Well, I'm going to update tonight in appreciation of those who are faithfully giving feedback. I have to say, after I gave you all the VinCat kiss in a story that is staying totally true to the series (to this point), I'm disappointed that more of you didn't respond. I'm not sure what you're waiting for! =/

Chapter Seven – Then Come Kiss Me

Vincent thought his heart was going to stop. No, wait, it was going to explode. Oh hell, he wasn't sure what was going to happen, all he knew was he had never wanted a kiss more in his entire life. He made a valiant effort to not succumb to the soft warmth of her lips gently teasing his, really he did. But in the end, both the man and the beast that struggled inside him demanded satisfaction for all the months of pent up longing he'd had for this angel lying in his embrace. Resistance became too much to bear and he melted into the unimaginable purity of her kiss. Not that he didn't desire her, there was that; but there was something so… beyond lust that was flowing between them, it blew him away. He could almost taste her love for him in her kiss, and in that moment he knew – she was his soul mate. The one woman in the entire world that completed him. How cruel was fate, to bring her to him now, when there was no hope of them ever being together?

He wanted to howl in frustration when their lips parted, because he knew he would have to live whatever was left of his humanity on that one, solitary, beautiful moment. He had no delusions that JT and Evan were going to be able to reverse or even stop what was happening to him. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers, fighting the tears that wanted to fall. The pain of a breaking heart was so great, he almost didn't hear her quiet confession. "Vincent, I love you." He opened his eyes and let his watery gaze settle on her. Why was she doing this? After what he had just told her, why was she making this harder on him? Didn't she understand what keeping their relationship "just friends" was going to cost him?

"Catherine, please, don't…" he pleaded.

"Shush," she ordered. "You had your turn to talk; now it's mine. There are things you need to know." Catherine winced, and Vincent gently laid her back on the mattress. She grabbed his hand before he could move away, though, so he sat down on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, temporarily distracted by the beauty and strength of the hands that had more than once saved her life.

"I wasn't totally unconscious when you found the wreck," she confessed softly. "Right before you came, I prayed for the first time in years. I could feel myself starting to slip away, but I begged God to not let me die until I could tell you how much I love you." She looked up into his eyes. "I've never said those words to another man in my life, except my dad. But I mean it Vincent. I love you. With all my heart. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. And I'm not willing to just throw that away because there are challenges." She blinked furiously at the tears threatening to spill over. "Even if the worst happens and we're not able to stop the mutation, I will forever cherish what time we have together. Please, I'm begging you, don't push me away. I don't think I could survive it."

"But don't you see? It will only be worse if we prolong it. If we grow closer it will only make it harder for both of us when the time comes –" He swallowed hard. " - when the time comes that you have to either stop me with force, or turn me in. Sooner or later, the reality of what I am is going to become an issue between us, and you're going to have to finally accept it."

"Vincent, I'm totally aware of the reality of who you are. Not what. And hear me well on this: I accept you for all of who you are."

"Catherine, I don't deserve this. Your love, your acceptance… any of it. You've seen the things I'm capable of already. If it gets worse who knows what could happen?"

"You're wrong, Vincent. There is no man I know who deserves it more. You can walk away from me if you want, but it won't change the fact that my heart will always belong to you. If you'll let me, I can walk this road with you and if the unthinkable does happen? Well, we can cross that bridge together too. And in the end I will have a heart full of treasured memories for having had you in my life. Please don't deprive me of that." Tears were flowing like rivers down her face, but what moved Vincent even more was the strength of conviction in her eyes.

"Catherine, are you sure this is what you want? That you can handle it? Because honestly, I would rather we drew the line here and now, than to have you look at me in horror if things start to get… bad. I can bear a lot of things, but having you look at me as a monster? I would rather die." He stared at the floor a moment, thinking. "You know, I was so afraid the first time you really saw me when I was… different. I waited for you to run away but you didn't. You just stood there until I yelled at you and told you to go. And even then you hesitated. You saw me when I didn't want anyone to see me and still you stayed." Vincent looked down at where his fingers were now laced with hers, overcome with all he was feeling. "Your acceptance made me begin to believe that new things were possible for me. That I could maybe have some sort of life again. But that all came crashing down when you told me that my DNA is still mutating." He looked up at her, and when she gazed into his eyes she could see all the pain he was feeling reflected in them. "I mean… I could have handled that this is my life before you came along. After all, it was my own ignorance that got me into this mess. But you –you've changed everything for me. I want so much to be the kind of man you deserve, not this constant problem that needs fixing."

"Oh Vincent," she breathed. "You are not a problem that needs fixing. Every relationship has its challenges and heartache. That's the risk we take when we love someone. You know… that's why I was coming to find you tonight. I was so hurt to think you were pushing me away again, and that's what I meant was too big a risk, not that you aren't the 'normal guy'." She squeezed his hand gently. "I realized after you left the reception that you probably misunderstood. But it got me thinking, there are no guarantees in life for anyone. Loving is a risk, and you either accept that, or you spend your life alone. Believe me, I know. I've spent my whole adult life pushing people away, and I wasn't even really sure why. Everyone else thought it was the trauma of my mother's death, and maybe that had something to do with it, I don't know. But when I was trapped in that car with a bullet hole in my shoulder, all I could think about was you and how much I wanted more time to be with you before I died. That's when I finally accepted that the real reason I kept getting into go-nowhere relationships was you. I know it sounds crazy, but on some level I don't understand, I've been waiting for you all these years. Finally finding you… getting to know you… falling in love with you… it feels right in a way I never could have imagined until you came into my life. So yes. I'm totally sure this is what I want. And for the record? I would choose you a thousand times over any so-called 'normal' guy. Because I've noticed something important about you Vincent; they may have altered your DNA – given you super senses and strength and all – but there's one thing they weren't able to change." She paused, and Vincent looked at her questioningly. Lifting her hand, she placed it on his chest. "They couldn't change your heart. And you have the most beautiful heart I've ever known."

When Vincent finally left her room some time later, he felt like he was floating on air. He had finally bared his soul to Catherine and she had chosen to stand by him, good or bad, until the end. He was done fighting her about it, done second-guessing her and their whole relationship. He finally realized that he needed to trust her; to believe that she knew what she was getting into and that she was making what she thought was the best decision not only for him, but for herself as well. He sent a silent "thank you" into the universe from a very grateful heart.

Too restless to wait for an elevator, he decided to take the stairs from the ICU level down into the lower lobby. He was so distracted thinking about Catherine and all the changes that were happening between them, he forgot he was still wearing scrubs and wasn't taking any precautions to hide himself from the whole world. He realized his mistake as he descended the stairs, just a heartbeat too late.

"Vincent?" His heart stopped at the sound of a very familiar voice. His stomach knotted a second later when it registered with him who it belonged to. Without looking around for the source of it, he ran down the stairs as fast as he could and slipped around the corner behind an oversized pillar. "Vincent Keller!" he heard her yell across the lobby. He could feel his heart racing, his breathing getting shallow… no, no, no! He had to get out of here before something bad happened. The sound of her footsteps heading in his direction spurred him to action. He took a deep breath before quickly disappearing down the hallway, away from the front entrance of the hospital. He didn't care where he was headed, as long as it was away from her. There were dozens of exits from the complex. He had to come across one eventually.

His mind was racing feverishly, trying to process what had just happened. How could he have been so careless? For 10 years everyone that was important in his life had believed him dead; they had grieved and moved on. Now all of that was in jeopardy. He could feel his anxiety level escalating and decided to block it from his mind until he reached safety where he could calm himself and consider the situation carefully. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but it was evident he was going to have to do something. Because he certainly couldn't have his former fiancée telling everyone he was still alive.