Words Unspoken

By Schroederplayspiano

Chapter 12: Then I Would…

Cat's hands rattled as she poured the hot chocolate in a mug for Tess. She knew her rattling hands had more to do with her worries about Tess and Evan than any effect from the kidnapping itself. After all, she had been through it before, right? Plus she had no right to complain; she wasn't the one who had just been formally tortured.

Emotions were too much for Cat to handle. Keeping her mind focused on delivering the hot chocolates to Tess on the couch helped Cat quiet her mind. When Cat handed with Tess her warm drink, her expression changed to a combination of guilt and sorrow.

"I'm fine, Cat." Tess whispered. "I promise."

Not expecting Tess to speak with any more honesty, Cat nodded and took a seat next to her on the couch. The hall clock tick filled the silent apartment. Cat buried her legs in the couch and pulled a blanket over her. She examined her friend.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

"I'm really sorry, Tess." Cat blurted through their taciturn moment together. "I should have spoken – I should have done anything - "

"What happened was bigger than me." Tess looked at Cat to convey her seriousness. "I understand that. It was about saving him and about mother's murder." Cat looked down at Tess' mention of her mother. Tess' eyes budged. Her palm went between them, demanding more information. "How you could you not tell me you solved her murder?"

"I couldn't say anything! You know that…after everything they did to you – to us."

"No…" Tess whispered. "It wasn't about them. Your silence has to do with him. You were protecting him tonight. That is what you should have been doing. Besides, he showed up at the right moment anyway."

"Yeah," Cat blushed. "He has a tendency to do that."

Tess nudged Cat and smiled. "Alright, now we're getting somewhere."

"I guess I do owe you details now, don't I?"

"And then some." Tess' face lit up for the first time that night.

Cat focused on her hot chocolate. She watched her spoon weave through the liquid. Where were her lines now? Tess proved herself trustworthy tonight, but did her trust mean she should tell her everything?

"Okay," Cat conceded. "What do you want to know?"

Tess' excitement eclipsed any sign of torture on her face. "Really?"

"Well, you've earned it." Cat shrugged. "And I can't really use the 'You don't know what you're getting into anymore'…So-"

"How long has this been going on? Since we met JT or longer than that?"

"For me, I met him when I went back to the warehouse without you."

"'For you?' What do you mean 'for you?" Cat felt her blush return. She looked down from Tess' gaze and smiled into her mug. "Cat!" Tess leaned closer. "You have to tell me!"

No matter how hard Cat tried, she couldn't control the blush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. She took a sip of hot chocolate and sighed. Cat turned her attention to Tess only to find her classic incredulous and impatient expression on her face. Finally conceding, Cat admitted, "He has been checking up on me ever since my mom died."

Tess didn't blink before she responded with an, "Oh. My. God." Then turned away to digest the information.

Cat didn't know how to react. Worse, she didn't know what Tess was thinking. Somewhere between waiting for Tess to speak again and memories flooding in around the first couple weeks she and Vincent adjusted to each other her blush faded.

Tess' excitement had the opposite reaction. "This is so cool!"

"Tess…" Cat warned, sure to make the concern in her voice clear. "How can you say that? You were just tortured because of him."

"I know." Reflection changed Tess' composure. Soberness broke through the excitement on her face. She took sipped hot chocolate until it was gone and placed her mug on the table. Tess snuggled deeper into the couch. "And I am concerned for you. His situation poses risks I probably can't begin to imagine." Cat traced her mug's outline, shaking her head "But I don't think you understand how much he is in love with you." Cat snapped her attention back to Tess; signaling that wasn't the point. "And okay, I didn't realize how accurate labeling him 'complicated guy' was, but it's like you're living out your own fairytale and you don't even know it."

"And you still don't understand the seriousness of the situation."

Tess sat up straighter. "No. I do. I wasn't dunked in ice water for nothing. You are underestimating my ability to judge a situation."

"Tess…"

"No. Cat. I watched how you calmed him down not once, but twice. There was a look in both of your eyes, a trust with each other that tells me he would never hurt you. For months now I've seen your mood oscillate from ecstatic to heartbroken. That's what happens when you're in love, Cat. Now if you can't admit it to him or even to me, that's fine. Just don't deny it to my face."

Cat nodded but said nothing. Her gaze still focused on her mug's rim.

"I will say my reaction would have been different if I didn't witness what your interaction with him before they kidnapped us. If you're wondering why I'm not going all 'protective-best-friend' on your ass, then that's why."

"No," Cat broke from the mug's hypnosis to redirect her attention. "Your excitement and exhaustion prevents you from seeing reason now. You will catch up eventually though."

"Are you talking about me or you?" Tess leveled Cat with her eyes. Cat didn't respond. Tess soon decided to hold her gaze until she did.

Cat broke their connection to place her mug on the coffee table. She returned to her position on the couch to find Tess still demanding an answer. Cat shrugged. "Both. I guess."

Tess' response came to her immediately but she sat with Cat's answer, weighing the best way to deliver her line. After a deep breath Tess whispered, "Why can't you allow yourself to be happy Cat?"

"I can!" Cat exclaimed. "I am! He and I are doing just fine. Thank you very much."

"You are burying you heart so deep I can't even reach it."

Cat couldn't hide her burgeoning annoyance in her flippant response. "Well, maybe I'm saving it just for him."

Vincent's footsteps announced his presence. Both women turned in his direction. Cat smiled. Tess' surprise at his sudden appearance was clear on her face. "Saving what for me?" He asked.

Tess' gaze darted between them and she noticed Cat's casual reaction to his presence. "Do you usually walk into people's living rooms uninvited?"

"Huh," A thoughtful look crossed Vincent's face. Then a smiled appeared. "Do you usually walk into people's lofts uninvited?"

A small blush formed behind Tess' cheeks. "Fair enough."

Vincent nodded and took a seat next to Cat on the couch. "Are you okay?" He addressed Tess although it was clear his question was intended more for Cat than for her.

"We are police officers. We are trained for those situations." Tess' confidence rose when she looked Vincent in the eye.

"Right." Vincent added sarcasm to his voice. "That must be why Catherine insisted on taking care of you after dropping Evan off, leaving JT alone with that mess."

"You mean your mess." Cat corrected him. "And JT said it was fine."

"Well, Evan came back after you dropped him off." Vincent announced.

An abhorrent "What?" slid off Cat's tongue.

"Yeah," Vincent confirmed in a sober tone. "We have a problem."

Cat turned her back to Tess to focus on Vincent. "Did he see you?"

"No…" Vincent's information could not come out fast enough for Cat. "And I pulled JT out of sight just in time."

"Then…" Cat urged him on. "What's the problem?"

Empathy entered Vincent's voice and he whispered when he spoke, "Cat, Evan completely lost it."

Tess smiled. "What do you mean?" She asked with incredulity.

"I mean he tore that place apart searching for evidence." Vincent answered Tess at his normal volume. "When he didn't find any, he pulled out a gun and called for me to come out. When I didn't he pointed it at himself. He didn't shoot, but he went crazy."

Vincent's claim propelled Cat to her feet. "Crazy? Evan is not crazy. He would never do that. Plus doesn't have a gun."

"Well he got one somehow." Vincent stood after Cat.

Cat managed to stand still as she searched her apartment for her keys. "Is he still there?"

"I think so."

"I have to go find him," Cat told him when she spotted her keys on the counter. Before she could take a step, Vincent blocked her path.

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

"Vincent, what were you expecting?" Cat's hall clock's tick made her more impatient. "That you'd tell me my friend was in trouble and I wouldn't go after him?"

"No, I know you better than that."

"Good." Cat tried to move forward but Vincent stepped in front of her again. "Then why are you stopping me?"

"Because." Tess spoke out from the couch. "The person Evan is angry at is you. He just lost his entire research project. Something he set all his hopes on. Learning you chose to work with JT and not with him is going to kill him."

"Which is exactly why I need to go." Cat refuted. She turned to Vincent. "You'll be there the whole time. I don't understand the problem."

"We are going to go help Evan," Vincent assured her. "But you're not coming to help Evan, you coming to help me."

Cat's blank expression enforced her words. "I don't understand."

Tess eyes popped when she connected the dots. Her excitement from earlier reappeared. She pointed at Vincent. "You are going save Evan! You're the only one he can see without going crazy."

"No! Vincent…" Cat protested. "I already know how much you regretted going into those tunnels."

"I only regretted it because I didn't have control. I have control now. Preventing Evan from losing his mind is for your benefit, not for mine. So, now that we're clear," Vincent went to retrieve Cat's keys. "Will you lead the way?"

Cat grudgingly took her keys from Vincent. Tess followed Cat out the door, leaving Vincent to shut the door behind them. Walking down the hall, Tess grabbed Cat and whispered in her ear, "'It's for your benefit, not for mine.' Yeah, a guy who's willing to risk everything not just for you, but for the sanity of your friends, doesn't spell love to me at all."

"Thank you, Tess!" Cat's loud response attempted to shut her friend up.

"Just call me Lumiere." Tess corrected Cat as they made their way down the stairs.


A/N: Forget you guys being appalled at my late update - I'm more so, I promise. I had a really busy couple of days :0! The next chapter is halfway done. It shouldn't be too long a wait. Thanks so much for waiting. xoxo.