(This story is written strictly for the free enjoyment of fans of the "Beauty and the Beast" television series. No copyright infringement is intended.)

Vincent’s Tale

 Angie

Did I hear it half in a doze
Long since, I know not where?
Did I dream it an hour ago
When asleep in this arm chair?

- Alfred Lord Tennyson

Vincent was experiencing a dull, throbbing pain that was new to him. He had been cut, shot, burnt, buried under rocks, but the pain was always short-lived. He healed quickly, did not get sick and headaches were something other people got.

He found he could not sit in his big chair, could not even walk comfortably. Miserable, he sat on the edge of the bed in his chamber. He had brought a lunch tray back to his chamber, but had not been able to eat it. He had no appetite.

He picked up a book of Tennyson’s works and opened it at random. He began to read of Godiva, ‘the woman of a thousand summers back’. Who dared her Earl to ‘Prove to me what it is I would not do’.

In spite of his pain, Vincent found the thought of her long hair fascinating.

She shower’d the rippled ringlets to her knee

What would Catherine look like with hair that long, he wondered.

Vincent moved to try and get more comfortable and regretted it, wincing as his backside ache increased. He put down the book and gave into self-pity.

Catherine, he knew, was aware of his pain and was doing what she could to finish her business Above in the brownstone. He felt her relief as she did so. Then she was on her way.

Vincent waited. He wanted her in his arms, soothing him, even though he knew she could not relieve the physical ache.

She fairly ran into the room, shedding her gloves onto his chair. Bringing the fresh chill of the upper tunnels with her, she stood in front of Vincent and took his hands in hers.

"What is it? What’s wrong? Tell me!"

Vincent looked at her and gathered her to him. For a wonder, it didn’t hurt and he relaxed just a little.

"I’m sorry to have bothered you Catherine. I had an accident. I was working with Kanin trying to stop a frozen leak when I slipped on the ice and fell on my behind. I can hardly move now."

Catherine looked gratifyingly concerned.

"Vincent, I’ll bet you fell on your tailbone. I know that pain. I fell skating once. I think you should get Peter to look at it. As it happens, both he and Father are still in the brownstone’s clinic testing out some new breathing apparatus. Come."

Why hadn’t he thought of that himself? Was his brain as well as his bum affected? He sighed and lifted himself, painfully, from the bed. He hated to be fussed over, but if Catherine thought that he should have the infernal thing looked at, he would do so. He could not go on like this. He shuffled over to his cloak and threw it around himself. Catherine was immediately at his elbow, holding his arm.

They moved slowly to the brownstone’s hidden entrance, Vincent becoming more and more discouraged. He felt worse than before. Ever step was painful. When they reached the basement stairs, Catherine left him and ran up to tell Peter and Father he was coming.

Vincent was in such obvious pain by the time he walked slowly into the clinic, that Peter suggested he undress. Catherine helped him do so and Jacob and Peter helped him to get up on the examining table and lie on his stomach. Vincent found the position almost a relief. The pain retreated to a dull ache.

While Catherine watched, Peter began his examination, Jacob angling the articulated light and a magnifier so he could look more closely. He did not take long. He beckoned to Jacob, who looked and nodded. Peter looked at Catherine knowingly. She raised her eyebrows in a question and he nodded.

"Ok Vincent, we’re finished. Perhaps you’d better just roll onto your side for a moment. It must hurt to sit. You’ve bruised your tailbone very badly but there’s more. I need to give you a scientific explanation, so bear with me.

"Vincent, every embryo has a tail which grows from the coccyx or tailbone. In some animals it continues to grow, in others it disappears after a few weeks and is absorbed back into the body. In either case, the place where the tail would emerge through the skin is weak. In some people, the exit point does not completely close as the embryo matures and it remains a kind of muscular slit, called a sinus, and is only thinly covered with skin. The flaw can go unnoticed indefinitely, unless something happens to inflame it - such as injuring the tailbone. Then the bone becomes bruised and swollen and the skin can rupture and the sinus is exposed. There is a risk of infection and the problem can become chronic if it isn’t fixed. It can be repaired with minor surgery. Catherine had one of these as a girl. It’s more common in women because their pelvis is angled differently to men. But plenty of men have the problem. You have such an opening."

Vincent looked at Peter.

"You mean that I have a hole where a tail might have emerged, if I had developed one."

"Yes. As I said, it’s a weakness in the area that affects a lot of people. Yours is not bad, just a small hole really, but it should be repaired before it causes more trouble. I can do it, but it will require a general anaesthetic and you’ll have to sleep on your stomach for a couple of days. It will be very painful, but I’ll work out a dosage of painkillers. You’ll also need help to keep the area clean after …um … normal bodily functions."

"I’m willing," Catherine piped up from across the room. Vincent turned to look at her in amazement. Was this what it meant to be married? He shuddered but realized he had no choice.

"Very well, Peter. The pain is getting worse and I’m barely functional now. When could you do this operation?"

"Well, you’ll have to fast for several hours. When did you last eat?"

"Breakfast," Vincent replied. "I couldn’t eat lunch."

"Well then, I think we can do this quite quickly, but I have to confer with Father about the dosage of anaesthetic to give you. Fortunately, this new apparatus is working and will make our monitoring of your heart and breathing much easier. Father can give me a hand and Catherine could assist as well, by keeping an eye on the monitors."

A few hours later, the surgical team was in place and Vincent was laid out on his stomach in the small clinic. He sincerely believed there could be no more embarrassing operation. He felt himself warm as his rear end was shaved and cleaned.

Peter and Father had conferred and decided to use a combination of medications via intravenous injection. They had hooked him up to a heart monitor and determined his normal rate. They were going to take it cautiously, uncertain how he would respond – or how long it would take for him to go under.

Catherine watched the preparations with some concern, but was sure Vincent was in no danger. She was scrubbed and ready to assist wherever needed.

Peter injected the IV tube and told Vincent to count to 20. He began and reached 12 before his voice sank to a whisper and stopped. Catherine looked her amazement. She had never made it past 3. Peter looked a bit grim, but was obviously relieved. The monitors showed Vincent’s heartbeat was strong and he was breathing normally. Peter bent over and went to work, Father assisting.

Vincent’s last thought was that a tail would have been preferable to this complication in his life.

Vincent woke up in a bed he didn’t recognize, in a rock-walled room, presumably somewhere Below. The room was unlit and without furnishings. The bed seemed to be a collection of mattresses, which smelled a little musty.

He looked around, puzzled. He had fallen and had been in some pain, he remembered. He felt fine now, so that was over – except that he had no idea where he was.

He moved to get off the bed and something felt peculiar. He reached behind and found himself drawing his hand along a softly-furred tail, knew with a shock that it was his as it wrapped itself around his arm. It was dim in the chamber but he see that the tail ended in a dense club of longer hair. It puzzled him, until he realized it resembled the tail of a lion. He groaned.

He then realized that he was naked, but that his body hair was very thick. He didn’t feel the obvious chill in the chamber at all. What had happened to him?

Automatically, he reached along the bond for Catherine and whispered her name. He felt her presence and moments later she came into the chamber and into his arms. He nuzzled her with delight.

Then he realized she was naked as well, but that her hair was very long and reached almost to her knees. He felt her smooth body beneath the hair and his manhood was suddenly insistent.

He lifted her onto the mattresses and took her then, without ceremony. She moaned her arousal and clutched his chest hair in her hands, further inflaming him. Their climax was hot and short. His tail was now wrapped around them both and she stroked it lovingly. He found himself purring and hugged her to him.

Catherine opened her eyes to look at him and then pulled herself up so she could plant a kiss on his lips.

"Ah Vincent, my love, you are such a wonderful beast. I’d like to do it again, but we have to get to the meeting. There’s a foraging party going out and you’ll be needed, my hunter."

They moved to get off the bed, Vincent still a bit wary of his tail. He tried to sit on the edge of it, but immediately discovered the disadvantage of the appendage. How did animals sit down, he wondered, then rationalized that they didn’t sit that way, couldn’t in fact.

He quickly stood up and his tail dropped behind him at a thought. He twitched it experimentally, enjoying the sense of motion and control, even though he couldn’t see it. He liked the feel of it rubbing against his legs.

He and Catherine padded down the tunnels to a large chamber. He didn’t want to admit he didn’t know the way, so had let her lead. The tunnel was narrow enough to make this necessary. He gave up trying to understand where he was. As long as Catherine was here, it didn’t matter.

When they arrived, he saw that a lot of naked tunnel folk were already there and were hardly less hairy than himself. He recognized Cullen, Kanin and Winston. They were all carrying spears. Vincent glanced at his hands and decided he didn’t need any weapons. His nails seemed unusually long and dangerous-looking.

Father stood on a slight raise in the rock floor and addressed the assembly.

"Friends, we have to forage today. The hunters will try and find some live meat, while the rest of you will forage above for fruit, vegetables and such. William has found some flour, so is making a batch of waybread to last us for a few days, but more would be appreciated. Bring whatever you find back here. But be careful Above. It’s night but you will still need to wear clothes. There’s a pile over by the back entrance."

Vincent went to join the three hunters and they moved along long rough tunnels for some time before reaching an area where they were even rougher and more narrow. Vincent could smell vermin and made hand signals to Kanin, Cullen and Winston. They obediently left him to his hunt and moved down the other tunnels looking for larger game.

He went down on all fours and followed the scent of rats, moving silently. He twitched his tail over his back so it wouldn’t drag. It was very dim in the tunnel, but his sense of smell was all he needed and he soon found a niche where they had been nesting. It was empty, so he continued.

Shortly afterward, he rounded a curve and the scent became much stronger. He moved very cautiously then suddenly found himself at the entrance to a large cavern, lit by columns of light from above. In the centre, a large group of rats was gnawing away at something. It was a large dog.

Giving his trademark roar, Vincent pounced on the group of rats, managing to dispatch a number of them before they realized his presence. A few of the survivors scattered into the darkness, but one crept behind him and sank its teeth into his tail.

Vincent yelled in pain and dispatched the rat with a swipe. The pain was incredible! He roared his anger.

He awakened to see a bright light and the faces of Peter and Father gazing at him in concern. He groaned and Peter spoke.

"I know it’s painful, Vincent. I put some painkiller into the IV before I disconnected it, but it won’t help much. I’ll give you some pills to take. Turn over onto your side first, and then let your legs fall over the side of the bed until you can slide off. I’m afraid you won’t be able to sit down easily for a few days, but there is help for that."

He displayed an inflated rubber circle.

"It’s called an invalid ring, and it will take the pressure off your tailbone when you sit."

If Vincent had had any modesty left, that would have ended it. He grimaced and slowly got off the operating table. Catherine and Father were immediately there to help and Peter held him up from behind.

"I don’t need three of you to stand up," Vincent murmured petulantly. But he did. His legs almost gave out under him with the pain from his backside. He grunted, then let out a roar that made his helpers cringe.

He felt a lot better after that, although the pain did not diminish. He grinned apologetically at his surgical team, who rolled their eyes and helped him put on a dressing gown. He was now able to stand unaided, so Peter and Jacob announced they were going for a well-earned coffee and meal in the kitchen.

When they were alone, Catherine took Vincent’ arm.

"Vincent, we’ve decided you’d better stay here in the hospital room for a day or so, until you can move around more easily. Peter wants to be able to check you over. We know you heal quickly, but he has to be sure."

Vincent felt as if a hot poker had been jabbed into his nether region. He was barely able to prevent himself from yelling imprecations. He clasped her shoulder as a new stab of pain made him grunt.

"I agree, Catherine," he rasped. "I cannot conceive of going anywhere like this."

They moved slowly out of the clinic and into the next door hospital room. It was pretty stark, having not been decorated yet. But the bed was new and the linen clean. Catherine helped Vincent lie down on his stomach. She gave him a kiss and whispered that she was going to get some soft food. She left him and he watched her rump leave, amazed that it too had once had this operation. The pain was excruciating!

When she returned, it was with two metal bottles which had a kind of flattened nipple attachment. She helped him roll onto his side. He swallowed them, then sucked on one bottle. Even this was difficult laying on his side, but he managed to keep the liquid in his mouth and off the sheets. The delightful taste of green pea soup greeted him and he sighed. He finished the soup and handed the bottle back to Catherine, who handed him the other with a couple of pills. He swallowed them and found the bottle was filled with honey tea. It was the best thing he had ever tasted. When he was finished she kissed him and sat down in a chair beside him. He was about to say something, when he fell asleep.

Catherine felt Vincent slide into sleep and realized Peter had given him more than a painkiller. It was for the best. He would feel a bit better when he awakened. She regarded him with a little concern. He was not used to being in such prolonged pain. She remembered her own experience. She hoped the painkillers were better these days. They had not helped her at all, she remembered. He would need something to distract his attention from the pain.

She went to the den, where some of their books were gradually being unpacked onto shelves, and found a volume of Tennyson. That would keep him occupied, she thought. She placed it on the night table and left him to talk to Peter and Jacob.

"Well?" she asked Peter as she sat down at the kitchen table. "What’s his prognosis?"

Peter laughed. "He’ll be just fine, Catherine. But don’t tell him we found a tiny vestigal tail down there, so had to do a little more work than we expected. It’s not unusual, actually, but why embarrass him. He just needs rest now. That area heals very quickly. I’ll bet he’s up and about in two or three days. However, the swelling on his tailbone will take a few days to disappear and he’ll ache for a few more. He’ll have to be patient."

When Vincent awoke again, it was dark. He felt fine until he tried to move. He groaned and managed to slide off the bed to use the bathroom. Then he decided to try out the invalid ring on the chair. He’d had enough of beds. He put on a dressing gown and sat on the ring on the chair, gingerly. It worked! He hardly felt the pain. He sighed in relief.

He turned on the light and picked up a book he found on the bedside table. Tennyson! No doubt it had been left by Catherine, who knew well his penchant for the Victorian poet laureate – one she shared.

He opened the ancient volume at random and began reading passages from Maud: A Monodrama. He had always found it a bit peculiar, but this time some passages resonated. He wondered why. An odd dream came back to him. Something about himself with a tail like a lion in a tunnel full of naked hunters and rats. He began to read.

And it was a dream, yet it yielded a dear delight.

His dream! Yes. He remembered Catherine dressed only in long hair, like Lady Godiva.

To have look’d, tho’ but in a dream, upon eyes so fair
That had been in a weary world my one thing bright
And tho it was but a dream, yet it lightened my despair

Yes, he remembered now. He had made love to Catherine and his tail had wrapped around them both. Even in his dreams, Catherine was the bright light in his life.

Where was she? He felt along the bond, felt her suddenly realize he was awake. He heard her run down the stairs and a moment later she was in his arms, not naked, but in a soft nightgown that made him want to hug her even closer. He did so, managing to spread his legs without too much pain, mumbling into her hair.

"Oh Catherine. I’m afraid I’m going to be out of action for a few days."

"Never mind," she whispered in an ear. "I have to disagree with Tennyson. It is possible,

To find the arms of my true love
Around me once again"

Vincent replied,

"We stood tranced in long embraces
Mixt with kisses sweeter sweeter
Than anything on earth."

They kissed passionately, as if they had been separated for days. Catherine ran her lips over his face and sighed into his hair. Then she made a suggestion into one delightfully soft ear.

"Take me my sweet
To the regions of thy rest"

He needed no further invitation. She helped him get back into bed and lie on his side, far enough over to give her room. Then she slid out of her nightgown and spooned her back along his front. He put his arms across her and his warm furry chest rubbed against her back. She felt his soft hairy legs along the backs of her own and his manhood pushed against her bottom. It was heaven. She sighed happily.

He was the stuff of dreams and poets, she thought, as their love sang along their bond. Not even Tennyson’s imagination could have dreamed them - but he had known the right words.

"Life of my life," she mumbled.

Vincent kissed her neck and held her close.

"My evermore delight," he whispered back. He felt a lot better now.

END