"Bad news, Joe! Salvano knows about tonight's meeting, he'll be there too!"

Joe swore. "Are you sure, Tony?"

"This source of information never failed me before. Is Chandler..."

Joe was already at the door. "Yeah! And Michaels is with her. I insisted she shouldn't go alone, but the kid won't be of much help. Edie, call the police! Tony, Jim, come with me! Oh, damn, Chandler!"

"Stan!" Catherine stood at the entrance of the warehouse, Michaels on her side. She knew he was scared, and trying to hide it. She regretted she'd listened to Joe and taken the kid with her. He was a sweet boy, straight out of Law School, and completely inexperienced in street matters. Not that Catherine herself felt very easy, waiting for an elusive potential witness in a dark warehouse. But she had a chance to get Salvano, and she wouldn't miss it! She knew he was responsible for several particularly bloody bank robberies, without having been able to find any evidence against him. A year ago she'd thought she'd found a witness, but before she could convince him to testify, the man had disappeared. And so had his pregnant wife. Salvano took no chances. Catherine had felt very bad about that at he time, and she was all the more determined to get him. She hoped the man called 'Stan' would be willing to give her something substantial.

She heard footsteps ahead. "Stan?" she called again.

"Ms Chandler?"

"Yes. Where are you?"

Suddenly the warehouse was flooded with light.

"He's here, Ms Chandler!"

Salvano himself was in front of her, holding a gun against the head of a terrified man. Catherine reached for her own gun, but suddenly felt something cold on the back of her head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, lady." Two of Salvano's men were standing behind them. They'd been trapped! Catherine concentrated all her strength in fighting back fear. She mustn't let Vincent know, she mustn't draw him here! She could see three other armed men behind Salvano, Vincent wouldn't have a chance!

" So that's Catherine Chandler! Do you know you've been a real nuisance, lady? I don't like people sneaking into my business. I thought you'd understood that after what happened to Korsky last year. Too bad his wife came back home early." He made a gesture and the men behind Catherine and Michaels urged them forward. Salvano gave Catherine a very unpleasant smile. "You're the obstinate kind, aren't you? You just have to see for yourself, well, you're going to see!" He twisted the man's arm, making him scream. "That stinking bastard thought he was going to rat on me, and get away with it! Look, lady, see how I deal with rats!"

"No!" Catherine screamed, but it was too late. The man's head exploded, splashing her with blood. She heard another scream, Michaels. She turned to him and saw in his eyes that he knew, too. They were as good as dead, Salvano would never let them live after that. She saw Michaels' shoulders straighten, as he accepted the inevitable. The boy had guts, but right now she could think only of Vincent. She knew he must have been aware of her shock, he was going to come and he'd either find her dead, or get himself killed under her eyes. No, please, Vincent, don't come! she silently screamed through their bond, but she knew it was no use.

"Now you're witnesses, both of you, and you know I never leave any witnesses behind, don't you?" Salvano's gun raised to Michaels' head.

"No!" Catherine screamed again.

"I know, it should be ladies first, but I want you to enjoy it!"

Catherine met Michaels' widened eyes and closed hers, she just couldn't watch that. Another deafening noise, another splash of warm blood on her, a fall, and Salvano's voice.

"Now it's your turn, lady." She kept her eyes closed. She could see Vincent's face in her mind, she could hear him calling her name, in a scream that ended in a roar of despair. I'm so sorry to leave you, Vincent! I love you!"

Joe's shot got Salvano in the shoulder, making him stagger and drop his gun, but not before he'd pressed the trigger. The bullet aimed for Catherine scraped the top of her head before getting lost in the ceiling. Jim and Tony got two of Salvano's men, and the other ones ran away.

"Oh, God, Cathy!" Joe knelt to check on her, while Tony handcuffed Salvano. She was unconscious and covered with blood, and he anxiously searched for wounds. He only found a big cut on the head, it bled a lot as scalp wounds always did, but didn't seem too bad. She must have passed out from the shock.

"Tony, call the police, what the hell are they doing?"

"They're coming, I can hear them! And there's an ambulance, too!"

Vincent stopped short, panting more from anguish than from his fast run, and hid in the shadows while three Police cars and an ambulance howled past him to stop in front of the warehouse. Catherine was alive, that much he knew. Unconscious, probably wounded, but alive. Her initial burst of fear had started him running, though she had tried hard to suppress it for his sake. He had sensed her terror, her shock, and her certainty that she was going to die. Tears came in his eyes. At that moment, all Catherine's thoughts had been for him. Fear for his safety, sorrow to have to leave him, and overwhelming love. Then a sharp burst of pain, and darkness had engulfed her.

The ambulance crew ran into the warehouse with a gurney and went out a few minutes later, carrying Catherine. She was still unconscious, and her head was bandaged. A man was anxiously walking near the gurney, holding Catherine's hand. Vincent heard someone call him Joe, it had to be Joe Maxwell. Catherine was obviously well taken care of, but Vincent almost roared with frustrated anxiety, cursing his differences. It should be him walking beside Catherine, holding her hand, going with her to the hospital, standing at her side when she woke up! He refrained a powerful, primal urge to run to Catherine, shove all these men aside, and take her back with him to the safety of the Tunnels, where he could watch over her, where no one would hurt her any more.

The ambulance left, all lights on, while others could be heard arriving, and he ran back to the closest Tunnel entrance. He had to contact Peter.

"Vincent!"

"Cathy! You're awake! How do you feel?"

Her eyes slowly focused on a familiar face.

"Peter! What"

"You're in the hospital, you're going to be all right!"

"What happened to me?"

"You were shot, don't you remember?"

She frowned in concentration. "N..no. Peter, where's Vincent?"

"He can't come for the moment, Cathy, you know that, don't you?"

She glanced around the busy emergency room. "Yes, of course, I understand."

"But there's someone else there who wants to see you."

"Hey, Radcliffe, this time you really got us scared! How are you feeling?"

She looked at him and frowned again. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

Joe's smile disappeared. "Cathy, don't you remember me? Joe, Joe Maxwell!"

She shook her head. "No! Peter, what's this all about? Please take me home, I want to see Vincent!"

Peter turned to Joe. "Please could you leave us? She's still under the effect of the shock."

"Yeah, of course! I'll come back tomorrow. Just take care of yourself, Cathy!"

"Peter, who's that man? Should I know him?"

"You've been under a terrible shock, Cathy, do you remember anything?"

"No! What should I remember? What happened?"

"But you remember me? And Vincent?"

She gave him a weak smile, and her eyes lightened up a bit. "Why, of course I remember Vincent! He's my husband!"

"Her husband!" Vincent's eyes widened in disbelief.

Peter smiled. "That's one of the few things she's absolutely sure of!"

"Amnesia?" asked Father?

"Selective. I didn't bother her with too many questions, she's still weak, but she seems to remember almost anything about Below, people's names, places, and the necessity to keep it a secret, but very few things about her life Above. And she's blocked out every memory of her job at the DA's office, she didn't even recognize Joe Maxwell. Well, after what she's been through, it's almost understandable."

"What happened to her?" asked Vincent. "I sensed her feelings of shock, and terror, Peter, she was sure she was going to die!"

"Well, we won't know for sure until she can tell what happened, but Joe Maxwell thinks he has it figured out. She was out with one of her colleagues to meet a potential witness, but the criminal she was after heard about it. He's a ruthless man. He killed the witness and Cathy's companion, under her eyes, close enough that she was splashed all over with their blood and brains!" Father shuddered at that idea, and Vincent let out an angry growl.

Peter went on. "Then it would certainly have been her turn if Joe hadn't arrived. The bullet only touched her superficially, but I fear the psychological shock has been much deeper."

"Do you mean she's insane?" asked Father. Vincent glared at him, and Peter hastily answered.

"No, of course not, but she's had a terrible experience, and for the moment she's unable to face it. The man who was with her was the youngest member of Joe's team, they called him "the kid", and Joe told me he'd insisted on going with her because he admired her so much! So she might be blaming herself for his death, too. Listen, I'm no psychiatrist, but we have none available, so I give you my theory : I think she's momentarily blocked out anything disturbing and retreated in a little world of her own, a place of safety and happiness where she can heal."

"And that "place of safety and happiness" would be Below, with Vincent as her husband?" Father asked dubiously.

"Apparently. It does make sense: Vincent for the 'safety' part, and Below for the happiness or could it be the contrary?" Peter asked with a mischievous grin.

It was Father's turn to glare, and Vincent looked stricken. What Peter described was their dream! When confronted to the unbearable, Catherine had sought refuge in their dream, claiming it as a sanctuary against all evil.

"You said she asked for me?"

"Your name was the first word she said when she woke up."

"I have to go and see her!"

"Vincent!"

"I have to, Father!"

"Don't worry, Jacob, I think it's safe. Her room is on the second floor, an easy climb for Vincent, and I'll be there as a sentry to make sure nobody enters while he's there."

"But, Vincent, what are you going to tell her? She thinks you're her husband!"

Vincent hadn't thought of that. "What do you think I should do, Peter?"

"Go along with her. She's weak, and vulnerable, and she needs reassurance. Her love for you, and yours for her, are almost the only certainties left to her. You can't deny her that, or you'd better not go." He smiled. "But, surely, telling Cathy you love her won't take so much of an effort?"

"Vincent, you can't."

"I can, Father and I will. You know I love her, even if you never liked to hear it. And there is no way I could deny the depth of her love for me. Not any more. Not after sharing her thoughts when she was on the verge of death Father, even then she was still trying to protect me! Do you think I could refuse her the words she needs to hear from me?"

Father sighed in defeat. "Vincent, I fear you'll get hurt."

"Catherine is the one who has been hurt, Father, and I will do anything to help her heal!"

Peter opened the window to let Vincent in, and quietly went out of the room.

"Catherine!"

"Vincent! Oh, Vincent, I've missed you so much!"

He knelt beside the bed. "Catherine, are you all right? I was so..." but before he could finish she put her arms around his neck and pulled him down to kiss him, full on the mouth, her lips invitingly parted, her tongue avidly seeking his.

Vincent was taken by surprise. He hadn't expected this but of course he should have, they were supposed to be married! And Peter had said to go along with her, so he allowed himself to kiss her as he had dreamed to.

It was all new to him and for a fleeting second he wondered if he was doing it right, but Catherine had no such doubts. He could feel her love, her joy, and the pleasure his touch was giving her. Without thought he deepened the kiss, slipping his arms behind her to pull her closer, reveling in her eager response, drinking in the sweet taste of her. He had come so close to losing her, and now she was here in his arms, alive and warm.

Mine, she's mine! growled a fierce voice deep inside him. But almost simultaneously another voice rose, a voice that unpleasantly sounded like Father's, reminding him Catherine was not completely herself and he shouldn't be taking advantage. Suddenly filled with shame by his behavior, he pulled away as gently as he could, but his shame quickly subsided when he met Catherine's radiant eyes, and sensed her happy certainty. However he felt about the way he had acted, it had been exactly what she expected from him.

"Oh, Vincent, I love you!"

" I love you, Catherine!" He marveled at the sound of his own voice saying these words for the first time. How easily they had come to him, and how right they sounded! "I love you so much! Oh, Catherine, if I had lost you."

She pulled him close and soothingly stroked his hair. "Shh, darling, it's over, I'm here, now, I'll never leave you."

Vincent's mind reeled. After all she had been through, she was the one comforting him! He touched the bandage on her head. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt?"

She smiled. "A little. Ten stitches, and a mild concussion. The worst of it is they've had to shave part of my head. Not much, the nurse told me, but I'll have to wait till they take that bandage off to see for myself." She grinned. "Would you still love me if I were bald, Vincent?"

"I will always love you, Catherine, always!" he husked, and was rewarded with another kiss. When he could talk again he enquired : "Peter told me you didn't remember what happened to you?"

She frowned." Not a thing. They told me I was shot, but it makes my head hurt when I try to think about it, so Peter told me not to bother, and not to ask either. He says it will come back naturally when I'm ready." He felt her distress and tightened his embrace.

"Don't worry, Peter is right, you just have to be patient. We will not talk about it any more."

"I don't even know what I was doing Above. I should have stayed Below. It's safe, there. Vincent, please, take me back Below! Take me home!" She sounded like a frightened little girl, and it tore at Vincent's heart.

"Catherine..." He was interrupted by Peter.

"The night nurse is coming this way. It would be better to."

Vincent rose. "I will come back tomorrow, Catherine."

"Wait! Peter, when can I go home?"

"Home?"

"Catherine wants to come back Below."

Peter nodded to Vincent. "I see. Well, they'd like to keep you here for another two or three days, run some more tests to make sure."

"Two days, Peter, not one more, then you let me go home!"

"Vincent, you really should go."

"Yes, my love, go but kiss me first!"

He kissed her, briefly but thoroughly, under Peter's interested eyes, and was gone.

Part 2