Chapter 11

Catherine opened her eyes reluctantly, her mind coming slowly awake. She sighed in contentment as she vaguely recalled Vincent carrying her to his chamber before gently tucking her into his own oversized bed. Later, he joined her, holding her close in a gentle embrace until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

The previous night felt like an eternity as Catherine nervously sat vigil with Winnie next to Andrew; but in truth, only a few hours had passed until Father announced that Andrew's fever was gone. Winnie merely smiled and sighed wearily in relief; but poor Catherine broke down, sobbing as the tension left her body in a sudden rush. Vincent came to her then, holding her close and murmuring soft words of comfort until the emotional storm passed. Guiltily, she recalled how she hadn't even given poor Winnie another thought as she fell asleep in her beloved's embrace.

Catherine heard a soft sound nearby and realized it was Andrew's aunt, as if her very presence had been conjured by her introspection. "Good morning, dear."

"Winnie!" To Catherine's astonishment, Winnie looked right at home as if she'd been Below her whole life. Dressed in typical tunnel garb, she busied herself deftly setting up a tray of food and pouring tea as she spoke.

"I hope you don't mind me bringing your breakfast, Catherine. I'm afraid Jay and that nice Mary have their hands full right now. It seems you and I aren't the only refugees from the blizzard."

'How's Andrew?" Catherine asked as she reluctantly left the inviting warmth of Vincent's covers.

"Much improved." She smiled brightly in reply. "Vincent even managed to get him to eat a little this morning. He's in the infirmary now. He volunteered to stay with Andrew while Jay saw to some of the others so I offered to bring you something to eat."

After a quick clean up, Catherine joined her friend at the table and eagerly wolfed down the food waiting there. Contented, she sat back with a satisfied sigh and indulged in another cup of tea. It didn't pass her notice that Winnie wore an expression of equal contentment.

"Winnie, I have to ask you; are ok with all this? I mean, I love it here but it's a far cry from the modern conveniences of Peter's brownstone."

"Oh, you needn't worry about me, Catherine. I think it's delightful here. Why, I almost feel as if I were on holiday." Winnie laughed lightly at her puzzled expression. "You forget, dear, I was in London during the war and even during The Blitz. I can't tell you how many nights I spent in a tunnel of the Underground waiting for the all clear signal to be given. By the end of the war, of course, things had improved. But in those early years, it was very different. Sometimes, we were all stacked in like sardines huddled in the dark and cold for what seemed like days. In comparison, this lovely place is the lap of luxury. I had a very pleasant night in that lovely chamber just down the corridor. The bed was very comfortable and the candles had a wonderfully welcoming feeling."

Catherine shook her head ruefully. "I guess I never really thought about it in that way, but it makes sense. I'd never had any sort of experience like this place before I came to the Tunnels. I suppose in the end, it's a matter of perspective."

After leaving Winnie to return the tray to the kitchen, Catherine made her way to the hospital chamber in search of the man she loved. She found him there, his large and powerful hands gently comforting the little boy who had so quickly taken up a place in her heart as well. As she watched, Andrew smiled up at Vincent around a large old fashioned pacifier that took up most of his mouth. Vincent grinned back, his large canines briefly flashing.

Catherine's heart swelled with love as she watched them together. In one of those rare moments of pure clarity, she suddenly understood why her emotions had been so intense the previous evening. The truth was quite simple. She loved Andrew, not merely as his guardian or Kristopher's son.

More importantly, she wanted them be a family. Now she only had to convince the man in front of her.

Unbeknownst to Catherine, Vincent could guess the direction her thoughts were taking. While he wasn't able to read her mind, the strong, loving emotions flowing through their bond gave him a fairly good idea of what was in her heart. His smile increased. The very same notion had crossed his own mind more than once in the past few hours.

"Good morning. counselor. Glad to see you finally rejoined us among the living." Devin called out jokingly from behind her in the tunnels. "We missed you at breakfast."

"Devin, what are you still doing here? I figured you be headed for parts unknown by now."

"Yeah, I was. But this blizzard blew in before I got a chance to leave. Looks like I'm stuck for a few days more." Together, they walked into the hospital chamber.

"Hey, V., Pop wanted me to tell you he and Mary got all the other folks settled. There are about ten in all. I've already let William know." Vincent's older sibling leaned casually on a nearby table. "How's the little slugger doing this morning?"

"Much improved." His brother replied as he gently bounced the little boy.

"Well, that aunt of his sure made quite a splash at breakfast. You should have seen the way Pop was squiring her around, Chandler. He was so proud; he looked about ready to pop his buttons!" Devin grinned.

Catherine smiled back in response. "I'm glad. I only hope everyone Below is as pleased that Winnie is here."

"Are you kidding? They loved Winnie! William is even making some English dish called bubble and squeak for dinnerso she'll feel at home! I'm not sure what that is exactly but William is cooking, count me in!"

To all those who have been so patient with me on this tale, I humbly thank you. This story has been hard to finish due to the intrusion of other factors, but I will finish it! My sincerest gratitude to you all; for without you, I would have no reason to write.

Humbly yours,

Nefereu