The Same Last Name

A/N Hey hey! So I should note that this is an AU. No beast in this story. *pout* Also, since I am borrowing the idea from a book, there is obviously no copyright infringement meant. I don't own the characters. Just my loose interpretation.

Thank you so much for the reviews and warm wishes. They are appreciated!

Chapter 2

Distantly, Catherine heard Heather's worried voice. "Cat? Cat? Are you okay? CAT!" Catherine shook herself physically. She looked at the younger girl and nodded.

"I'm fine. I just suddenly didn't feel so well. Would you mind terribly taking care of the desk for a bit on your own? I think I just need to lay down for a short time," Catherine asked, knowing she couldn't just desert Heather. Thankfully, Heather was very understanding. She started pushing Catherine toward the door.

"No, no! Go and lay down. You scared me. All of a sudden, you were white as a ghost. I thought you were gonna faint or something. Go!" she exclaimed.

Catherine stepped outside and made her way toward her small apartment. All full-time employees lived at the spa. Spatastic was set back into the woods a bit, and it just made it simpler for the staff to stay there. Aside from Catherine, there was only about six other full timers. The rest that came through were mostly seasonal help. Currently, Catherine had seniority as this was her third year working at Spatastic.

Once she was safely inside, she locked the door and shut the blinds. Unbidden, memories started flashing through her mind. Who she had been before she met Vincent Keller, and who she had become after...

Catherine had grown up in Queens. Her father, Thomas Chandler, had made his fortune through stock exchange. He had married Vanessa Wu, a lovely half Chinese woman that a mutual friend had introduced him to. From the beginning, Thomas had been smitten. In short order, he had married Vanessa. Eight months later, Vanessa was pregnant with Catherine.

She had never lacked for anything. But, her parents were also strict with her. She wasn't allowed to go steady with any boy, and dates were never planned unless her parents agreed first. She had a very early curfew, and boys knew not to take her "necking" any where. But, she was lively and bright, and still always managed to have a good time despite her parents' strictness.

The spring of Catherine's Senior year, though, two things happened that would change her life...forever.

The first thing that happened was Catherine's mother suddenly passed away. She had been battling cancer for several months and hadn't said anything to her family. Vanessa's death sent Thomas into a downward spiral. He began drinking and gambling. Many nights, Catherine would come home from school and find her father passed out on the couch or floor.

The other thing that happened was she met a young Med student by the name of Vincent Keller.

One day, Catherine came home to find the house trashed and her father lying in a pool of his own vomit. A deep cut on his head was bleeding profusely. Catherine had immediately called 911 and her father had been rushed to New York General. After they arrived, Catherine was told to have a seat in the waiting room and that a doctor would be out to speak with her as soon as possible. Catherine had sat in the plush seat and finally gave into the torrent of tears she had been holding at bay.

Catherine was unaware of how much time had passed before a tall shadow appeared in front of her. Looking up through her tears, she gasped at the man standing before her. Easily standing 6' tall, he was possibly the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. He eyed her with concern.

"Miss Chandler?" he asked. Catherine had wiped at her eyes and nodded at him. Next, he had surprised her by sitting beside her. "My name is Dr. Vincent Keller. I'm one of the doctors overseeing your father. I'd like to discuss his situation with you, if you feel up to it?" Vincent had asked.

"Yes, and please, call me Catherine. Is my father all right?" she had asked, afraid now of what this young doctor was going to tell her.

"Physically, yes. The head wound has been wrapped up and should heal in several days. However, our tests indicate that your father had ingested alarming amounts of alcohol. In cases such as this, with a minor living in the house, we had to call social services."

Catherine's eyes had widened. "But, I'm not a minor. I'm 18."

Now it was Vincent's turn for wide eyes. "I'm so terribly sorry. When I came out here to check on you earlier, you were curled up and crying. From your small stature, I assumed you were...several years younger. I apologize for my assumption."

"That's alright. It happens more often than you might think. What is going to happen to my father now?"

"Well, he is most definitely going to be staying with us for the next few days. We need to make sure that there is no swelling or anymore bleeding. He's lucky you came home when you did. Another 1/2 hour and we could be sitting here having a very different conversation."

Catherine shuddered at the possibility of finding her father dead on the floor. Suddenly, her stomach heaved. Jumping up, she raced for the ladies room. Entering the first stall, she emptied the contents of her stomach. She was so lost in her misery, that she didn't realize Vincent had followed her in, until she felt her hair being pulled back and away from her face. A soothing hand rubbed between her shoulders. Sitting back on her heels, she shakily drew in several deep breaths. All the while, Vincent watched her.

Finally, Catherine made to stand up. Vincent was immediately there, holding her arm to support her. Catherine gave him a wane smile, and allowed him to guide her to the sinks. After rinsing out her mouth and splashing cold water on her face, Catherine turned to stare at Vincent.

"You do know this is the girls bathroom, right?" she had asked, a small blush creeping to her cheeks. Vincent smiled at her.

"Yes, I know. But, I also know that my words instigated this "visit" so I followed you to make sure you were alright."

"I will be..." was Catherine's short reply.

Vincent had a strange look on his face. "Listen, I don't normally do this kind of thing, but, would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight? My shift ends in an hour, and I feel really bad about what just happened. Your father is sedated and will be out till tomorrow morning. I feel like I owe you something for scaring you the way I did."

"Alright, I accept your dinner offer," Catherine had answered.

Catherine came back to herself and realized at some point, she had climbed into bed and curled into herself. The pillow under her head was damp from the tears she had shed. Even after all this time, remembering her first meting with Vincent always made the tears fall. Had she known then what would happen in less than a month, she probably never would have agreed to the dinner.

Hindsight is always 20/20...

A/N Review review!