Part 2BATB-next installments to DSHND
Author’s note:This leaves off from the last installment of BATB-Death Shall Have No Dominion- The Huntress part two. Father is about to exit Vincent’s chamber.
Love Is A Crooked Thing- Yeats Brown Penny
“Father, wait a moment please? I need to speak with you.”
Father nodded and waited outside Vincent’s chamber.
Before she fell asleep, Vincent softly spoke.
“I need to speak with Father a minute my Love then I’ll return to your side.”
He kissed her forehead. “Sleep Catherine, I won’t let you get lost.”
—-
Father and Vincent walked quietly down to a bench in a tunnel wall.
Vincent began immediately. “Peter Alcott needs to be informed. He delivered
Catherine at birth. He is her friend and a father to her as much as her own father had been.”
He paused, took a deep breath and exhaled.
“Catherine has been missing for months now Above. Those that come Below after having
a life Above, if able, bring along with them something to cherish…
“Vincent,” Father gave him a stern look. “Tell me are not suggesting to go Above and
bring something from her apartment?! Do you realize how dangerous that might be?”
Father was shaking his head.
“I would ask Peter to find out if her belongings are no longer needed, he could have them moved
to his home, to his basement..
Father agreed somewhat gruffly, “Perhaps some of the women could go and help Peter pack.”
Vincent gave a slight nod of his head. “Shall I walk you back?”
“Uh, no. I think I will visit the kitchen; arrange breakfast to be brought to you and Catherine.”
Father laid his hand upon Vincent’s shoulder. “I’ll contact Peter. Have him come down on emergency.
Look here, Vincent. We all want to help find your son in anyway we can. You just need to let us know.”
He held up his hands to silence Vincent’s next words.
“If it is only to be with you and Catherine, then that’s all it is; at least we are helping.”
With that, Father got up and walked towards the kitchen.
—
He sighed and stood up stretching his arms up and wondered.
‘They wanted to find his and Catherine’s son. Did they believe the son was truly his? Did it matter?’
The Other part of him snickered and sneered at him. Vincent growled back quietly.
‘Viiincent..Vinceeent..VINCENT.. come out and play..’
Trying to ignore the internal hounding of the Other..the one he thought gone; he stood in his chamber door.
Vincent smelled the air for an intruder but he knew it was in him.
He tried to walk passed Catherine but the Other made him pause.
His eyes roamed her body and he felt his loins flare.
“No!” Vincent growled and whispered agonizingly.
He ran out of his chamber and through the tunnels as fast and as hard as he could.
He kept running. Where was he going?
All too soon, Vincent realized where he had run and his heart sank.
“Gone. There’s only you Vincent, You.. and me.” Darker, dirtier, and more
callous, crouched the Other.
“Who you callin’ callous? I’ve never turned her away. I’ve wanted, tried to accept all she’s given
to us, has wanted to give to us. Maybe you should look in a mirror Vinny, my boy.”
He jumped down from his position on top of a rock, stood tall from his crouch.
The Other looked him up and down then made quiet tsking sounds. He shrugged as if he couldn’t be bothered by
Vincent, turned away and gamely spoke,”Don’t worry Vinny, ol’boy, I’ll take good care of Our Cathy and the offspring brat.”
He rushed back and attacked Vincent. He wasn’t leaving without a fight.
Growling,biting,clawing; they literally fought each other tooth and nail.
The Other more talkative to try and anger Vincent; to push and goad him.
“The brat.. do you even remember when he was conceived?” He leered.
“I remember. Mmm yeah I remember like it was yesterday.”
This gave Vincent pause and the Other took his opening, squeezing Vincent’s neck.
“You damn fur ball” The Other laughed giddily. “She’s mine now.” The Other
whispered low. “Her body lush from pregnancy. You really should try to remember.
Here, I’ll help you out.”
But the Other didn’t have a chance. Vincent charged him and they landed hard in the dirt.
As they rolled, Vincent’s hand was trying to gain purchase when he grasped something small and cool.
The Other..faded. Although his parting words echoed in Vincent’s head. ‘Remember now?’
—
Catherine sat up and shuddered. She hoped the man that took their son would meet that Vincent.
She sighed and just as she was going to lay back down, her heart started pounding heavily and her head started to ache.
She quickly shoved her feet into her shoes and found her robe. She couldn’t run but she’d damn well get there as fast as she could.
‘There? Where? To Vincent?!’
She jogged quickly then slowed to quick bursts, still not sure where she was going. So intent on listening and “seeing”, Catherine almost ran into Vincent.
—
Vincent looked down at his palm and saw Catherine’s crystal. So many questions unanswered. How had she lost it?
*Thump thump, thump thump, thump thump*
Vincent jumped to his feet. “Catherine!”
—
As luck would have it, Vincent saw her before Catherine ran into him.
“Catherine.” It was the urgent tone in his voice that snapped her gaze up to his eyes. “What is it?”
He had thought it was her but..
“Our son.” The lost look again.”The building you found me in…”
Vincent closed his eyes internally anchoring her tighter to him then swooped her into his arms.
He ran down a set of tunnels that were wide, tall then opened up. He paused listening- sensing no one
he ran with Catherine through the alleyways, empty streets and found themselves facing the steps of the building.
—
Father heard the pipes become active. Sentries back and forth rapidly
-something wrong with v
-no c
-left the tunnels in hurry
-report first sighting
‘Dear God‘ Father’s alarm went up more. He prayed that they would be alright.
—
‘Gone?‘ “Catherine, there was an entire office in here.”
She heard the astonishment in his voice.
“I don’t doubt it,Vincent. A man of such power can do almost anything.”
She followed him to the rooftop.
“I saw him, Catherine. His face haunts my mind, my sleep. There..”
He thought of the the Other’s love that he claimed to have for Catherine…
“A man who would take such a gift; perhaps he is capable of love..?”
She whirled, facing him now. Her eyes angry. “Would Paracelsus have any love for you, Vincent? Did he?
Could he have raised you as loving as Father? There is no love in that man Vincent!” She pounded his chest
and screamed “Where is the hope, Vincent? We have nothing!” She cried in his arms, soaking his shirt and Vincent roared
out his heartache.
As he calmed, as his beloved’s tears were becoming less; he looked out to the city.
“Catherine. Look.”
She swiped at her eyes and looked to where he had pointed, she felt his arms comforting her.
“That’s Elliot’s building. Vincent?”
Hope flared in Vincent’s chest..could she sense it? Did she know where his thoughts were going?
Love… oh love is a crooked thing!
~*~
That’s it for this one. The next one is called Though They Go Mad, They Shall Be Sane, which of course is from Dylan Thomas’ Death Shall Have No Dominion.
Though They Go Mad, They Shall Be Sane-
Dylan Thomas Death Shall Have No Dominion*
Vincent heard over the pipes that he and Catherine has stirred the Sentries on their way out earlier. He tapped out
-Alls well. see you in the morning. good night. V
He sat Catherine down on his bed and she sensed a slight agitation from him. Watched him pace three steps back and forth then paced beyond her…to a room? Light illuminated and she heard Vincent say “It’s late. Tell Father it will wait until morning.”
She looked at the chamber entrance and sure enough, Father came to stand in the door way just as Vincent finished speaking.
Catherine started to tell him but Father nodded and retreated the way he came. She watched Vincent closely.
He paced to his wardrobe, took out some clothing and strode over to her. Vincent carried her to the
chamber beyond his.
“What’s going on!?” Catherine had not meant to question him out aloud.
He sat her down in a rocking chair. Vincent leaned down and removed his boots, followed by his vest and his top sweater.
He turned and faced her then.
“What is it Vincent? Tell me.” She implored of him.
He held out his palm closed and face down. His other hand gripped her wrist, he released his fist.
She gasped “My necklace!” then.. “Where did you go?”
“Do you really have to ask?”
Catherine saw that something had changed. She wasn’t sure when but it definitely had changed Vincent.
He reached for the collar of the under shirt he was wearing and pulled it over his head, tossing it with
the other shirt. “You’ve saw me shirtless before?”
“Yes, to cool your fever.”
He shook his head, turned his back to her. He braced his hands on the table before him.
‘What was this? What did he want to know?’
“No!” He spun to her. “It is not important . Not right now. Maybe..not ever.” He grabbed the night shirt and pulled it on.
“There is one thing I must ask.” He sat on an ottoman facing her.”Why did he take you?”
Although she felt that he had switched directions rather quickly, she knew she was ready to answer this question.
“Joe was met by an old colleague one night. He gave Joe a coded book. That man got in his car and it exploded. Joe got hurt.
He asked me to take the book for safe keeping. He hadn’t meant for me to do anything with it but.. I had to snoop.
I went to John Moreno. He’s the district attorney.”
Vincent nodded his head in understanding and gestured for her to continue.
“I must have become close to cracking an important code. John betrayed me. Betrayed Joe.”
She took a shuddering breath.
“You saw him? Do you know his name, Catherine?”
“His face burns in my mind too. Everyone was careful not to say his name.”
He only nodded. They watched the wick burn down on a candle and finally Vincent said
“There are questions that were burning in me to ask you. As long as the answers truly sit well with you,
I won’t ask.”
He kissed her hands, her top knuckles, the middles ones, her fingertips.
“Thank you for finding my necklace.”
~*~
They Shall Rise Again*
Dylan Thomas Death Shall Have No Dominion
Catherine thought about the red haired woman and remembered she had dreamed of her.
She thought back to some cases that she had saw in the paper that some how never did sit right with her.
She had snooped into that too. Detective Diana Bennet.
She sighed; relieved that Joe had been able to get Diana on the case.. her case.
Catherine had heard she was good at her job but liked to stay under the radar.
Vincent had sent an errand to Benny, to send it along to Henri and Lin.
He knew they would send it along and be received by Peter.
Vincent was very surprised when Kipper and young Will delivered a reply to him.
He read the note and he thanked the boys. Kipper was to have been with Catherine for a little while.
“Do you know where Catherine went today?”
Vincent watched Kipper’s cheeks turn pink.
“Geoffrey wanted to take her on a tour of the kid’s classrooms. I didn’t think anything would be wrong with it.
I’m sorry Vincent. I should have stayed with her.”
He clasped him on the shoulders and reassured Kipper that it as fine. “I’ll find them. Go on, lunch time will be here
before you know it.” He knew the children were all wanting to help him, help Catherine when they could but Catherine
had expressed that they not get involved with anything outside the tunnels.
Vincent also knew Catherine was still terrified of being found. A fear he hadn’t had until he recently started having
nightmares. Ones he hadn’t shared with Catherine.
Laughter reached his ears and it was music to his soul. The young freckled face boy looked up and smiled at Vincent,
triumph in his eyes. “Hey Vincent. I was just telling Catherine about the races that go on; to deliver the winter fest candles.
That’s a secret Vincent, don’t tell Father okay?”
Vincent looked at him solemnly.
“It’s a secret Geoffrey. Don’t worry, it’s safe from Father.”
“Good. Umm, Vincent? Would you mind if I came by later and brought your dinner to you and Catherine?”
They agreed to see Geoffrey later and Vincent sat down by Catherine at the Falls.
“Geoffrey thought this might be a soothing place to have lunch. He showed me the classrooms, led me to William’s
kitchen, helped pack our lunch and brought us here, but look Vincent;” She lifted the basket lid and said
“Geoffrey didn’t take his lunch.”
His face grew warm at the twinkle in her eyes.
“Perhaps Catherine, I could share lunch with you. I have some news I want to share with you.”
“I too, would like to tell you something, Vincent.”
They ate in silence then Vincent asked, “Would you like to go first?”
“You go ahead.”
“I did some investigative work of my own.” He handed her the note.
She smiled and to Vincent, it was like the sun was really there. Her joy warmed his heart.
“Vincent, I remembered her name. This dream I had..I remembered it and her name.” She handed his note to him.
“However, you did a good job finding her too.”
Vincent smiled then. “Yes. I suppose I did.”
He broached the topic of Elliot again.
“You said you took the book to him. What if I go to Elliot for us?”
Vincent felt her joy dampen.
“Elliot loves you. He would help you in such a time of need, as you have helped him, wouldn’t he?”
She knew Vincent believed that Elliot’s love was like his love of her; she had gone to Elliot for help
and he reluctantly said he would look into it but now she knew what it would cost Elliot. She would not destroy
Elliot’s life if she could avoid his involvement.
Vincent felt her decision so strongly. He acquiesced. “Diana Bennet it is.”
“I can’t go to him…
Vincent stopped her.
“I understand, Catherine. But you misunderstood me. I would go to Elliot..
She stood quickly then. “No! Vincent..”
Vincent cut her off. “I would go to Elliot, I would go to Diana, Joe even; Catherine-for you!
Because I love you Catherine, and I don’t know that I could bear losing you again.” He was fervid
in his response that she not be the one to go.
He stood up, graceful as always, and came to stand in front of her.
In his voice she heard all his emotion that he had kept hidden from her.
“I love you Catherine.” He grabbed her upper arms.
He asked her achingly, “How many times must we almost lose each other? How many times
must we come close to death?” He quoted quietly then, “Though the sink through the sea,
they shall rise again.”
Catherine broke loose from his grasp and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I love you! We shall rise again, Vincent! We shall.”
~*~
