Beauty & The Beast (Book 1)

47. On Thin Ice

(A/N: Season 1 Episode 11 - "On Thin Ice")

It's been two weeks and Cat has been cleared for light exercise by her doctor. She had to get back to her actual work, not desk duty. And she couldn't do that if she wasn't ready.
She lifts the weight in her hand, her shoulder straining against it, keeping her eyes closed. There's a knock on her veranda door and she opens her eyes, jumping a little. "Hey."

"Hey."

She sighs. "Remind me never to get shot again."

"Never get shot again," he grins.

Cat wants to laugh but she stops herself. They were better but nowhere near good. "Come in."

He steps inside. "Thanks." She touches her shoulder while he walks up to her. "And put the dumbell down."

She can't help the smile this time. She eyes him a second and then turns to put the weight behind her. "Why do I get the feeling that this is going to hurt even worse?" She turns to face him and he is mocking her while getting into position.

"Give me your hands," he says and holds out his own. "Come on." She takes his hands. "You need to work on your flexibility."

They are two arm lengths apart and she laughs, looking at her feet. "I don't remember asking you to be my personal physical therapist," she notes.

He ignores her. "Shh," he looks at her and nods in question. "Okay?"

"Okay," she takes a deep breath.

"Slide a bit back," she does, "that's it." She moves back more, he keeps her anchored with his weight, and winces. "Careful." She opens her eyes when the pain passes and looks at him. "You know the first time I got shot in Afghanistan I couldn't sleep for a month." She pulls again, eyes closing.

"Yeah it's like I'm sleepwalking," she nods, shaking her head against the truth. She winces again. "I can't do anything. And they've got me on restrictive duty until I am physically and emotionally up to par." She leans forward amd pulls back again.

"And again," he says, watching her do the exercise. His cell phone rings in his pocket but it's like he doesn't hear it. Cat does however.

"You wanna answer that?" She leans back.

"Uh no," he shakes his head. "It's okay, I'll call her back."

"Ah, Alex," Cat smiles a little awkwardly. She pulls her hands out of his, but keeps the smile on her face. "Really, Vincent it's okay, I don't mind."

"Okay, thanks," he says and she puts her hand on her hip for balance as her right side was feeling a little numb. Before he can answer it stops ringing and he chuckles, shrugging.
Cat hums. "Look, uh, Catherine the thing is - "

She waves her hand and stops him. "You don't have to explain." She turns around and walks into the kitchen to get her water bottle. "She was your fiancee, you were planning a life together for years - "

"Six years and an entire childhood," Vincent says without thinking and Cat looks at the ceiling. "But...you and me..."

"You and I are - " She scrunches her nose up, shrugging. "You know I don't really know what we are, we're kind of in no man's land."

He smiles. "Yeah, I mean we've hardly even known each other what? A few months?"

Cat stares at him. Is he serious? She frowns and looks down, blinking slowly before she looks at him again.
"You know, it's really none of my business," she says and Vincent can see that she was shutting down and shutting him out, and all he can do is watch.