Author's Note: This is the love story of Vincent and Catherine. It also includes several other characters as well as their story lines. This story will be submitted in several parts and is based off the T.V. show "Beauty and the Beast", yet the "history" has been changed somewhat to suit the purposes of this story.

Also, I'd like to note that I do not own "Beauty and the Beast" or the characters and I will NOT be receiving any payment whatsoever for writing this story. It is intended for entertainment purposes only.

~*~Aftermath~*~

The next morning, Cathy was sick. She sat up in the bed, pulled away from Elliot, and retched on the white carpeting of his bedroom floor. "I think you had a bit too much to drink," he said with a knowing smile.

Her face was pale and she looked like she wanted to strangle him with the sheet. "I'm certain of it."

She kept her eyes downcast as the memories came back to her in a dark rush. The champagne... the kisses... the sex... Ohhh God, and it wasn't Elliot, but Vincent she had been thinking about during the entire episode! The gravity of it hit, and she was suddenly vomiting once again. This time on the bed, inches away from Elliot's naked form.

"Cathy, are you alright?" he asked with concern.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She trembled and began to dress. The chain which held the prism tangled in her hair as she hurried to pull on her clothes. "I've got to get out of here," she muttered, unable to look Elliot in the eye another second.

Suddenly an awful thought crossed Cathy's mind. She couldn't even remember if Elliot had thought to use protection during their steamy encounter! *My God, I am not even on the Pill!* she lamented silently. *I haven't been with a man since... since I met Vincent.*

Vincent. Just the whisper of his name through her brain left her weak and full of remorse. How could she have slept with another man?!

It was then that her eye caught upon the small foil wrapper lying at the edge of bed near her shoes. She let out a deep sigh. At least Elliot had had the sense to use a condom!

"Cathy, don't go," Elliot pleaded as he watched her shoving her feet into her shoes.

She looked at him lying there in the twisted sheets, the dark hairs of his naked chest a bold reminder - a reminder of all that had passed between them - the feel of his rough chest hairs against the sensitive flesh of her breasts, the taste of his potent kiss, the sounds of her moans of pleasure... She couldn't take another moment of the memories. She had to escape. Now.

"Goodbye, Elliot. Don't call me again," she said coldly, quitting the room.

~*~o~*~

She went home and showered. Again and again she scrubbed her body, trying to wash away what had occurred with Elliot, the feel of his hands on her flesh. Sobs shook her as she rubbed vigorously, the water roaring over her head.

Finally she stepped from the shower stall, wrapped herself in a body-sized towel, and fell down upon her bed, clutching the prism tightly to her breast. "Ohhh Vincent, what have I done?" she cried. "What have I done to US?"

She slept then.

~*~o~*~

Darkness had fallen when Catherine awakened, and someone was beating persistently on her door. She cursed, dressed quickly, and ran to the door to see who it was. It was HIM! "Elliot, go away," she said in exasperation, trying to slam the door in his face.

"I'm in love with you, Cathy," he said, forcing the door open with his leg.

He looked deeply into her eyes, his hand coming forward as if to caress her cheek, but she brushed his hand away. She didn't miss the hurt glowing in the depths of his dark-brown eyes.

"It's over between us. Please go," she insisted. His hand dropped to his side, pressing against the fabric of his light gray overcoat. She watched as he turned on his heel and solemnly walked away. He moved slowly down the hallway and out of sight.

Cathy grabbed her purse off an end table, locked her door, and took the elevator to the basement. It was there that she found the hidden entrance which would take her into the tunnels Below, to Vincent. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she descended the ladder adjoining the tunnels to the secret opening in the wall of the basement. It felt as though her heart would burst from her chest when she made her way through the series of maze-like tunnels toward Vincent's chamber. Suddenly she stopped in her tracks.

There were footsteps sounding behind her. Someone had followed her Below! She spun around, seeing Elliot Burke standing there in the torch-light, a bewildered look upon his handsome face. She had never really noticed before, but he was extremely handsome, with rich, shoulder-length brown hair, eyes of deep chocolate, and a sexy short-cut beard and mustache. They had been married ten months, but she had never in all that time truly registered just how appealing the man was to her senses.

"Elliot!" she gasped. "What do you think you are doing... following me...?!"

"Cathy, please, I have to know...is there any hope? Is there any chance we will ever be together?" he asked urgently.

"No. I'm sorry. It can never be," she said frankly, watching the painful emotion sweep over his face.

"Is there someone else?"

"Yes," she said fervently. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," he replied, gazing at her just a second longer before retreating into the shadows and out of her life.

~*~o~*~

"Vincent!" Catherine cried, bursting into his candlelit chamber and flinging herself into his arms.

"Catherine," he sighed, breathing in the flowery scent of her hair.

"Ohhh Vincent. I'm so sorry," she whispered against his chest. "For ever doubting our dream. It's all that matters. Nothing matters but what we have."

He took her hands in his, pressing her back slightly to stare into her eyes. "Catherine..." he spoke, his blue eyes seeming to pierce her soul. "You needn't apologize. I, more than anyone, understand."

Her tears spilled then and Vincent wiped them away with his caress, taking her again into his arms. He crushed her close, his voice gentle as he began to recite a poem - a poem which was called "And Death Shall Have no Dominion" by Dylan Thomas.

"...Though they sink through the sea
they shall rise again;
Though lovers be lost love shall not;
And Death shall have no dominion..."