Chapter 8

Catherine looked up to see Vincent standing in the doorway. He looked magnificent. Beautiful, tall, strong and really pissed off. His eyes locked on hers, they softened as they rested on her, then hardened again as he looked at Gabe.

"If you hurt her, I will kill you. In fact I may kill you just for bringing her here."

"Vincent, I am ok, he did not hurt me."

Gabe looked at Vincent. "You take one step and I release the tension on this line and she takes a shotgun blast to the head. I haven't hurt her and I won't as long you bring me the Gem."

Vincent cocked his head, "This is about the Gem?"

"I already explained to Catherine, but I want the gem in order to give it to the Agency, they in turn will turn me into a beast, like you. That's all I want. I don't want to hurt anyone." I don't plan on exposing Catherine to them, I understand what they want from you both. You could run away and hide; if they can't find you they can't use the Gem against you.

"So that is your plan, I get you the Gem, you let Catherine go and we go on the run? "I should have killed you months ago when I found you at my boathouse."

Gabe took a deep breath, "Look we both know that you are not going to do anything to me, not while I am holding this wire. So just bring me the Gem and you will never see me again."

Vincent looked at Catherine, she lifted her chin and said "I will be fine, he won't hurt me, and you don't have to do this." Vincent smiled at her, "You might be fine, but I can't take a chance with your life, I love you and I will be back."

Vincent turned to Gabe, "I will be back with the Gem, if anything happens to Catherine I will end you and it will be painful and I will enjoy it."

Gabe swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat. "I won't hurt her as long as you bring me the Gem, that's all I want."

Vincent took one last long look at Catherine. He noticed the tears in her eyes, "I have to do this Catherine." "I know"…she took a deep breath," just come back to me."

"Always" Then he was gone.

Catherine looked at Gabe, "All the work he has done to undo the programming they did to him, he fought so hard to get his humanity back and I will lose him when he kills you. Gabe you have to realize he will never forgive you for this, not again."

"Catherine he will be busy saving you, he won't care about me, by the time he rescues you I will be long gone."

Gabe dissembled the rigged shotgun. At gunpoint he forced Catherine upstairs and into an old claw foot tub. He handcuffed her to the faucet and duct taped her feet together, he then secured her feet so she could not get out of the tub. He then turned on the water. He stopped when it got to her neck. "We'll just wait for Vincent."

Vincent left the farmhouse and headed for the cemetery. He called Tess and JT to update them. JT was not happy, but he agreed to meet Vincent at the cemetery with Tess.

They both found Vincent standing in front of William's grave, holding the Gem. "This is where you hid the gem?" asked JT. "Yep, I figured no one would look for it here."

Tess suggested they just give Gabe another Gem, "I am sure I can find one similar in evidence. You can pretend not to be able to beast out, rescue Cat, then track his ass down and kill him!"

"Tess I can't risk Catherine's life, I am pretty sure that Gabe is not that stupid. I can't take that chance, not with Catherine, not now, I just got her back."

"They are at the old Murfield farmhouse, I will go and get Catherine, you two hang back and see if you can see where he goes.

Vincent arrived at the farmhouse, he stood still a minute. He couldn't hear anything. Having the Gem on him was blocking his ability to hear her heartbeat. He walked in the front door to the sight of Gabe standing alone pointing a gun at him. "Where is Catherine?"

"I know I don't have to tell you to calm down since your holding the Gem, but calm down, she is fine. She is up those stairs behind you. Set the Gem down on the table and you can save her."

"Save her? From what" Vincent realized that he could hear water running.

"Drowning….I didn't think you would just give me the Gem and let me walk away. Catherine is upstairs in a tub that is filling with water, it was at her head when you got here, so you can choose to kill me or save her."

Vincent didn't miss a beat, he dropped the Gem on the table and raced upstairs to Catherine, "CATHERINE!"

Gabe grabbed the Gem and ran outside and took off in his car. JT and Tess are not far behind.

The sight that greets Vincent as he raced into the bathroom puts lead in his stomach. Catherine is completely submerged in the water and she is still….

"CATHERINE!" He yells as he rushes the tub, he beasts out and breaks the handcuffs, he pulls her out of the water and lays her out on the floor. "Catherine, come on breathe dammit." He forces her head back and breathes for her, "Come on, come on, Catherine breathe!" He breathes for her again. "Catherine please, please don't do this, Breathe Dammit!" Catherine coughs up water; Vincent rolls her on her side. "Oh Thank God." He pulls her close and she continues to cough. "You're OK, you're going to be OK."

Catherine grabs on to Vincent, she starts sobbing.. "I'm so sorry" she cries. "Hey, you are not to blame, you are safe and that is all that matters." They sit on the floor soaking wet hanging on to each other.

Vincent takes Catherine to a hotel and asks JT and Tess to bring them both some clothes and toiletries. I don't want to take Catherine to the boathouse or her apartment just in case." JT and Tess arrive while Catherine is in the shower.

"This is a good idea," said Tess. "Gabe went into a corporate building downtown. I have the address. Chances are he has already turned over the Gem. How is Cat?"

She is going to be fine, we both are, she is upset right now, but I am waiting for pissed to show up she is going to be pretty mad at herself for getting caught and at me for turning over the Gem." Tess laughed "You do know her well don't you?

"Vincent are you OK?" JT asks, "Promise me you are not going to after Gabe right now.

"JT, I have to stay with Catherine tonight, I will deal with Gabe tomorrow, go and spend some time with your girlfriend." JT sounded relieved and put his arm around Tess, "OK, catch ya later big guy!"

Catherine was still in the shower. Vincent checked on her, what he saw broke his heart; she was curled up in the corner of the shower, head down and arms around her knees. He got into the shower with her clothes and all. He sat down and pulled her into his arms. "Hey everything is going to be ok."

Cat looked at him, "No it's not Vincent, and it's never going to be alright. The Agency has the Gem now and they won't stop til they find us." "Catherine, we have been here before and we are still standing, and we are together and nothing and no one is ever going to come between us ever again.

He lifted her chin with his hand; "Look at me" Catherine lifted her eyes and looked at him. "I love you and I will always choose you, we will deal with Gabe and the Gem and the Agency tomorrow. He placed both hands on the side of her face, "Tonight I just want to love you and marvel in you. She smiled at him and placed her hands on the side of his face caressing where his scar used to be, she leaned and captured his lips.

She kissed him tenderly at first, then with more passion. Vincent stood up and brought her up with him. He angled her head and kissed her deeper. "Vincent" Catherine breathed, "You still have your clothes on, get them off." She slides her hands under his shirt, letting her hands move along his muscular side, her hands roam over his chest and her thumbs flick his nipples. Vincent's breathe catches in his lungs. He pulls his t-shirt up over his head. Catherine is kissing his chest as she unbuttons his jeans and tries to slide them down, but they are soaking wet, Vincent groans and he can feel Catherine smiling against his stomach as she works her way down. She looks up at Vincent. "Get these off now!" Vincent summons his beast and rips the pants right off.

Catherine runs her hands down his thighs, keeping pace with the water she holds him in her hand and she lightly flicks her tongue against the tip of him as he jerks and twitches it's as if his cock has a life of its own and knows what comes next. She takes him in her mouth and swirls her tongue around the tip, flexing her throat to take him as deep as possible. Vincent bunches her hair in his hands and leans his head back against the shower wall as he thrusts into her mouth. Catherine growls while he is in her mouth and the vibration turns his spine to jelly.

He stops her and lifts her up and she wraps her legs around his waist. He keeps one hand around her waist while the other roams up her side and around her neck, He kisses her, she opens her eyes and looks at him, "I love you Vincent." Vincent trails kisses down her neck and lifts her even higher so he can kiss her breasts. The pink pert nipples draw up as his tongue swirls around; he showers attention on one and then the other. Her head goes back as she arches forward. Vincent lifts her and impales her on his shaft. They both are still, foreheads resting against each other, breathing heavily. Then Catherine flexes her hips and begins to ride him as the water washes over them.