Catherine Chandler sat at the vanity in her bedroom. The apartment still smelled somewhat musty from disuse. The fall had turned into early winter, or she would have opened the French doors to the balcony to air the apartment.
Gabriel's RICO case broke wide open when the FBI code crackers finally cracked the book, and the case was now with the U.S. Attorney's office pending trial. Since John Moreno and those directly involved in her kidnapping had made plea deals in exchange for testifying in the RICO case, Agent McCall had felt it was safe for her to come Above. McCall had even offered to accompany Catherine to her apartment after updating her on the case.
She now had a decision to make: Whether she wanted to move back Above, or stay Below with Vincent permanently.
"It must seem strange to be back here, after all the time away," Dee Dee McCall said, leaning against the bedroom door frame.
"It is. I was just pondering. I have a decision to make about my life Above," Catherine replied.
"Do you still want a relationship with Vincent?"
Catherine nodded, smiling. "Oh, yes. But that means giving up my life Above, if I stay Below with him."
"Does it? I once thought that I had to give up being a cop if I wanted kids and a family. But here I am, an FBI agent with a kid and preparing for a wedding. I could have never dreamed of this scenario. I won't lie and say it was always easy; there have been kinks to work out. But Rick and I worked through them together, and we've made a pretty good life for ourselves. Sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming."
"Rick can join you here Above, though. Vincent can't," Catherine said.
"Maybe you could find someplace in between," McCall said thoughtfully. "Is there someplace you could make safe for Vincent to stay Above, and give him safe access to Below?"
Catherine seemed to consider this. "Have Vincent live Above with me? It would need to be private, so a townhouse, at least," she thought out loud, "My father. I never sold my father's brownstone after he died. I grew up there, and I couldn't bring myself to sell it so soon after he died. I've just been renting it out, since it was too big for only me. I'd have to see if the tunnels could be connected to the basement…"
McCall smiled, watching the wheels turn in the other woman's head. She had no doubt the other woman would find a way.