HI Again! Well just to let you know that I have one more little blurp to end this fic. Please R&R. I hope you have enjoyed this. I plan to reconstitute other ones that I never published which will fulfill the circle of how Vincent and Catherine had their two in the middle. Thank you to all who have kept up with this and left a review. They keep me going! Love to all - Carebearmaxi
Take The Long Way Home
Chapter 14
Back in the Tunnels, Father sat in his easy chair reading. He was not concentrating because his mind kept revolving around to how his son and his family were faring now that they were all together with his older son and family. Mary sat next to him reading as well but always keeping one ear open for one of the orphan children who may need something.
Tearing his glasses from his face and slamming his book shut, Father said,"I should have heard word by now. I'm surprised Peter has not had the courtesy to send me word on both Vincent and Catherine."
"Calm down, Jacob, dear. I'm sure we will hear soon. Look at it this way, "no news is good news", Mary said laying a comforting hand on his forearm.
"Yes, I suppose you're right, Mary," Father sat back again and reopened his book intending to resume his reading when Rebecca brought him a message.
"Rebecca, what have you there?" Father asked motioning Rebecca to venture into the spacious yet cluttered chamber.
Rebecca stepped down the three steps into the main part of the chamber carrying a paper message she had retrieved from a Helper coming from one of the helpers who had a telephone.
"Father, I received this from Charlie. He said it is a message from Vincent."
Father eagerly held out his hand and allowed Rebecca to stay in the room while he read it. After carefully opening the folded message he read and reread the message and then sighed heavily and sat back.
"They are all fine. Including Catherine. She's regained consciousness and they think she will be released in the morning," Father announced closing his eyes in a silent prayer of thanks.
"Does that mean they are coming home soon?" Mary asked rereading the message as Father had handed it to her.
"I don't know, my dear. Perhaps," Father had said truthfully. A woman who just emerged from a blood-loss induced coma may suffer other complications making it impossible for her to come home right away. They would just have to wait until the next message from Devin.
Father put an arm around Rebecca and said, "Thank you, Rebecca. You can tell the others about Vincent and Catherine."
"Good night, Father," Rebecca said and gave Father a kiss on his bristled cheek.
Mary and Father hugged each other in their relief.
Upon examination the next day, Catherine's bleeding was found to have slowed considerably.
"Well, I do not think we'll have to do a hysterectomy after all," Peter said after Stan had examined her. "However, you are going to have be on bed rest when you get home for a couple of more days just to be on the safe side."
"Yes, that's right, Peter," Stan agreed.
Catherine lowered her head and bit her lip. She felt she had missed so much by being in a stupid coma for three days. She was eager to go back to all her children let alone the twins. She wanted to sleep in the same bed as her husband and have his reassuring presence beside her and enveloping her. She had been commanded to sleep last night but the last thing she had wanted to do or could do was sleep.
"I'm going to discharge you. So you can call someone to pick you up in about an hour," Dr. Stan said to her. "Take it easy. I know it won't be easy. You now have how many children?"
"Five," Catherine and Peter said together.
"How old are they now besides the newborns?" Dr. Brinkerman had asked.
"The oldest is ten," Catherine said.
"You have your hands full."
"Don't worry. Cathy will have lots of help," Peter said winking at her.
"I suppose I do," Catherine smirked back. "Thank you, Dr. Brinkerman."
"Ok, I will see you later. Feel better now."
After Dr. Stan left, Peter came over to Catherine and took her hand.
"I am so glad you came back to us. I know getting Vincent to be here was the right thing to do."
Catherine looked him straight in the eyes. "I so much appreciate that. Yes, Vincent's presence was the best thing; however, I don't like the risk you ran in sending for him."
"He's fine, Catherine. No one the wiser. You're back. That is all that matters to any of us. Especially Vincent," Peter said hoping that she realized he had acted in her best interests. If anything had happened to Catherine, Vincent would have been doubly crazy than the last time when she was kidnapped and held against her will and their newborn son kidnapped by a psychopath.
"Thank you, Peter. So are you on your way home now?" Catherine wondered.
"Devin and Angela invited me for dinner tonight figuring that you will be home by then. We all want to celebrate. By the way Devin did get a message to Father last night about how all of you are faring without the shelter of the Tunnels."
"That's good. I know he would worry especially about Vincent's safety. It's been a while since we had to worry about Vincent coming above other than late at night taking walks in the park, so Father must have been chomping at the bit to know."
"Don't you think Father was concerned for you, too?" Peter wondered.
Catherine lowered her head again and releasing Peter's hand she lie back on the pillows and said, "I know his uppermost fear is for Vincent's exposure. I know he's care for us all including his grandchildren, but sometimes I think he still thinks Vincent will return to being that young man who seemed he would never have a life of his own."
"Perhaps. He is understandable, though, don't you think?"
"Yes. I suppose. I know I will worry about my children until I die," Catherine said.
"Spoken like a loving good mother that you are. Your parents would be so proud of you and the woman that you've become," Peter said with a smile.
"Well, like you said, I had lots of help," Catherine smiled and she and Peter shared a laugh.
Several hours later Devin had gathered all of his brother's family including his brother and him into the van he had borrowed previously
Catherine who sat in front next to Devin who was driving had been dozing off and on. She was still so tired from her loss of blood and then recovering from the coma. When she had returned back at Devin's that day, she immediately took hold of her newborns and her elder children and had not stopped one minute in answering their questions. Devin thought for them to leave the next day, but as it would be safer for Vincent in the cover of darkness that's when he decided the early evening was as good a start as any.
Vincent sat in the back of the van next to the two carseats holding his youngest and Mary was on his lap with her head nestled in the nook of his neck while Jonathan held his father's hand and dozed on his arm. Jacob sat on the other side next to the car seats and dozed off with his head resting on the back of the seat.
"Devin," Vincent said quietly.
"Yes, Vincent," Devin said quietly back.
"I just wanted to thank you for everything you've done since Catherine was most unexpectedly delayed in coming home."
"Are you kidding? I have to thank her and you for the sacrifice you made. You guys gave me my wife back. She recovered from her depression. She's even talking about trying to get pregnant again. I realize that you gave me my wife back and you almost lost yours," Devin said lowering his eyes a bit showing a little his sorrow at the thought that Vincent almost lost his Catherine again.
"Yes, I didn't, though. Catherine is a strong woman and I knew she would come back to us. She's been in peril in so many ways that she had to grow from all the horror she has had to live through."
"Especially how and when Jacob was born," Devin acknowledged.
"Yes." Vincent simply stated and kissed Mary's little forehead.
Suddenly there was a siren and the reflection of red lights in the mirror which aroused all inhabitants of the vehicle.
"It's the police?" Catherine said immediately alert and awake. "Devin, what were you doing?"
"I don't think I was speeding. I don't think I have headlight or a tail light out?" Devin said trying to think of some reason why he was being pulled over.
"Vincent," Catherine whispered worriedly.
"It's all right, mom. Daddy took Mary and V.J. to the back of the van where it's dark," Jacob explained having turned on his knees to look back. He then hopped over the seat and sat next to baby Caroline and his brother joined him on the first seat in the back of the van. Vincent and the other two children were cloaked in darkness, so unless Devin was under suspicion of carrying illegal substances or the cops were especially looking for contraband Vincent, Mary, and V.J. should be fine.
Devin stopped the vehicle and in the glaring flashing lights of the cop car, he waited for the officer to step to the side of the van and ask for his license, registration, and insurance card.
Devin opened the car window as the NY police officer came to the window with a flashlight.
"Good morning, officer," Devin said as he rolled down the window.
"Do you know why I pulled you over?" The office asked.
"No, not exactly. Was I speeding?" Devin asked innocently.
"Exactly. Do you realize you were going 50 in the 25 mile an hour residential zone!" The office shown his flashlight briefly through the van's front seat and part of the back.
"Frank?" Catherine asked. "Frank, is that you?"
"Cathy Chandler?" the office asked in return. "Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me, Frank Winslow. I thought you retired like a hundred years ago?"
"No, I just moved and changed precincts. What are you doing out here this time of the morning."
"Well, this is my husband, Vincent." Catherine tweaked Devin's arm. "Back there our five children are asleep. We're returning from a trip down south to see Devin's parents. We needed to get back early because the children need to go back to school on Tuesday."
"Nice to see you again, Catherine. Where are your other two? I only see three children."
Catherine bit her lip temporarily and then said. "There asleep in the back with the nanny. So I would appreciate if you could keep this to a dull roar. Just give 'Vincent' his punishment and then we'll be on our way."
Frank looked at the license, registration, and insurance card with Devin's name printed on them. Luckily Devin's middle initial was "V" for Vera which was his mother's middle name. When Father named him after the death of his mother, Father thought giving their son his own mother's middle name would be like a tribute to her since Grace was far too feminine for a little boy.
"It says here Devin V Wells. You called him Vincent," Frank said not missing a beat.
"Vincent is my middle name. Only my parents call me that. Everyone else calls me Devin. When Catherine met me, I introduced myself as Vincent and it stuck."
"Ok. Well that explains that. I'll be right back," Frank said as he went off to his car to confirm the veracity of the forms he held in his hands.
When Frank was well out of earshot, Devin turned to look at Catherine and said, "Well, it's a good thing you worked all those years at the D.A's office. Do you know all the cops on the force?"
Catherine laughed. "No, I don't know him from the D.A's office. He helped me get home when I went into labor with Jonathan and I got stuck in Central Park trying to get home. I had him take me to my old apartment and then about six hours later I gave birth to Jonathan there."
Catherine could hear Vincent's smothered laugh from the back of the van.
"Oh, I see this wasn't your first foray into leaving home heavily pregnant near giving birth." Devin smiled and laughed.
Frank came back and then waved them on. He let 'Vincent' off with a warning and shortly after they all arrived at the stop in Central Park next to the old iron door where they had been informed would be a small waiting party to help them journey back home down Below with the children and luggage.
Devin waited above and maintained a watchful eye while all the transporting took place. The last thing they needed was an NYC cop coming to their unsuspecting aid and asking impertinent questions.
Eventually all were safely behind the iron door. Vincent stayed behind while Catherine with Jamie and Mouse's assistance helped the children traverse below to their beds.
"Tell Father that I think we may be back for Christmas now that Angela has met you. Father would be happy to meet this daughter-in-law, don't you think?"
"Father would be pleased to have all of you home for always, but he knows you have your life and obligations above so he will take whatever time you want to give to him. He became quite attached to his three beautiful and smart granddaughters. He kept remarking how all three of them reminded him of you."
Devin smiled and was glad to hear that. He and Father had had such a precarious relationship over the years that Devin never knew whether or how he had offended his father. Of all the children that Father and Mary had raised through the years, Devin was Father's only biological son; so the precariousness of the relationship had hurt Devin for many years. During those years Devin thought never going home would be best, but Devin loved where he grew up and, in spite of all the trouble between he and Father, Devin loved his father. He had also come to realize that Father loved him although he had a gruff way of showing it. Vincent had assured Devin that since Catherine had come into their lives that Father's attitude toward allowing his sons' their freedoms was not just reflected on Devin. Father had had more than one occasion called out Catherine for endangering his "special" son.
"Well, I will see you later," Devin said as he stepped forward and embraced his "little" brother. "Love you, Vincent."
"Love you, too, Devin," Vincent said and hugged his brother tightly. The embrace sparked many memories in Vincent's mind at that moments of he and Devin and their talks late at night in Central Park and how a skinny little Vincent would hold his big brother's hand and feel safe as if he were tucked in his bed underneath the earth in their shared chamber.
"Our love to Angela and the children, " Vincent said as he released his brother. Devin backed away and then turned and waved behind him leaving Vincent standing there as Vincent watched his brother return to his life Above.