Chapter 9

Vincent had returned. As he was working that morning, he had sensed that Catherine had gone Above and some time later had felt a surge of pure joy from her. It had warmed him all the way to his toes. Even though he knew she wasn’t in, he still stopped by her chamber on his way to his. Then he went on to his. He dropped his gear in the corner and stripped off his grimy clothes and dropped them in the basket before moving on to the bathing chamber where he washed off the dirt accumulated over the last couple of days. Back in his chamber he noticed the note on his table.

He leaned over to read the top note as he toweled his hair dry.

Vincent,

Please read the letter I left with this. Have gone above to the bank and to run some errands.

Love always,

Catherine

Vincent dropped the towel over the back of the chair and picked up the other letter and read it.

The shock of what he read caused him to drop into his chair as he reread the letter. He’d once asked Catherine how much money she’d lost. She’d told him that the trust fund had given her a considerable annual income, the investment account had been in the millions, and now she was getting some of that back. She was wealthy again. No wonder she’d rushed Above so quickly to claim it. She’d have the means to move back Above.

The more he thought about it the more confused his thoughts became. What if she wanted to leave now that she was no longer ‘broke’? Would she still want to marry him? He quickly came to the conclusion that he couldn’t, wouldn’t do anything to stop her, if that was what she wanted, and he managed to convince himself that it would be what she wanted.

In a very short amount of time, he had packed a backpack and was headed to Father’s chamber. He stopped there only long enough to tell Father that he needed a couple of days to himself, he was going to the other chamber. He made one more stop in the kitchen then he was gone.

He’d been gone less than an hour when Catherine came back Below. She couldn’t wait to get out of the suit and high heels and into something more comfortable. After she changed she looked into Vincent’s chamber. She could see evidence that he’d been there, so she went to Father’s chamber in search of him.

"He was here a little while ago, Catherine, but he only stayed long enough to tell me that he needed to be alone for a few days. He’s gone to where he lived for the last few years. You two didn’t have a disagreement, did you?"

"No," Catherine was puzzled. "I just got back. I’ve only been here long enough to change; I haven’t seen him in two days."

"I’m sure he will be back in a few days like he said. He often goes off by himself when he has something on his mind."

"Thank you, Father. I think I’ll go read for a while before dinner. I’ll see you later."

Catherine went back to her chamber, but she didn’t read. She was trying to figure out what was going on. It didn’t feel right. He’d promised he’d be here for Valentine’s Day, but he’d come back and left before she even saw him. Was it possible that he’d sensed her news, and had gone off to think about that? Was he upset about it? Upset at the possibility that the child could be like him? She decided that was probably it; he would spend some time on his own and then come home and they would work it out; she was sure of it.

* * * * * * * * * *

Vincent had reached the chamber that had been his home for so long. It was cold and dark and he busied himself lighting candles and lanterns then a fire, before he allowed himself the luxury of sitting down and thinking about what had happened. While walking here, he’d decided that the surge of joy that he’d felt from Catherine just after lunch had probably been when she’d found out about the money. Although, he’d never known her to be that enamored with money before. Maybe being without it had caused her to miss it more than he’d thought she did.

He didn’t know what he’d do if she decided to leave; he didn’t know if he could live without her now that they had grown so close.

Before he'd left the home tunnels, he'd found Mouse and told him that he would be away for a while. He stressed that he'd told Father a few days, and that a few days was all he was planning, but he still asked Mouse to begin the supply deliveries every two weeks again if he didn't return in two weeks.

"Catherine going with Vincent?" he asked innocently.

"No, Catherine will be staying here. I need to think about some things and Catherine has things she needs to do here, so she won't be going with me."

"OK, good. You want me to tell anyone?" asked Mouse, realizing he'd been entrusted with another secret.

"Not right away, and then only if you are asked. If Father is worried, just tell him what I told you."

"OK, good," he said again. "What about Catherine?"

"Same thing goes for her."

Vincent was in a hurry to get away, he could feel that Catherine was on her way back, and he wanted to be out of her reach by the time she started looking for him.

"Thought you and Catherine were going to get married in April," said Mouse as Vincent turned and started to walk away.

"That remains to be seen," was the only answer Vincent gave.

* * * * * * * * * *

The more Catherine thought about Vincent's behavior, the more puzzled she was. If he'd somehow picked up on the fact that she was pregnant, then she could understand his need to be by himself for a while, but she didn't know how he might have picked that up. He couldn't read her thoughts and although, she was quite sure he'd been able to feel her joy at the news, there wouldn't be any way for him to know what had caused it. She finally gave up on trying to figure it out and went to bed. Surely he'd be back the next day or the day after. Father had said that Vincent had told him he'd be gone for a few days; it was only Friday, Valentine's Day wasn't until Monday.

Catherine and Father had both expected Vincent to be home on Sunday, but he didn't show up. By the time Catherine went to bed on Sunday night, they were both beginning to worry. When she woke up on Monday morning she'd come to a decision: if Vincent wasn't in his chamber when she checked after she dressed, then she had to do something more than sit around and wait for his return.

She dressed and went to Vincent's chamber. It had the same unused, lonely feel it had when she first visited it the week after she'd first come Below. She went to breakfast and was in line waiting for her eggs when William called her back into the kitchen. She followed him and when they were out of earshot of the others he turned to her.

"Why has Vincent left?" he asked her.

"I've been wondering the same thing. Did he talk to you before he left?"

"He stopped in here and asked for supplies. Father said that Vincent had told him that he was going to be gone for a few days, but he took more than what he would need for just a few days."

"Oh, that doesn't sound good," she said. "Thanks for telling me that, William." She grabbed a muffin off the counter and ran back to Father's chamber.

She went to Father's chamber to tell him that she intended to go after Vincent, but first she had to tell him that she was pregnant.

"Father, I'm going to go find Vincent," she said as she entered Father's study.

"Are you sure?" he asked, in surprise.

"Yes, I'm sure. You said he told you that he would be gone for a few days, but William just told me that he took enough supplies for a lot longer than that. Mouse knows where his other chamber is, so I'll get him to take me. I can't be positive, but I think I know what has upset Vincent."

"Tell me, Catherine."

Catherine sat down across the table from Father. "I wanted to talk to Vincent first, but Peter made me promise to tell you as soon as possible. Since I haven't had the opportunity to speak to Vincent, then I'll have to tell you first...I'm pregnant. Peter verified my suspicion Friday...I think Vincent has somehow picked up on it and that is what has upset him. I know one of the reasons he was always reticent about sex was that he worried that any child he fathered would be like him."

Most of what Catherine had said had been lost on Father. His brain had ceased functioning when he'd heard the words "I'm pregnant." He was caught up on that thought and hadn't progressed much beyond it.

"Pregnant?" he gasped. "But how?"

The look on his face and his words, provoked a laugh from Catherine in spite of her worry. "Good grief, for doctors both you and Peter seem to be sadly out of touch with the birds and the bees," she managed to say in spite of her laughter.

"But we thought Vincent was probably sterile."

"So Peter told me. Obviously he isn't, in fact, if my calculations are correct, I probably got pregnant on one of the first few times we made love. I would call that pretty fertile."

Father was still nearly speechless. He finally managed an "Oh my God!" before he ran his hands over his face and up through his hair.

"Are you OK, Father?" she finally asked, starting to become concerned.

"I'll recover." He took a deep breath. "You are right about one thing, if he figured that out, he would be upset, but are you sure you are up to the trip? We could write a note and have Mouse take it to him. You should take it easy."

"Father, I'm pregnant, not terminally ill," she pointed out with a smile. "Vincent said that it was only an hour's walk from here. It will probably take me longer, with my shorter legs, but it still won't be bad. Peter told me to continue doing whatever I've been doing and walking it one of those things."

She started to rise, but Father motioned her back to her chair and got up and went over to a pipe and tapped out a message.

"No need to try to hunt Mouse down; I'll call him here. That way we can both talk to him."

Before Father had a chance to sit down, Mouse answered back that he was on his way.

Less than five minutes later, he skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs.

"Mouse, good, I'm glad you were quick," said Father. "Come sit down, Catherine and I have some questions for you."

Mouse looked warily from Father to Catherine, but accepted Father's invitation to sit.

"You need Mouse?" he asked.

"I need your help," said Catherine. "I need you to take me to Vincent's other chamber."

"But Vincent told Mouse not to take anyone there."

"That was before, Mouse," said Father. "When he came back he told me that he planned to let everyone use it as a retreat so we need to know where it is to do that."

"But Vincent went there to be alone," Mouse correctly pointed out.

Catherine decided to try another tactic. "Mouse, did you see Vincent before he left this time?"

The young man nodded, hesitantly.

"Was he upset?" she asked.

"Think so. He told Mouse that if he wasn't back in two weeks to start the every two week supply deliveries again."

Catherine groaned and covered her face with her hands. "He doesn't intend to come back!" She dropped her hands and looked at Father. "What's going on?"

"I have no idea. What in heaven's name has gotten into that boy?" Father turned to Mouse. "Did he say anything else?"

"Mouse asked if Vincent and Catherine were still going to get married in April and he said 'that remains to be seen.'" Mouse turned to Catherine. "What did he mean?"

It took everything in her to keep from bursting into tears, she shook her head, "I don't know, Mouse, but I'm going to find out. You're going to have to take me to him."

"OK, good. Go now!" He jumped up and headed for the door.

Catherine was surprised at Mouse's quick agreement.

"Wait, Mouse," she called after him. "I need to go get a few things, I'll meet you somewhere."

"Outside dining chamber. Mouse'll get food to carry, in case we get hungry."

"OK, outside the dining chamber in about fifteen minutes," she agreed as Mouse bounded out of the chamber.

"Don't push yourself, Catherine," admonished Father. "The first trimester is critical, and if you feel tired, rest."

Catherine bent to hug Father and kiss him on the cheek. "Don't worry, Father. I'll take very good care of your first grandchild, and so will Vincent, if I have to drag him back here kicking and screaming."

She turned to leave.

"I'm glad to see that you've got your spirit back, Catherine," he called after her.

In her chamber she hauled a backpack out from under the bed and stuffed in her vitamins, a couple changes of underwear, a nightgown, robe, her toothbrush and comb. No telling how long it might take her to convince Vincent to come home, but she didn't plan to leave until she did. Almost as an afterthought she signed the Valentine she'd bought and tucked it inside the heart shaped box of chocolates and tucked that inside her pack. After a change into a pair of more comfortable shoes, and grabbing a fleece lined leather jacket she was off to meet Mouse.

Outside the dining chamber, Mouse was also carrying a pack and was hopping anxiously from one foot to the other. Catherine stopped long enough to strap her jacket to her pack and she and Mouse were off.

"How long does it usually take you to get there?" she asked as they walked along at a comfortable pace.

"Long as it takes," was Mouse's cryptic answer.

Remembering Mouse's total disregard for time, she tried another route to the information she sought.

"Can you go there and back in one day?"

"Sure, leave after breakfast, take stuff and leave it. Back in time for lunch," he answered.

"So," she thought, "probably not more than a two hour walk. I can rest after about an hour."

They walked in silence for a while before Catherine heard Mouse mumbling.

"Did you say something, Mouse?" she asked.

"Just talking to Mouse," he told her. "Said Vincent's gonna kill Mouse for this."

She smiled, "Don't worry, I'll take responsibility for it; and you can tell him that Father told you to do it. He'll have to go through us to get to you."

They walked for a while more in silence when Mouse called a halt and told Catherine they were about half way and this was a good spot to stop and rest.

There was a flat stone to one side of the tunnel and Catherine pulled off her pack and sat down. Mouse pulled a small glass bottle of apple juice out of his pack and handed it to her then he pulled one out for himself.

They drank in silence, Mouse never was much for conversation.

After about ten minutes, he jumped up, pushed the bottles into outside pockets on his pack and motioned for Catherine to follow.

They'd walked for about another forty-five minutes when Catherine asked him how much farther.

"Not far, only around the next corner. The tunnel dead ends there."

Catherine could see the bend he mentioned so she grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.

"Just around that bend up there? You're sure?" she asked.

"Mouse said so!" he said indignantly. "Two minutes, tops!"

"OK, then this is as far as you go," she told him. "You go on back and I'll go on from here alone."

"What if Vincent isn't here?" asked Mouse logically.

She sniffed the air. "I smell smoke, there's been a fire somewhere close recently, and if I'm not back by Wednesday afternoon, come back for me."

"OK, good. Here." He pulled off his pack and handed it to her. "Juice, sandwiches, cookies. So you won't starve."

"Don't you want a sandwich?" she asked.

"Nah, be back to dining chamber by lunch time. See you later Catherine."

With that Mouse was off and disappeared around a corner back the way they had come before Catherine could even think to thank him.

Catherine squared her shoulders, picked up the extra pack and headed for the corner up ahead. She figured that Vincent probably knew she was coming anyway, so she didn't try to be quiet.

Once around the corner she found that the tunnel came to a dead end quite quickly. She could see two openings ahead, one on the right and one on the left. There was light coming out of the left one so she went to it first. She peeked around the corner and found the chamber empty. It looked comfortable enough, if a little Spartan; probably because Vincent had taken most of his things back to his chamber at the hub. She entered, and dropped the packs on the floor near an upholstered chair that sat next to a small table. The journal she'd given Vincent for Christmas was laying on the table, so she knew he was around somewhere close.

She inspected the room and found that it really did have all the comforts of home. There was an old sink in the corner set into a rough wooden cabinet and there was an old-fashioned hand pump attached to a pipe that ran down through the cabinet into the floor. She tried the handle and after a couple of pumps, clean clear, ice cold water gushed into the sink. There was only one chair, a table, a chest of drawers, a bed with a bench at the end, but there were three bookshelves. Mostly empty at the moment, but she could picture them full, when Vincent had been living here before.

His cloak hung on a hook by the door, and there were several candles and a lantern lit, so she knew he couldn't be far. Then she remembered Vincent telling her that there was a bathing spring close, so she went in search of it. The first place she looked was in the chamber on the other side of the tunnel just a little further down and there he was.

There were only a couple of candles lit in the chamber, and the bathing pool was even smaller than the one in the bathing chamber he and Father shared. Vincent was in the pool, his head resting on a folded towel on the side and he appeared to be sound asleep as he floated in the water. She was hot and sweaty from her walk and decided this was just the thing. She needed a bath. She went back to the other chamber and pulled her robe and slippers out of her pack and quickly pulled off her clothes and put the robe on.

Back in the bathing chamber she quietly draped her robe over a boulder where Vincent had left some towels; she stepped out of her slippers and quietly made her way to the pool. It was unusual for anyone to be able to sneak up on Vincent like this; he must have been exhausted. She was in the pool and almost to his side before he awoke. He came up out of the water like an explosion and his roar was deafening, echoing off the walls of the chamber.

She clapped her hands over her ears, "I'm sorry, Vincent," she said in a soothing tone, as he looked around frantically. "I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to surprise you." She had decided to play dumb.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself, "Catherine, what are you doing here?"

She stepped over to him and kissed him lightly, "Happy Valentine's Day!"

He jerked and stepped away from her as if she had slapped him.

"Catherine, you shouldn't have come here," he reached for a towel and started to leave the pool.

"Why not? It's Valentine's Day and you promised to be home in time for it. But when William said you took enough food for a couple of weeks and Mouse said that you'd told him to resume the supply deliveries every two weeks if you didn't come home by the end of the month I began to wonder. Father was concerned too. I coerced Mouse into bringing me here. I was worried."

He wrapped the towel around his waist. "You needn't have worried. I did quite well here for several years." He turned to leave. "When you are finished and dressed I'll take you back."

He left the chamber without even looking at her once.

She balled up her fists and beat the surface of the water, God, he was stubborn! Well, she'd show him stubborn!

She made quick work of a bath and then was out and back in the other chamber within minutes. She walked through the door knotting the belt of her robe just in time to see Vincent finish pulling on his boots.

"Vincent, I'm not going back, at least not without you," she told him.

"You must!"

"Not without you, I'm not. We're to be married in two months, you can't stay here. If you do, then I'm staying with you."

"Catherine, please." He still hadn't looked at her. He dropped to sit on the bed.

"Please what, Vincent?" she asked as she turned the chair around to face him and sat down.

"Please don't do this. Let it be. You have what you need, now you can go back Above and be happy."

Now she really was confused.

"What?" was all she could say.

He finally looked at her, and she could see the weariness in his face. No wonder he fell asleep in the pool, he looked like he hadn't slept well in days.

"I read the letter and your note. Now you have the means to go back Above and live a normal life, you don't need me any longer."

She sat for a moment with her mouth hanging open. So that was it, it had nothing to do with the baby. Suddenly she was angry.

"Is that what it is, Vincent? We're back to that? I trusted you, and you're doing it to me again. I swear, if I had something heavy, I'd throw it at you!" She felt like screaming. "Yes, I'm a millionaire again, but what good is it if I can't have what I want, what I need to be happy? And that is you! Do you know what my first thoughts were when I found out that part of my money had been restored to me? I thought of all the good I could do down here: scholarship funds, clinic upgrades, kitchen upgrades, even the heating system that Mouse came up with. We won't have to be cold next winter like we were this winter."

"If you had a house Above you wouldn't be cold," he stated flatly, looking away again.

"If I didn't have you, I would never be warm again, Vincent."

"Catherine, don't do this! You don't need us any longer, you can go back Above, where you belong and live a normal life."

"I don't need you? That is crazy talk! I'll always need all of you; my whole family below. Everyone was there for me when I needed them, they helped me. Now I have the means to help them." She was having a hard time holding back the tears.

"I love you, and even if you insist on staying here for the rest of your life, I still won't go back Above. My life is down here now, nearly everyone I love, is here. How can I convince you that I'm not going back Above? Don't try to push me away again, please!"

She finally broke down and let her tears flow, but they were silent tears.

Vincent slowly raised his head and looked into her eyes. "But I thought you only came Below because you were 'broke', as you put it."

"That was only part of it. I came Below because I knew that here I could be useful; that I had friends. No one cared that I was 'the' Cathy Chandler, they just cared that I was Catherine. I’m valued for me, not for my money, or my influence, or my name. There are only a few people Above who feel that way."

He dropped his eyes and studied his hands for so long that Catherine started to wonder what was going on in his mind. She dug around in her pockets and found a tissue and used it to mop her face and wipe her nose.

Finally he looked at her again. "I'm doing it again, aren't I? I love you so much that I think that if I send you away, push you away, it won't hurt as much when you go."

"But I'm not going anywhere, Vincent," she assured him. "You couldn't beat me off with a stick!"

He chuckled at that. Then he rose, walked across the room and knelt in front of her. "I'm sorry, Catherine. I read that letter and all my fears came rushing back. There is no excuse for it, I'm just an idiot." He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid his head in her lap.

"Yes, you are sometimes," she readily agreed, "but you are my idiot and I love you. Just please, don't do this again, I don't think my heart can take it!" She leaned over and cuddled his head. They stayed that way for a long time. Then suddenly Catherine's stomach growled.

"I think you're hungry, Catherine," said Vincent as he rose and pulled her to her feet and into his arms.

"For more than food, but I think I want food first. I only had a muffin for breakfast and a bottle of juice on the way here. Mouse said that there were sandwiches in the pack he left me."

Vincent moved the bench from the end of the bed over next to the table and he emptied the pack. There were several sandwiches, hardboiled eggs, juice, fruit, cookies and even some candy bars. "William must have packed this," commented Vincent, "only he would pack two days worth of food for a two hour walk."

By the end of the meal, Vincent's eyelids were drooping and his lack of sleep was catching up with him.

"Why don't we clean up here, and then take a nap. We don't have to go back tonight, we can head back in the morning," Catherine suggested.

"That sounds good to me. If we did go back now, I would probably fall asleep on my feet. The sudden release of tension seems to be better than a sleeping potion."

They cleared the table, and Catherine pulled her nightgown out of her pack and put it on. Vincent needed some sleep and she was determined not to distract him from that too much. She crawled into the bed, while he put out all the candles, stripped off all his clothes and joined her in the bed. The only light came from a lantern that was hanging on a hook outside in the tunnel.

Vincent cuddled up to her back and kissed her on the back of the neck.

"Sleep well, my love," he said, and then fell asleep.

Catherine hadn't been sleeping well for the last few days either, but it took her a little longer to fall asleep; she still had something on her mind that she needed to talk to Vincent about, but when they were rested would be a better time.

Some time later, Catherine wasn't sure how long it was, she woke to Vincent nuzzling the side of her neck.

"Are you awake, Catherine?" he whispered.

"I am now," she said, as she rolled over and put her arms around him. "What did you have in mind?"

"Mmm," was all she could get out of him, as he deftly unbuttoned the buttons down the front of her gown, and kissed and nibbled his way across her chest then down to her breast.

"Mmm," she echoed. "I like the way you think."

* * * * * * * * * *

Later, Catherine woke again, to find Vincent sitting on the side of the bed in his sweat pants and robe.

"What time is it?" she asked through a yawn.

"Oh, a little after 4:00am."

"Wow! We slept, what, fourteen hours?"

"Most of it," he conceded with a smile. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving! Just let me go to the bathing chamber, then I'll come back and help you."

"No need. You go ahead and take a bath, whatever, take your time, I'll get breakfast together then we can head back."

Catherine gave Vincent a quick kiss then snatched up her bag and went across the tunnel for a quick bath. She was dressed when she came back. Vincent had laid out the hardboiled eggs, some fruit, and tea.

"You go ahead and eat, and I'll go and get a quick bath and get dressed before I join you."

Catherine took that opportunity to get the box of chocolates out of her pack and put in on top of the plate that Vincent had laid out for himself. She was contentedly sipping her tea when he came back about fifteen minutes later.

He sat across the table from her, looked down at the box and then up at her. "What's this?"

"Happy Valentine's Day. It's only a little late," she said with a smile. "I was a little distracted yesterday, and forgot to give it to you."

"I do have something for you, Catherine, but it's back in my chamber. I'll give it to you when we get there."

"I think I got a pretty good Valentine," she said with a grin.

"You are insatiable, woman!" he laughed.

"The only way I can possibly keep up with you!" She pointed at the box. "Open it."

He lifted the heart shaped lid and found the envelope lying on top of the paper that covered the candies. He put the lid down and picked up the envelope and extracted the card.

The words "Happy Valentine's Day, Daddy" puzzled him. He opened the card, hoping for an explanation. The "I" in "I love you" had been lined out and the word "We" was written above it, and under that, Catherine had signed, "Forever, Catherine."

He closed the card and looked at the front again, then turned it over and looked at the back, then opened it and looked at the words inside again, then all of a sudden he realized what she was trying to say.

She was holding her breath, waiting for his reaction, hoping that it wouldn't cause another crisis. When he looked up at her his face was glowing and there were tears in his eyes.

"A child?" was all he could manage.

"Yes," she nodded vigorously to back up her word.

"When?"

"Peter says, end of August, beginning of September, if I have a normal length pregnancy, but the baby is growing quickly, so he doesn't know. He wants to talk to us some time this week and do an ultrasound on my next visit."

Vincent had the strangest look on his face.

"Are you OK?" she asked in concern.

"I'm more than OK!" he exclaimed. "You're giving me everything I never even dared dream of." He still hadn't moved from the bench across the table from her. "First yourself, now a child. Catherine, I'm speechless!"

She moved to the bench, sat down beside him and put her arms around him. He turned and gathered her into his arms. "I love you so much, Catherine. What did I ever do to deserve this happiness?"

She kissed the side of his neck, "You were born, Vincent, and you survived." She smiled and snuggled closer, content that she had found her home.

 

 

 

NOTE: At several points in the story, I paraphrased words written for Vincent by the BATB writers.