Hey everyone, I'm back! Been a rough couple weeks with my dad. Hopefully I'll get a few days to write before we go through it again. I will keep up with this as best I can, because I enjoy it so much. I hope you all do too! Here we go!

Chapter 22 – Every Man Must Play a Part

After dropping Heather off to stay with her dad for a while, Tess raced all the way back to the city from the Chandlers' country home. It had gone pretty much the way she had expected; Thomas Chandler was fit to be tied when he learned how much danger his eldest daughter was in. It hadn't helped that Tess couldn't give him any kind of encouraging news about the case, because they didn't have a single lead. She sure hoped that Evan was having some luck with that mauling case at least. She'd hate for the precinct to be dealt 2 black eyes in a 24 hour timespan.

Checking the clock on her dash, she pressed the accelerator toward the floor. She had to make it back to the hospital before Dr. Salter finished her shift and did something stupid like trying to go home by herself.

Evan pulled into the parking garage and snatched up the file off the passenger seat before vaulting out of the car. He didn't dare let the thing out of his sight. He remembered what happened the last time he hadn't guarded evidence pertaining to Vincent Keller. He jogged across the street, anxious to get to Cat's room and hopefully obtain the information he needed to reach JT Forbes. He was completely unaware of all the eyes that were tracking his movements.

As he entered the lobby, he turned toward the bank of elevators just in time to see Cat's stunning redhead doctor stepping into one of the cars, followed by…Vincent? He squinted to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. He noticed the scar on the side of his face. Nope, definitely Vincent Keller. Well now, things were getting more interesting by the minute. So much for keeping to shadows and hiding from Muirfield. Evan was beginning to wonder if the whole thing was a lie. But then if it was… how to explain the cross-species DNA linked to Vincent Keller? Not to mention all the attempts that had been made on Cat's life.

Evan hung back, not even trying to catch the elevator before it closed. He had a feeling the two doctors were up to something; he didn't want to tip his hand and let them know he was watching them until he knew for certain what they were about. He couldn't really believe they were the ones responsible for trying to kill Cat earlier, but to be sure, he might want to see if Tess had pulled the security footage from the hall outside Cat's room yet. He caught the next elevator to the second floor, oblivious to the fact Tess had entered the lobby and had been watching his reaction to Dr. Salter and that gorgeous colleague of hers. She wouldn't mind gettinghimalone in the supply closet. Still, there was something vaguely familiar looking about him… She waited several minutes, before crossing the lobby to the staircase, intent on finding out what everyone was hiding. She was tired of being kept in the dark.

As Evan got off the elevator, he headed toward Cat's room, stopping short of being seen by Dr. Salter and Vincent, who were talking to the guard at Cat's door. He ducked into a supply closet across the hall and observed through the cracked door as Vincent introduced himself as Vincent Zalanski. Of course! He was the mysterious doctor boyfriend Cat was supposed to bring to the wedding! He had forgotten all about it with everything that had happened since.

He watched as Alex gently touched Vincent's arm. The look in her eyes said it all.So that's the way of it, eh?He thought to himself.The ex-fiancée obviously wants to erase the "ex" from the equation.He silently closed the door when he saw her turning to walk down the hall toward his position. He wondered if Cat was aware that she had competition for the beast's affections.

After waiting ample time for Alex to pass by the closet door, he opened it slowly and started to slip out into the hall. "Find what you were looking for, Dr. Marks?" Evan nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice. Turning, he addressed her with a serious look. One he hoped didn't show how nervous he was at being found spying on her. Fortunately, he was blissfully unaware of someone else spying on him from a shadowed recess down the hall…

"Actually, no," he deadpanned, knowing full well that she wasn't going to buy anything he said. "I was looking for office supplies. Seems I forgot my pen."

"Our supplies – office or otherwise – are not here for the general public's use," she sniped. "You'd do well to remember that. I'd hate to have to call security to remove you from the hospital."

Evan gave an incredulous chuckle. "Over a pen? Seriously? Don't you think that's a bit harsh, Dr. Salter?"

"Maybe. If it really was a pen we were discussing here. But that's not really what you're after here, and we both know it. So why are you here, spying on me?"

"You flatter yourself, Doctor," he said with an imperious look. "Quite honestly, I'm not the least bit interested in you. Any more than Vincent apparently is."

Ouch. Alex silently assessed her adversary.This guy is playing for keeps, she thought. Yet behind that cruel smirk he flashed her, there was almost something…sadin his eyes. She wondered if he was carrying a torch for Cat- "Wait. What did you just say?"

"Which part? The part about my not being interested in you? Or the part about you wasting your time wishing Vincent was?"

"Y-you know who he is?" She hated that she stammered when she got upset, but it couldn't be helped. How did Evan Marks know about Vincent?

"Yes, I know full well who andwhathe is," he replied with a meaningful look. "I'm doing some research to try and fix-"

"What do you mean 'what he is'? What hasn't he told me?" She started backing toward the door. Did Muirfield have someone inside NYPD too?

"You mean you don't know why he's had to pretend to be dead all these years?" Interesting, Evan thought. Apparently he's keeping secrets from the ex.

"He just said something about some top secret mission he was on in Afghanistan and that he knew too much…" Her eyes asked all the questions she couldn't bring herself to put voice to. Was there more to what had happened than he had told her? And if so, why was he still lying to her? They also conveyed how afraid she was of Evan at that moment.

Evan wasn't about to answer her questions, but hecouldallay her fear. If she ran off like a scared rabbit who knew what damage she could do? "Hey, you don't need to be afraid of me knowing about him. I'm Catherine's friend and I'm trying to help them."

"Said the wolf to the sheep." Great, Alex. Antagonize him. That will go well.

Evan laughed, not the least bit offended. "Yes, well, I can see your concern. But I'm not a wolf and you-" He pointed and wagged his finger almost playfully at her. "You are no innocent lamb, doctor. I saw the way you looked at him. And I should warn you not to waste your time. That way lies heartache."

"The voice of experience,doctor?" she mimicked back.

"Unfortunately, yes." She was startled by his unexpected candor. "But loving someone sometimes means realizing that you aren't what makes them happiest. And if you really love someone, isn't their happiness what's important? It's only selfishness that would make you want your own happiness above theirs."

"If that's the case, why are you always hanging around Catherine, and sneaking up here after hours to try and get into her room?" Alex wasn't about to be preached to by a hypocrite - especially when his words were uncomfortably close to the truth.

"My business here is none ofyourbusiness, but it's just that - business, of the NYPD variety. I'm not at liberty to discuss anything more than that with you. Now… how is Cat doing? Is there any change? Has she woken yet?"

Alex was feeling a bit peevish still. This man really knew how to get under her skin. "I don't see as I have any obligation to tell you that information, since you aren't next of kin."

"Really? So you want to play it that way? Well let me just warn you, that if I have to call Lieutenant Bishop down here to get you to talk, he won't be happy. And let mealsowarn you, that you won't like him when he's not happy. Now, I'm here in an official capacity about an ongoing investigation, which Cat has knowledge of and possesses pertinent information that I can't seem to obtain any other way. Lord knows, this was my last option. Believe me, I didn't want to have to come here anymore than you want me to be here, but it was unavoidable."

She wasn't sure which she hated more – having this man expose her hidden desire to reunite with Vincent, or being scolded like a child. Alex looked at the floor, disturbed because a part of her knew she had it coming to her for being so difficult. "She's still unconscious – or at least, she was when I left her room a few minutes ago. I expect her to regain consciousness any time now."

"Well is there any reason I can't wait with Vincent for that to happen then? I really need to speak with her." He wasn't about to tell her that the information he needed he could actually get from Vincent. That was a whole can of worms better left unopened.

Dr. Salter looked at her watch. She still had rounds to make before she could make a final check on Catherine and leave for the night. "I suppose not," she conceded on a heavy sigh. "Just know that if Vincent deems it best that you leave, you better listen to him, or I will have you tossed out of the hospital on your ear. Are we clear on this?"

"Crystal," he agreed, trying to suppress the smirk that was playing with the corners of his mouth. He found himself amused by her attempt at being tough. He had to admire her bravado, even if hecouldsee right through it.

"Fine then, come on." Her nose lifted slightly, disgusted with his condescending smirk, and opened the door. She walked out of the supply closet it like it was the most natural thing in the world to be holding clandestine meetings in there, trusting that Evan would follow her without hesitation – which, he did. She stopped at Cat's room, and gave clearance to the officer to let Evan into the room. Without another word, she stormed off and left him standing there alone. Evan watched her walk away with a huge grin on his face. For all her sass, he wasn't quite sure why he found her so entertaining.

From where she watched down the hall, Tess wondered what on earth was going on with Dr. Salter and Evan. First they disappear into a closet together and then she has to tell the guard to let him into Cat's room? Surely the officer would have known to let Evan in as part of NYPD – wouldn't he? And what was all the weird tension between them about anyway? As Alex neared her position, she stepped out from the alcove she was lurking in, to catch the doctor's attention.

"Hey, Dr. Salter," she called out. Alex's head snapped up at the sound of her name.

"Oh, Detective… Vargas, is it? Sorry I didn't see you there." Tess smiled. Not being seen had kind of been her objective.

"Hey, no problem," she assured the other woman. "I just wanted to let you know I'm back on the premises so you don't wander out of the hospital without me."

Alex stopped in her tracks. "Really, do you think this is necessary? Surely you don't think these men would try to come back here again, with all the police presence there's been today?"

"Probably not," Tess agreed, but continued, "and that's the reason for the police presence –and escort. To make sure they don't try anything else."

Alex appeared discomfited by her snarky outburst at the detective. After all, the woman was just doing her job. "Yes, you're right of course," she conceded. "I'll probably be done here in about 45 minutes. I'm running a little behind schedule."

"No problem," Tess told her with a dismissive gesture. "I'll just be hanging around when you're ready." And seeing what dirt I can dig up about what everyone is doing so secretly around here, she added to herself.