're thinking, and it's just not possible. If he were to come forward, no judge or jury would charge him because they wouldn't see him as human. They'd lock him in a cage or send him somewhere to be studied like a lab rat. He would not be seen for the man he is. A man, who time and again would give everything for those he loved. A man who eight years ago found me beaten and dying in Central Park, brought me to a safe haven to nurse me back to health. The man who has more compassion and love than anyone I've ever met and who is the best part of what it means to be human…"
Catherine chocked back her emotions. She noticed Peter handing her a handkerchief. She thanked him and dried her eyes, trying to regain her composure.
"Sorry. He just, he means so much to me."
"Hey, no worries Cathy," Joe said. "Mind if I ask, but, is this that guy you left to take care when he got really ill?" She nodded.
"Cath, I'd say it's clear that you are in love with him," Nancy added.
Catherine smiled then. "I do. I love him so much."
"That even a blind man would see, Cathy," Jenny stated. "While all this is great, despite this being a hell of a lot to process, you still haven't told us what's so different about your mystery man. I mean, you never were forthcoming about him back then. What's the big secret anyway?"
Catherine laughed a little. "You're right Jen, there wasn't a day that went by when I didn't want to talk about Vincent to you and Nancy. There's much I couldn't talk about back then. It wasn't because I didn't want to but the secrets I kept were not mine alone to tell."
"What do you mean?" Jenny asked.
Catherine felt apprehension grip her heart. She suddenly couldn't find her voice. Then, a warm presence surrounded her. She closed her eyes as the Bond flooded her with Vincent's love for her. She could also feel their children as they sent waves of strength to her. Taking a deep breath, she looked to all her friends and spoke the words she'd kept silent for over six years.
"Let me start back at the beginning, to when it all began. Back to the night Vincent found me and my life changed forever."
