Chapter 2
"Checkmate, Father!"
"What? It can't be, not again!"
Vincent grinned to his parent's incredulous face. "I'm afraid it is."
The older man looked at the chessboard and sighed. He'd talked his son into a game of chess, a somewhat rare treat lately, and one he knew he owed to Catherine's heavy work schedule, only to find himself beaten, crushed rather, three times running.
"Vincent, what was that attack? I didn't see it coming! It's not anything I taught you. That last game was brutal!"
Vincent only grinned wider, displaying all his teeth, which earned him a surprised look.
"It was…efficient!" he countered.
"It certainly was", Father conceded, "but I would not call it a beautiful game. It lacked subtlety, and elegance. It was…uncivilized!"
To his parent's shock, Vincent threw his head back and laughed out loud, a deep, rumbling sound Jacob Wells didn't remember having ever heard. "Yes," Vincent admitted, a mischievous sparkle in his gaze "I suppose you could say that, Father."
Unsettled by his son's reaction, Father threw him a puzzled glance, but as he opened his mouth to speak, Jamie entered the study.
"Father, Mary sent me, she needs you in the hospital chamber. She says there's no emergency," she added, as Father and Vincent hastily rose "but she'd like to have your advice."
As they walked toward the hospital chamber, Father felt a little guilty. There had been a small epidemic of chicken-pox among the younger children. Nothing that really called for extended medical skill, but that wasn't a reason for leaving it almost all to Mary's care.
His guilt flared up as a somewhat disheveled and very tired-looking Mary welcomed them in a noisy chamber. A simple look from Father was enough to silence the children, except two-years-old Jonathan, who went on fussing in Mary's arms.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Father", she said "but I don't know what to do with him. He keeps scratching, he's too small to understand that he mustn't. And he won't sleep, so he keeps the others from sleeping, too. Is there anything you could give him?" She was visibly exhausted, and Vincent gently took the whining child from her.
"Why don't you go and rest, Mary? I'll take care of them for the night."
"Hey, careful, Vincent!, you'll catch chicken-pox, too!" one of the boys warned.
Vincent smiled. "I've had it already, when I was not much bigger than Jonathan."
"And did you scratch yourself?"
"If I had, I wouldn't have any face left." Vincent answered, displaying his claws. "But I gave Father a hard time!"
"How?"
"Tell us!"
Even Jonathan stopped crying to look at Vincent with rapt attention.
"If you all lie back in your beds and keep very quiet, I'll tell you the whole story." Vincent promised.
"I don't want to hear that!" Father announced. "Going through it once was painful enough! Mary, can I offer you a cup of tea?" Nodding, she took his offered arm.
An hour later, when Father came back to check on the children, he found them all sound asleep. Vincent was in Mary's rocking-chair, a peacefully sleeping Jonathan in his arms. His eyes were closed, his expression one of deep contentment and, to Father's shock, he was purring loudly. His eyes opened briefly and he acknowledged his father's presence with a smile before shutting them again.
Father went back to his chamber, his head full of disturbing thoughts.
**************
"Vincent?"
Vincent raised his eyes from his book to find his chamber full of children.
"What can I do for you?"
The children looked at each other. Finally Kipper stepped forward "Well, this afternoon, we were going to swim at the Mirror Pool…"
"Yes?"
"And usually it's Zach who comes with us, because Father doesn't want us to go on our own…"
"….but he can't come today, he's in the Pipe Chamber with Pascal!" Samantha went on.
"And Jamie can't come either, and we couldn't find anyone else!" Geoffrey added.
"Except you!" Eric said hopefully.
"So you want me to take you to the Mirror Pool?"
"Please, Vincent!" Samantha pleaded
Little Amanda grasped Vincent's hand. "Yes, come, Vincent! You'll take me in your arms to where it's deep, and teach me to swim like Zach does!"
Vincent saw the other children exchange uneasy looks. They were aware that he never swam with anyone, because he was reluctant to expose his body, but Amanda didn't know that and she insisted.
"Please, come, Vincent!"
Why not? This could be fun!
Vincent smiled to the young expectant faces. "Just give me five minutes."
***************
Catherine arrived near the hub. She knew Vincent wasn't there, but wherever he was, he was having tremendous fun. He was so absorbed that he wasn't aware of her presence Below yet, and she was suddenly excited at the idea of surprising him, for once. She tried to keep her side of the bond as silent as possible, not wanting to spoil his fun with the bad news she was bringing.
"Catherine! What a nice surprise, we were not expecting you until tonight!"
Mary, carrying a big basket, was coming from a side tunnel that led to the kitchen. Catherine greeted her warmly and grabbed the basket handle.
"Can I help you? This seems awfully heavy!"
Mary smiled. "Vincent took the children to the Mirror Pool for a swim. When William heard about it, he decided to prepare a 'little snack' for them, and I volunteered to take it there before I saw what he meant by 'little'."
Catherine chuckled. "I'll help you carry it, I was coming to see Vincent, anyway."
Father came out of his study as they were passing the entrance.
"Catherine! We didn't expect you so early!" he said, but unlike Mary, he didn't mention a nice surprise… He threw a questioning look at the basket they were carrying, and Mary explained they were taking it to the Mirror Pool.
"I think I'll come with you!" he said. "A little walk will do me good." Catherine couldn't help a suspicious thought, but smiled graciously.
"Of course, Father! Let's go, then!"
She and Mary had to slow their pace a little to allow for Father's more laborious steps, and Catherine was becoming impatient to know what Vincent was doing. She could sense his joyful excitement, and wild feeling of freedom. As they neared the Mirror Pool, Father's head suddenly perked up, and he exchanged a puzzled look with Mary. They quickened the pace when the blurred noises became unmistakable roars and growls, mixed with screams.
Catherine suddenly realized how worried they were and tried to reassure them.
"Father, Mary, it's not what you think! They're just having fun!"
Mary looked at her and slowed down a little with a relieved look, but Father just rushed ahead as if he'd not heard, and they hurried after him. Catching up, Catherine saw terror in his eyes. God, what was he imagining? That Vincent was tearing the kids apart for his own afternoon snack? "Father!" she tried again. "It's all right, they're just playing!"
He didn't even grant her a look, and almost ran the last few yards. At the entrance of the Mirror Pool cavern, he stopped short, eyes wide open in shock. Catherine and Mary carried their basket to a rock near the pool bank, smiling at the scene in front of them.
Vincent, wearing only a bathing suit, was squatting on a rocky boulder, in the shallow part of the pool, his lips pulled back in a menacing snarl, his claws tearing the air. The children, led by Kipper, were running toward him."Catch him, catch the lion!" screamed the boy. But just as they were close, Vincent, with a powerful roar, leapt over their heads to land on another rock and growled at them again, eliciting shrieks of delighted terror. Even four year old Amanda took part in the "lion chase" running and shouting with the others in the shallow water, her hand tightly held in Samantha's, but Catherine didn't really look at the children, fascinated by Vincent's almost nudity. The water darkened his fur, making it cling to the hard muscles of a perfectly shaped body. She admired the long, strong legs and powerful thighs, the narrow waist and flat, hard stomach, the width of his shoulders. He took another leap, landing with his back to her, which granted her a sight of rippling dorsal muscles, and wet trunks clinging to rounded, tight buttocks. He was perfect, just gorgeous, and she felt her hands tingle with the need to touch him.
A wave of heat, with a hint of pride, washed over her. She understood Vincent was well aware of her presence, and suspected that last leap had been for her benefit, which he confirmed by looking at her over his shoulder. Then, to her surprise, he distinctly winked.
Catherine giggled, noticing Mary's amused wonder, and Father's still total shock. She sympathized, almost amazed herself at the ease with which Vincent now displayed his differences. To her it was a sure sign that he'd come to accept and trust himself. All of himself.
Vincent decided to end the chase, by granting the victory to his pursuers. He "missed" the next leap and fell on the sandy beach. "Catch him, catch him, don't let him escape!" Kipper screamed, throwing himself down on him. The others all followed, and the "lion" succumbed to the number, his decreasing roars smothered under a joyful tangle of wet squirming bodies.
Catherine laughed out loud, elated at the wonderful freedom she felt in Vincent as he released that playful side usually kept in check under his quiet, solemn demeanor. Mary laughed along with her, but one look at Father's stern face sobered them up instantly. To say that he was displeased with his son's unusual behavior would have been putting it mildly. He looked positively outraged. He started toward the group, obviously intending to put an end to that offending display.
"Ouch! Hey, watch your nails!" Samantha sat up, angrily rubbing her arm, and the game abruptly ended.
"Let me have a look!" Father examined the long scratch, from which blood had begun to ooze, and, instantly jumping to what seemed to him the obvious conclusion, threw his son a stern look. "Vincent, what came over you? You should know better! See what you've done!"
Catherine physically felt the impact of those harsh words on Vincent, like an icy wind freezing everything on it's passage. Suddenly all was cold, still, and gray in his heart. She could almost see the high walls rebuilding themselves to lock away the freedom and laughter. She could feel fear, guilt and self-loathing rushing back, as he lowered his head like a chastised child under his parent's reproachful stare.
"I'm sorry, Samantha!" he mumbled, and before anyone could say anything he got up, picked up his cloak and boots and walked briskly away.