CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

They had spent a quiet evening cuddling and talking, and it had been like taking a step backward in time. They were relaxed and at ease with one another, and there had been a lot of touching. Tender kisses, hand holding and at last the laughter had bubbled up, as the joy of their connection finally became reality. They felt removed from the outside world, and transplanted into one of their own design. Where Muirfield and the various other hurdles they faced, were things of nightmare and dark nights and had no place in the brightness of their love for one another. It was easy to forget all that in this far flung corner of the state, beneath an indigo sky scattered with stars that would have gotten lost in the ambient light of New York. Easy to hear the heartbeats not muted by the traffic noise, and take their time to rediscover without the distraction of a busy city or the scrutiny of ever present eyes. Completely alone and lost in one another, they found their way back. The relief made them almost giddy.

Until Catherine's phone rang at around 9 pm. It was Tess, and she was coming up the next day to visit.

Vincent immediately tensed. Of all of Catherine's friends and family, it was Tess who had been the hardest nut to crack, and she had promised to kick his ass if he ever hurt Catherine.

When she hung up, Catherine eyed Vincent sympathetically. She could feel his anxiety, and she suppressed the urge to laugh at the grimace he wore when she told him Tess was coming to Marlboro the next morning.

" Looks like I better prepare for the immanent ass kicking," he replied with a sigh.

Catherine chuckled, " Hopefully she won't bring her gun,' she said.

" Maybe you should have warned her I was here," he said sourly.

Catherine shook her head with a smile, " That would have guaranteed she brought her gun. This way there's at least a small chance she won't be prepared to shoot on sight."

Vincent rolled his eyes, " Not helping," he replied.

Catherine giggled, but reached out and clasped his hand , " It'll be fine Vincent. Eventually, anyway. But you're going to have to deal with this from everyone if you plan on sticking around."

" If?" he replied, " There is no "if". I'm not going anywhere, ever again. Unless it's in a body bag."

She shuddered and squeezed his hand hard enough to make him wince, " Don't even think that,' she said harshly, " let alone say it."

They were sitting on the couch and a fire crackled warmly in the fireplace, he put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close, " I'm sorry," he replied, " But I mean it. I've made more mistakes and missed more opportunities than any man has a right to, and still get another chance at making it right. I'm never leaving you again Catherine, not while I'm still drawing breath."

She laid her head on his chest, her fingers entwined with his and she sighed deeply, " I appreciate the sentiment,' she said softly, " But the truth of the matter is, if I have a choice between you leaving, or you dead, I choose leaving."

He smiled and kissed her forehead gently, " and I appreciate that sentiment, but the truth of the matter is, if I have to live my life without you, I might as well be dead. There is no choice for me anymore." he tilted her chin up with a finger and looked deeply into her eyes, his expression serious. " I can't and won't ever be separated from you again. Whatever happens, we face it together now. You and me and our child. Whatever the cost, I'm in this for good and all."

" You're very stubborn," she replied, her voice heavy with unshed tears.

" I think I must have learned that from you," he said with a slight smile. " let's not get all maudlin and depressing," he said briskly, " We've had this great evening, and I promise you, there will be more of them."

" Don't make promises you can't keep," she said sadly.

" Hey," he said, forcing her to look at him again, " Look how far we've come, and what we've overcome to get here. Almost everyone in your life knows about me now, and while they're all still pretty ticked off at me," he chuckled sardonically, " They accept me. We have allies and friends, which is something we didn't have before. We have choices and options. We're in a much better place, and we're going to get through this together."

" You really think so?" she asked a small measure of hope lightening the darkness in her eyes.

" I do," he said stoutly, more for her benefit than for his own. He wasn't altogether sure he believed what he was saying, but she needed the reassurance, so he gave it to her. " I can't promise you the fairytale ending," he said honestly, " But I can promise you that we're going to do this side by side."

" Ok," she whispered, " Just don't put yourself in danger any more than is necessary. No more trying to save the world, ok?" She stared at him, holding his gaze and expecting his promise. He sighed and replied, " Ok…no more heroics. I promise."

She nodded satisfied, then yawned hugely making him grin. " I think it's bedtime for you," he said gently, extracting himself from her arms and standing. He extended his hand to her to help her up, and she looked up at him with a shy smile. " Would you sleep with me?" she asked tentatively, blushing slightly at her own boldness. After the conversation they just had, she felt the need to hold on to him, keep him close to her. He smiled tenderly at her, and reached out to cup her cheek with his hand. He lowered his head until their foreheads were touching, and closed his eyes ," I was hoping you'd ask," he whispered.

Catherine woke to a weak November sun illuminating her room. Her eyes opened and she was inches from a sight she had never hoped to see again. Vincent. He was still sound asleep, and for once his face was peaceful and calm. They were tangled together, arms and legs akimbo. She was sprawled across his chest and the heat from his body warmed her through. Love exploded in her chest like a nuclear blast, and blew away any lingering doubts she might have harbored. This was right, true, the way her life was meant to be. The answer to every question, the solution to every problem. Everything seemed possible lying here in his arms. It was the only place she had ever wanted to be since the moment they had first faced each other in that railway tunnel.

The realist in her knew that their life was never going to be "easy". There would be no house in the burbs, no parent teacher conferences, no bowling leagues. But they would have each other, and she was determined to hold onto that. They would glean every moment of happiness available to them, and never let another opportunity go by to show each other the love they felt. In some ways, living on the edge of doom gave them an advantage over other couples. It would teach them never to be complacent, and to appreciate one another in a way few people got the chance. They would live in the moment, and that was a lesson most never learned.

She stretched slightly, and pressed a gentle kiss to his stubbled jaw smiling at the slight tickle against her lips. He really was the most extraordinary man. She had never known anyone with such an ingrained sense of honor. Someone who always did their best to do the right thing for those he cared about, even if it meant hurting himself. She was so incredibly proud of him, and even prouder that he had chosen her to spend his life with. She would have liked nothing more than to devote the next few days to just lying here looking at him, but a quick glance at the clock reminded her that Tess would be coming in a couple of hours, and he might need a little fortification to face the coming storm of hostility. Tess was not going to take it easy on him.

With a sigh of protest, she put her hand on his chest and gave him a gentle shake, " Vincent?" she whispered.

His eyes opened slowly, a sign that he was relaxed and in no hurry to begin the day. " Hey" he said with a drowsy smile. " Hey yourself' she smiled back. He stretched and yawned, " What time is it?' he asked letting his eyes drift closed again. " Around 8," she replied, " and Tess is due in a couple of hours. I thought you might want to get a shower and some coffee before hand…you know, best foot forward.' She grinned at his expression, he was obviously NOT looking forward to the morning. " Don't worry," she said, trying not to laugh, " I won't let her hurt you."

He made a face, and opening his eyes looked at her cynically, " Very comforting," he replied rolling his eyes. " You'll let me hide behind you?" he asked, catching her playful mood. " Of course," she answered,

" Tess would never hurt the baby." He snorted a laugh, " Again…very comforting, if somewhat pathetic."

He kissed her lightly and got out of bed, and she allowed herself the guilty pleasure of letting her eyes roam hungrily over his lean muscular frame. He had said something else but she had been momentarily distracted and said, " I'm sorry?" with a bemused smile. He grinned and replied, " I said, at least I'll be clean and wearing my best clothes when you bury me in the woods."

Her eyes wide and feigning innocence, she replied, " yeah, speaking of clothes, you might want to put some on before I change my mind about getting out of this bed…" she waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively and he laughed out loud. The sound warmed her almost as much as the view.

Adopting an attitude of mock surprise he said, " What? And leave Tess standing on the doorstep? That will never do. I wouldn't want to deprive her of the opportunity for an ass kicking."

Catherine grinned, " Knowing Tess, she's probably already kicked at least one ass this morning… it's always been a sort of pre breakfast routine with her.'

He chuckled, and as he left the room headed for the bath his voice drifted back to her, " Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll have already reached her ass kicking quota for the day."

Catherine hauled herself out of bed and muttered under her breath, " I wouldn't count on it."