The Other Path ~ Season 1
By Thomas Mc

Authors Note : As with previous episodes, I wish to thank those responsible for the Beauty and the Beast Scripts and Transcription Project which saves me from the frustrating days it would take to recreate some of the dialog from this episode. Because of the nature of this episode it will bear a much closer resemblance to the original TV episode though I did manage to make a few alterations influenced by Vincent and Catherine's relationship.

A Children's Story

Little Naomi stood on tip-toes as she peered into the crib. The infant gurgled at her and she looked up at Catherine Chandler and Loretta Neil with a grin of enchantment on her face. "He's so cute and fuzzy." She looked back down at the infant. "Is he going to be a lion-man too?"

Loretta blushed a bright red as Catherine smiled down at the little five year old girl. "Yes he is, just like his daddy."

Loretta looked over at Catherine with a slightly more serious look on her face. "You are so brave, Cathy. I don't think I would have the courage to do what you have done."

Catherine leaned down and scooped the infant up into her arms. She looked into his leonine face for a second then responded. "It wasn't courage . . ." Catherine looked up at Loretta with a soft introspective smile. "It was love."

Loretta felt a tingle run up her back at the look on Catherine's face combined with her simple words. She loved her husband and her family dearly but what she had seemed to pale before the strength of what Cathy and Vincent had.

She shook off the slight case of envy then remarked. "I sometimes wish . . ."

At that moment they were disturbed by the sound of an animated conversation as two young tunnel children came to a stop at the door. Catherine looked toward the door to see Kipper and Sara standing there looking uncertainly hopeful.

"Can we come in to see the baby?" The young girl inquired.

~ o ~

Geoffrey was muttering to himself as he trotted down a street. Normally he would have been below, playing with his friends in the tunnels but Kipper had gone off somewhere with Sara (probably to see Vincent and Catherine's new baby if he knew Sara). So Father had tapped Geoffrey to deliver the package to one of the Helpers. Now Geoffrey was on his way back to the tunnels.

Suddenly a young boy of about the same age came running around the corner of the building. The boy was looking over his shoulder as he ran. Geoffrey saw two men running toward them as the boy ducked between two parked cars.

"Get away!" The young boy hissed at Geoffrey.

Geoffrey glanced at the two men then back down at the young boy as he tried to make himself as small as possible while trying to work his way under one of the cars. "That's not a good place, they'll find you there." Geoffrey remarked as he quickly glanced again at the two rapidly approaching men. Then he reached out a hand toward the boy. "Come on!" He ordered insistently.

After a moment's hesitation, the boy scrambled out from under the car. Geoffrey led the boy into another alley. Geoffrey stopped at a small metal door in the side of an old abandoned building. After quickly scanning the area he pulled the door open, which revealed an old style coal chute and indicated for the boy to precede him. They crawled down the chute and Geoffrey pulled the door shut behind then.

A few seconds later the two men rounded the corner into the alley. The first man looked around in frustration as he spoke to the other man. "He's here, somewhere." The two men started moving slowly up the alley searching for the missing boy.

Meanwhile Geoffrey and the boy crouched in the empty coal bin of the abandoned building. "Who are those guys chasing you?" Geoffrey inquired.

The young boy hesitated a moment before responding. "They're from Ridley."

Geoffrey looked quizzically at the boy. "Ridley?"

The boy glanced around nervously then responded fearfully. "The foster home, Ridley Hall. They whack you and pretend they're helping you. It's a slime pit. They catch me, I'm dead meat…"

"What do you mean?" Geoffrey inquired.

The boy shook his head, fear in his eyes. "Kids even disappear…"

Geoffrey looked back in a combination of curiosity and concern. "Disappear?"

"That's what they're trying to do to me." The obviously frightened boy responded. He tilted his head, listening for a moment then continued. "Think they're gone?"

Geoffrey shook his head. "I don't know…" The boy started to climb toward metal door where they had come in. "Hey! Where're you going?"

"Far away from Ridley." The boy responded as he reached for the door.

Outside, about ten feet from the coal bin hatch, the two men were slowly searching the alley. One of the men raised his hand. "Shut up! I think I heard something."

Inside the coal bin Geoffrey grabbed the boy's arm. "Hey! Let me go!" The boy cried.

Geoffrey held on and made a hushing motion to the boy as he spoke with quiet intensity. "Don't go that way." He shook his head. "It's not safe. They might still be out there." After a moment's thought Geoffrey came to a decision. "I know a safer way."

The boy looked back at Geoffrey a moment in indecision then with a shrug nodded. "OK."

Geoffrey pushed at the half open doorway on the other side of the coal bin and led the boy through it into large dusty basement. Everything was covered with a thin layer of dust and the light filtering in through the grimy windows on the other side of the large room gave everything an eerily spooky aura. To the boy's left two large boilers loomed menacingly above them.

Geoffrey grabbed the boy's hand. "This way." He insisted quietly and drew the boy down the space between the huge boilers. A bit reluctantly, the boy let Geoffrey pull him along as he looked up at the metal behemoths on either side of them.

In the alley above, the larger of the two men moved toward the coal chute hatch. "Over here. I know I heard something."

The two boys came to a metal hatch in the wall behind the boilers. Some pipes went from the boilers through the walls while several smaller pipes went up the wall and through the ceiling above. Geoffrey grabbed the handle in the hatch, twisted it and pulled. For a moment nothing happened then the hatch gave way with a squeal of ancient rusty hinges. Quickly Geoffrey pulled the startled boy through the opening and then pulled the hatch closed again. The boy stood momentarily staring at the brick lined tunnel that he now found himself in. Dozens of pipes and conduits of all sizes and colors ran along the walls of the tunnel.

Geoffrey touched the boy's arm to get his attention. "Quick, this way." They heard some muffled shouting from beyond the closed hatch. Geoffrey grabbed the sleeve of the boy's shirt and tugged. "Run!" He told the boy in a low urgent voice. The two boys took off running down the utility tunnel. Twenty feet from the hatch Geoffrey led them around a corner into one of the innumerable side tunnels. After several more turns down other side tunnels the boy felt hopelessly lost but Geoffrey slowed down and his demeanor took on a more confident air. Geoffrey smiled at the confused boy. "We're safe now. Those men won't be able to follow us in this maze of tunnels." Geoffrey continued on at a brisk relaxed walk.

"Where are we going?" The boy asked as he took in the surrounding tunnel and his companion's appearance.

"I'm taking you to a safe place where those bad men will never be able to find you." Geoffrey responded with an encouraging smile. "My name's Geoffrey. What's your name?"

"Peter." The young boy replied.

Geoffrey stopped at an intersection and looked at Peter for a moment unsure whether he should take Peter down into the home tunnels without father's permission. He had already bent the rules pretty severely by bringing him this far. The boy looked back at him uncertainly. Geoffrey came to a decision. "I think I know just the person who can help you and the other kids where you come from." His mind made up, Geoffrey turned to the left hand tunnel and again set off at a brisk walk with Peter following close behind him.

~ o ~

Up in the nursery Vincent heard Geoffrey's voice call out at about the same time he became aware of two new presences down in the parlor. "Catherine, Vincent!" Geoffrey called out again.

"We'll watch little Edward for you." Sara remarked solemnly.

.

With a barely suppressed smiles Catherine and Vincent looked at each other then Vincent nodded to the young girl and her friend. "We'll be back in a few minutes." Then he took Catherine's hand. "Come on Catherine, I think Edward is in good hands for now."

~ o ~

Geoffrey turned to Peter who was staring, wide eyed, around the parlor at the understated elegance that surrounded him. "If anyone can help you, Catherine can." He grinned. "She is a very important person." He then paused looking more serious. "Also I want you to know that Vincent is the kindest person I know. He would never hurt you no matter how scary he might look." Geoffrey hoped that he hadn't made a mistake bringing Peter to Catherine and Vincent's place like this.

The sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs drew both boys' attention. Moments later, Peter, his mouth hanging open in shock and surprise, edged closer to Geoffrey as he stared at the huge lion-man that had just arrived at the bottom of the stairs followed by a very elegant beautiful woman.

The lion-man spoke, his voice full of gentle power that seemed to ease the tension that had filled Peter. "Geoffrey, what's going on?" The lion-man tilted his head slightly as he looked straight at Peter as though looking into his soul. "Who is this boy and why did you bring him here?"

Geoffrey spoke up. "His name is Peter, and he was being chased, and I helped him hide…"

Catherine stepped around Vincent and approached the boys then kneeled down to be at eye level with them. "Who was chasing him?" Catherine asked trying, unsuccessfully, to draw Peter's attention from Vincent.

Geoffrey responded. "Some men from this place called Ridley."

"Ridley?" Vincent asked.

"It's a foster home." Catherine responded, never taking her eyes from Peter. Vincent had been letting her feel his sense of the boy's emotions by echoing them through their bond. The boy had felt a surge of fear at the mention of the foster home's name. There must be something unusual going on there to cause such a strong reaction in this young boy.

Geoffrey spoke up aiming his words at Catherine. "He said bad things happen there . . . kids got whacked, kids even disappeared. I wanted to bring him below but I thought that it might be better to bring him to you." His voice took on a pleading tone. "I thought that if anyone could help the other kids there, you could."

Catherine spoke soothingly to Geoffrey's companion. "Tell me about it, Peter."

Peter dragged his attention away from the lion-man standing over by the stairs. Hesitantly at first, he began telling the pretty woman a chilling tale of a place where children lived in constant fear of some vague unknown terror befalling them if they said or did anything that displeased their keepers. He told of children disappearing without a word or a trace, sometimes for no known reason. He told of his short time there and of the three children that had disappeared while he had been there. He had finally run away when the two men had come to take him away.

There was a short span of oppressive silence when Peter finished his story. Catherine glanced over her shoulder at Vincent, already sure what he was going to say. "This boy is telling the truth as he sees it." Vincent remarked. "The children Below speak occasionally of a place called Ridley. To them is a place of nebulous dread and now we have the words of this boy who has been there and brings a firsthand account." He took a step toward her. "Those children have no one to protect them. We can't let those in charge hurt the helpless ones . . ."Vincent looked at Peter his brows furrowed in concern. "How can this be, how can this happen?" His gaze shifted to Catherine. "They must be made to feel safe."

Catherine stood up. She rested her hand gently on Peter's shoulder as she responded with a hint of steel in her voice. "If children are being abused in this place I can stop it! I'll look into it right away." She then shifted her attention to Peter. "In the mean time I think Peter should stay with us for a while." She turned her gaze to the other boy. "Geoffrey, why don't you take Peter upstairs and show him to one of the guest rooms." She turned her gaze back to Peter. "You'll be safe here while I get this sorted out." She smiled winningly at Peter. "No one can hurt you while you are under Vincent's protection."

~ o ~

About an hour later, Vincent and Catherine were standing together in the doorway to the nursery with their arms around each other's waists and watching the children in the room. Kipper, Sara and Peter were standing around the crib thoroughly engrossed in baby Edward. Little Edward was gurgling happily at the antics of the three children standing around his crib.

Catherine leaned her head against Vincent's shoulder and sighed. "You know that children always seem to take to you more easily than adults."

Vincent nodded but the look on his face took on a more serious demeanor as he responded. "That may be so but Ridley must be a pretty terrible place if Peter found his first unexpected sight of me to be less intimidating than that place that he came from."

Catherine shook her head very slightly. "First thing tomorrow morning, I'm going to discuss this information with Joe."

~ BB ~

The next morning Catherine was in Joe's office discussing the situation with Ridley.

Joe was pacing in front of Catherine. "Cathy I don't doubt what you're saying. If Vincent says the boy is telling the truth then I believe him." He stopped pacing, exasperation in his eyes. "But there is no way we can use that boy's testimony. He's seen Vincent and the upper tunnels."

Catherine shrugged, just as exasperated. "An anonymous tip from someone reliable with access to information . . ."

He threw up his hands. "It's still an anonymous tip against a sterling reputation. Ridley is supposed to be a model place, one of the good ones." Joe shot back. "I'm going to need a lot more in order to move against that place and I don't have the time to look for something more solid." Joe shook his head. "I'm already juggling seven cases, all going to trial, and I'm gonna need you on the Kowalski case. Cathy, we go to trial next week! There's going to be press coverage, I'm gonna need you there to keep an eye on the witnesses . . ."

Catherine responded. "The Kowalski case? It's all routine; you don't need me on that anymore! It's all paperwork from here and as far as the rest is concerned, I could do it in my sleep!" Her voice took on a hint of pleading in its tone. "Joe, this is important. We're talking about kids! It can't wait."

"The best I can do on an 'anonymous tip' is request surveillance on Barnes." Joe leaned back against his desk and crossed his arms. "OK, Radcliffe. In the meantime, if you can do a little snooping and find me something I can work with, I will act . . . but make it fast, okay? Otherwise we will have to wait for the surveillance on Barnes to turn up something. You know we got plenty of work that needs to be done on our existing cases."

Catherine smiled at Joe. "Okay . . . Thank you." She turned and exited the office in a hurry, her mind already playing with ideas on how to get the information she needed for Joe to be able to act.

~ o ~

About an hour later a taxi pulled up before Ridley Hall. Catherine stepped out of the vehicle and looked up at the imposing façade of the building as she detected Vincent's presence below her and close by. At that moment a young boy whizzed by on a skateboard. She caught just enough of a glimpse to recognize Kipper before he disappeared around the next corner. She glanced up and down the street and recognized two other children from the tunnels. She smiled to herself. Vincent had apparently decided to take a more active role and he had enlisted the 'Central park Irregulars', as she often called them, to help him. She shook her head with a grin and entered the building.

Catherine walked up to the reception desk in a very businesslike manner.

The receptionist looked up at her. "Can I help you?"

Catherine handed the woman her business card. "Yes, I'm Catherine Chandler, with the District Attorney's office.

The receptionist straightened up. "What can we do for you?"

"I would like to have a look around." Catherine replied.

The receptionist adopted a more official tone of voice. "Do you have an appointment?"

Catherine's response was just as short and officious. "No I don't."

"Let me see if Mr. Barnes is able to see you." The receptionist responded.

As the receptionist turned toward the administrator's office, a middle aged man came out. "That's all right, if you'd like a tour of the facilities, I'd be glad to show you around." He extended his band. "I'm Richard Barnes, the administrator."

Catherine cordially shook the man's hand. "Catherine Chandler."

Barnes gestured toward the stairway. "Why don't we start upstairs? So you're with the district attorney's office?"

"That's right." Catherine responded as they started up the stairs

Barnes was looking at Catherine as though trying to divine her real purpose. "And what brings you here Miss Chandler?"

"We're making a survey of the cities foster care systems." Catherine answered.

"We truly try to do the best we can for the children." Barnes remarked smoothly.

Catherine remarked with a very slight shrug and a tilt of her head. "You have a good reputation."

Barnes led her to what he described as a typical dorm room. It was occupied by a half dozen children, two sitting on beds the others on the floor, all sitting very quietly. Barnes stressed how clean and orderly the rooms were. Catherine noticed one bespectacled boy sitting cross-legged on a bed was staring at her and she could have sworn that he wanted to say something but he held his peace. Catherine stated that she wanted to see a classroom. Barnes showed Catherine a classroom full of quiet children diligently scribbling on notebooks while a teacher scribbled on a chalk board. Catherine remarked on how well behaved the children were and Barnes replied that it was because the children were given structure. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but there was something about the class that just didn't feel right. She had not seen a single smile. These kids just weren't acting like kids. She got the feeling that they were all very afraid of something.

After Catherine and Barnes left the class they encountered the same boy with the glasses taking a drink from the water fountain. He stepped away from the fountain and once again he looked as if he wanted to speak to her. Catherine halted and said hello to the boy. The next instant an older girl strode quickly by and grabbed the boy by the hand dragging him away up a flight of stairs.

When Barnes offered to show her a play area she demurred, stating that she would like to talk to a few of the children. Barnes offered to get some of them together but Catherine told him that she would prefer to just walk around for a few minutes.

Catherine headed back down the hall to the room where she first met the boy with glasses but it turned out to be empty. The next room was a playroom with children engaged in various 'quiet' activities. She squatted down next to a young girl sitting in a chair clutching a doll. "Hi. What's your dolly's name?" Catherine asked the little girl.

"Suzie…" She replied.

"Where does Suzie live?" Catherine asked. The girl just shrugged her shoulders. "Does Suzie live here with you?"

The little girl responded. "No, she lives with her mommy and daddy and little sister, but she comes here to play with me sometimes."

"Does she have fun when she comes here?" Catherine asked.

The little girl looked intensely at Catherine, a hint of fear in her eyes. "You know I'm not 'sposed to talk to strangers."

Catherine nodded to the girl and left the room. As Catherine was walking back down the stairs, she again encountered the boy with the glasses. He paused and stared at her. After glancing quickly around she spoke urgently to the boy. "What? Did you want to tell me something?"

The boy nervously responded. "They took Peter! He didn't run away, they took him."

Catherine became very interested. "Who, what do you mean?" She inquired.

"They made him disappear!" The boy responded.

Now she was getting somewhere. "OK, let's start over: what's your name?"

"Eric." The boy replied.

Suddenly the same older girl that had dragged him off before appeared and grabbed him by the hand again then began to draw him up the steps. "Are you crazy? Come on!" She scolded him in a hushed voice.

"Wait!" Catherine called out.

"She's my sister!" The boy replied.

"What's your last name?" Catherine called out to the boy.

"Shut up Eric!" She told him as she pulled him up the stairs. Catherine watched them go in deep frustration.

~ o ~

As soon as Catherine returned from Ridley she was on the phone to the department responsible for the foster home system. Joe was leaning against the wall listening in.

"No, I don't have his last name." . . .

"His first name is Eric." . . .

"No, I can't go out there, I've been out there. That's the point, I want to talk to him away from Ridley Hall." . . .

"When can I get the transfer order?" . . .

"Tomorrow!? . . . Can I talk to your supervisor?" . . .

Catherine rolled her eyes then gave Joe an exasperated look.

"And when will she be back?" . . .

"All right, tomorrow morning first thing, I'll be there."

She hung up with a little more emphasis than was strictly necessary then turned to Joe. Joe shook his head in sympathy. "Bureaucracy in action."

Catherine's exasperation clearly showed on her face as she complained. "The rules designed to protect the child from being moved are the same rules that prevent the child from being moved to safety."

Joe shrugged in response. "Sounds perfectly logical."

Catherine sighed. "Unless you're the kid stuck in a home and being abused, he's gotta wait. It makes me furious."

Joe held his hands out in a gesture of surrender. "What are you going to do? The wheels won't turn any faster."

Catherine began gathering her things. "Well I'm out of here."

Joe looked at her in mock surprise. "Hey, you've only put in 12 hours today!" Catherine laughed then Joe's expression turned serious. "Tell Vincent to be careful out there tonight." He was fairly certain that Vincent would be keeping watch on that place tonight despite the danger to him if he was seen. His biggest worry, though, was the possibility that Catherine or Vincent might take it upon themselves to act. Joe tilted his head a bit. "Listen, you and Vincent be very careful out there . . . and if there's anything I can do . . ."

Catherine's expression altered to match Joe's "No . . . just stay as cynical as you are." She started toward the elevators while speaking over her shoulder. "Good night, Joe."

~ o ~

Back at Ridley, Baines called two tough looking men into his office. "I just got a call from my contact in the head offices of Child Welfare Services. That Chandler woman is making waves. She's trying to get access to two of our kids . . ." He glanced down at an open folder sitting on a stack of folders. "An . . . Eric and Ellie. I've heard a lot of reports about that woman . . . she's trouble. We need to get those two kids out of here tonight."

He closed the file folder. "I'll make arrangements to send the boy to Bridgemont Youth House. Noj has been bugging me for another kid, we'll give him the girl."

~ o ~

Three hours later Catherine was at a black tie cocktail fundraiser at the New York Public Library. An opera singer has just finished singing. Catherine was standing on the mezzanine with a group of old upper scale acquaintances. A woman named Margaret asked Catherine how her job at the DA office was going.

Greg laughed and teasingly commented. "Cathy prowls the mean streets, fighting evil and corruption wherever it raises its ugly head."

Catherine smiled at him and responded. "Something like that."

Elliot Burch who was acting as her escort for the evening draped a friendly arm across Catherine's shoulder and remarked earnestly. "I think what she's doing is terrific. She's doing something she feels passionate about and she's making a difference."

Catherine smiled at him. "I knew I could count on you to defend my honor."

Margaret raised her Champaign glass. "Well, here's to passion, wherever you find it."

Another male friend raised his glass and remarked. "Do me a favor: when you do find it, let me know."

They all raised their glasses and drank to the toast.

~ o ~

When Catherine arrived home she found Vincent waiting up for her. Vincent smiled and enveloped her in a massive lion-hug. "How did it go tonight?"

Catherine hugged him back. "It went very well. We raised a lot of money for the 'Children's Fund'." She gave him a quick kiss then tilted her head. "And how have things gone over at Ridley?"

He raised one eyebrow. "At Ridley?"

Catherine reached up and stroked his fuzzy cheek. "I know you have the tunnel kids watching the place. I spotted a couple of them while I was there this morning. Even Joe suspects that you are getting involved and asked me to tell you to be careful."

Vincent gave her a half smile and relented. "Nothing yet."

At that moment they both heard the sound of feet running up the basement stairs. "Speak of the devil." Catherine comment as she pulled away from Vincent's arms.

Kipper burst into the room. "Vincent, some rough looking guys just left Ridley with a girl that might be the one you told us about. Geoffrey overheard one of them say something about selling her to Noj and taking the boy to Bridgemont. Joey and Dora are trying to follow them and see where they are taking her." He shook his head worriedly and shuddered. "We've all heard rumors about 'Noj'. They say he makes kids steal for him and beats them when they fail."

Catherine's brow furrowed in concentration. "Bridgemont . . . Bridgemont . . ." Then she looked up. "Bridgemont Youth House." She frowned. "I remember . . . a couple of years ago that place was involved in an abuse scandal but nothing was ever proved." Her eyes took on a determined glint. "I'm calling Henderson. Kipper, you and your friends need to see if you can locate this Noj character but be very careful. I don't want any of you hurt or in trouble."

About ten minutes later, a very frustrated Catherine hung up the phone with unnecessary force. Vincent already knew from her mental state that she was less than satisfied with the outcome of the conversation. Catherin sighed deeply then relayed the gist of the call. "Henderson said much the same thing as Joe. He can't act directly on what we have without involving the tunnel kids as witnesses. The best he can do is treat it as an anonymous source which will allow him to put Ridley and Baines under surveillance which he has already done this afternoon at Joe's request." She tilted her head. "He pointedly told me 'not to get caught' trying to retrieve those kids on my own."

After a second Vincent chuckled. "In that case we had better not get caught." He glanced over at the clock on the fireplace mantle. "It's getting late and you have a meeting with Baines in the morning. I think the children will be safe for tonight until we find out where they took Ellie."

Kipper nodded to Catherine. "We'll let you know as soon as we find out where she is." He turned and rushed down the stairs to the basement.

~ BB ~

After a fitfully restless night, Catherine once again stood before the receptionist's desk at Ridley. Baines had been very dismissive of her transfer order giving her custody of the boy named Eric and his older sister. He eventually told Catherine that they had a couple of runaways and suggested that they might be the kids she was looking for. She finally left the foster home in a huff.

As soon as she hit the street, she turned north walking briskly toward Central Park. She quickly discovered that she was being followed by the custodian that she had noticed in the hall at Ridley the first time she had been there. To the man following her she seemed to turn a corner into a parking lot then another corner down an alley and disappeared. It was the same location where that kid he had been chasing disappeared just a couple of days ago. He spent several minutes searching for her but was forced to give up when he spotted a police cruiser nearby.

As soon as Catherine reached the utility tunnel she was met by Vincent. After a big hug Vincent asked how it went.

Catherine shook her head. "Well, they did just what we expected. We know that Eric is still at Ridley but they stonewalled me, claiming that both kids had run away." She sighed. "Have the 'Irregulars' located Ellie yet."

Vincent gave her a quick hug then responded. "They've spotted Noj and a big guy named Freddy along with some kids working the street around Time Square but Ellie is not with them. We'll follow them when they return to their base tonight."

Catherine nodded. "I know that it's the best we can do but I don't like having to wait." She pulled out of Vincent's embrace. "I needed your encouragement but now I have to be heading back to work."

Another quick hug and she headed back up to the surface. She emerged into the curio shop of a helper and caught a cab back to the DA office.

~ o ~

Late in the afternoon the officer watching Ridley saw Barnes and the custodian take Eric to Bridgemont and reported in. The information was relayed to Catherine about twenty minutes after she had received a similar report from Kipper.

An hour later Catherine showed up at Bridgemont with Joe and a uniformed officer in tow. She barged right in and immediately spotted two boys watching TV in the common room. She approached the two boys while Joe and the officer stayed back. "I'm looking for a boy named Eric Peterson? He had glasses?"

The dark haired kid looked up. "Eric?" He looked at the light haired kid with him. "Hey what's the new kids name?"

The light haired kid shrugged. "I don't know."

The dark haired kid pointed toward the ceiling. "Upstairs in detention."

The light haired kid threw in. "Locked up."

Catherine quickly climed the stairs and after a couple of seconds spotted a door marked detention. She knocked on it. "Eric?" She called out softly. Eric stood up off the floor where he'd been laying and went to the door. "Eric?" Catherine called again.

From beyond the door she heard a young voice. "Yeah?"

At that moment a woman coming down the hallway spotted Catherine. "What is this?" She demanded as she grabbed Catherine's arm. "What are you doing?"

Catherine pulled her arm away. "I'm here to retrieve this boy." She held up the hand containing the transfer order from Child Welfare Services.

The woman didn't even glance at the paper. "Who are you?"

Catherine pulled herself up straight. "I think you had better unlock this door now!"

The woman also pulled herself up straighter. "I think you better leave."

"Give me the key." Catherine demanded. The two of them grappled for a second and Catherine twisted the woman's arm behind her back while retrieving the key.

At the same time Eric was banging on the door and calling out. "Let me out, let me out, let me out."

Hearing the commotion the officer started toward the stairs but Joe held out his hand. "Let Catherine handle this."

Catherine unlocked the door as the woman called for someone named Nick.

Eric came out and looked up at Catherine in surprise. "You!"

Catherine nodded. "Yes Eric, go downstairs, get in the car in front…GO!"

Eric ran down the stairs as Catherine shoved the matron into the room and locked her in. The next moment Nick appeared and tried to grab Catherine, but she sidestepped and pushed him hard from behind. His foot came down just beyond the first step and he barely avoided falling down the stairs. She rushed past him down the stairs and out the door into her car, where Eric sat waiting for her. When Nick tried to follow Catherine he found himself stopped by Joe and the police officer and could only look on as Catherine's car pulled away from the curb.

Joe and the police officer immediately began questioning Nick about his part in what was going on at Bridgemont and at Ridley.

~ o ~

By the time Catherine arrived at her home Eric had fallen asleep. With Vincent's help she was able to get him up to one of their guest rooms. As they looked in at the sleeping boy who is curled up on the bed, they discussed what to do now.

"They separated him from his sister." She shook her head. "I'm afraid that they'll come looking for him to take him back; I'm afraid I'll lose him if they find him. I can't chance that Vincent.

Vincent nodded sympathetically. "He'll be safe with us." He started to enter the bedroom.

Catherine put her hand on Vincent's chest. "No wait, I'm afraid he'll . . ."

Vincent looked into her green eyes. "That he'll be afraid?"

Catherine nodded, just a bit sad for Vincent, as she continued. "He's been through a lot, I don't know how . . ."

Vincent took hold of her hand and moved into the room. "It's all right, wake him." He stepped back toward the doorway.

Catherine shook Eric's shoulder gently. "Eric."

Eric roused himself and looked up at Catherine. "What? Where am I?"

Catherine smiled at him. "You're in my home. You're safe now. No one can hurt you here."

Eric shook his head. "I've heard stories. They'll come after me. They'll hurt you."

Catherine shook her head. "They will never be able to get to us. I have a friend who will protect us, someone very extraordinary. I'd like you to meet him?"

Vincent stepped away from the door and came over to stand next to Catherine. He squatted down so that he was eye level with Eric. "Hello, Eric. My name is Vincent."

Eric stared at Vincent in wide-eyed wonder. He then looked over at Catherine. "What is that? Is it real?"

Vincent responded with a faint chuckle. "It's real."

Eric shyly reached out to stroke Vincent's face. "How'd you get like that?"

Vincent shrugged in return and responded. "I don't know, I don't think I ever will. I grew up without ever knowing my father and mother. I only very recently found my mother."

Eric smiled. "I bet you'd know him if you saw him." The two smiled tentatively at each other then Eric turned to Catherine. "They took Ellie."

Catherine reached out and squeezed Eric's shoulder. "Don't worry about your sister. We have some friends tracking the people that have her. By this evening we will know where she is and tonight Vincent and I will go and bring her back." She glanced at her watch. "I have to get back to work but I will be back in a couple of hours. Then we'll see about retrieving your sister." She placed a hand on Vincent's shoulder. "Meanwhile Vincent will look after you until I return."

~ o ~

By the time Catherine returned from work Eric and Vincent had become best buddies. Eric was still fascinated by Vincent's appearance but there was no sign of fear. As she entered the library she found Vincent and Eric looking at a comic book from a collection Vincent had when he was very young. Vincent looked up. "They have located Noj's lair. Geoffrey says that Ellie is there."

Catherine nodded. "Without enough proof for a warrant there is nothing that Joe or the police can do." She sighed. "It's up to us. We'll go in tonight after dark." Vincent cocked his head and chuckled. Catherine looked a bit askance at him. "What's so funny?"

Vincent's eyes twinkled as one corner of his mouth twitched for a moment then he responded. "You sound just like the main character in that spy movie we watched last week."

Catherine chuckled then continued. "What we need is a way in."

Vincent grinned. "Mouse has already found a way into the place from the tunnels."

~ o ~

Barnes stood beside his car in an alley behind a warehouse for several minutes waiting impatiently. Eventually Noj stepped out of a dark alcove and stopped. After a few seconds Baines approached Noj and spoke. "How's the new girl doing?" There was a forced insincere cheerfulness to his voice.

Noj responded noncommittally. "She's a tough one, doesn't talk much, but she's smart . . . I think."

Barnes stopped in front of Noj. "I thought it might work out knowing how bright she is." Barnes silently held out his hand and Noj handed him an envelope. He took it and looked down at the envelope, frowning, and then started to open it. "How much is here?"

Noj responded. "Fifteen-hundred."

Barnes looked up at Noj. "I told you last week that I wanted twenty-five hundred for the next one."

Noj feigned surprise. "Twenty-five?"

Barnes nodded. "And this is the last one."

Noj looked at Barnes in annoyance. "Last one? What are you talking about?"

Barnes shook his head. "It's getting too risky; there are too many people on my back."

Noj shrugged. "How about for the next one I give you three-thousand?"

Barnes shook his head. "No, no, no, I want twenty-five-hundred for this one . . . then it's over and I'm out."

Noj shrugged, a hint of anger in his voice. "All right, all right, I'll find another source."

Barnes turned away from Noj to return to his car when several police cars appeared, racing up with red and blue lights flashing, their headlights suddenly illuminating the deserted alley. Joe Maxwell and Detective Henderson both stepped out from behind a dumpster. Within a few minutes Noj and Barnes were handcuffed and being loaded into the back of the police cars.

~ o ~

At the same time that Barnes and Noj were bargaining, several pre-teen kids were in the cluttered basement of a rundown building sitting on any available surface. There was a full size manikin dressed in a suit that had little bells sewn all over it. Two men were guarding the children; one was a large rough looking man; the other was a smaller weasel faced man. A very unhappy Ellie was standing next to the manikin as the smaller man was demanding that Ellie take a wallet out of the pocket. When Ellie refused to do it the weasel faced man began to berate her. "We own you, We bought you, get it through your head you're ours and you better be glad about that because without us you got nothing. You'll end up strung out on drugs and selling your body? You want that?"

On the verge of tears, Ellie shook her head. "I don't want to be here either."

The weasel faced man growled out at her. "Nobody want's you. You got nothing else. The pocket, do it!" He gave her shoulder a rough shove. "The pocket on the left side, do it. Do it Ellie . . . Do it!"

Ellie reluctantly reached out and pulled the wallet out, ringing a bell.

The larger man reached out and struck Ellie as he spoke in a rough crude voice. "You little idiot! We're going to be here all night."

Her eyes tearing, Ellie cringed away from the two men "No more . . . please . . ."

~ o ~

Catherine cautiously emerged from an air vent and looked around. There were voices coming from the other side of the basement but there was no one nearby. She signaled to Vincent and he emerged from the same air vent. There was a sudden commotion and some incoherent yelling.

At the other end of the basement the large crude man had a painful hold of a struggling Ellie's arm as the weasel faced man was yelling. "You try that again and I'll cut your feet off, you don't run away from me!"

Ellie cried out desperately. "Let go, don't, I won't do it again."

The weasel faced man drew back his hand to strike Ellie when the air was shattered by the roar of an enraged lion. Everyone froze, startled, and in the sudden silence the roar rang out again. Now everyone was looking around in fear.

"What was that?" The Large man asked fearfully.

The weasel faced man shook his head then turned to one of the young boys. "Red, go check it out." The red headed boy, cowering behind the large man, shook his head silently. Weasel stepped menacingly toward the boy and yelled at him. "Do what I say, go check it out."

Again the air rang with that roar. Weasel squeaked in fear and bolted for the door. The large man threw Ellie to the floor and bolted following Weasel. The door slammed shut behind them and the bolt could be heard sliding into place. The children looked around in panic. They were locked in.

Catherine came striding out of the darkness at the far end of the basement. She glanced around a moment then approached Ellie.

Catherine reached down and helped the frightened girl up from the floor. "Ellie, don't be afraid. Its ok I'm taking you out of here to Eric."

Ellie looked fearfully at Catherine. "Who are you?"

Catherine released Ellie's hand and glanced quickly at the locked doorway. "We don't have much time, I'm the one Eric was talking to at Ridley. Do you remember?"

Ellie looked closer at Catherine's face. "You found him?

Catherine nodded. "Yes. Let's go. We have to get out of here before they come back."

Ellie looked around at the other kids. "Deb, please, come with us."

Catherine glanced at the other children. "You can all come!"

Everyone's attention was now totally centered on Catherin an nobody noticed the youngest girl over by the door when she quietly jammed a chair under the door handle.

The girl named Deb objected. "We can't." She looked around at the others. "Noj will find us and hurt us or the police will find us and put us back in those terrible foster homes. We can't let them leave. Noj will blame us if she get's away."

Catherine shook her head. "No they won't! Don't you try to stop me! I'm taking Ellie out of here. I'm taking her to a place of safety where Noj and his goons will never be able to find her." Her gaze swept the group of children. "As far as the police and Noj are concerned, as soon as I get you children to safety I will be sending the police after Noj for enough crimes to lock him away for life." She took Ellie's hand. "Come on Ellie. Eric is waiting for us." She glanced around at the others. "As for the rest of them . . . they will have to decide for themselves whether they will follow us to safety . . . or stay here and take their chances on their own." She looked down at Ellie. "Come on!" She and Ellie started moving swiftly toward the darker end of the basement.

For several seconds the other children milled around uncertainly then a few of the youngest cried out simultaneously. "Wait for me!" They took off after Catherine and Ellie. The a few more followed.

Deb grabbed the arm of one of the young girls as she turned to leave and cried out. "No! We have to stay!"

The girl hesitated a moment then yanked her arm free. "Wait! I'm coming!" She called out as she ran after the others.

That seemed to break the jam and the rest of the children called out as they ran after those that were leaving despite Deb's demands that they stay. The next instant there was pounding on the door and a rough voice threatening to break some bones. Deb's determination broke and she ran after the others.

At first the children were reluctant to follow Catherine and Ellie through the ventilation grate but the sound of pounding on the door and Deb's arrival among them changed their minds. Once they were all into the main utility tunnel, the strangeness and fascination soon overtook their fear. Then they heard that same roar coming from the tunnels behind them and began to panic.

Catherine raised her hands out from her sides and spoke up loud enough to carry over their babbling. "NO! . . . No! There is nothing to fear from that sound. He is just making sure that we are not followed. You are all perfectly safe down here. No one will harm you, I promise." With Catherine's continued reassurance, the children soon calmed down then they again started down the tunnel.

After about thirty minutes of wandering through a maze of tunnels (Catherine had deliberately taken them on a round-about route) they met three people dressed in strange patched together clothes. The oldest was a girl in her late teens or early twenties. The other two were young pre-teen boys. The girl whispered something to Catherine.

Catherine smiled at the children and thought for a moment then she spoke to the children. "OK, children, all of you now have a choice to make." She looked at Ellie whose hand she was holding. "I will be taking Ellie to my home where her brother is waiting for her." She looked at the three tunnel children. "These three are Jamie, Geoffrey, and Kipper." Each raised a hand at the mention of their name. Catherine looked back at the orphans. "Those three will be heading back to that safe place that I was telling you about. There are several good people there that will take care of you and protect you from harm. Each of you must choose whether to go with them or come with me to my home. But you must know that if you come with me, there is a chance that you will be called on to testify in court about Ridley and Noj later on." She paused to again sweep them with her gaze. "If you go with my friends, you may have to stay hidden for a long time. The place is safe because it is well hidden and if you get caught you could endanger the secret."

Catherine paused and watched patiently as the children slowly drifted either toward Jamie, Geoffrey, and Kipper or toward Catherine and Ellie. Finally they ended up in two groups. Four of the children, including Deb, stuck with Catherine. The rest decided to go with Jamie. After a few assurances that the two groups would still be able to send messages to each other, they parted.

~ o ~

Forty minutes later Catherine and the five children with her emerged into a clean well kept cellar and climbed the stairs into Catherine's home. All five children were immediately impressed with how nice the place looked.

Then a small bespectacled boy cried out, "Ellie!", and ran up to grab his sister in a huge hug.

After a stunned moment Ellie wrapped her arms around her brother. "Eric! You're here! I thought I'd lost you."

At that moment Joe came out of the kitchen. "Cathy . . ." He looked around at the six children. "I tried to get a hold of you but you were out." He paused to again look at the children. "And who do we have here?"

Catherine swept her hand indicating all of the children. "These are some of the kids that were missing from Ridley. Except for Eric and Ellie, the ones I brought here have said that they were willing to testify if necessary."

Another male voice was heard coming from the kitchen doorway. "There is no need." Detective Henderson walked casually out of the kitchen. "About an hour ago, we caught Baines, 'Red Handed', talking to some lowlife name Noj. They were discussing terms for selling a couple of kids to the Noj character. We got the whole thing on film. Now everyone else involved is spilling their guts on those two in order to save their own skins." He looked at the children. "You kids don't even need to get involved."

Deb, who had been looking down and scuffing her tow on the fancy hardwood floor, raised her head and, after a quick glance at Catherine, Ellie and Eric, spoke up. "I want to testify." She glanced back at Catherine, who nodded encouragement, then continued. "I can tell you all about Noj and his operation."

Catherine and Ellie both gave Deb a hug. Catherine spoke quietly to Deb. "I am so proud of you. Your testimony will make our case so much stronger. Thank you."

Joe commented. "Cathy, since you will probably be involved in the prosecution of the case, this young lady cannot stay with you. We will have to find her another safe place to stay."

Catherine thought a moment then responded. "Peter Alcott might be willing to take care of her for a while until the trials are over. Why don't I call him?"

At that point Eric tugged on Catherine's arm. "Where is Vincent?"

Catherine Quickly glanced around at the other children then smiled down at Eric. "These others have not met Vincent yet so he thought it would be better if he stayed with some friends for a day or two. Once the others are settled in homes of their own, he will come back and you can introduce Ellie to him."

Eric glanced at the other children then nodded and whispered to Catherine. "They might be scared of him."

Catherine's response was halfway between a shrug and a nod. She then looked around at the children. "How many of you would like a snack before bed?" With their enthusiastically affirmative response, Catherine led them into the kitchen.

An hour later, when Peter arrived, all of the children, except Deb, had been assigned rooms and were already in bed. Peter stayed a while and talked to Deb about himself and his two daughters. Then he and Deb left, followed shortly by Joe and Henderson.

~ BB ~

The next day Catherine took the three remaining children that were staying with her shopping for some new clothes. She also took them out to a nice restaurant for lunch. They were all delighted with their new clothes.

The day after that Catherine arranged for each of those three children to be taken in by two helper families.

The third day, after the big rescue, Vincent and little Edward returned to the brownstone. Eric and Ellie were on the floor in the library playing a board game when Vincent stepped into the room. Catherine came in right behind him holding Edward.

Eric looked up past Ellie's shoulder as Vincent entered. His face broke into a huge grin then he jumped up and rushed over calling out. "Vincent!" Then he practically crashed into Vincent.

As Eric threw his arms around Vincent, Ellie turned around and just stared for a stunned moment, her eyes becoming huge, as she took in Vincent's appearance. Then her hand came up to her mouth as she emitted a small startled squeak.

Eric turned to face his sister. "Ellie, this is my friend Vincent."

For a couple of seconds Ellie stared incredulously at the giant lion-man towering over her little brother while a jumbled maelstrom of emotions surged through her. Her eyes wandered from his large powerful frame to his distinctly leonine features to the fur covered hand with its wickedly sharp claws resting on her brother's shoulder. Inside her a war was being fought between fear and curiosity.

Then Vincent spoke. "Hello, Ellie. It's nice to meet you. Eric has talked a lot about his big sister. I'm glad that we were able to get you two back together."

At the sound of Vincent's voice Ellie felt her young heart melt and her muscles turn to jelly. For a moment she was on the verge of swooning in a sudden teenage crush as Eric took Vincent's hand and drew him over toward his sister. Catherine followed and stepped to the other side of Vincent as they stopped before Ellie.

Catherine smiled at the smitten girl then spoke. "And this is our new son, Edward."

Ellie glanced over at the infant then the implications of the infant's appearance got through her infatuation fogged mind. Her crush was instantly crushed. Vincent was very much taken. Her face fell but soon a smile began to creep back across her face as she fell prey to the charm of the leonine infant. Soon they were all on the floor playing with little Edward who was eating all the attention up.

Later that night as Vincent and Catherine lay together in their bed she commented. Well I think your meeting with Ellie went a bit better than I had hoped."

Vincent responded to her with a soft smile. "I think that was mostly due to Eric's enthusiastic support of me to Ellie."

Catherine giggled. "Well, that along with your devilishly good looks and that silver tong made you irresistible. There isn't a girl alive that could resist such a devastating combination."

Vincent answered that the only way he could. He leaned over and kissed her passionately good night.

~ BB ~

Catherine and Vincent looked around Bill and Jennifer McCormick's new home. The place was located only three blocks from their own brownstone and it had direct access to the tunnels. There were still a few boxes scattered around that had yet to be emptied but that did not stop Vincent and Catherine from appreciating the place.

"It's a beautiful place, Mother." Vincent commented. "And the best part is that with the tunnel access we will be able to visit you whenever we want."

Jennifer smiled as she glanced around at her new home. "It was Catherine and your helper friends that found this place for us. It is a wonderful home." Jennifer leaned into Bill as he put his arm around her. "And your tunnel friends were wonderful about helping us move in."

Catherine smiled back at Bill and Jennifer then her expression turned a bit more serious as she glanced up at the sounds of Eric and Ellie's voices coming from the floors above. "Are you sure they won't be too much trouble for you."

Jennifer grinned back. "Not a bit, Dear. We would love to have them." Bill tightened his arm around her as she continued. "We wouldn't have offered if we didn't want to do this. We both love children and we're still young and healthy enough to handle it."

Vincent nodded. "I think Eric and Ellie will like it here. It will give them a stable home life as well as allowing them to stay together."

Catherine jumped in. "Also since they both know about Vincent it is better if they stay with others that know."

Bill nodded back. "That is another reason why we volunteered." He paused with his head cocked. "By the way, how did you get us approved to take them so quickly?"

Catherine chuckled. "After what happened at Ridley, I think Child Welfare Services is just a bit afraid of me and they are too preoccupied with getting their own house in order to fight me over this. I have managed to get several of the other kids placed with willing helpers as well. Deb is scheduled to testify in court next week and she is going to stay with Peter on a more permanent basis afterward. Once the trials are over we will introduce her to Vincent and maybe show her the tunnels. The rest of the kids have decided to remain below. That boy that first alerted us to what was happening at Ridley has become Father's latest chess student. He loves it down there."

Bill smiled at his very unique stepson. "Speaking of the tunnels, after attending Winterfest last week I think I'm going to have to visit 'Below' again soon. That is such a fascinating place."

Jennifer grinned. "And with the tunnel access, you will be able to bring that adorable new grandbaby of ours over for a visit any time you want." She finished with an exaggerated wink.

Catherine responded with a chuckle. "One thing about 'Below', there hasn't been a shortage of offers to look after Edward." She glanced up at a squeal of delight from above. "And Ellie has gone completely ga-ga over him. But I'm sure you will be able to get your fill of him as well if Ellie will let you." She looked over at Vincent then continued. "Don't forget to be at our place tomorrow night for the New Years Eve party." She leaned in conspiratorially. "Edward will be there to meet all his admirers." She winked. "At least until he gets tired then he may want his grandmother to put him to bed."

"Ooo, you're a wicked manipulative woman, Catherine Chandler-Wells." Jennifer responded with a laugh. "How can I possibly pass up such an invitation?"

Bill responded with a chuckle. "Talk about the offer that you can't refuse."

The End (of episode 10)

'Beauty and the Beast' and its characters are owned by Witt-Thomas Productions and Republic Pictures. No infringement on copyrights is intended. This story is presented merely for the enjoyment of fans. Original concepts and story elements may be used by other authors as long as appropriate credit is given.