Beauty and the Beast (35 page)

Joe jumped up and headed for the door. Vincent asked, “Where are you off to now?”

Joe turned around and grinned at Vincent. “I think I’m going to go find Sleeping Beauty and see if I can wake her up!”

Vincent chuckled, “I hear a kiss works well!”

Joe laughed, “I just might try that!”

After Joe left, Vincent went to Catherine and sat on the edge of the bed. “I wish that was all you needed, my Beauty.” On impulse, he bent over and kissed her lips. Then he gazed at her unresponsive features. “Just checking,” he said softly as he gently stroked her cheek.

When Joe finally arrived at the Waterfall Cavern,

Diana was seated on the rock ledge overlooking the water. Her legs were hanging over the edge, and she was just gazing at the numerous waterfalls crashing down. Diana’s long auburn hair wasn’t in its usual ponytail, and it was

cascading in soft waves over her shoulders and down her back. She looked very feminine and vulnerable. Joe struggled to maintain his composure as a strong desire to take her in his arms and never let go swept over him. He didn’t want to startle her, so he called out to her from the mouth of the cavern. “Well, I finally found you!”

Diana stayed seated but turned her head to look at Joe. He saw her blush and smiled to see clear evidence that Vincent was right. Diana tried not to look as flustered as she felt as she spoke to him. “You needed to see me?”

Joe walked toward her as he answered. “Yes, I needed to get something cleared up!”

Diana gave him a puzzled look. “What, did I forget to cross a T’ in my report?”

Joe was trying to keep a straight face while Diana looked more and more rattled by his approach. He said in a very serious tone, “Oh, no, it was much worse than that!” She blinked up at him, completely speechless. He reached down and grabbed her wrists, lifting her to her feet. Her eyes became huge as he pulled her arms up around his neck. Then he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her body against his, and stifled Diana’s little yelp of surprise as he kissed her with an intense hungry passion. Diana closed her eyes as she relaxed in Joe’s arms and returned his kiss with equal enthusiasm. The fire in that kiss sent thrills sweeping through her body. When their lips parted, Joe continued to hold her, and she laid her head on his chest. Diana had wanted to be in Joe’s arms again ever since he had held her on top of the rafters in Gabriel’s mansion.

Joe whispered, “I’m in love with you, Kiddo! Is that clear enough?”

Diana giggled and said, “Perfectly! I’m in love with you too, Joe.”

Joe’s left arm was wrapped tightly around Diana’s waist, but he was running his right hand through her soft, thick hair. “You have the most beautiful hair, Diana. I have wanted to get my hands on it again ever since we were in Gabriel’s mansion in those rafters together.”

The imp in Diana couldn’t resist, and she looked up at him and said, “Oh, I’m completely straightened out now! It’s my hair you’re in love with!”

Joe knew she was teasing him, but he tried to look exasperated. “Oh, shut up!”

“Make me!” She challenged him. With that, he took her breath away with another passionate kiss.

When their lips parted again, Joe chuckled, “Vincent’s right. We are two of the stupidest profilers on the planet!” Diana looked up at him in surprise and giggled. “Did Vincent actually say that?”

Joe smiled down at her. “Actually, Vincent called us obtuse.”

Diana laughed, “Well, he’s right! But I am going to have to kill him! Come with me. I want to show you something.”

Diana took Joe’s hand, and she began leading him toward a wonder he hadn’t seen yet, Elizabeth’s Painted Tunnels. As they were walking, holding hands, they passed other community members who smiled happily at the couple. After a few minutes, Diana stopped and cocked her head as she heard her name relayed on the pipes. She stepped over to the pipes along the wall and listened. Then she started laughing.

Joe gave her a quizzical look, and asked, “What is it?” Diana was still giggling as she answered him. “It seems that we have been the subject of many concerned conversations down here. The message being relayed over the pipes is, ‘Vincent finally fixed Joe and Diana!’ Nothing gets past these people!”

Joe was laughing too. “That is just too funny! Until I talked to Vincent this afternoon, I didn’t even know we could be fixed!”

Diana gave Joe an amused look. “Oh, is that so? Tell me about it!”

Joe explained, “Well, Vincent was astute enough to figure out that we were both entertaining a delusion that the other was suffering from unrequited love.”

Diana looked puzzled. “Unrequited love, both of us?” Joe went on. “Yes, you thought that I was—”

Diana finished, “In love with Catherine.”

Joe continued, “Yes, and I thought that you were in love with Vincent.”

Diana laughed and shook her head. “With Vincent?

He is like a brother to me!”

Diana was still giggling as Joe laughed himself and added, “Yes, Vincent explained the Monster and Brat dynamics of your relationship to me.”

Joe put his arm around Diana’s shoulders, and she put hers around Joe’s waist. They then continued onward through the lower tunnels, then up a winding stone stairway, and then across the catwalk bridge over the Whispering Gallery. Next, they climbed up an elaborate wrought-iron circular stairway through two more levels of tunnels, until they finally came to a secret door accessing a section of abandoned manmade tunnels, where Elizabeth lived and painted the smooth walls with an history of Father’s world.

When they arrived in the Painted Tunnels, Elizabeth was busy with new drawings, as usual. She greeted them cheerfully. “Come here, children. See what I am working on now!”

Diana took Joe to her. “Elizabeth, this is Joe Maxwell. This is his first visit to see your murals.”

Elizabeth took Joe’s hand and led him to her latest project. “Welcome, child! I have your story on down the tunnel over there. But see what I am preparing to paint now!”

Joe shook his head as he gazed in awe at the fascinating stories she was telling with her paintings on the tunnel walls. He could see that these works of art were a complete history of Father’s world together with stories of what was occurring at the same time in the world above. It was an exquisite depiction of how everything and everyone was connected in one world. Elizabeth’s current project was the pictorial account of Vincent’s reconnection to Catherine, and he was very moved by the majesty with which she was capturing that poignant reunion. She had a charcoal sketch of the scene nearly completed, and that sketch alone was impressive, even without adding paint.

Joe turned to the lovely elderly white-haired woman and said, “Elizabeth, these paintings are magnificent! You have created such a beautiful gallery here. I have got to come back when you have this scene with Vincent and Catherine completed and painted. Just the sketch is very moving!”

Her eyes sparkled at the compliment. “I’m glad that it gives you pleasure, Joe. Everyone visits me with their stories of what is going on in Father’s world and in the world above, and I paint them on these smooth manmade tunnel walls. These upper tunnels, which have been abandoned by the city, are the only surfaces I can paint. The lower tunnels, with the natural rock walls, are too rough for my paintings. I really love doing this.”

Joe was truly amazed. “That is very apparent! I haven’t seen you in Peter’s home. Did you visit there in the last couple of days to see the details you have sketched here?”

Elizabeth’s eyes crinkled with humor. “No, I don’t leave my tunnels here. Vincent marveled once about how I could paint these pictures without having seen the events myself. I told him that it wasn’t magic. I do see the events in a way. Mouse brings me my paints and newspapers with photographs from the world above. William brings me meals from his kitchen and tells me stories. Sarah comes to check on my welfare regularly, and she tells me stories. Everyone makes it here once in a while, and they all tell me stories. Then, I paint those stories. It is my gift to turn stories into pictures, and it makes me happy to do it.”

Joe smiled with wonder at her. “It is truly an amazing gift, Elizabeth!”

Diana took Joe on a complete tour of Elizabeth’s Painted Tunnels from the beginning of her historical murals. He saw the pictorial account that Elizabeth had mentioned of his introduction to the tunnels by Diana and meeting Vincent for the first time. Diana told Joe,

“Vincent told me that Elizabeth is a mystery to everyone in Father’s world. No one knows why she came to the tunnels or from where. She refuses to talk about that.” Joe paused in front of an imposing painting of Vincent whom Elizabeth had portrayed as their protective warrior. There was a great crack across the tunnel wall marring the portrait. “What happened here?”

Diana explained, “There was a time when Father’s world was threatened with destruction when Elliott

Burch’s Burch Tower was being constructed. It was going to be so tall, that its foundation threatened to break through and collapse the tunnels here. Vincent said that Elizabeth was in the most danger of a possible collapse which would have killed her, but she refused to leave her work. She insisted that she had to finish what she had started. Fortunately, Catherine was able to prove that Elliott had paid thugs to discredit a lawyer who was filing a class action lawsuit against Elliott on behalf of the neighborhood the tower would displace. Catherine filed an injunction and was able to stop Elliott’s tower permanently before the foundation was even laid. After that failure, Elliott did an about-face with a change in priorities, and he really tried to become a better person.” Joe commented, “I remember that case against Elliott Burch. Cathy was extremely angry with him over the tactics he used to push that construction project. Elliott’s failure to complete that tower nearly toppled his empire, but I think that it made him realize that he didn’t want to do business that way anymore. How did Elizabeth paint me so accurately when she had never met me before?”

Joe realized that there was nothing wrong with Elizabeth’s hearing when he heard her laugh, and she came to him with the newspaper account of his success in winning the election as the District Attorney. His picture was on the front cover; mystery solved. Elizabeth said, “I told you it isn’t magic!” Diana and Joe laughed with her as she walked back to her work.

They stopped in front of Elizabeth’s painted account of the rise and fall of Burch Tower. She had painted a picture of Elliott’s imposing tower as it was supposed to look when it was completed. Beside it she had painted the reality of the huge empty hole in the now abandoned construction site. Joe chuckled, “Boy, she really captures every story in intricate detail. She makes them come alive with her talent. Well, I hate to kiss and run, but I had better get back up top and check on how things are going with our criminal roundup.” He took Diana in his arms and kissed her again. He smiled as he gazed into her lovely green eyes and said, “Well continue this discussion again later!” She giggled and nodded.

After Joe left to go back up top, Diana went back to Peter’s home. She practically danced into Catherine’s room as Vincent was settling Catherine back on her bed. Vincent turned around and chuckled when he saw the happy look on Diana’s face. Diana ran to Vincent and threw her arms around his neck as he caught her with an hug. He asked, “What’s this all about?”

Diana exclaimed in mock anger, “Meddler!”

Vincent laughed, “Oh! You’re welcome!”

Diana pulled away from him and put her hands on her hips. “You know I’m going to beat the tar out of you!”

As a fleeting picture of a tiny chick pecking at an elephant’s foot ran through Vincent’s mind, he had to stifle a laugh. “I’ve got a king-size picture of that! Now

run along before I decide to spank you!”

Diana danced out of the room and tossed over her shoulder, “Monster!”

Vincent chuckled again as he called after her, “Brat!”

Vincent had quickly learned Catherine’s schedule, and it gave him tremendous pleasure to be able to take care of her. He had settled into an happy routine with her and Little Jacob during the day, and every night, he joined Catherine in her terrifying nightmares. She no longer evaporated from sight, and he was always able to help her resolve each fear, but she still remained in the dreamworld.

One afternoon, as Vincent lay on Catherine’s bed, snuggled against her back while she was nursing Little Jacob, he felt a combination of joy and sadness. He was thrilled to have his little family in his arms, but he was also sad that Catherine still wasn’t awake to enjoy it too. He was very concerned about the length of time that she had been in this unconscious state and what it was doing to her physical body. Vincent reached out to his sister telepathically, “Elisia?”

Elisia spoke to his mind. “I’m here, Vincent.”

Vincent asked her, “Elisia, is there anything else I need to do for Catherine to help her to wake up? I can feel her body weakening. She has been trapped in this nightmare state for too long. I have been exercising and massaging her muscles for her, but she is still losing

strength.”

Elisia comforted Vincent. “We are aware of that, Vincent. You are doing everything you can do alone. Try to stay calm and positive. I promise you that Catherine will be all right. We are getting ready to come to you. We have a treatment method that we believe will help her. We will be there soon.”

Vincent was relieved as he hugged Catherine and Little Jacob tighter. “Thank you, Elisia. It will be wonderful to finally see you again.”

Elisia counseled Vincent, “Just keep participating in Catherine’s dreams until we arrive, Vincent. It helps her more than you realize.” Then Elisia was gone from his mind.

Three days later, in the late afternoon, everyone began trickling into Catherine’s room. Pascal was the first to arrive, and Vincent looked surprised. “Has something happened, Pascal? You almost never leave your pipes!” Pascal replied, “I was hoping you could tell me! I received a strong prompting to come here, and I couldn’t resist it. So, I’m here, and I have no earthly notion why!” Vincent chuckled as others began arriving with the same bewildered explanation for their visit. Besides Pascal, the others who showed up were Peter, Susan, Devin, Charles, Diana, Joe, Isaac, Rolley, Laura, Jerry, Father, Mary, Mouse, Jamie, Rebecca, Sarah, Brooke, and Tony.