I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG TO THE CW NETWORK. THIS IS A WORK OF FANFICTION BY OMEGABEAST.

CHAPTER 9

In the aftermath of one storm, another of a different kind began. As night closed her eyes, day emerged with a spent Vincent tossing and turning on sweat soaked sheets. Withdrawal symptoms invaded his body, testing his willpower and soundness of mind. On the brink of throwing in the white flag, he thought of Catherine. More than anything, he wanted to show her he could overcome his addiction. For the first time in years, he wanted the American dream, right down to the apple pie. Drawing on his military training, he fortified his mind, and reached for his old friend tenacity. Detoxing cold turkey would either make him or break him, but he refused to give up, even if he had to die trying. He put his earbuds in and soon the sounds of "The Heavy" transported him to his last time in Iraq.

Dust saturated the air as the convoy traveled at a high rate of speed. Vincent sat in the back of the moving vehicle, struggling under the sweltering heat. He used his hand to wipe the sweat from his face, before taking a swig of water from his canteen. Taking his cap off, he poured a little water over his head, hoping to cool off. He told himself this would be his last tour of duty, because the heat and war was taking a toll on his mind and body. He glanced around at his fellow soldiers, weapons in their hands, paint on their face, ready for the mission ahead. Insurgents had attacked a nearby village and his unit was en route to render aid. Vincent being the the unit doctor, prepared himself mentally for the heartbreaking scene that most likely awaited them.

He looked over at his friend, Tanner.

"You okay, Buddy? You look a little green around the gills."

"I'm fine. I just received a letter from Amy telling me I'm going to be a father. I thought I had everything planned for the future, but now I'm not so sure," Tanner said, only half committed to the conversation.

"I can't say that I've been in your shoes before, but I can imagine the news putting everything in a different perspective for you. Take it one day at a time and enjoy the blessing," Vincent said.

Suddenly the truck came to an abrupt halt.

"Why are we stopping?"

"I don't know," Vincent said, looking around.

A soldier ran to the back of the truck. "Possible trap ahead. Take cover and stay alert."

Vincent jumped off the back of the truck along with the other soldiers. Seconds later an explosion was heard and Vincent was thrown back a few feet, knocking him unconscious.

Coming to a few minutes later, he used his right hand to shade his eyes from the glare of the sun, as he tried to remember where he was. He grabbed his ears, irritated by a ringing sound. "What is wrong with me?" He moved to get up, but quickly dropped back to the ground, gritting his teeth as an excruciating pain seized his leg. Becoming more agitated by the minute, he slowly perused the scene, taking in the debris that lay scattered on the road. Blinking his eyes, he realized what appeared to be debris was body parts. In that moment his heart dropped as the carnage that lay before him jogged his memory. Tanner! God, please not Tanner! Please let him be all right. Mustering enough strength, he turned over and crawled toward the road strewn with bodies. Pain sliced through his leg, slowing his movements, but his determination was greater. Nothing could have prepared him for the next thing he saw. He looked right into the eyes of his friend. Grief gripped his body as he lay on his stomach, unable to move. "No. No. No, please let this be a dream," Vincent yelled as he lost consciousness.

CATHERINE

Catherine slumped into a chair, overwhelmed by the sight before her. The country kitchen with rooster decor was almost unrecognizable. Buckets of water, shingles, and mud covered the linoleum floor. She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a loud sigh. It felt like deja vu all over again. Before she could fall into a pit of sorrow, the doorbell rang. Ambling to the door, she opened it to find Luke on the porch.

"Good Morning, Catherine. My mom sent me to check on you. She said if you're still on the land of the living to come over for breakfast."

"That's an offer I can't refuse. Tell her I'll be over in twenty minutes." Luke nodded and took off running.

SOUTHERN FLAIR BED & BREAKFAST

The smell of bacon penetrated Catherine's nose as she climbed the steps to visit Avery. A drop of water from the roof hit her in the face, causing her to stop and look up.

"Aren't you Lucy's great granddaughter?"

Catherine followed the sound of the voice to an elderly man sitting on the porch swing.

"I am."

Catherine walked over and extended her hand. "I'm Catherine, and you are?"

"I'm just plain old Charlie. No need to add gravy to it," he said giving her the once-over.

"Well, just plain old Charlie, it's nice to meet you," she said smiling.

He grabbed a cane from his side and used it to stand up. "When a man my age meets a woman as beautiful as you, the pleasure is all mine. If I was forty years younger, I'd give these little young bucks a run for their money."

"Charlie, are you out here flirting with Catherine?" Avery asked from the door.

Don't go stirring the pot. I'm just having a friendly conversation with our new neighbor. He looked over at Catherine. "I have to go, but it really was a pleasure meeting you. I live in the yellow house over there. If you ever need anything, just stop on by. Don't worry about an invitation. We don't stand on ceremony round here," he said as he turned to leave.

"See you in the morning, Charlie," Avery said to his retreating back.

She turned to Catherine. "His wife passed away last year, so he eats breakfast with us every morning and I send him dinner every evening by Luke. He's a smooth talker, but don't pay him no mind. He's completely harmless. Now come on in. Here I am being rude after inviting you to breakfast.," Avery said, gesturing.

Catherine followed her in the house. They passed through the living room. It reminded her of her grandmother's living room with floral-patterned furniture and curtains. Catching Catherine's eye was the Zenith TV paired with a record player, encased in wood. It had been years since she had seen furniture of that magnitude. Hurrying to keep instep with Avery, she briefly glimpsed a beautiful quilt on the back of the sofa before entering the kitchen. If she thought the living room took her back, she was sadly mistaken. The retro style kitchen captivated her from the first look, with black & white checkerboard floors and backsplash and red bar stools. The addition of the red retro stove, microwave, refrigerator and, coca cola artwork was ingenious and added exceptional authenticity to the diner theme. But it was the Chevie diner booths nestled by the bay window that awed and absolutely blew Catherine away. Her mouth hung open and she just stared, unable to believe her eyes.

"You better close your mouth unless you plan on catching some flies. Believe me they won't mind accommodating you if that's your intent."

"I'm sorry. I'm just awestruck at your kitchen theme. It's unique and totally awesome. I'm sure this isn't your first time hearing it," Catherine said, still a little taken aback.

"I get it all the time, but it doesn't hurt to hear it again. I have to say it was definitely a smart business decision. It does wonders for the B & B. Word of mouth brings people from thousands of miles away, just to see my retro style kitchen and take pictures. Of course the southern charm and food doesn't hurt either. And speaking of food, have a seat honey and I'll fix your plate."

Catherine slid into the Chevie booth and relaxed. This was a welcomed reprieve from the insurmountable problems facing her at home. Before she could drift into a daydream, Avery set a plate in front of her filled with bacon, eggs, and biscuits with gravy, and a glass of juice.

"Wow, and I get homemade biscuits. I must be in heaven," Catherine exclaimed.

Avery slid into the booth opposite Catherine. "No southern woman worth her salt would be caught without homemade biscuits in the morning and a pound cake on the table in the evening."

"Unless you have a kitchen that doubles as a disaster area," Catherine said smiling.

Avery gave her a puzzled look.

"The roof collapsed in my kitchen last night, right in the middle of the storm, and I had to run next door to ask Vincent for help. And when it was all said and done, he couldn't do too much last night anyway, so he is coming over today to repair it."

"Couldn't you have just called him?" Avery asked, still puzzled.

"We never exchanged numbers. I guess it just never came up. Now that you mention it, it would be wise."

"So what is the story with you two?"

"Not too much of a story. Vincent is actually from here. We were friends until he moved away. Although I didn't recognize him immediately when I first saw him, because he was in junior high when he moved and I knew him as Vinny. His face seemed so familiar and finally one morning it hit me why."

"Well isn't that a love story to end all love stories. Small town romance rekindled after years apart," Avery said with a dreamy look on her face.

Catherine put down her fork and looked at Avery. "Hold your horses now. We're just friends."

Avery patted her hand. "Bless your heart. If believing that makes you feel better, you go right ahead. I may not be that much older than you, but I've experienced enough to know that nothing about the way he looks at you says friend. Even if he says so. I'll believe that when pigs fly."

"Even if that is the case, it's just not a good time. Things are too complicated for both of us right now."

If he is the one, then this is the right time. Love matures as you grow together. The harder the circumstances, the stronger your love becomes. Trust me, you want a man who sticks around through good and bad. Take Luke's father for instance. I thought he hung the moon and lit the sun, but when I told him I was pregnant, I saw his true colors. He couldn't get away fast enough. Needless to say, I'm still trying to pick up the pieces of my heart. My pregnancy saved me in the sense that I didn't have time to focus on my wants and needs. I channeled my energy into delivering a healthy baby. After I took one look at my Luke, I let the past go. Now it's harder to meet someone, because I have a child to think of, but I wouldn't change a second of it.

"Did Luke's father ever come back?"

"Like all no good scoundrels, he did, when he realized the grass on the other side wasn't as green as he thought. And I told him he could go right back out there where the gravel meets the blacktop and keep on walking, because I wasn't going to live my life in reverse. I guess since he couldn't have me, he didn't want Luke either, being that he has never tried to see him."

A man and woman entered the kitchen, as Catherine took her last bite of food and wiped her mouth. Avery stood up and walked toward them.

"Good morning. I hope you slept well. Would you like some breakfast?"

"We would love some," the man answered.

Catherine stood and took her plate to the sink. "Leave it Catherine. I'll take care of it," Avery said turning toward the sink.

"Thank you for breakfast, Avery. It was delicious. I'd better get home if I want my roof fixed before sundown," she said heading toward the doorway.

"Good luck with that. I'll send Luke over to help when he gets back from the store."

Catherine nodded and left the room. She heard the faint sound of Avery's voice telling the couple to have a seat as she left through the front door.

CATHERINE'S HOUSE

The vague sound of hammering greeted Catherine as she neared her property. Shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, she looked up to find Vincent hard at work on her roof. Completely startled, she took a moment to regroup. Obviously sensing her presence, Vincent looked down and waved. Seconds later he climbed down the ladder and walked over to where she stood.

"Hey, I hope it's okay that I started on the roof. I knocked and when I didn't get an answer, I assumed you were out."

"It's fine. Avery invited me over for breakfast, so I took advantage of the offer." She raised her brow. "I assumed you would be sleeping late."

"I tried, but detoxing cold turkey is my worst dream come true. Let's just say my clarity on past events is more vivid than ever. I've faced more demons in the last five hours than one faces in a lifetime."

"At least you persevered. I know it couldn't have been easy with the urge so great."

"I don't want to find myself in a situation like last night ever again. It was quite sobering in itself. That and you flushed my supply. I'm on the wagon whether I want to be or not," Vincent said smiling, trying to lighten the mood."

"Come in and I'll fix you a cup of coffee. That's the least I could do after you've rescued me again."

"Catherine, I hate to sound like a broken record, but it is I who must repay a debt. Besides, I had everything I needed to complete the repairs, so it's not a big deal," Vincent said, following her in the house.

They entered the kitchen and Catherine realized even making a cup of coffee was a hardship. Looking at the disastrous mess of a kitchen, everything hit her at once. The dam in her broke, bringing forth a flood of tears. Vincent looked at her, doing a double take before rushing to her side.

"Hey. Hey. What's wrong?" He asked, concerned about her.

"I'm sorry. I'm not normally a crybaby, but I've never had the luxury of expressing my feelings. No one was around besides my grandmother who would even care. I've always been a loner, but if it wasn't for you and Avery, today would have been devastating. And after all you've done, I can't even make a stupid cup of coffee."

Vincent embraced her, letting her head rest on his chest. He rubbed her hair, attempting to comfort her.

"You're not alone. I'm here and you have Avery as well. We'll get through our issues together."

He released her and looked into her eyes. "It's going to be okay. Trust me. I'm right next door if you ever need anything. My door is always open to you."

He found he couldn't look away. No reasoning could save him. They had reached the point of no return. And like a moth to a flame his lips found hers, touching lightly before transitioning into a passionate kiss. Her mouth opened, inviting him in and he obliged, joining her tongue in a stimulating dance. She leaned in, relaxing in his strong cocoon, fueling his desire for more. One of his hands moved to the back of her neck, while the other explored her body, finally resting on her butt. Heat radiated from their bodies, as their kissing became frantic. Their hunger compelled their movements. He began to rain kisses down her neck, eliciting a soft moan from her mouth, sending his mind into overdrive. His hands eased under her shirt, methodically unhooking her bra, before caressing her nipples. Raising her shirt, he took a nipple in his mouth, gently grazing it with his teeth, rendering her helpless to his touch. A moan barely escaped her mouth, before the sound of the doorbell froze them both in place. Catherine let out a sigh.

"Don't answer and maybe they'll go away," Vincent said, adjusting himself, hoping to continue their make out session.

"It could be Luke, and I can't do that to him."

Vincent nodded. He understood, even if he didn't want to. Catherine straightened her clothes and hurried to the door. Running her hands through her hair, she opened the door. And just when she thought she had survived one storm, there she stood, facing the mother of them all, Evelyn Chandler.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Evelyn asked, glancing behind Catherine at Vincent.

"You seemed to have made it this far without an invitation. Why bother asking now?"

"Now is that any way to greet your mother," Evelyn said, breezing by Catherine. "And honey be a dear and have your handyman grab my luggage out the trunk," she said over her shoulder.

Catherine looked at Vincent and shook her head. Silently, she was thinking; there goes the neighborhood and possibly the town too.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY FANFIC. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED.