And now... the part you've all been waiting for... LOL It's a little shorter than the others, but was a perfect place to break chapters. Don't stone me, lol. But DO let me know what you think! (Maybe I'm just sappy, but you might want to grab the tissues for these next two parts - I was actually tearing while I wrote it!)

Chapter Six – Rough Winds Do Shake

Several minutes after JT left ICU, the door to the supply closet next to Catherine's room opened, and Vincent slipped from one room to the next, cleverly disguised in some scrubs and a lab coat that he had "appropriated". He shut the door behind him, and silently willed the staff to stay away. He didn't want to have to come up with an on-the-spot story as to who he was and what he was doing in there, but if it came to that he would. Nothing was going to stand in his way of being with Catherine.

He pulled a chair up to her bedside and dropped into it. He was exhausted after the emotional rollercoaster he'd been on all evening. Reaching out, he lifted her slender hand and placed it in his own, cradling it gently for fear of hurting her with his unnatural grip. Normally he had control of himself, but being this emotional, he was afraid he'd be distracted enough to forget his own strength. He stared at her face, his thumb tenderly stroking the back of her hand as if willing the contact between them to wake her. He knew she needed rest, but he needed to know she was really going to be ok. And he needed to tell her –

What? His brow furrowed in thought. What exactly would he say to her when she woke up? I'm sorry? Sorry for walking away? Sorry that I'm not… human? His mind was in such a jumble, he didn't know how he'd ever sort it all out. There was only one thing that he knew for sure – he loved Catherine with every beat of his heart. And apparently it was more than just a fleeting feeling, because he realized something tonight for the first time; not only did he love Catherine, but his beast loved her as well. It went far beyond protecting an innocent with her – his beast was protecting his chosen mate. That was why her touch could calm him when he couldn't calm himself. With her, he felt… safe. Ironic, he thought, how all this time she thought he was saving her, but in reality, she was saving him. In so many ways, day after day, she gave him what he needed to carry on - her hope, her faith, her friendship… her love. She'd never said the words, but he had seen it in her eyes too many times to not notice. Oh, he had tried to ignore it, afraid to trust that she wouldn't one day just get tired of the whole mess. But how many times had she risked her own life to save his? It upset him at the time, because all he wanted to do was make sure she was safe. His love for her wouldn't consider any other option.

His brow furrowed as a new thought came to him. Was it like that for her, too? Was that why she kept fighting for him, believing in him, trying to protect him at risk to herself? Because her love demanded the same commitment from her? Could it be that she actually loved him enough that living without him would bring her the same pain that he would endure if she were ripped from his life? He was afraid to hope.

Craving her touch, he lifted her hand and placed it against his cheek, as she had done so many times. Every time she did that something primal inside of him wanted to howl, it touched him so deeply. Now he just squeezed his eyes shut, tears seeping from between his lashes, thinking how close he had come to losing her tonight. And she still wasn't out of the woods.

Even without looking at the monitor, Vincent was aware of the change in Catherine's heart rate and respiration. Her head started tossing back and forth on the pillow as if in the throes of a terrifying nightmare. "No…. Vincent… please…." She let out a little sob and her voice grew hoarse, tight with emotion. "Please don't leave me…"

Vincent vaulted out of the chair and leaned over her, stroking her hair, brushing his lips against her forehead, trying everything he could think of to soothe her. "Sshh Catherine, it's ok. I'm here... I'm here. I'm not going anywhere, I promise." He was totally humbled. Evan had been right apparently. Because Catherine's subconscious was expressing what her broken heart wouldn't let her say to him at the reception. She had wanted him to stay, but she thought he didn't want to be with her! Just when he thought he couldn't possibly love her or want to protect her any more than he did, he discovered there was no limit to the feelings his precious Catherine could stir in him. He nuzzled her cheek with his, softly kissed it, and then whispered in her ear, "Come back to me Catherine. I can't do this by myself any more. I need you here with me." He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat.

Once more he lifted her hand and brought it to his lips to place a tender kiss in her palm. As he did, he felt her fingers curl slightly and brush his jawline. His eyes darted to her face, and he watched her lashes flutter as if she was trying to wake from her sleep. He leaned down again and stroked her face. "That's it," he encouraged her. "You're almost back. You're strong – you can do it. Fight for it." Vincent knew he was being selfish, but he had to know she was going to be alright. He felt like his whole world was coming apart at the thought of possibly losing her.

"Vincent," she whispered, her eyes still closed. He thought he'd never heard a sweeter sound in all his life. He gently rubbed his thumb over her lips.

"Hey beautiful," he whispered back. His breath caught when she ever so softly kissed the pad of his thumb. He wondered what it would be like to have her warm lips pressed to his own. Slowly her lashes lifted until she could gaze the short distance into his eyes.

"Hey," she answered dreamily, her lips lifting in a barely perceptible smile. "You're… here." Vincent noticed her struggling to swallow and brought the small glass of water from her bedside table to her lips for her to sip. She closed her eyes again and sighed. "Thanks." She could hear him put the cup back, then felt him tenderly brush her hair from her face. She made the effort to open her eyes again. "Vincent… we need… to talk," she managed to say.

"Shh I know," he replied. "You've had a rough night, so how about I talk and you listen?" Catherine nodded and closed her eyes again. She would let him have his say, but then she was going to finish the conversation. There were things he had to know…

"Catherine, I want – no, I need to apologize to you for earlier…" Vincent sank down into the chair by her bed, his elbows on his knees, hands clasped together as he stared at the floor. "I told you once before, I don't know how to do this. This whole… situation." He glanced up briefly, but found it hard to maintain eye contact with all the emotions running rampant inside him and looked away again. "It's been… a really long time since I've had any kind of relationship with, you know, a woman…" He could feel his cheeks burning hot with embarrassment. "If things with me were… normal… this would be so much different. Easier. But I am what I am, y'know? And you…" Vincent blew out a deep breath. Summoning all his courage, he raised his eyes and his gaze collided with hers. "You are not a normal woman." He could see the uncertainty in her eyes at his words and rushed on to explain, "What I mean to say is… you are the most amazing woman I've ever known." Hes looked back to his hands, where he was rubbing his thumbs together nervously. "You're like… ten times better than any fantasy I ever had of the perfect woman. And I'm like, this hideous monster, and you deserve so much better than that. And as if that wasn't enough, now I find out that what I am… is likely going to get worse. If I thought I was being selfish before to think we could ever… have some sort of relationship… now it would be just insane of me to want you to have to go through whatever it is that I'm going to turn into. For all we know, it may not stop until there's nothing left of me." He reached out and took her hand and lifted it to rub his cheek against the back of it. "But I want you to know, the one thing that I never meant to make you feel is that I was rejecting you. I walked away tonight because I finally realized I can't ask you to throw your life away on me. You don't need to go into a relationship knowing that one day I'm going to break your heart, no matter how much I…" Vincent swallowed hard against the emotion choking him, "no matter how much I care about you."

Catherine could feel the wetness of his tears on the back of her hand where it still rested against his cheek. What strength and courage it must have taken for him to make such an emotional sacrifice for her! He hadn't said the words, but she understood what he hadn't spoken. Now it was her turn to make amends. "Vincent," she whispered, knowing full well he could hear her. When he looked up at her, she closed her eyes as if she was exhausted. "Come closer," she breathed. Vincent honored her wish and rose from his chair to lean over her. She slowly removed her hand from his and placed her palm on his cheek. Slipping her fingers into his hair she curled her fingers slightly around the back of his head and using gentle pressure she urged him to bring his face closer to hers. "Help me sit up," she asked when they were almost nose to nose.

"Catherine, I don't think that's a good idea," he reasoned. "You should lie still."

"I'll rest afterward. It's only for a moment, I promise. Please. Just slide your arm under me if you would…" As Vincent did so, it gave her all the leverage and element of surprise she needed to close the distance between them and fuse her lips to his.