Vincent then held up Wordsworth, before he tucked it safely within his cloak, and said, "Allow me to thank you once more Catherine..."
To which Catherine sweetly said, "Of course, and you are welcome once more..."
And as they stood for a moment entranced, Noodles, meantime got up from his spot, and pranced to the doors, breaking into their moment.
Catherine giggled a bit, saying, "Looks like Noodles will join me in walking you out Vincent."
So after slipping on her coat, they stood on the balcony, gazing at the dawning day's skyline. And then Catherine stepped into Vincent's arms, and with one last embrace, they said their dreaded goodbyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That morning, Catherine officially awoke about 10:30, and petted Noodles who was nuzzled up against her. As she stretched, she felt an excitement fill her heart as she remembered, she would be seeing Vincent again in just a few hours.
As Catherine took care of Noodles, she was about to make her coffee, when the phone rang, and it was Jennifer.
Excitedly, Jennifer started right in, saying, "Soooooooooooooo, tell me everything! Any sexcapades YET?"
Upon hearing Jennifer's lingo, Catherine exasperatedly said, "Jennifer! You have a one track mind!"
To which Jennifer laughingly admitted, "Of course...I never denied that!"
As Catherine laughed along too, she honestly replied, "No, you never did."
And because Jennifer didn't want to let Catherine off the hook, she requested, "So...answer my question please...anything happen?"
Knowing her friend so well, Catherine knew she wouldn't let the subject go, and so she replied, "The answer to answer your question is NO!"
In retaliation to Catherine's answer, Jennifer expounded, "Nothing? What is wrong with you guys?"
With a soft, appeasing tone, Catherine responded, "There is more to a relationship Jen...at least there should be...please stop asking."
In reply, Jennifer then said, "All right, I'll stop, it's just the suspense is killing me, and I figured after a whole month of misunderstandings, and finally making up, he would have made a move...well anyway, when are you going to see him again?"
With an excited undertone, Catherine replied, "Well since I am off for the rest of the week, I am actually going to visit him today."
Excited to hear this development, Jennifer then asked, "So things are progressing along quite nicely...and hey, you will get to check out his digs!"
As Catherine humorously thought to herself, since Vincent lives underground, "Digs" would actually be the appropriate term for his home.
And then with concern, Jennifer asked, "So what are you going to do for Thanksgiving now? Are you going to spend it with Vincent?"
To which Catherine informed Jennifer of her plans, telling her that Vincent had invited her to spend Thanksgiving with him.
Upon hearing Catherine was invited out, with relief, Jennifer stated, "Oh good then you are not cooking."
In reply to Jennifer's comment, Catherine with umbrage stated, "What's that supposed to mean? I've cooked a turkey for us before!"
With emphasis, Jennifer replied, "Exactly! That's what I am talking about!"
Recalling the specific Thanksgiving, Catherine admitted, "OK, maybe the turkey did get a little overdone."
With a chuckle, Jennifer then added, "But I do remember the mashed potatoes saved the day!"
In agreement, Catherine DID remember if not for the mashed potatoes, the meal would have been a complete bust! And so after thinking for a moment, Catherine guiltily confessed, "I never told you, but Willie actually made those for me the day before."
The two started laughing remembering the old days, and as their laughter died away, Catherine then told her dear friend, "Although I won't be doing the turkey, I do want to bake some pies to take as my contribution for the dinner."
Upon hearing Catherine say bake, Jennifer could not resist teasing Catherine one last time as she asked, "So...is it going to be a Mountain Top, or Sara Lee?"
To which Catherine giggled as she replied, "It'll probably be Sarah Lee!"
It was then Jennifer thought to ask about Noodles, and so she inquired, "How's it going with housebreaking?"
So happy that accidents haven't been an issue, Catherine shared, "Great! Noodles has adjusted so well here. Not even a puddle."
To which Jennifer replied, "That's good news. I'll have to pop over to see him soon."
And because Catherine had things to do, she said, "Well I better go, I still need to brew my coffee, and I sure need a cup. I will talk to you later on Jen."
As the two friends said goodbye to one another, Catherine headed back into the kitchen, when she noticed an envelope on the floor in front of her front door!
And so she curiously thought, "Hmm, who would have delivered this?"
As Catherine picked up the envelope, she then read,
Dearest Catherine, I will be waiting for you at the threshold of your apartment at noon. Father is most anxious to welcome you, and I eagerly wait to welcome you as well. Till then, be well. Vincent
As Catherine heaved a sigh, she thought, "A note from Vincent...how sweet..."
She then looked at the clock, and realized she didn't have very long to get ready, when just then, her phone rang again.
Thinking it was Jennifer calling back to tease her some more about her cooking, she jokingly answered the phone, by seductively saying, "Cathy's Caterer's!"
As a silence on the other end of the line, gave Catherine pause, along with a sinking feeling that maybe the person on the other end of the line...was NOT Jennifer!
Until finally the person on the other end spoke and asked, "Radcliffe is that you?"
Because of the "Radcliffe" salutation, Catherine knew instantly it was Joe from the D.A.! And as her life flashed before her eyes, she embarrassingly asked, "Is this Joe Maxwell?"
To which Joe, impressively replied, "Yeah, how did you know?"
In reply, Catherine curtly said, "Because you are the only person who calls me Radcliffe!"
And so with a bit of a chuckle in his voice, Joe then asked, "So what's with the Cathy's Caterer's comment? What do you do? Catering on the side, or are you running an Escort Service?"
To which Catherine nervously explained, "I was merely playing a joke on a friend. Oh my, this is very embarrassing!"
As Catherine took in a deep breath, she tried to sound professional as she asked, "Anyway, back on point Joe, what can I do for you?"
Upon clearing his throat, Joe awkwardly said, "Well, I thought you might want to know that, well...thanks to Mr. Benjamin's acquisition you provided, we were able to hone in and nail the shooter."
Catherine was so happy to hear this news, and so thankfully she said, "That is wonderful Joe. Maybe Mr. Benjamin can receive some justice after all."
In response, Joe then added, "Yeah I thought you would want to know right away. I wouldn't have called your home, except your office said you were off for the week, and hey Chandler, it must be nice to have your Dad as your boss!"
After beginning to feel a friendliness toward Joe, Catherine felt like she had been blind sighted by his low blow, and so she replied, "I don't get any extra perks...wait a minute I don't have to justify any time off I get to you!"
Because he could hear the irritation in Catherine's voice, Joe prodded a little more, and continued, "Oh admit it Chandler, you wouldn't survive a day out in the real world, and work a 9-5 where you had to report to someone else other than Daddy!"
As Joe's assumptions, were hitting a raw nerve, Catherine angrily replied, "I suppose we will see about that! As a matter of fact, I have recently decided on a career change. I want to do something other than corporate law and do...well, I'm not sure what I want to do yet, but the fact is, I am going job hunting after Thanksgiving."
In a surprised manner, Joe commented, "You are uh?"
In reply Catherine, irately said, "Yes, I are...err am!"
Surprised by the fact, that Joe had pushed her into making a decision, Catherine then thoughtfully admitted, "And...right after I find a way to break it to my Dad."
With a dare to his tone, Joe then said, "Well if you are serious, come to the D.A.! You can have a job at an entry level! We need a few more investigators around here."
As Catherine called his bluff, she said, "All right, I will!"
In reply, Joe said, "All right in about two weeks then, I am assuming you DO need to give Daddy a two week notice..."
Feeling quite put off by Joe's tone, Catherine replied, "Yes, I DO, and I of course would want too!"
As Catherine's heart raced, she was so excited she was really going to take the leap and follow her heart, and yet she also felt nervous for the task before her, which was telling her Dad.
And because Catherine was silent as she thought all these things, Joe asked, "You still there Chandler?"
To which Catherine softly said, "Yeah Joe, I am just wondering how Dad will take the news that's all. We are very close, and he has dreams of my taking over the firm one day."
In a rebuff, Joe told her, "Ah you worry too much, he'll understand. Get in touch with me in a couple of weeks then uh Chandler?"
To which Catherine softly answered, "Yes. OK Joe...I will."
As Catherine hung up the phone, she wondered, what just happened!
It looks like she is actually going to listen to her heart, and follow her dream, by doing something more, by doing something that will make a difference.
She then thought, of how she could not wait to tell Vincent, but of how she so dreaded telling her Dad!
As Catherine climbed down into the darkened foyer of the tunnels, she approached the uneven, broken bricked threshold, and she felt as if her life had taken on the surreal phase of a fantasy. A fantasy where the heroine falls in love with a Gothic God, of a mystic underworld!
Yet, here she was, this was real, and she was meeting Vincent, a man so different, but so very magnificent, and they were meeting in his hidden world, a place known as the Tunnels.
As Catherine looked around the corner toward the direction she remembered going with Jacob, she looked, as she expected to see Vincent coming for her.
Nervously she looked downward, and there she stood watching, as she expectantly, waited.
As Vincent approached her from the opposite way, he stopped and stood still in the dusty pathway, and took in the beautiful site of Catherine, who had come to him this day.
And so softly he said, her name, and as Catherine heard his deep velvet whisper, she turned to him, and as she smiled, she said, "I thought maybe you had forgotten I was coming."
To which Vincent softly replied, "And I was thinking you may have decided not to come."
To which Catherine apologized, saying, "If I am late, I am sorry..."
As Vincent took her by the hand, he said, "Father is waiting. He has prepared some Tea for us."
To which Catherine smiled, and said, "That sounds lovely. I'm so anxious to see him again."
As they walked, Catherine told Vincent about Joe's phone call, and of how she will be starting at the D. A. in a few weeks.
Vincent expressed how proud he was of her bold move, and was sure it was a difficult decision.
To which Catherine admitted, "Making the decision was easy, telling Dad will be the hard part."
In reply, Vincent said, "Yes, breaking away from the fold is difficult, but it is a deed intended for the young, and every generation experiences it. Catherine, I imagine even your Father had to make a bold choice himself once."
Realizing the wisdom of Vincent's words, Catherine recalled, "In fact he did Vincent...but the relationship of a father and his daughter seems somehow more fragile, and breaking free is less expected..."
With a firm confidence, Vincent assured Catherine, "You will find the words Catherine..."
Looking up at Vincent, Catherine wondered how he seemed to know her so well, giving her what she needed to find the courage to continue onward.