Chapter 78

Her father didn't stay long after they got back to Catherine's apartment. Mainly because of all the yawning she had done on the trip she suspected. He said he would see her at the office as soon as she got done with the police in the morning. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and saw him out the door.

Hurrying across the room, she flung open the doors and asked Vincent, "You've been here a few minutes already haven't you?"

Startled, he replied, "Yes, how did you…wait, earlier this evening you said you had a feeling I was here. Catherine are you starting to feel our Bond as well?"

"I don't know, but what else could it be?" she questioned.

"I wonder if there is a way we could test it?"

"Well you said at first you could sense strong feelings from me. Maybe if you were to remember something that caused a strong reaction I could see if I could tell what it was?" she suggested eagerly.

Vincent smiled as said it was a good idea. He told her to close her eyes and concentrate on him. When she had done so, he flooded his mind with how much he loved her. Catherine started smiling almost at once and opened her eyes to tell him, "Vincent that was too easy! I know you love me!"

"But you weren't to know that was the emotion I was choosing. I could have gone with fear, or anger, or any thing else. So you still sensed what I was feeling."

"Okay, maybe, but lets try another one just to be sure."

He nodded and waited for her to close her eyes again. This time he recalled a time when the children had been swimming in the Mirror Pool and he had been there supervising. He was focused on a game of splashing that the girls were playing when his danger sense had kicked in. Quickly taking a visual count of the children he realized he couldn't see Kipper. Ordering the other children out of the water so it would be easier to search, Vincent dove into the water. With his enhanced vision he was able to see the boy struggling frantically to get his foot out from under a rock.

Swimming as fast as he could over to the child, Kipper had stopped struggling and had gone limp by the time Vincent got to him. Lifting the rock off with no effort at all, he swam to the surface with Kipper in his arms. Reaching the side of the pool he got both of them out and started CPR which Father had taught him years before. In a short time Kipper was coughing up water and within minutes he was sitting up and talking. Even though there had been no lasting harm to Kipper, it had been a very harrowing experience.

Recalling those feelings had Catherine gasping and clutching her hand to her heart. "Oh Vincent! What in the world was so terrifying?"

Clearly their Bond was now working both ways! Vincent told her the story and that it had a happy ending, but there were still tears of sympathy in her eyes when he had finished.

They talked about the new development in their relationship and how it might affect them as they undressed for bed. Coming to no specific conclusion, the conversation was put on hold as they made love to each other.

The morning wasn't as frantic as the day before had been because of her promise to her father to report the part of the attack that she could without mentioning Vincent and his world to the police. She had explained what she was going to do to Vincent and he encouraged her in the hopes the men could be caught and brought to justice for what they had done to her.

After a tender good-bye to Vincent she caught a cab, but instead of heading right to the police station she made a quick stop at her favorite market and arranged for a large supply of chocolate to be sent to Mr. Lee's tea shop. She told them to send bags of chips, cocoa powder, and several boxes of assorted candy bars. Catherine wanted everyone Below to enjoy this treat. Then she was on her way to talk to the police.

She reported everything she could remember before she blacked out and was dumped in the park. She was stunned when the officer taking her statement told her there had been another case just like that a few weeks after her attack. Catherine was referred to the District Attorney's office because the other case was being handled through them.

To be continued….