Chocolate and Redemption

Timeline: Established V/C relationship. Vaguely after "Partners in Crime" and prior to the subsequent ep, but assuming it's our time (Friday 29March) in their world.

Cat felt a rush of excitement at the sound of his gentle knock on her window. Heather was home, so Cat double checked her bedroom door was closed before dashing across the room to open the window.

"Hey," she greeted warmly, reaching up for a kiss.

"Hey," his warm voice returned as he bent down to meet her lips. One hand cradled the back of her head while the other held onto a bundle of newspaper.

"Have you eaten yet?" Vincent inquired when they parted, holding out the bundle of newspaper.

Cat sniffed. "No, is that what I think it is?"

"If you guess was the best fries and battered fish in the city you'd be right."

"I haven't had that in forever. I didn't know people even still wrapped them like that."

"Most don't, but these are the best, just like when I was a kid."

Cat smiled, "Well I'll be happy to try them then. But what's the occasion?"

"Well I don't know if you're religious but its good Friday and my Mom will kill me if I had anything else."

"Wow, I totally forgot. I mean I know it's almost Easter but with everything else, I kind of let it slip my mind. Heather has been dropping hints about chocolate but that's about it. We don't really do the big Friday family dinner."

"Well that's good news for me because you're free to see me," Vincent grinned holding out a fry to her.

"True," Cat smiled, eating the fry out of his hand. Vincent couldn't resist dotting a kiss on her lips to taste the grease and salt on lips. "So good Friday was a thing in your family, when you were growing up?" Cat probed gently.

Vincent nodded. "The only time I missed Friday night mass was when I was in med school and even then Mom was worried I was putting my soul in jeopardy. If she'd only known I'd end up doing far worse things to put it in peril."

"Hey, you don't really think that do you? That you're going to be punished for what you've done? None of this has been your fault Vincent."

"I'm not sure it really makes a difference where God's concerned." Cat could read the shame written all over his face.

"Hey if you believe in God don't you have to believe in forgiveness? I'm a bit fuzzy on how that all works but isn't that why you have confession."

"Yeah I've been. Didn't tell them the whole story, but it sort of helped. I just worry sometimes, don't get me wrong I don't think about this stuff every day but well, I'm basically an abomination right? I'm not sure that stuff about forgiveness was really written with me in mind."

"I had no idea you were this hard on yourself. I mean I knew you blamed yourself for a lot of things, but with all the good you've done you still worry about being judged by a higher power. Vincent there are bad people out there, really bad people who hurt and kill just because they can, or worse because they want too. If there is a higher power, that should be the abomination they're worried about."

"Thanks, but if we could go back to talking about Easter and chocolate now that would be great?"

"Okay, change of topic agreed upon. Just know that as much as I wish you could have a normal life I definitely don't think you're an abomination. Maybe you've been tested, and if you have you've proven yourself to be a good man."

Vincent gave her the shy half-smile that said he wasn't quite sure he agreed with her but he was grateful that's what she saw. "So what's your favorite kind of Easter egg?" he asked, scooped up some more fries. He was fishing for hints and she guessed as much but it was so sweet that he cared, in the midst of all their problems he cared about getting her favorite chocolate for Easter.

"Well, when I was a kid I always wanted one of the ones with jelly beans on the inside. I don't know why but I thought they were so cool."

"And you never got one?"

"Never. Heather did but I didn't. I got every other kind of chocolate but never one of those. My Mom and Dad were both working and I don't think they really had much time to think about things like that but it's not like I missed out, I mean I wasn't deprived or anything," Cat explained. "What about you?"

Vincent nodded. "We always just had the plain ones but it didn't really matter what they tasted like, I just loved hunting for them with my brothers. We got really competitive about it so even though Mom said we were all supposed to get the same amount we never did, it was always this crazy race to see who could find the most. It didn't matter that they were the cheap kind, it was a matter of pride to try and out doo each other."

Cat smiled imagining three boys with tussled heads of dark hair racing around a small backyard in the suburbs hunting for eggs. "Sounds really nice."

"It was but we cheated."

"You?" Cat feigned shock.

"We all did. We'd take turns sneaking out of bed before the others to sus out the hiding spots before the hunt."

"And did you Mom and Dad ever catch you?"

Vincent shrugged. "I think they knew but they wanted to sleep in so bad they let us," he grinned.

"Well I'll make sure I hide your eggs but there won't be any cheating."

"Really?" Vincent teased, "And where are you going to hide them?" he kissed behind her ear and down her neck suggestively.

"In my room but I'm not telling where."

"It's not that big of a room. I'll have to make sure I look under the covers," Vincent whispered in her ear. Cat giggled, his breath ticking her.

"Maybe you should check out my hiding spots tonight, just so you're prepared?" Cat suggested.

"You're not worried about your sister?" Vincent whispered.

"I'll put on some music and lock the door," Cat reasoned.

"Sounds like high school," Vincent teased kissing her neck again.

"Maybe for you, I was a good girl back then," Cat admonished.

"You'll have to tell me all about that… later," Vincent instructed his eyes bright with excitement, even when they were their normal colour Cat could read his excitement in the way they light behind them. Vincent sat the half-emptied packet of newspaper to the side and pulled Cat towards him and into his arms.

A/N: Wishing all my fellow beasties a Happy Easter/Passover. I just loved the new ep and had to write some more VinCat fluff. I will write more of "This Love" one day, hopefully I'll get to it in the next couple of weeks.