Next she straightened her dishevelled clothes and hair and headed to the balcony doors just a little out of breath as she opened them to Vincent, as he was just about to knock for the third time!

The third time! That’s what got him. So used was he to Catherine speedily opening the door to him at his first knock, he was more than bewildered when she finally unlocked the doors.

“Vincent.” Still she did seem glad to see him.
“Is anything wrong, Catherine?”
“Wrong?” Even to Catherine her voice sounded strained. “No, should there be?”
Vincent wasn’t convinced. “May I come in, Catherine?”
Open mouthed Catherine stared at him, “Come in? What into the apartment?” He had NEVER been inside her home before!
“If I may?”
Something was definitely amiss here. “Well yes, of course.” Catherine stepped aside ushering him in ahead of her, “May I take your cloak, get you something to drink, tea, wine…” she was jabbering, she knew it but she couldn’t do a thing to stop it.
“No.” The reply stunned her, it covered everything and he didn’t attempt to remove his cloak.
“Oh. Well then take a seat.” She directed him to one of her dinky sofas and as he sat down she knew that Joe had been right. Those chairs were TOO small! Joe had always maintained so whenever he had called round. Still they were cosy in the right circumstances…
Catherine remembered how she and the new guy had shared one earlier and with a mischievous smile she decided sharing one with Vincent might prove to be even more enjoyable. Deciding to try that out she sat down beside him dismayed when Vincent stood the moment she sat down and took up a place on the sofa opposite.
“What is it, Vincent?” Something clearly troubled him and he seemed at a loss for words.
“You know you can tell me anything.”
“I don’t know where to begin, or even if it is any of my business, although my family seem to think…” his words trailed away. How could he tell her that his family appeared to know that she was seeing a new guy and that they disapproved so much that they were spying on her until they knew everything and before they told him the devastating news?
“Please Vincent, you know that anything concerning me is your business.” Catherine took up his hands in hers. They felt cold and she rubbed them between her own.
Her words relieved him, gave him confidence. “Catherine, you would tell me if there was someone else?” He almost laughed. Someone else? What was he saying? How could there ever be someone else when she was surely free to do anything, see anyone that she liked? How could he ever hope that he would be another someone else to her?
Her brows furrowed as Catherine frowned and she whispered “I don’t understand Vincent.”
Of course she wouldn’t understand. How could he have expected that she would? What was he to her anyway? She viewed him as a friend, nothing more. Could never view him as anything more than that. He was wasting his time and his family was wasting their time. Whatever Catherine did or did not do was none of their business. He rose intending to leave.
“Wait!” Catherine caught his sleeve “Please Vincent, something’s wrong. Tell me please?”
“I can’t. Don’t worry Catherine. Nothing is wrong. I only wish you happiness.”
Again Catherine frowned, “I think I’m missing something here, Vincent. Are you saying goodbye?” Tears gathered in her eyes. How could she live without him in her life? Didn’t he know by now that her happiness revolved around him?
“I love you Vincent.” She gasped not meaning to say it, not out loud anyway, and the way he looked at her, well she wished that she hadn’t. “I’m sorry.” She hastily added, afraid that she would frighten him out of her life forever, “As a friend, you understand. I love you as a very dear friend.” She added quickly her mind in overdrive and telling her she should have left it alone, and let him know how she truly loved him.
Vincent’s heart had leapt and now it sank. “I must go.” He shook his arm free from her grasp, and headed to the balcony. “Be happy Catherine.” He told her and disappeared into the night before she could utter another word.

The bottle was squashed but not broken, and Vincent extracted the almost perfect sheet of paper from the bottle with shaky fingers. Unfolding the letter and smoothing out the creases he held the words to the best available light and began to read the verse thereon:

A sound caught his attention away from the misery of the moment. Vincent was surprised that anything could, but then he realised it wasn’t just a sound, but also a feeling deep inside. Despite his misery Catherine was calling to him via their connection and he had heard her! And she was close - he knew that too.
Looking down over the precipice and beyond the waterfall he could make out figures walking about along the ledge searching and calling his name. Catherine was among them, and thankfully alone! There was no sign of the new man in her life.
Vincent watched her, slowly taking note of other things he had not noticed before. Piles of driftwood, boxes, paper, sacks, old and very tattered clothing lay strewn about and some of the children were piling it high into a pyramid shape.

Drawing his brows together, and despite himself, Vincent was curious about whatever it was that was going on and watched the proceedings with interest.
Bit by bit the whole assembly of tunnel folk arrived and even Joe Maxwell was there! That surprised him. Of course he had met Joe on an earlier occasion when Catherine had found it almost nigh impossible to explain a few deaths that had taken place and had saved both her own and Joe’s life. But still Vincent was surprised that Father had allowed Joe to know where they resided. Still Father must know what he was doing.
The problem was, as everyone assembled in place the distance and the roar of the waterfall made hearing what was being said impossible, and Vincent desperately wanted to know. So he replaced the letter to the bottle and placed it back beneath the rocks before carefully and silently padding across to the ledge where he knew he could reach the other side. A task probably impossible for anyone but he, with the ability to cling to sheer rock with his sharp claws.

They didn’t see him coming, didn’t know he was near and soon Vincent was able to discern this fact by hearing their conversation.
“Surely you can tell where he is?” Mary asked Catherine.
“No, the bond isn’t so strong from me to him. I only know that he is well.”
“I wish we knew where to look. These tunnels are vast; he could have gone anywhere. It might be days before anyone sees him again.” Mary went on and Father added; “What beats me is why he went at all. Jamie and Brook tell me that Vincent knew of our plans. I feared for this. I thought that he might try to stop it from happening in the misguided belief that Mouse would blow up our home, but he needn’t have worried we managed quite well in the circumstances to keep the fireworks away from Mouse.” Father grinned.
“Maybe Vincent didn’t like being treated as a child. I know we think that he and Mouse are two peas in a pod, but its possible that he might have kept the secret from Mouse. Perhaps we should have told him.” Jamie piped up.
“Yes he probably could have, but I wanted so much to surprise him.” Catherine told the group, “This display was as much for Vincent’s benefit as for Mouse. Where is Mouse anyway?”
“Pascal is bringing him, they’ll be here soon. Pascal is just putting out a few calls first asking if anyone has seen Vincent, and hoping that Vincent might reply to any one of his messages.”
By now Vincent was thoroughly perplexed, and whatever was going on, it didn’t seem so bad. He sighed deeply deciding to face the music…Whatever music that might be and began descending from his hiding place high above the huddled group of people.

“Well, what shall we do? Everything is ready…yes…what is it Eric?”
Exasperated Father looked down to where the young boy tugged at his sleeve. “We haven’t set up the Catherine wills yet, Father.”
“Wheels.”
“What?”
“Pardon.”
“What?”
“Eric, you do not say what, you should say pardon.” Father told the child sternly.
Eric took seconds to continue, “Pardon?”
“Pardon what?” Father asked becoming more and more flustered by the second, much to the obvious delight of those listening.
“You said what.” Eric told him flatly. “If you can say it why can’t I?”
A deep sigh left Father’s lips, “let’s go back to the beginning shall we? You asked about the Catherine wheels did you not?”
Bright-eyed Eric nodded enthusiastically.
“I was telling you that they are wheels not wills.” Father added. “ I have been telling the children that all week, it was really getting on my nerves. When will you ever learn? Huh? The word is wheels not wills!”

From his position climbing down to the floor, Vincent began to see the light. Still what were Catherine wheels? For a moment the delicious thought presented itself as he visualised Catherine getting to work faster than normal on a set of wheels fastened to her feet. Joe would really approve of that. Punctuality had never been one of Catherine’s good points.

With only six feet between them now, Vincent let himself drop, and plop right before the startled group of people. “Vincent!” They exclaimed as one, delighted with his sudden appearance.

“Oh Vincent! There you are!” Catherine moved through the group to hug him tight, “I thought you would miss your surprise.”

“Don’t be silly Catherine we couldn’t have held it without Vincent.” Father reminded her.

“But tonight is traditional, and besides the children have been looking forward to it for weeks.”

“Even so they would have understood. It wouldn’t have been right without Vincent.”

“Whatever is going on?” Vincent asked totally mystified even as Mouse and Pascal arrived.

“Neat!” Mouse exclaimed, “Gizmos.” He left Pascal’s side to run and pick up all the bits and pieces strewn about.

“No Mouse, not this time.” Jamie took his arm, “That’s all rubbish, we’re gonna burn it see.” She pointed to the huge pyramid that from this level looked even higher than Vincent had had surmised from his position above the waterfall.

“Burn it?” Mouse paled not understanding why they should spring all this glorious rubbish on him only to say they were going to burn it.

“Yes Mouse.” Catherine placed a hand in the crook of Mouse’s arm, and holding onto Vincent with the other, she faced them both toward the towering monstrosity that was being added to by the children even as she spoke.

“Tonight we have a surprise for you two.” She told them both happily and looked toward Father for his cue to add more.
Father cleared his throat, “Yes. You see several weeks ago, I was studying the topic of the Great Fire of London with my class, and I began to tell them about Guy Fawkes who had planned another fire for London. And then we spoke of how every year people in the United Kingdom would celebrate an occasion called Bonfire or Firework night. Well one thing led to another and we decided it would make a wonderful event to hold such an occasion ourselves. Our only problem was the venue. Where to hold it. Fireworks in the park would draw attention to us, and even at the home of a helper it would mean a grand exodus from the tunnels for everyone and leave our home vulnerable to intruders. So we began to look at other ways we could do it. Catherine came up with the bright idea of using fireworks that would not cause too much of a bang and therefore would not act like explosives down here causing damage. But that posed another problem, namely in a word, Mouse.” Everyone laughed looking at Mouse kindly and imagining what he would have made of the fireworks had he of discovered them. Had he in fact known of the coming occasion he would have made it his job to find them!
“And Vincent…”Father added, looking fondly at his son, “You and Mouse have on occasions been party to probably as many escapades as you and Devin and as Catherine wanted to keep the event a surprise for you, well you too were left in the dark. I hope you will forgive us?”

“Forgive you? Of course I will forgive you, I’m just so relieved that it wasn’t what I had thought it might be!” At his words everyone became interested to know what that was.
“Do tell?” Joe asked with his usual boyish grin.
“I couldn’t understand it. I kept hearing phrases like Catherine will…” Father glared at Eric “And everyone was talking about Catherine’s new guy…” his words trailed away then as he became embarrassed and everyone began to understand why.

“Oh Vincent! You didn’t?” Catherine exclaimed.
Vincent remained silent, unable to take his eyes from off his feet. “And her old one? Did you hear about that too mate?” Joe asked, wondering about that sound he had heard out on the balcony that night in Catherine’s apartment.
“Yes.” Shamefaced Vincent still could not look up.
“Oh my gawd.” Joe exclaimed; “I’m sorry mate.”
Catherine looked at Joe, not understanding.
“While I was taking my trousers off in your bedroom, you remember, I heard a chair fall over outside on your balcony. I was gonna mention it but your screech of laughter when you saw me wearing those shorts made me forget.”
“Yes, I knocked over a chair.” Vincent mumbled only now beginning to look up as he detected that everyone’s focus was now on Joe. Everyone stood mouths agape not a bit startled that Vincent would knock over a chair at seeing Joe without trousers in Catherine’s bedroom and more than a bit surprised that he hadn’t smashed the door down instead.

“Oh I see…” Joe laughed nervously, “It wasn’t what you are thinking…I spilled coffee over myself…and was changing into some fresh clothes…” He spoke quickly hoping they would believe him. Thankfully they did, as each in turn started to laugh sobering only when they wondered how it might have appeared to Vincent.

Seeing them look back toward him Vincent nodded, “Yes, you are right. I did think the worst.”

“Oh Vincent, I’m so sorry.” Catherine placed her hands around his waist and hugged him tightly; “We obviously put you through some anguish and were not aware of it.”

Suddenly Joe started to laugh, “Hey what did you think of the guy in the wardrobe?”
Catherine’s eyes opened wide imagining what Vincent must have thought to that.
“Don’t ask.” Vincent told him and Catherine was delighted to see a spark of humour in Vincent’s beautiful blue eyes.
“Well then shall we get started? I hear that William has made some delicious Bonfire fare to mark the occasion and I for one am eager to partake of it.” Father announced to one and all.
“We’re ready Father. Cullen has nailed the Catherine Wheels to those posts you had us bring down, and the Roman Candles are in place.” Mary replied happily.

“We thought it best to only use Catherine wheels and fountains you see. They don’t crack like rockets and bangers do Vincent, and so there shouldn’t be any risk to the safety of the cavern. By the way everyone, these aren’t called Catherine wheels anymore, the name has been changed to Cyclones.” Catherine laughed, remembering the trouble she had had explaining that she wanted Catherine wheels in the various stores she had found selling fireworks, especially when she told them her name was Catherine when she gave the delivery address. Nobody had heard of them in America.
After a while there had been too many boxes of fireworks to safely keep in her apartment so they had been bestowed below in exchange for the guy that Vincent might so easily have spotted and asked about its reason for being below.

“Well that new guy is great Catherine. Where did you get him?”

“You can thank Joe for that. When he saw the one Elliot had donated he knew that one puff of smoke and he’d be gone. He was stuffed only with cotton wool and the clothes he wore were so ancient we had to tie an old cloak around him to keep it all in. In the end Joe found a better guy in some store, one that will take a lot longer to burn.”

“Thank you Joe.” Everyone told Catherine’s friend.

“You’re welcome. Besides I think you’ll enjoy him more than the old guy, Catherine put him to rest in a dumpster, this new guy apparently has a few surprises up his sleeve. Hey don’t look at me, that’s what it said on the label.” Joe shrugged grinning from ear to ear.

“Well let’s get started then shall we?” Father stepped forward and with a lighted taper in his hands touched the paper placed at the foot of the large bonfire and soon had it roaring into flames.

It was wonderful! With the waterfall in the background and the roaring fire the reflection on the water was breathtaking. And the fireworks! Wow, what colours! The cyclones span round and round in a trail of blazing light first green, then pink, then gold, silver, red and yellow, ebbing away to a thin streak of blue light before they came to a swirling end. Father loved them and seeing them brought back some very happy and long forgotten memories of his days as a child growing up in England.

The fountains popped and cracked between showering colours making everyone jump even though they anticipated the next crack and burst of colour.
William brought his bonfire fare down, apples coated in toffee, baked potatoes filled with butter and cheese, and hot rich creamy chocolate topped with marshmallows steaming in thick chunky mugs that Catherine had supplied for the occasion. And just as the fire burnt away the guy began to burn leaving everyone enthralled by the spectacular sight he provided. Joe had been right, the guy certainly did have a surprise up his sleeve. As he burned away, by layer upon added layer that Catherine had placed upon him, the fire finally reached the original covering he had been supplied with. This revealed a grand finale to the whole evening as flames of blazing colours travelled his length and breadth before dying away with intermittent popping sounds.
The crowd of onlookers cheered and applauded this sensational sight, and all retired to their respected chambers happy and chatting excitedly about the things they had enjoyed the most.

Only Catherine and Vincent remained…long after the others had gone…they stood arms wrapped around one another, Catherine enfolded within the warmth of Vincent’s voluminous cloak.

“That was wonderful, Catherine. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome Vincent. You get so few surprises, and it’s a treat when everyone gets involved to give you one to remember.”

“I remember all the surprises you alone give to me.” He kissed the top of her head, smelling there the scent of wood smoke and gunpowder among the more favourable scents of newly washed hair.

“Well I’m sorry that this one started out badly for you. To think what you must have overheard outside my apartment that night…it makes me cringe. I’m so sorry, Vincent.”

“I thought you were leaving me. I thought you had found someone new.” He whispered, hugging her tighter as he spoke.

“Never Vincent. You know I love you!”

“As a friend.” He whispered sadly, reminding her of that occasion.

“No, more than a friend. I lied then Vincent, I was so afraid that if you knew how I really felt you would run a mile and I’d never see you again. I love you Vincent more deeply than I have ever loved anyone.” Catherine held her breath hoping that now was the right occasion to tell him so.

She held on to it even as he contemplated what she was telling him. Even as his heart began to race wildly as he shifted his gaze from the top of her head to her grey green eyes. And he knew then of her anxiety and he hastened to reassure her. “I love you too, Catherine.” Only then did she breathe a huge sigh of relief and Vincent knew he had been right to tell her how he felt about her too.

“Where were you Vincent? Where were you when we all came here tonight?” Catherine asked suddenly.

He pointed, “There, beyond the waterfall. I will take you there one day. It is a place I go to when I…when everything…” he whispered the last almost breaking her heart, “seems lost to me.”

“I will never be lost to you, Vincent. Wherever you are I want to be. Vincent, I love you so much.”

“How can this be, Catherine? You have a life…”

“Not without you. Vincent, please try to understand. The life I lead is only half a life without you. I want to be with you, down here, living out our dream. Please let me Vincent?”

“It won’t be easy, the transition from life above to life below…” His words trailed away as he noticed the shining look of love coming from Catherine’s eyes. She was overjoyed, for once he wasn’t dismissing the idea entirely…for once he seemed to be preparing her for what she would have to face…”Oh Vincent!” She husked throwing her arms around his neck; “I’ll manage…as long as you’re with me…”

They gazed upon one another then, each wishing and hoping for the same things, each a little afraid to reach out and take them. Yet by wills of their own two hearts beat in harmony and entwined two people together. And as Vincent met Catherine half way their lips met in a first sweet kiss that promised them everything.

“I love you.” They spoke as one, and moving arm in arm they left the waterfall and walked toward Vincent’s chamber with hearts overflowing with such unadulterated joy they thought that they must be dreaming.

“To think I believed that I would never see you again. This night has turned out to be more beautiful than anything I could ever have imagined.” Vincent told Catherine as they entered his chamber at long last and Catherine was happy to note that he was a drawing down a dust-covered drape to hang over the entrance, signifying that they required privacy.

“Yes, I am so sorry I put you through that pain Vincent. It seemed such a good idea. I just never stopped to think how some things would look and sound to you.” She came back into his arms, loving the solid feel of him and longing to be kissed by him again.

“Forgive me?”

“I’ll forgive you anything, even the fact that I thought you had been seeing other men behind my back.” He grinned as he kissed the tip of her nose.

“Me? Other men? Explain Vincent?” Catherine teased.

“There was the guy you dumped that I assumed to be me, and the new guy, and Elliot and Joe. What was I supposed to conclude?” He kissed her then, her eyelids, her cheeks, her ever waiting lips. Catherine floated dreamily lost in the wonder of his mouth on hers at last, only pulling away reluctantly to answer, “Yes, but none of them ever moved me in quite the same way that you do, Vincent.” She whispered, before seeking his lips once more.

They remained that way for some time, lost in the dream that was beginning to come true until Vincent was sharply brought back to the present by a serious thought. Something he should have thought of earlier when he had said she could stay.

“Even so,” he began sadly stepping out of her embrace, “I can offer you nothing in comparison Catherine, what we have is all there is and it can lead nowhere. I’m sorry Catherine, forgive me. You have a life…a life I cannot be a part of and I should never have kissed you and made you believe all things were possible. I am not as other men, Catherine, and it would be wrong of me to believe that you could learn to accept such differences.” Gently he pulled away from her his heart grieving him that he had allowed himself to kiss her. Already just doing so had reminded him of what could never be. He felt ashamed that in those first few kisses he had led her to believe that there could be more.

Catherine was still, sensing that she ought to select her words carefully. Words that could make or break the situation they now faced. They hovered on the precipice of their dream, never having come so far before. They could fall one way or the other, it all depended on her reply.

“Vincent…I agree with what you say.”

He looked up sharply his heart stilling in his mighty chest. He had not expected this.

“You cannot be a part of my life…that is the life I live above…we both know that this is not possible…but we could still be together…if you were to allow me to become a part of your life.” Her words startled him and he was about to refuse when she added tenderly, “Vincent, you should remember, remember on this 5th of November how much I love you. And that no matter how little you have to offer me, you to me are not the poor old guy that you constantly make yourself out to be. Love is not built on riches Vincent neither is it built upon materialism and neither is it built on what is normal. And especially when two people are so obviously soul mates like you and I it would be disastrous for both of us to live life apart when we are meant to be together. If nothing else, does not the Bond tell you that our connection binds us in a way that no other two people could ever be bound? Why then do you keep maintaining that we should be apart when something bigger than either of us insists that we should be together?” Her question brooked no argument as she continued, “I love you, and I want to spend my life with you…here in your world…please Vincent, may I?”

Now she awaited his reply. It was a long anxious time in coming, but Catherine could see that her words had moved him and she waited patiently watching with a growing sense of excitement as his features changed bit by bit and she gasped with pleasure the moment she saw acceptance fill his eyes.

“If you are sure?” He held his breath. It might not be easy, there would still be things to work out, but Catherine was right, the Bond was there for a reason that neither of them could understand and why should it be if they were meant to live apart? It sang when they were together, it was singing now.

“I’m sure.” Catherine’s eyes were wet with tears and shining with love for him as she replied.

“Then there is something that we must do, for I cannot expect you to give up all you have ever known to live here with me without some sort of commitment on my part.” Vincent looked at her, his eyes soft blue with sincerity.

Catherine held her breath as Vincent bent one knee and lowered it to the floor, then taking both her hands in his he whispered, “Catherine, will you marry me?” And Catherine’s heart almost broke to see the anxiety in his eyes as he anticipated her answer.

She smiled, her stormy grey green eyes shining with love through a flow of happy tears and she nodded, before replying, “Vincent, in view of this evening’s events there is only one answer to that…” She chuckled and thus caused Vincent’s heart to miss a beat as he anticipated her reply.

“What’s that my love?” He whispered softly, hopefully, as he saw a twinkle in her eye.

“Catherine will…”