Note: I know there are not many Vincent and Catherine moments because Vincent and JT are in New Jersey but I promise to just be patient there will be plenty. Plus it's January. What month comes after January? And what holiday is in that month? Hmmm...

I DO NOT OWN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Chapter 44

Later that evening Catherine lied in her bed staring up at her ceiling. She didn't understand why Vincent would just disappear like that. He seemed fine last time she talked to him. No matter how much she tried convincing herself he left for a good reason, she couldn't help but regretting some of the past risks she took to protect him. It seemed to her as if when she got scared she put her own job on the line to protect him. But the minute she tells him about Evan and Gabe's plan he just packs it up and leaves? She didn't get it. She thought about the note she found while searching Alex's apartment for clues. Maybe he left because he wasn't over her. Maybe she rushed things with him and he couldn't take it. She didn't even know when or if he was coming back to New York. She didn't even know if she would ever see him again. She thought she was absolutely nutty for thinking that but looking back on how he just left, even after saying he was going to come by that night. He better have a damn good reason for leaving. She couldn't help but think about how many times she could've possibly lost her job.

"Cat?" Heather asked. "Why are you still up?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Catherine said sitting up.

Heather shrugged. "Well actually..."

Catherine gave her sister a confused look.

"I'm thinking about changing majors."

Catherine's eyes widened a bit. "Like going back to school?"

Heather shrugged. "Well I'm not sure yet."

"Well what would you want to do?"

Heather shrugged. "I'm not sure. I was wondering if I could..." Heather then shook her head. "Never mind."

Catherine laughed. "You can tell me Heather."

"I was wondering if I could maybe go with you to the precinct sometime."

"Oh?" Catherine asked. "You wanna be a detective like your big sister?"

Heather smiled. "Not exactly, I was thinking more along the lines of newspaper."

"Like journalism?"

Heather nodded.

"Then why don't you head down to the local newspaper instead?"

"Well I'm not sure yet plus you guys write up some articles so maybe I could see how those go."

Catherine shrugged. "Um..okay."

Heather smiled. "Thanks, your the best."

"Sure." Catherine said still a bit confused.

As the video ended Vincent put the tape back in the box. He look a deep breath remembering everything he and Alex once shared. It didn't matter what happened about a month ago. They still cared for each other and she still loved him. He began to wonder if he still loved her. He thought about him and Catherine and how they just always seemed to be work partners. Yeah, they've kissed and shared some moments but nothing ever seemed like it was for real. Did he care for her? Of course! Did she care for him? Absolutely. But no matter what he just felt like there was always an obstacle in there way. Yeah he was a super-soldier gone wrong and that had a huge impact on things but for some reason there always seemed to be something else. Maybe he got his hopes up to quickly. After all he was a government experiment with mutating DNA. Could he ever really have that happy ending?

The next morning Catherine and Tess made there way over to Broadside Apartment Complex. Luckily Joe decided to let her and Tess keep the case.

"So remind me why we are hear again?" Tess asked walking up the stairs to the second level.

"Eliza Flinn, she is the manager of New York General. Hopefully she will be able to tell us about the stolen equipment and medicine.

Before Catherine opened the door she checked to see if her gun was loaded.

"You plan on using that?" Tess asked laughing.

"Only if I gotta." Catherine replied.

Tess gave Catherine a weird look.

"precaution Tess."

Tess rolled her eyes then knocked on the door. "Eliza Flinn NYDP!"

Soon they could both here the patter of feet coming to the door on the other side. "Can I help you?" Eliza asked confused.

"We would like to ask you a few questions, do you have a moment?"

Eliza suddenly looked frightened and looked back and forth between Catherine and Tess.

"Don't worry you're not in trouble we would just like to talk to you about some stolen equipment and medicine from New York General." Catherine reassured her.

"Oh..um..yes of course...please come in." Eliza said nervously.

"Thank you." Catherine replied stepping inside.

"Please have a seat on the couch right over there, is there anything I can get you? Coffee?"

Both detectives shook their heads. "No, thank you though." Tess replied.

Eliza nodded and then took a seat on the couch facing Catherine and Tess.

"You know this woman, correct?" Tess said showing her a picture or Alex.

Eliza nodded her head. "Yes, Alex Salter, I know her. She is a fine doctor. Shame though she hasn't shown up to work in the past month though..."

"Eliza I'm sorry to tell you this but Alex is actually dead. It was an act of self defense on the half of the NYPD." Catherine said.

"Self-defence?" Eliza asked giving Catherine a very confused look.

Catherine nodded. "She was threatening to shoot one of our officers. We also have reason to believe that she was the one stealing the medicine and equipment."

Eliza started quickly shaking her head. "No, impossible, I keep a very close eye on all my employees. Alex would never do such a thing."

"What type of medicine and equipment was stolen?" Tess asked.

"Well...there was missing morphine, a cardiac machine, a few syringes..."

Tess and Catherine both looked at each other. "Eliza, I'm sorry but those are the exact same things we found in her apartment yesterday."

"Are you saying she was on drugs?" Eliza asked.

Tess shook her head. "Her system was clear of any drug-"

"See then she didn't do it." Eliza said cutting Tess off.

"We have reasons to believe she was dealing them."

"So is that why you shot her? Because she was dealing drugs?" Eliza asked as her eyes became red.

"No of course not, one of our officers was walking home one evening and came across her. She threatened to shoot one of our officers and when talking to the officer they sounded certain their life was on the line."

"So is that what you do then?" Eliza asked in a angry tone. "You see people with other guns and you shoot them likes it's nobody's business?"

Tess sighed and Catherine said, "No, please don't think that, our officers are highly trained we only use our weapons if it is absolutely necessary."

"And you think it was necessary? Why not just try to talk to her?"

Catherine took a deep breath and then said, "She might also have murdered one other man."

"Murder?!" Eliza shouted. "Now you're talking about murder?!"

"Eliza, please just listen." Catherine pleaded. "After our officer took necessary precautions when the rest of our team showed up they found a dead man in the same alley that she was in."

"So? That doesn't mean she did it?" Eliza snapped.

"He died around the same time Alex did. We have reason to believe he was either overdosed with drugs or-"

"So now your calling her a murder too?" Eliza said.

Tess gave Catherine an annoyed look and Catherine then said, "Eliza, we are just as confused as you and all we want to do is get to the bottom of it."

Eliza didn't say anything she just began to playing with her necklace sliding it back and forth across the chain.

Catherine then stood up and Tess did as well. "If anything just comes to mind give us a call." Catherine said handing Eliza a business card.

Eliza stopped moving her necklace and looked up at Catherine.

"Please?" Catherine asked.

Eliza then took the card and looked at the number on it.

"Thank you." Catherine said.

After Tess and Catherine both left the apartment Tess looked at Catherine and said, "Well that went well."

Catherine sighed. "You can say that again."

"Plus do you really think he died of a drug overdose?" Tess asked. "I mean his neck was crushed, I think that would be what killed him."

Catherine shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea I'm just trying to find out what's going on that's all."

Vincent walked out to the backyard of the house which had a small pond surrounded by pine trees. It was foggy which gave it a creepy monster-movie look but he still liked it. He walked out on the wooden dock and stood at the edge remember all the fun times he, JT, Alex and his brothers had. He remember trying a rope and making a rope swing into the pond. He laughed to himself remembering how scared JT was as even stepping a toe into the water. He left the dock and picked up a few small pebbles. He walked back to the edge and began to skip rocks watching them go across the water.

"I could never do that." JT said walking down towards the small dock.

Vincent skipped one more rock then turned around to face his friend. "What are you doing out here?"

JT shrugged. "You okay?"

Vincent turned back around to face the small pond and skipped another rock. "Yeah why?"

"Well it's just you looked pretty upset watching those videos last night."

Vincent shrugged and through another rock against the water.

"Do you still have feelings for her?" JT asked.

Vincent through another rock before answering. "I mean I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with her."

JT didn't say anything.

"I don't know man, I know she was going to shoot me but who knows what was going through that mind of hers. I mean what if that was you? What if you saw Sarah turn into this monster thing."

JT didn't say anything.

"Besides, it's not like things would've worked out. I am what I am and there is nothing that's gunna change that."

"You don't know that for sure Vincent." JT said.

"Ten years, I'm pretty certain. Plus its freakin' mutating."

"You don't know how bad it's really gunna be though." JT said.

Vincent sighed. "JT, I'm hallucinating."

"About that, I've been thinking that might be just a stress factor."

"Stress?" Vincent asked.

JT nodded. "Yeah I mean you've been pretty stressed out. Plus when do you hallucinate? Is it random like the black outs or are you doing or thinking of something when it happens?"

"I guess whenever it really happens I'm thinking about my past." Vincent said.

"See? I don't think it has anything to do with it. Maybe it's not that bad."

Vincent shrugged. "Maybe."

"Also Campus called, they need me back by tomorrow for classes so if one of us wants to keep their job then I suggest we start thinking about heading back."

Vincent nodded. "Okay."

"So I was thinking we should probably take off tonight."

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