Chapter 10

Catherine was unable to come Below for the rest of the week, after their dinner together on Sunday. The DA's office had three major cases all going to trial that week and she was lucky to see her apartment for six hours a night in which to sleep, shower, and change clothes. Because Vincent's eyes were still bandaged he was not able to go Above. What Vincent didn't know, and Catherine had no chance to tell him, was that they would get to see each other. Well, Catherine would, on Saturday when she came Below with Isaac.

He had called her on Wednesday to propose the idea and Vincent had felt the leap of joy through the Bond as she told Isaac yes. Vincent didn't know what had made Catherine so happy, he only knew that it had something to do with him, and he couldn't help smiling at that.

After a week of helping in the hospital chamber, Lucy realized how woefully limited the supply of medicine was Below. She knew that her friend at the hospital could supply her with most of what was needed and there was also the stash of stuff she'd had to leave behind at her apartment.

Her time Below, in this magical place, had eased her fears of the Silks and what was going on in the world Above. Confident that the gang had forgotten about her after a week of not finding any trace of her, she felt that a trip to her apartment and to her friend at the hospital was in order. Plus she could always use more clothes from her place, she'd had to leave so much behind when she came Below.

Saturday morning, Zach had gone with her to the tunnel entrance nearest St. Vincent's hospital, where her friend worked, and had promised to wait until she'd gotten the supplies from him. After she'd given Zach the full duffle bag she told him to take them to Father. She was going to catch a cab to her apartment, get what she needed, and be back before lunch.

Unfortunately, Lucy hadn't counted on just how important discovering where Vincent lived, so they could make him pay for the deaths in the gang, was to the Silks. They had one of their new recruits staking out her apartment and she had no idea that as she was filling a couple of plastic garbage bags with things she wanted to take Below the 'worm', as the Silks were calling their new people, was reporting back to Miss Patricia that Lucy was back on the scene.

Isaac met Catherine at her apartment right after breakfast and the two of them headed to the basement together. As they made their way to the tunnels, Isaac told her about how he'd discovered that Vincent had never seen Star Wars. She started to explain about the lack of technology in the tunnels and Isaac stopped her saying that he understood that, but it was still a shame that Vincent and the children had never seen that all time classic movie even once.

Privately Catherine agreed and mentally began to work out how it might be possible to rectify that. She knew that Father would throw a fit unless it was planned to the last detail and completely safe for Vincent and the children.

As Father and Mary gasped over the bounty that Zach had just given them, Father demanded to know where it had all come from. Zach explained about Lucy's friend and how she had gone to him for help. When Father wanted to know where she was now, Zach cluelessly informed him that she'd gone back to her old apartment for more medicine and some personal belongings. He assured Father that she had promised to be back for lunch.

Father absentmindedly dismissed Zach and knowing that look on his face, Mary took the new supplies to the hospital chamber to unpack them. She had recognized Father's need to mull the situation over in his head before deciding what punishment Lucy should receive for doing something so reckless.

After Isaac explained to the first class the reason for Catherine's presence, Vincent urgently requested to speak to the other man before things got started. Catherine came over to them wanting to know what the problem was.