He chuckled as he buried his face into her hair , inhaling her unique scent . " I missed you as well , Catherine . . . but I wonder how you knew it was me behind you . It could have been anyone that you were greeting so exuberantly . " Vincent took her hand and turned towards his home as he nodded . " It took several days to get the equipment to fix the main water line . Then we had to deal with the water and the mud . The walls , of course , were saturated and we had to reinforce some of them . We had just finished when the same thing happened again on another level and we had to start all over . " " I know . I was worried and came down one day to check on you . Father explained what was going on and I knew you were just too busy . " Vincent hung his head as he looked at her hopefully . " I hoped you wouldn 't mind going to the library and listening to the older children read . Michael took over most of my classes the past two weeks and the children are excited about sharing the play they 've learned . " They walked hand in hand into the library . Many people were already there waiting to listen to the children read . Vincent and Catherine visited with everyone as they made their way to the front by Father . After ten minutes they finally made it up front . Father smiled warmly . " Catherine , it 's good to see you . " She leaned over and kissed his cheek . " Hello , Father . You look well . " " As do you , my dear . " He turned as the children made their way center stage . " I believe they 're ready to start . Perhaps we should find seats . " A bench that the children had vacated sat empty in front of them . Catherine waved her hand at it . " You two sit . . . " She searched and found an unused floor pillow and bent to pick it up , then turned back to them . Surprised to see them still standing , she looked at them , clearly confused . " What ? " Catherine made a face . " Why not ? " She started to chuckle . " And they said chivalry is dead ! " She turned to Father . " I 'm certainly not going to ask you to sit on the floor . " She turned to face Vincent . " And you . . . still look tired . Now , unless you 'd like me to go and find another place to sit . . . " Vincent knew she would do it and didn 't relish standing through the whole reading . He shook his head reluctantly . " No , we 'll sit . " The two men sat and Catherine plopped her pillow next to Vincent 's feet then sat down . As the children began to read , an entranced Catherine slowly leaned against Vincent 's legs . She reached up to where his hand rested on his knee and wriggled her hand under his . Father glanced at Vincent and wondered at the look of shock that flittered across his face and the tenseness in his son 's body . Vincent soon became comfortable again and turned his attention back to the reading , unconsciously caressing Catherine 's hand with his thumb . Two hours later , the reading was complete . The room slowly emptied out as people made their way to the dining hall . Catherine and Vincent followed and they had an early dinner with their friends . Vincent sighed and turned to look for Kanin , Matthew , and Cullen . Each man caught his eye from across the room and knew immediately that there was trouble . They each stood and headed his way . Catherine was soon entertained as the woman enlisted her help asking advice on the current fashions . She laughed and marveled that they did their best to help the kids ' fit in ' when they went Above . It was nearing the time for her to leave when a freshly washed Vincent finally showed up . He apologetically looked at her . " Catherine , I 'm sorry . It took longer than I expected . " She took his hand and squeezed it . " Then that 's all that matters . " She sighed aloud . " But unfortunately I have to head back . I have an early deposition tomorrow . " He frowned and looked away and she rushed to make him understand . " It 's amazing to me that the kids Below are so much more advanced than the kids Above . Your world had managed to instill in them a desire to learn , to reach new heights . It 's a beautiful thing to see them achieve . " As they continued to walk , Vincent swelled with pride . He knew as their teacher that he had done his best and to be acknowledged for that felt wonderful . Catherine continued to offer compliments . " Michael is amazing ! He reads beautifully and has such an understanding of the material . He should go far in his studies . " Vincent looked at her sadly . " It 's sad that we 're only able teach through the high school level of achievement . Michael will never be able to attain a higher level of education . " She nodded . " Good . I 'll see what I can do for him . He will of course have to take the SAT so we can get his score but once we have that grade we . . . " She chuckled . " Sorry , once I get going . . . the SAT is short for the Scholastic Aptitude Test . It 's a test of general knowledge to see how much a person knows . I 'll look up the next test date . . . if I sign him up , do you think you could get Michael to go ? " The next morning , Catherine was able to track down Michael 's birth certificate . She gasped in surprise when she also found out that Michael had a substantial amount of money in a bank account . She sat back in her chair and stared at the information and was flooded with questions . " How on earth would an abandoned kid who lived Below have access to this kind of money ? " The clerk looked up the future dates . " There 's a test next Saturday . It 's been filled for months but we have some last minute cancellations . It will cost more . . . " The clerk handed her an application and Catherine began to fill it out . She frowned and used her home address and phone number as the residence . With a smile , she paid the fee and then headed back to the office . Rita shook her head . " The account was established about 18 years ago . Two names are on it . . . a mother and son . . . Michael Richmond , a minor at the time , and Rose Richmond as a secondary . Rose has been dead for several years and there are no records on Michael after her death . " Rita shook her head . " Nope . The account was opened with a signature from the mother with a lump sum one - time deposit . Then another lump sum deposit was made about ten years later . The only thing added after that was interest each month by the bank . " She walked back to her desk and sat down . She wondered briefly if Michael had been too young to comprehend what he 'd done and he wasn 't aware of the money . She knew she didn 't have the right to ask him about it but if she was able to question in a roundabout way , maybe he would remember something . He looked down at the pencils and the calculator , then stood and walked out to tap a message on the pipes . Michael came in a short time later and hovered in Vincent 's doorway . " Vincent , you wanted to see me ? " Vincent handed him the package and Michael eyed the pencils then marveled at the new calculator . " Vincent ! This is a scientific calculator . Do you know how expensive these are ? " Vincent shrugged as Michael mentioned the amount . Vincent shook his head in disbelief that something so small could cost so much . " Well , Michael , you 'll have to be careful with the calculator , don 't leave it lying around . . . " Vincent smiled as he grabbed Michael 's shoulder . " That 's all any of us can ever do ! " He looked over the calculator , then flipped through the directions book . He marveled at all the functions the tiny machine could perform . " Perhaps we can spend some time together figuring it all out . " Father rolled his eyes as Vincent looked amused . " Michael , you may want to tell Vincent how your test was today . He 's been unbearable since you left this morning . " " I don 't know . . . there was so much Shakespeare and poetry ! I mean , who reads that stuff anyway ! " At Vincent 's exasperated look , Michael and Father started to chuckle and Michael 's eyes sparkled . " I 'm lying ! It 's mostly on math and science . It was fine . I thought it would be a lot harder but it wasn 't . I reread all of the questions and rechecked all of my answers . I think I did pretty well on it . " Michael jogged from the room and Father put his hand on Vincent 's shoulder . " All that worrying for nothing . " He stood and looked into the air . " I meant to ask Michael how long before we get the results . " She peered around the door to see a very distinguished older gentlemen sitting behind a huge desk . He was one of her father 's oldest friends and Catherine had spent a lot of time with his family while she was growing up . " Uncle Mason ? " The man smiled as he came around his desk and hugged her . " Fine , fine . " He stepped back and stared at her . " Let me take a look at you . . . my God young lady , you 're the spitting image of your mother ! " Catherine sat where he pointed and watched while he walked and took a seat . " He 's doing well . I 'll tell him I saw you . " Catherine took out an application . " Uncle Mason , I was wondering if you could get this into the right hands for me . This young man is a friend of mine and I 'm trying to get him into school here . " Mason took the application from her and glanced through it . He looked at the SAT scores then reread all of the information . " Hmmm . . . He 's missing his high school transcripts . " Catherine scooted forward in her seat . " Uncle Mason , you can see by his SAT score that he knows the material . Can you at least give him a try ? " Catherine smiled . " Yes , he 's a wonderful kid from a very loving family . " Catherine wanted to set his mind at ease further . " Uncle Peter would vouch for him too . " He raised his brows . " Alcott ? " Catherine nodded and Mason reached in his desk . He stamped an approval sign on the paper and handed it back to Catherine . " Hand this to Patti in registration . I 'm assuming the boy can pay for all this ? " Mason sat back and looked at her . A slow smile gradually crept onto his face as he shook his head in amusement . " I was wrapped around your mother 's finger too ! " He pointed a finger at her and shook it as he warned her . " He has to do his part ! " Catherine laughed . " I 'll do better than that . I 'll take you and Aunt Gladys out for dinner this week . I 'll even call dad to see if he can come . " The room exploded in congratulations and Michael was secretly feeling quite nervous but he reveled in being the tunnels ' newest star . After the din had died down , he went and sat alone by the Whispering Bridge . Vincent came and talked to him , and Michael admitted he was nervous about returning Above . Vincent helped him to realize that he needed to go back Above and face the world he once knew . " I didn 't want to wait until Sunday to see you , " Vincent admitted . Catherine could tell that he was very happy . " You received my note ? Wasn 't it wonderful news ? " Vincent nodded . " We were shocked to have an answer so quickly . . . " He looked at her quizzically . " . . . It makes me wonder if you were able to work some of your magic ? " Catherine blushed and looked away . " Maybe just a little . . . . One of my Dad 's best friends sits on the Board of Directors at the college . I just asked for a favor . " Catherine realized where his mind had taken him and reached out to squeeze his hand affectionately . " I have to go to dinner with him and my Aunt Gladys . I promised I would invite my Dad as well , so if you must know , the price was an enjoyable dinner with old friends . " Vincent could tell by her light - hearted mood that she was happy to spend time doing this and he smiled . " I 'm glad . I would never ask you to support my world financially . " Catherine knew it was what Vincent would have wanted for himself at that age . " You dreamed he could have what you couldn 't have . " He looked over at her , surprised that she knew him so well . She smiled at him . " It 's a little frightening when our dreams begin to come true . " Vincent took her hands in his . " I wish Michael had your outlook on life . I think it 'll be hard for him the first few days . " Catherine shrugged . " I could help . Michael 's welcome to stay with me for a while until he settles in . " Vincent looked at her then looked away . Catherine knew he wanted to say something but couldn 't find the words . " What , Vincent ? What is it ? " " I . . . " Vincent struggled to speak then finally sighed . " We needed to find a place for Michael to stay . I would never have asked and I 'm not even sure . . . " Catherine squeezed his hands . " Vincent , I 'm not even home half the time . Michael could come and go as he pleases . . . besides , he 's already registered at school with my address . " They hugged and as he backed away , Catherine looked up at him . " Why don 't we meet at the threshold on Wednesday ? There are a ton of things for Michael to do and not a lot of time left before school starts . " Catherine started to laugh . " Oh , I 'm sure we can do better than that ! " Vincent cocked his head quizzically at her light - hearted comment . Catherine blushed and started to laugh again . " My freshman year I took a math class , a science class , a cooking class , and a history class . " Vincent nodded and felt an odd twinge in the pit of his stomach and wondered briefly about it . He turned his attention back to Catherine . " I 'll speak to Michael right away , if there are any problems , I 'll send word . " Vincent gathered her close but his embrace wasn 't as close as it normally was . Catherine pretended not to notice and smiled as he left . When he was gone , she frowned about his strange reaction , then shook it off and walked inside to see about items she needed to get for a house guest . Vincent headed Below and once again sought out Michael . He was sitting with a group of other children who were playing a board game . The kids all looked up when Vincent walked in . Vincent smiled and looked to Michael . " Do you have some time ? " The two men walked into the tunnel way . Vincent turned to Michael . " I 've just left Catherine 's . She has offered to act as your liaison in getting you acclimated to the school . " The next day , Michael was busy with the women . They were sewing and altering all kinds of clothes for him . The day flew by and it was time for him to head to Catherine 's . Michael looked around the chamber he had lived in since he came here as a young boy . He sighed and turned to Vincent . " Yeah , let 's go . " Both men were strangely silent as they made their way to the threshold . Vincent wondered about these odd feelings he was having . He assumed they were because Michael , like Laura not too long ago , was choosing a path in the world Above . Catherine came down and met them . She pointed towards her ladder to indicate Michael should go first and she cast a backward glance at Vincent who was staring at her , an unreadable expression on his face . She smiled and then showed Michael the way to her apartment . He dropped off his bag and they decided to head out to a restaurant . Michael watched as a homeless man dug through a garbage can searching for something to eat . Suddenly Michael picked up his plate and fork and shot from his seat . He ended up going outside and feeding his meal to the man . Catherine marveled at the level of compassion he was showing another human being . She quickly walked out of the restaurant when the angry owner accused Michael of embarrassing his customers . They walked the streets laughing about the incident and Catherine stopped to buy them a hot dog from a corner stand . Michael stared at yet another homeless man and Catherine had to warn him not to give away another meal . Back at her apartment , they sat down with some hot chocolate . Catherine blew on hers and took a tentative sip as she looked over at him . " Michael , tomorrow after breakfast you can head over to the university . There 's a welcome pack waiting there for you . In it will be the information you need to get your school ID as well as the list of classes available , possibly a map of the campus . " Catherine jotted down her address . " Here 's my address at work , when you 're done , come up and we can go have lunch together . " Catherine smiled and leaned back . " I loved going to college . I missed my dad but it was nice to go into a class and be considered an adult and know that anything I achieved was a result of my own accomplishments . " Catherine groaned in embarrassment and threw a pillow at Michael . She knew Vincent had told him about her fashion history class and Michael was teasing her . He laughed and caught it easily and set it to his side . The two joked and laughed for the rest of the night . Catherine paid the tab and looked over at him . " I 'll get home as soon as I can tonight . I 'll bring home some dinner and we can start on your classes . " Michael nodded and Catherine kept talking . " Did you find out when orientation is ? " He looked at her with eyes that spoke of someone who was falling in love . Catherine finished reading one of the poems and suddenly felt awkward . She quickly came up with the excuse of an early meeting and headed off to bed . Michael spent another night on her sofa and dreamt of her coming to him , leading him to her bed and making love with him . He started to moan when he realized Vincent had discovered them . He crashed through the balcony doors and was now intent on killing him . After he felt Vincent 's final blow to his chest , he awoke from his dream panting heavily . He went in search of the other kids and ended up finding them in Vincent 's chamber . Vincent was having a hard time dealing with his own feelings , but he could tell Michael was troubled . He turned and addressed his class . " Children , Michael and I would like to be alone to talk for awhile , perhaps when we 're finished he 'll come find you again . " Vincent tried to find satisfaction in his answer but he knew Michael too well and that there was more bothering him . " It 's a lot to think about . To leave a safe place and find your way among strangers is a difficult passage for anyone . " Vincent swallowed the lump in his throat and continued . " Catherine will help you in any way that she can . Reach out to her , let her help guide the way for you . " Catherine came home late from work that night and was surprised Michael was sitting there . He informed her he wasn 't going to orientation . She reminded him they had a date to go and she insisted they keep it . She quickly changed and they headed out . In the taxi on the ride over , Catherine turned to him . " Michael , orientation is so important . It 's a chance to meet your professors and fellow students . " Shannon held his hand a second longer than needed and she smiled as she released it . " Who 's the chick ? " Michael looked over at Catherine while Shannon plodded on . " She 's too young to be your mom and too old to be your girlfriend . . . she your sister ? " Shannon changed immediately into a sweet girl . " I 'm such an idiot ! Look , I bet my friends over there that I could get you to talk to me in less than two minutes . They both said you were too hot to give me the time of day . I came over here pretending to be some tough biker chick so if you blew me off I could cover it up under a cool exterior . " Michael smiled . " Well , I would never blow you off . It 's nice to meet you . Tell your friends I said hi . " For good measure , Michael waved at the girls who looked the other way . Shannon rolled her eyes . " I 'll get $ 50 if you kiss my cheek . You 'll be in for half if you do it . . . " Michael met more and more people as he walked around the room . He suddenly stopped in shock when he looked across the room at the man that was his father . With Catherine 's encouragement , he walked across the room and confronted him . His father coldly rejected him . An anguished Michael felt reality crash down on him once again and he raced from the room . Catherine startled at his unusual behavior and followed closely behind him . Michael cried as he realized that he had spent his whole life lying to himself . He knew that his mother was actually his father 's cleaning lady . His father had paid her off at Michael 's birth to keep quiet about his part in Michael 's birth . When his mother was dying , his father stepped forward and gave Michael more money to stay out of his life . Catherine caught up to him where he poured out the truth to her . In his grief , he turned to her . Catherine held him tightly and offered him comfort as he cried . Michael backed away from her and gazed into her eyes . He saw them filled with compassion for him and he leaned in and held her face as he kissed her . Catherine was shocked and her mind raced with ways to stop him without hurting him . When Michael went to deepen the kiss , Catherine struggled to free herself . Michael looked at her with horror as it dawned on him what he had done . Catherine tried to tell him it was okay but Michael ran from her and headed to the tunnels . Vincent was walking though the tunnels when he felt Catherine experience a whirlwind of emotions . He knew she was with Michael and it hurt him to know that they were experiencing things he could only dream of . He berated himself for feeling this way and headed towards his chamber . At the threshold , she was surprised that , knowing she was so upset , Vincent wasn 't here waiting for her . She knew he must be feeling the turmoil within her . She made her way through the tunnels and to his chamber and frowned when she saw him sitting and looking into the flame of a candle . She walked in and wondered about his strange behavior . " Um , Michael and I attended his orientation tonight . It was going well , until he saw his real father . " Vincent was shocked by the news and glanced at her worriedly . She smiled weakly . " You would have been so proud of him , Vincent . He showed no sign of fear and walked right up to the man . " Catherine frowned and sat on the edge of his bed . " No , in fact I . . . I think his father may have rejected him again . I was watching from across the room and Michael turned to me with a look of such anguish . . . then he ran out . I chased after him and finally caught up to him . He told me that he had been fooling himself all these years . He wanted so much to believe that he had meant something to his father , that he created a world where his father would accept him . It was heart - wrenching to see him so hurt by his father 's actions . " Catherine wondered about the strange tone in his voice . " I . . . held him while he cried . " She wondered if Vincent had somehow known that Michael kissed her . " He was so distraught he . . . um . . . got confused . " She sighed . " He ran from me . I went to my apartment hoping he went there but it was empty . Vincent , do you know if he came Below ? " He shrugged his shoulders . " He wouldn 't . . . " He stopped then sighed , clearly distressed . " He saw me and ran from me . I called to him but . . . he looked at me with . . . eyes filled with . . . remorse about what happened . . . " Catherine knew Michael was hurting . Vincent was his teacher , his mentor . If Michael needed anyone right now , it was Vincent . She frowned that Vincent seemed unable to see that and wondered what he was thinking . " Go to him , Vincent . He needs you . " He finally looked her in the eye , admitting his mistake . " I know what it is to love you , Catherine . I love Michael like a brother , like a son , but his life has been such a struggle . . . he needed to be healed by your tenderness and yet I was unwilling to share your love with anyone . " Catherine 's heart had soared when he finally admitted aloud that he loved her but it came crashing down when he said he wanted her to be with Michael . She closed her eyes as the full impact of what he said washed over her . Then she realized he admitted he was jealous of Michael . She approached him cautiously and tenderly touched his arm . " Don 't be ashamed of those feelings ! " Catherine was determined to show him that she had times she felt like that too . " Don 't you think I have those feelings too ? Sometimes , I envy Father and others in your life who receive your love and care every day . I know those feelings , they are ugly . . . but all of those feelings come from love . They 're the other side of it . . . to turn away from them is to forget where they came from . " Vincent 's hands flew to his heart . " Catherine , the better part of me would rejoice to see you find love with someone as fine and good as Michael . You have so much love to give . . . " Catherine exploded angrily . " There is no life without limits ! " She walked over to where he stood , knowing she had to convince him of her love . " Vincent , if this is my fate I accept it . . . gratefully ! You must believe that ! " He hung his head and began to cry as Catherine drew closer . " Don 't be afraid to want it , even if it 's only for yourself . Don 't be afraid to deserve it . You deserve everything ! " Vincent looked at her with tears flowing freely down his cheeks , and started to shake his head , still unable to accept her love . Catherine 's arms came around his neck and she pulled his head to her shoulder . She held him gently as she ran her hands through his hair , offering him all the love and support she could . She waited and hoped he would turn to face her . She longed to offer herself to him , heal his pain with her love , but Vincent 's face remained hidden , and she turned her head back against his shoulder and held him tighter . Minutes passed before Vincent 's brain registered the fact that she had just kissed him . He breathed deeply then finally leaned away from her . Catherine looked up and could see he was about to apologize . She reached for his cheek and wiped away an errant tear . " I love you , Vincent . " He lifted his head and looked into her eyes and then sighed as he began to shake his head once again . She knew that he would try again to change her mind and she continued on . " You are entitled to love and be loved . That 's our destiny . If you would just accept my love instead of fighting it . . . " She smiled and shrugged . " Who knows where it could lead us ? It 's all up to you , Vincent . I 'm here for you , whenever you 're ready to accept it . " She saw the look of hope in his face and knew he needed time to come to terms with everything she had just told him . She grabbed his hand and held it tightly as she reminded him of his other duties . " You need to find Michael . He needs you , he needs your guidance … he is so lost . . . " Vincent sighed and nodded and she caught his eye . " I 'm going home ; it 'll give you a chance to find Michael and talk to him . " She knew he couldn 't voice his feelings and nodded at what was left unspoken . " You 're welcome , " she said as she leaned in and lightly kissed his cheek . * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Vincent searched everywhere for Michael and finally found him standing on the Whispering Bridge . Vincent hesitated for a moment , he could feel Michael 's desperation and he refused to leave him alone with it . He walked towards Michael , who told him he had betrayed him and pleaded with him to leave him alone . Vincent got close enough and grabbed Michael and pulled him into an embrace . He held Michael tightly and offered him the same words of understanding he had just heard from Catherine . " What you felt was true . You 're entitled to love and to be loved , that 's part of your destiny as well . . . " Michael nodded and came and sat beside him . " Everything you said about Catherine was true . She 's great ; she took me to dinner and helped me pick my classes . She even made me attend my orientation tonight . " " I saw my father there tonight . With Catherine near , I found the courage to approach him . He reminded me that he wanted to have nothing to do with me and that he had already paid me well to stay out of his life . " In his misery , Michael didn 't notice Vincent 's silence and continued on . " I was so upset , I ran from the building . I couldn 't deal with any more rejection . Catherine followed me and held me as I cried . . . " Michael looked up incredulously . " You knew ! " Vincent nodded . " I felt her overwhelming compassion , then her surprise , and . . . " Michael rushed on with his explanation . " The thing is I don 't even know why or even how it happened . One minute I was crying and she was holding me and the next minute I was kissing her . She ended it and apologized and I was so shocked it happened I ran . I ran all the way home and then I saw you and I knew I couldn 't face you . Vincent , I am so sorry ! " Vincent looked down as he let the full effects of Michael 's words register . It seemed like everyone Below knew Catherine loved him yet a part of him was still unable to accept her love . He sighed . " Yes . " Michael shook his head . " And now I 've ruined everything . I 've ruined my friendship with Catherine and my chance to further my education in the world Above . " Vincent looked at him sitting in misery and rushed to comfort him . " Michael , you 've done no such thing . You can still attend college Above . " " I 'll have Father speak to some of the other helpers , perhaps a man this time … " Michael nodded at his light joke and smiled for the first time , hoping there was still a way . " Maybe . . . it will be okay . . . " Vincent smiled at Michael 's enthusiasm and nodded . Michael took off and went back to his old room to be with the others . Vincent sat alone and stared at nothing . He relived the whole conversation he had with Catherine . In his own way , he had told her that he loved her . He hoped that she knew that was what he meant . He shook his head in disbelief that she had certainly not had the same problem and in no uncertain terms had said she loved him . He even remembered the softness of her lips against his temple when she kissed him . She had left it up to him to come to her and he knew he would have to find the courage to do so . Catherine had left the world Below and headed back to orientation and looked around the room . She saw Michael 's father across the room and made her way towards him . On her way over , she was stopped a few times by different girls and assured each of them that Michael was fine and would be in school when it started . Catherine waited for a second and Uncle Mason didn 't let her down . He clapped Frank on the back . " Yes , involved in that boring corporate law . This little filly here . . . " He said pointing at Catherine . " . . . is in criminal law . " Uncle Mason looked at Frank . " You know , Cathy here brought in a young fellow that scored quite high on his SATs . He could be a candidate for one of your scholarships . " Frank looked interested . " Really , does he have great financial need ? " Catherine nodded . " Yes , his mother died when he was quite young . His real father gave the boy a small amount of money to get rid of him . Of course , to a young boy and his dying mother it must 've seemed like millions but it was quite insubstantial . I 've since found out that the father was in a much better position financially and had so much more to give . I plan on asking him to do the right thing by his son . " The color drained from Frank 's face as he looked at her worriedly . He wondered how much Catherine knew about his past . Catherine saw the sweat form on his brow and her eyebrows rose as she continued . " His mother Rose died when he was quite young . Like I said I 'm hoping to secure a better settlement from the absent father . I hope he complies ; I hate it when messy family business goes public . But if he doesn 't , Michael may need to take you up on that special financing . " Catherine watched as Frank 's shoulders fell in resignation . He nodded imperceptibly and put her card in his suit pocket . He cleared his throat . " I 'm certain I 'll be able to secure complete financing for Michael 's education . I 'll be in touch as soon as I can . " Catherine watched as he hurriedly left the room . Uncle Mason took her hand in his . " Don 't tell me that idiot finally got caught with his pants down ! " He shook his head . " Only that he uses his position to sleep with every employee he 's ever had . His wife is absolutely adorable too ! I don 't get it . " " No , I just figured it out now when I saw Frank react to your comments . No , rest assured I let Michael in because he did so well . Better than some of the other morons we let through here . " Catherine gasped as he continued . " Frank 's son was the worst . Poor boy 's as dumb as a box of rocks . " " Pfffft ! It 's true ! Barely got though his pre - classes which are all basic high school review ! " He waved his hand dismissively . " Nail that bastard , Cath ! He 's got more money than he needs ! " She smiled when she thought of Vincent telling her he loved her . Well , he hadn 't quite said those exact words but for Vincent it was more than expected . Her heart ached for him when she realized he felt unworthy of her love . She knew she would have a long haul trying to convince him her love was real but she had just gotten an idea of how hard it was actually going to be . She made a decision sitting there that she would slowly push forward in their relationship and wait for him to give her a sign he was ready for the next step . She was about to sit on her bed when she heard him tapping on the window . She walked out to the balcony and smiled up at him . " I was hoping you would come tonight . " Catherine shrugged her shoulders . " He didn 't need to , it 's already in the past and time to move forward . I 'm glad he 's doing better . " Catherine smiled . " I thought the same thing . I knew it would be awkward for Michael to stay here so I talked to Peter . He said he has more than enough room and Michael is welcome to stay with him . " Vincent looked back at the city as well and found the courage to reach for her . Catherine 's heart skipped a beat as he wrapped his arm around her and drew her to his side . She leaned her head over and laid it against his shoulder and sighed . They stayed that way for several minutes until Catherine turned towards him and encircled his waist with her arms . She felt him turn and his arms come around her as she kissed his chest then leaned her cheek to rest against him . She snuggled closer and buried her face against the side of his neck . Vincent could feel her warm breath against his neck and he flinched only slightly when he felt her lips press against him . He nuzzled his face against her hair and wondered what she would think if he kissed the top of her head . Catherine was stunned and held her breath in anticipation while he was waiting to see if she would back away . Catherine slowly caressed his back with her hand and Vincent visibly relaxed . He knew she accepted his display of affection and was encouraged by her reaction . Catherine knew he needed time alone and sighed and thought to herself . " One step forward , two steps back . " She nodded . " Yes , I have to get up early again tomorrow . Is it okay if I stop by after work ? I 'd like to speak to Michael and I was wondering if you and Father could be there as well . . . " Vincent cocked his head at her . " I could have dinner for you waiting in my chamber ? You could get something to eat first and then have your meeting . . . " Uncle Mason was right and Michael 's father did in fact leave a message for her . Catherine called him back and the two arranged for Michael to receive a settlement for what he had truly been entitled to all of these years . Michael 's education would also be completely paid for . Michael cleared his throat . " Yes , he told me he had already given me money to stay out of his life and he wondered why I was approaching him again . He said he thought I understood that there would only be a one - time payment . " Michael started to cry again and Vincent put his arm around him . Father felt his heart ache for the boy . " Michael , I 'm so sorry . " Catherine 's anger showed in her voice . " Michael was distraught and ran back Below . I came and told Vincent what happened so he could help Michael then I went back to orientation . " Catherine ignored their looks and continued . " I approached Michael 's father , Frank . He was standing with my Uncle Mason , who serves on the Board . He and Frank were discussing scholarship candidates . Once I explained to Frank about how I worked for the DA 's office and my job was investigating men who didn 't support their children , he was quite helpful in securing Michael 's full tuition for the next four years . " Father 's eyebrows shot up at her courage and he wondered what Michael 's father thought when he tangled with her . Michael shook his head . " He gave my mother and I money before she died . I never spent a dime of it . I think it 's in an account somewhere . " Catherine reached in her purse for a current statement . " I know . I found out about it when I searched for your birth certificate . Your father is a very wealthy man and you were entitled to much more than what you received . I know your mother 's position as a housekeeper made his offer seem very generous but , quite honestly , it was insulting . After we spoke last night , your father came to that same realization himself and this afternoon he sent me this check . " Catherine shrugged indifferently then angrily drove home her point . " Michael ! That is not a gift , by law you were entitled to that money ! No one can take it from you . Now , if you 'd like , I 'll take you to the bank and we 'll reestablish your account . You can be in full charge of the money . If you want any advice I 'll be happy to provide it . " Michael was shocked into speechlessness that she could be so forgiving of his mistakes . Vincent touched his arm . " Michael , it 's a generous offer , perhaps you should take Catherine up on it . " She stood and walked over to him , thankful that everything was back on track . " You just did ! " She bent over and hugged him then turned and sat on the arm of Vincent 's chair . His arm came around her waist as Father sputtered . " Michael , this is a large amount of money and you need to show extreme responsibility with how you use it . " Vincent stood , knowing Father would lecture Michael for hours . He patted Michael on the back as he leaned in to whisper into his ears . " I need to walk Catherine home , good luck . " They walked in silence the rest of the way and Catherine moved in closer to his side as they went . Vincent put his arm around her and she leaned into him . At the threshold , they pulled apart . " Thanks for dinner , Vincent . " She stood and waited . Vincent stepped forward and pulled her into his embrace . His arms surrounded her as she returned his embrace . She backed away slowly . " See you soon ? "