Hello to all my readers, I would say it's half-time in season two. Nice to know that you're still with me and what a sweet episode was that? I found it very good, the story, the dialogue and even glimpses of my beloved couple, without actually being a couple anymore. Great. So as always I hope you have fun reading, enjoy!

Catherine: Look at this. Tori and Vincent at two separate parties, and she's wearing that necklace.

What is he thinking, parading her around with a stolen necklace.

Catherine:

It felt like it was becoming easier. To be without him. I had tried to keep myself occupied, had worked out more, had gone shopping and planned Tess's Party as a revenge for mine a year ago. I didn't get so teary any more but that didn't meant I was over Vincent. Maybe I would never be. But I didn't saw any chance for us anymore and I forbid myself to wait any longer. I had my heart crushed enough times and now I only wanted to look forward, which meant focusing on myself and to a certain point also Gabe. He was handsome, smart and totally in love with me. He also knew about everything beast related, so I would never had to lie, without actually being one. Which was a major plus on my list. So when I was on my way over to him, just coming from the bakery where I got the cake for Tess, I was in a good mood. Until I got out the cap and saw this damn newspaper. Every time I thought I was doing better, that I had gotten some distance from him something little just snapped me right back into that mess. Last week it had been the wine Gabe had bought, such a sweet gesture but it remembered me at our anniversary, Vincent had gotten the same red wine for me. And I remembered also too good how he had tasted after drinking a glass of it, how when he kissed me the tastes mixed, wine and pure Vincent. Which resulted in me fleeing home, leaving an confused Gabe behind. Now his Face starred at me while he wore an expensive suit and had his arm around her. His beastly mate, or whatever they were. Swallowing down the lump in my throat I tried to resist buying it but lost the fight. The paper burned in my hand, begging me to read anything they wrote about the two so I really needed the few blocks that I had to walk to Gabe's apartment, to calm myself down. When he opened the door I immediately started talking. How insane they had to be for wearing that necklace in public, how reckless. Would he really use her as bait? And how could she be okay with that. Gabe turned my attention away from this stupid paper and to the banner he had gotten for Tess. Looking around, finally seeing how lovely he had decorated his living room just for Tess, for my friend reminded me why I liked him so much. He represented an easy life for me, free of drama and simple things that brought joy. Normality. It was what I needed after the last year. But as I tried to kiss him, just like I did a week ago he surprised me by taking a step back. What? He started again with the banner but I interrupted him. Had something changed and I didn't realized it? He thought I wasn't ready for something new, that I was not over Vincent and he probably was right. But I would never admit that openly, not to him and definitely not to myself. So I did my best to make it look as this was all about the necklace, the case. Hoping he would let it down.

But no matter how hard I just tried to assure Gabe, Vincent was like a itch I couldn't got away from. Just half an hour later Dana showed us and Tess the same damn pictures, clearly identifying that stupid piece of jewellery. And she wanted us to get it for her. Great. One week I had managed to stay away from him and now I felt like some cosmic joke was pushing me straight back to him. Knowing I had to be near him again, see him again made my emotions run wild, I was nervous, angry and afraid and a total fail by trying to hide it. I knew that Tess saw the panic in my eyes but she reassured me on our way to his boat that she had my back, that she would be by my side. So ignoring my racing pulse we made our way down the pier. I though I had steeled myself for all possibilities but getting pulled in and thrown against a staircase hadn't been on my list. Being a cop I went straight into defensive mode, holding my gun tight and directly at my attacker. Tori, of course. Just looking at her made me angry and Vincent defending her like I was the bad guy only fuelled my rage. So maybe my speech was a little more aggressive than usual. Arresting her hasn't been my original plan but I needed to make a point. They couldn't openly ignore the FBI with showcasing this stolen necklace. Maybe it was a little exaggerated but someone clearly needed to remind these two that they're weren't above the law. Plus it felt to good to cuff her but I wouldn't say that out loud.

Tori was completely obvious to the trouble she was in, she sat in our interrogation room acting like an arrogant bitch. She did everything she could to make me jealous and she hit more nails that I would ever show her. But I knew him better, knew the difference between the way he looked at me and the way he looked at her. She kept talking about her connection with Vincent without seeing how he used her. It drove me nuts how blinded and short sighted Tori was. Dana came before we even could make up a plan and so we could only hope that she wouldn't make a mess. What, of course she made. Throwing that officer through the window was hard to explain and I knew with one look at her that she couldn't get herself calm enough, so I did the only thing I could, I tranqued her. Turning around as the door opened I saw straight into the barrel of a gun. Crap this day got more worse every minute. My mind searched for an idea how to get out of this while these guys handcuffed us. And, tragically the best I could come up with was Tori, the same I just had put to sleep. Carefully I tried to talk to them, convincing them to take me to her. Tori lay in a cell, totally unconscious and with my hand cuffed behind me all I could do was kick against the bunks metal frame hoping the sound would wake her up. When she finally did, I tried to explain the situation and my plan as good as I could. I needed her to break the cuffs, mine and some of my colleagues then we could do the rest alone and she could retreat. But for that she needed to beast out and I didn't knew if she could so shortly after being tranqued. Obviously she could and maybe I pushed her a little more with telling her what I really thought about her. Breaking out of the handcuffs with a growl she stood up, I felt a sliver of hope before she jumped out of the cell, killing the guard and leaving me behind. And still cuffed. Bitch.

Making use of the many yoga classes I had recently taken to find my calmness I awkwardly freed myself, I probably strained some muscles but that couldn't stop my right now. I jumped a little when my phone ranged, answering it while I made my way through the basement. When Gabe told me that Vincent was somewhere in the building I wasn't sure if I could count on his help. He was so far gone from his heroic self these last weeks that I didn't knew if he would care for anything more than his necklace and Tori. And my fears were confirmed by Vincent himself and no matter what I said to him, I couldn't get through to him. I was about to lost all hope in him when all of a sudden he told me about the shackle and what it truly was. As he said the word leash out loud, I instantly pictured him in a cage, beaten and bruised with a collar around his neck. That image made me sick and I closed my eyes for a second to get rid of it. I needed to focus and I needed to move because it was clear that he wouldn't help me. As much as it disappointed me, I could understand him somehow but he chose a really bad day for this conclusions. He wasn't the selfless hero anymore, he had been betrayed and deceived once to often to risk his life, his security anymore. So I was on my own in here. When I walked away from the basement I felt again how a little piece of the Vincent I knew and loved broke away. It was like coming to an understanding at a highly inconvenient time. Even when his memories were back, to much had happened to him, with him and it had changed Vincent forever. So clearly, if we got out of here alive maybe I needed to get some time, to once and for all grief the loss of the man I loved more than anything and maybe after that I could learn to accept this new Version of him. Because if I didn't I would loose him again and this time forever.

Vincent: Move on? So that's what this is about. You're still waiting for her.

Gabe: Actually, she's waiting for me.

Vincent:

He was telling the truth, I was feeling it and I hated it. The thought of her kissing him or his hand on Catherine made me feel numb and on fire at the same time, but as much as I wanted to, I couldn't say anything back to him. I had lost the right to say anything. He knew his words had wounded me and that text had somehow saved me, so I didn't had to be in his presence any second longer. I needed air to calm down, to get this image out of my head and so I made my way over to the precinct to get Tori. They had nothing against her so maybe I had a chance to get her and the necklace. This damn necklace. Even after a few days, the thought about what she stood for, what the gem was really used for still made my skin crawl. At some point in history some people had kept my kind like animals. On a leash. Whenever I thought about it, picturing me or Tori with that thing around our necks, bile rose in my throat. I would never let anyone use it again. But clearly, someone knew about it and I was obsessed with the need for answers. Someone wanted this collar and I had to find out who, I even let Tori wear it in public. Hoping that whoever wanted it would find us.

When I turned around the corner the street in front of the precinct was full of cops, their police lights painting every surface in blue and red. Gabe was standing under a tent, probably some kind of operation central. For that much cops in full swat gear it was far to easy to get behind the barriers and to Gabe. I took my chance and gave the building plans a look over, trying to find a way in so I could get Tori and my Necklace. I didn't really cared about this hostage situation, they had enough men out here to solve this situation on their own. Until he confirmed me that Catherine was in there too. As much as I fought against it, the thought of Catherine in danger still made my blood run cold. Walking away without another way to him, I decided to go in, getting Catherine out of danger before getting Tori and my necklace. It sounded like a good plan but when I dropped out of the ventilation shaft, she stood right in front of me clearly okay. Catherine immediately justified an unconscious Tori both of us not knowing how she could take her out. And while I took a look at her and pocketed my jewellery safely, she started the same speech about how her old Vincent wouldn't care about himself and instead would have saved all the innocents. Blah blah. I was so sick of it. I had always tried to do the right thing. Had always wanted to safe people. And what had I gotten for it? I had sacrificed so much, so often and was always kicked around for it. Had almost been killed. No one ever stood up for me, not even Catherine. So I tried to tell myself that I didn't care, that I could walk out here without interfering. And I almost could, until I heard Tess's desperate cries. And while this guy counted down I found myself torn between the two half's of my soul, old Vincent and new Vincent. Making a decision in the last moment.

Standing in the room, feeling all their eyes on me I hoped so desperately that Cat would hold her promise, that I wouldn't trust her for nothing. And when that asshole put his hands on me, searching me, I tried to keep calm. But the moment he took hold on my property, a shudder went through me, opening the door to my other side. Feeling myself changing, I let loose in the darkness Catherine had gifted to me. A few movements later most of the attackers were down and Tess shouted to everyone to get out, while I searched for the gem. When I took hold of it, the sound of bullets echoed through the room leaving me no choice but to duck behind a desk. I felt it immediately, the loss of strength and power. With Catherine screaming my name and shots coming from everywhere, I lay under that damn table trying to get back into my beast mode but with no success. Totally confused I felt myself being dragged up. This guy punched me, my jaw exploding in pain and nothing inside me changed, nothing hummed with rage. Had I lost my beast was the last thought before he knocked me out. When I got back, I heard her words, mumbled and breathless. The necklace. The moment my skin lost contact to the metal my beast roared in anger.

With his fire in my veins they had no chance. And they would give me answers. They had to. Holding him up I demanded to know their boss, any information in the promise of his survival. Starring him down my view was distracted by a little red dot, jumping over her upper body.

Every muscle tensed and jumped to action. Crashing into, her I covered her body with mine, protecting her from the bullet as I pulled her down. When the shot hit his target neither of us really heard it. It was dulled by the feeling of her her in my arms, close to me and the realisation that she had protected me. She had hold her word. And was thankful that I didn't left. So many thought ran through my head but before anything could get out of me the room was stormed by cops, breaking any connection we had for a second. When our statement had been taken I watched Gabe rub her wrists, touching her soft skin and it was enough to remind myself that she was with him now and that I should go. Searching Tori or something. When I found her, she was a little shaken but okay. I sent her home and went to search for the necklace but no matter where I looked, I didn't found her. She was gone. Damn.

If they had taken it it could mean trouble for us. Real trouble. Catherine obviously saw the struggles and surprisingly apologized for her words before. Somehow it seemed like she would honestly understand it better now, what this Gem could mean to me, to us and why I had to have it. So I could prevent others from using it. And I was sure that someone wanted to use it. Maybe on me or Tori, or even worse on new beasts. I couldn't let that happen. So I jumped over my shadow and asked her to work with me, together. This was so much more than our personal problems. Before we could get back to arguing with each other Tess ran over and almost jumped at me. Thanking me for saving her. I didn't wanted to say it out loud but I felt good. Better than being invited as the last one to a party where I had to watch Gabe and Catherine together. So I politely declined and made my way home. Were I wouldn't be alone but somehow would feel like it.