"Put ne down, Vincent! Right this minute!" Catherine cried.
"No!" he answered with as much emphasis as she had exerted. He never broke his stride as he carried her slung over his right shoulder.
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded angrily.
"I'm taking you back to your threshold," he answered calmly.
"I won't go!" she snapped back at him as she tried to wriggle free.
"I don't think you are in a position to make such a statement, Catherine, Vincent said dryly as he held her firmly in place.
"I'1I scream," she threatened as she pounded him on the back. The effect it had on him was that of a mosquito trying to bite through an elephant's hide.
"No one will hear you," he remarked as he tried to hide the smile pulling on his mouth.
"Ooooooh! You make me so mad! she fumed. She thought she felt a deep chuckle from his chest reverberate against her leg. "Are you laughing at me?" she demanded to know.
"Me? Catherine. Why would I do a thing like that?" he replied as his chuckle grew bolder.
Regardless of the situation, he was enjoying this more than he should, he thought guiltily. But it felt so good to laugh to be this close to her again. He had missed her terribly.
Catherine decided she would take another approach. There wasn't a man alive who wouldn't succumb to it. In her sweetest voice, she said, "Vincent, my LOVE. Please put me down. I must be getting very heavy and you're getting your cloak all wrinkled."
"Not at all and as far as my cloak goes, I never worry about such things," he replied matter-of-factly.
"Ooooooh! You big bully! Put...me...down now! Or I'll, or I'll...kick you where it hurts!"
She was furious now and he loved every minute of it. He loved her spark...her fire. It was so much a part of her...of who she was. He loved it. He loved her.
She tried to kick his "where it hurts", but fortunately for Vincent, her legs only came to just above the area, closer to the lower part of his abdomen than his groin Vincent held her feet and she could not move her legs under his powerful grip. She could also feel the slight increased pressure of his claws on her leg as a warning. Not that she thought he would actually use them on her, but they served as a gentle reminder of who had the upper hand here.
Finally, arriving at her basement entrance, he stood her down gently in front of him and held her arms so she could get her balance again. She looked up at him absolutely livid and hissed, "Get your hands off me!" but he held her firmly as he tried to steady her. He could smell wine on her breath, not that he found it repugnant but it did explain her present behavior. He knew she had been out with Joe Maxwell attending a New Year's Eve party and had consumed a few drinks to celebrate the occasion. He wandered why she had returned before midnight, but now was not the time to ask.
Because of the flu epidemic that had gone on now for four weeks Below, Vincent had asked her to please stay away. He was afraid she would contract this nasty disease, too. It had been a trying time for all, especially for him since he had been forced to take over Father's role as attending physician when Father had fallen victim to the disease. That had been two weeks ago and Vincent had been able to get only two or three hours of sleep during that time. The whole weight of the world Below rested on his shoulders right now and it was taking its toll physically, mentally and emotionally. He was upset when he realized Catherine had not heeded his warning, but he was also very grateful for the diversion. He was aching to see her beautiful face again. Only, right now, it was all screwed up into a scowl and her beautiful green eyes were almost red from her anger. Perhaps her anger was not the reason they were red, but it definitely intensified her outraged took.
He let go of her arms and took a step backward. He looked at her for a moment and said quietly, "I think you should go home now, Catherine."
She glared at him then said, "Why are you so cold? Why are you trying to get rid of me? Hrnmm? Am I embarrassing you in this dress?" she asked as she motioned to the spaghetti-strapped, black and gold diagonally striped mini-dress. It fit her like a glove, not leaving much to one's imagination and if she bent over...well, that was quite another story. It suddenly hit her that she had probably "mooned" everyone, including the entries, as he carried her slung over his shoulder through the tunnels. The thought of their shocked faces sent her into convulsions of laughter that bounced off the tunnel walls.
He began to laugh with her, not quite understanding her irrational behavior, when she suddenly stopped and glared at him as she poked him none too gently in the nose. "What are you laughing at? Are you laughing at me again?"
His face suddenly went blank as he grabbed her wrist to prevent her from possibly poking him in the eye next. "Catherine, please go home. You need your rest," he stated softly.
She tried to focus on his face and when she finally did, she saw his genuine concern and great love for her there. All of a sudden, she began to weep and he immediately pulled her into his warm embrace. Her behavior was so erratic he didn't know what to think. Their bond seemed to be disjointed by it and he really wasn't able to read her feelings clearly.
"Catherine, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he whispered in his velvet voice.
"Oh, Vincent. I'm sorry. I'm acting like a lunatic or a jackass or something. What you must think of me!"
she cried into his quilted vest.
"The only thing I am thinking of...Catherine, is how much I am enjoying being with you right now...holding you close again. I feel only...joy and perhaps...a little confusion, but I understand," he assured her.
"Do you, Vincent? Do you really understand how much it meant to me to see the New Year in with you tonight? I would risk everything to be with you tonight," she said as she raised her lovely flushed face up to look at him.
He touched his forefinger to her full bottom lip and traced the outline of it. "Shhh, that's enough now. It has been a very trying time for both of us, but you're here now. I did not purposely keep you away because 1 did not want to be with you. You know that, Catherine. Please don't waste this time with regrets or apologies. Let us savor this moment. Let us draw on each other's strength so we can face the new year with happiness."
She looked into his smoky blue eyes. They were truly the windows to his heart and soul and the love she saw there was overwhelming. "Vincent, I care for you so much. I can't begin to tell you how many ways," she whispered.
"Try," he answered huskily.
She pulled back to look at him, a little surprised that he would actually ask.
"Please, Catherine, I need to hear the words," he said, his voice breaking.
There was so much need and love in his voice that she could feel tears stealing silently into her eyes. She knew he needed the words for two reasons- reassurance and comfort. He had been under a terrible strain these past few weeks. She saw the shadows, more prominent now, under his eyes from lack of sleep and his stance was weary. She blinked the tears back and straightened up slightly and said, "Then listen well, my love." She then began to list al the reasons she loved him--his gentleness, his nobility, which she admitted was a pain in the butt sometimes. Here she winked at him and laughed out loud. She then went on to tell him how sexy and desirable she thought he was and he hung his head to hide his embarrassment, but inside, he was screaming with joy. He realized that if she weren't a little tipsy, she might not have said H out loud. Thank heavens for spirits, at least for this particular moment. She then got serious again and told him how much she deeply loved him and how she did not want to be without him--ever.
He pulled her closer and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Catherine. I needed to hear out loud what our bond whispers" Just then, Catherine's hourly alarm on her wristwatch went off to indicate that midnight had indeed arrived. They both looked at the watch and then back info each other's eyes. "Thank you for the past year and may the New Year be just as blessed. Happy New Year, Catherine. I...I love you," Vincent whispered.
"Happy New Year, Vincent and I love you. I think I’ll start counting my blessings now," and she pulled his head down for a kiss. It was slow and sweet and full of promise. As they pulled apart, Catherine whispered, "One." She pulled his mouth down for another kiss.
"Two," he murmured. "Three...Four....
Epilogue
Father was up and around in the next couple of days and tunnel life seemed to be getting back to
normal. Kipper came rushing in, waving a blue envelope that Vincent instantly recognized as being from Catherine. He excused himself from the chess game he and Father had been playing and walked briskly back to his chamber to read it. He slit it open and pulled out the folded sheet of stationary and read it. His resounding laughter could be heard throughout the tunnels as he read the note out loud:
"Dearest Vincent, I've got the flu and I don't want to hear "I told you so!" This is definitely not a blessing! I need you. Love, Catherine. P.S. If you can't bring lots of William's chicken soup, don't come. Just kidding...no, I'm not. Hurry."
