Chapter 16 – Tempt Not a Desperate Man

JT looked up from the DNA research he was reviewing and pulled the tranquilizer gun a little closer when he heard a moan coming from the mound of sinewy flesh piled on the floor of the loft. He watched tentatively as Vincent began to flex muscles and struggle to regain consciousness. He hated having to drug his friend, but he really couldn't have him running around the streets of New York out of control if it could be prevented.

Vincent attempted to shake the last vestiges of the drug off and looked around until he located JT. "What happened?" he asked, obviously still disoriented.

"You mean you don't remember?" JT sounded worried.

Vincent struggled to clear his head. He was still for a moment, then every muscle in his body tensed as he sprang to his feet in a way that JT had to appreciate as not being fully human. "Catherine!" he choked out. "What happened to her?"

"Relax, big guy, your kitty-Cat is fine." He avoided Vincent's direct look. Dammit, his heart wasn't beating normally. Vincent was going to nail him, he just knew it –

"Well something's not fine. Spit it out, JT."

JT gave a deep sigh. "It would appear our dear friends from Muirfield sent another team to locate you. The Boys are Back in Town." Damn, why did stupid stuff like that pop out of his mouth when he was under stress? He really wished he knew.

Vincent rushed over to the table where JT was sitting, and bracing his hands on the edge he leaned across it with a look of utter intensity on his face. "Did they find Catherine? Did they touch her?!" His nerves were stretched so taught that JT reached for the tranquilizer gun in case he snapped.

"Dude, relax," he said in an off-handed manner that he wasn't really connecting with emotionally. "I told you, she's fine. They weren't after her. We don't even know if they know about her, remember?"

"Then what happened?!" Vincent's breathing was getting labored and he was afraid he was going to lose it.

"Vincent you have to calm down. You aren't doing anyone any good when you get out of control like this. I'll tell you what you want to know if you just calm down." Vincent pulled out a stool across from JT and dropped into it with a thud, taking a few deep breaths and restoring some semblance of control to himself. "Better?" JT asked. Vincent nodded. "Okay, so Muirfield showed up, but they didn't come after Catherine. They nabbed Alex this time." When Vincent's eyes started glowing, JT held his hands up in a "slow down" gesture and said, "She's okay. The cops rescued her. Tess is playing her bodyguard for the time being."

"The cops? How did they know about it?"

"Well, see, that's where things start to get really weird…" He shifted uncomfortably, wondering how Vincent was going to react to what he was about to hear. He wasn't sure himself what he thought of the whole thing.

"Go on," Vincent urged, that eerie glow still lighting his eyes and creeping JT out.

"Weelll…" JT focused his attention on doodling so he wouldn't have to look at Vincent's eyes. "Apparently Catherine had a um.. vision of the abduction and managed to get NYPD's finest there in time to save her. Of course, the Muirfield henchmen managed to get away, but at least Alex is safe, albeit shaken up pretty badly."

"I don't doubt." Vincent slammed his hands flat on the table, making the whole thing shake. "10 years!" he exploded. "10 years I avoid that woman and in the span of 24 hours from the time she sees me, she's up to her neck in danger. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"What you're supposed to do, Vincent, is let the police handle it. She's got protection. Stay away from her and maybe this whole Muirfield thing will blow over."

Vincent gave JT a look that said, "Pull the other one." What came out of his mouth was, "We both know they aren't going to just let this go. They think she knows something now, and they won't stop until they get what they want, or she's dead." He got up and started pacing the floor, his fingers locked in the hair on the back of his head in frustration. "You know, sooner or later, the cops are going to come up empty and they'll have to stop protecting her. They won't have a clue why this is happening or how dangerous these people are." He looked over at JT, who was absently doodling on a piece of scrap paper. "JT? Are you listening to me man? We have to find a way to protect her."

"You know, "JT started, his words slow and deliberate, "there may be another way to help her."

Vincent abruptly stopped pacing and stared at his friend. "Which would be-?"

"I'm not really at liberty to say." He held up one hand to forestall an argument. "I'm just saying it's something that Catherine needs to discuss with you. It's not my place, man. But apparently she and Evan came up with an idea whose time has come."

Vincent tensed at the sound of Catherine's name linked with Evan's. "Why the hell was he hatching plans with Catherine?" he demanded, the veins in his neck starting to bulge.

"Look, dude, I know you and Marks got off to a bad start but he's really trying to help us here. I mean, I couldn't just leave you alone earlier, so I called and he went to check on Cat for us. Which… made more sense anyway and raised less suspicion than my showing up would have. Trust me when I say, whatever his feelings might be for her? He's got the picture loud and clear that she's crazy about you and he isn't going to try and come between the two of you." JT was relieved to see Vincent relax and the beasty edginess in him subside. His relief was short-lived, though, as Vincent grabbed his coat and strode purposefully toward the stairs. "Where are you going now?" JT demanded to know.

"Out. I just need to clear my head. Don't worry," Vincent reassured him with a bit of a mocking edge to his tone. "I promise I'll stay to rooftops. I don't have a death wish. Not when there's so much at stake now."

Vincent stormed down the stairs, JT staring after him dumbfounded for a moment before recovering himself. Throwing his hands up in the air he said to the empty room, "I don't know why I even bother."

Vincent kept his word. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop he made his way stealthily to Manhattan's upper east side until he got to Mt. Sinai Hospital. He knew which room Catherine was in, and he strategically located himself atop the building directly across the street. Between all the city noise, the exterior of the building, and his less than ideal proximity, Vincent wasn't sure how much he would be able to hear. But he could see her. And right now, that was a soothing balm to his troubled soul. Kneeling by the ledge that marked the perimeter of the building, he folded his arms on top of its surface, resting his chin on them. Normally he would have perched on the ledge and let his feet dangle, but in broad daylight that would attract too much attention. He was already taking far more risk than he should, and he knew it. But sometimes you have to take risks in life, he thought. This was one of those times.

He squinted as he tried to focus on the interior of Catherine's room. It wasn't that it was too far away for him to see, but with the brightness outdoors, it made it more difficult to see into the shadowy interior of the hospital. Eventually his eyes adjusted and he sighed as he got his first good look at her.

Even in a hospital gown with her hair slightly mussed in a cloud around her head, she was the most lovely sight he'd ever laid eyes on. Whenever he looked at her, it was like no woman had ever existed before her, or ever would again. He was totally smitten. Dimly, he wondered if this was normal. Did human beings actually feel this way when they met their true soul mate, or was part of his reaction to her due to the beast inside him? He'd never pondered that much before, until he had come to the realization that they both had it bad when it came to Catherine Chandler. He wasn't sure whose obsession with her was fueling whose, or if it was just a constant looping of one feeding the other. If that was the case, he was fairly certain he would go mad with it before this was all over - especially if he and Catherine couldn't get their relationship to progress beyond where it was at present. He frowned.

As much as he wanted things to progress, he wasn't sure if it was… possible. Safe. There were so many unanswered questions swirling around in his head. He pulled himself out of his brooding thoughts and focused on Catherine again. He licked his lips, longing so much to press them again to hers; to hear her breath catch, her pulse race wildly…

Even as he thought it, VIncent saw her draw a sharp breath and her head swung to the side to stare out the window directly at him. He knew that her eyes weren't keen enough to actually see him, but yet it felt almost as if she were staring right into his soul. As if the connection he made with her by staring into her eyes linked them…

He watched gratified - and somewhat tormented – as she licked her own lips in the same manner he had done mere moments before. Was she remembering that kiss too? Did she long for the feel of their lips to be locked in blossoming passion? He squeezed his eyes shut and thought about waste management and any other number of disgusting things, trying to cool the heat he felt spiraling through his entire body. He shifted his position trying to ease the sudden discomforting restriction that his jeans were causing. The sound of his own breathing seemed unnatural to him, and he could detect the beginnings of his transformation when he looked at his hands. Damn it! How would he ever be able to consummate his relationship with Catherine if he couldn't allow himself even this level of arousal?

A wave of frustration overtook him, and he lay back on the rooftop, staring up into the blue sky. Of all the things he could regret about what had happened in his life, this one took the cake. He had once told Catherine that he would do it all again if it meant he could be in her life. But at this moment he was beginning to doubt the wisdom in it. What kind of cruel cosmic joke was it for the very thing that brought the woman of his dreams to him, to be the very thing that would always keep them apart?

He jumped when the phone in his pocket started to buzz. Damn it, JT, not now… He pulled the phone out to ignore the call and realized it wasn't JT calling him at all. Catherine.

"Hey," he said softly into the phone. Despite his inner turmoil, just the thought of talking to her brought him comfort.

"Hey yourself," she said, her voice husky. Desire? Could she really feel that way for him, he wondered?

"Shouldn't you be resting?" He was going for admonishing in his tone, but instead his voice came out like a velvet caress. He knew this to be true, by the small gasp of pleasure he heard come through the receiver.

Catherine swallowed. Vincent smiled to himself, relieved that he wasn't the only one who was suffering this cruel torment. Not that he wanted her to suffer; he just wanted her period, and it was nice to know the feeling was at least marginally reciprocated.

"I might have better luck with that," she choked out, "if you weren't sitting across the street staring at me and thinking… what you're thinking."

Vincent's eyebrows rose almost to his hairline. "I thought you said you can't read minds?"

"I can't. Not exactly… but I can feel you Vincent. Your presence. What you're feeling. It isn't a big leap from there to figure out what you were thinking, under the uh… circumstances…" Even through the phone he could hear her shallow respiration, her racing pulse, and the huskiness in her voice. They all gave her away. Suddenly he felt emboldened slightly, deciding to make a little game out of their misfortune. After all, if he had to suffer the discomforts of their attraction, it might be nice to know she did too. Misery loves company, after all…

"And what circumstances might you be referring to, Ms. Chandler?" he asked her. He phrased the question very properly, but she could hear the hint of amusement underlying it. So that's the way he wanted to play it? Catherine was starting to suspect she might have a trick or two up her own sleeve. It would, however, require her to be as uncomfortable as he was, but she was well on her way there anyway, so she decided to take the plunge. She was a little surprised at herself for even thinking it, but she promptly decided to switch her "good girl" filter off and try to shock the good doctor.

Closing her eyes, she thought of exactly what she would like to do to him – do with him – allowing the tension in her own body to escalate and span the distance between them. She wasn't sure how or why, but she was becoming increasingly confident that some sort of new emotional link had formed between them, and she planned to take advantage of it. She was rewarded by the sound of him groaning on the other end of the line. "Mmmhmm," she intoned. "Those circumstances would be the ones to which I was referring."

Vincent gritted his teeth against the overwhelming tide of excitement clenching his body. "Catherine, you're playing with fire," he growled. "Please, you need to stop." Immediately he felt the connection between them fizzle. He took a few deep breaths to get himself under control. "I'm really sorry," he told her. "You just have no idea what that does to me-" He stopped abruptly when he realized he was talking to himself.