Disclaimer: I don't own these characters

A/N: So this is the first fanfic I've ever written (although not the first fiction I've written) so please let me know if I've hit the mark with what fans expect from a fanfic or if there is anything I could improve :) I intend to follow through with many chapters if this thing is a success

This story is particularly for VINCAT lovers, and was initially inspired by episode 2x17 - Vincent in the orange prison jumpsuit and his hardening character.

I've written in third person Omniscient POV - I know it's a little nineteenth century but I honestly felt it worked best with trying to bring out V and Cat's connection. I think it works, please tell me what you think too.

A Dangerous Pursuit

Chapter 1 – The fire ignited

"Arms out please ma'am." Catherine was being checked before entering the Franklin medium security correctional facility. Her adrenaline was pumping the way it always did before an interview, and she was pursuing the story of her career. Discovering and reporting truth had always appealed to her. Since the cold-blooded murder of her mother 10 years ago, she'd become preoccupied – some would say obsessed – with finding justice through information gathering. She stopped studying law once she discovered the shades of grey that plagued the profession. She'd contemplated policing, but didn't like the idea of being confined to a caseload or a precinct, and having a time limit for pursuing cases. Journalism fit the bill, but Catherine knew she had to work hard to build her reputation as a serious journalist; she had no desire to report on the latest social or fashion trends. Fortunately, she knew what she wanted and how to get it, and being strikingly attractive too – though difficult for her to admit – didn't harm her success.

Catherine eagerly scanned the visitor's room for a man who matched the photographic image of Vincent – a handsome, vibrant skinned young man with angst oozing from his large and emotive hazel eyes. She quickly spotted him, seated alone wearing the orange jumpsuit that homed all the prisoners in the room. But he didn't blend in, far from it; his presence hit her like a wave crashing over an unsuspecting swimmer. Catherine nervously adjusted her corporate black body-fitting dress, which revealed her smooth toned calves. Heads turned to admire her form, bar one… Vincent Keller. He was always as cautious as the beast lurking within him allowed. Though he seemed indifferent to Catherine, this was far from true. He'd noticed her from the moment she peered through the crowded room; his mouth cracked open and he drew a sharp breath. His eyes burned amber in reverence. His reaction to this woman was primal, intense, but Catherine was non-the wiser by the time she spotted him.

Catherine tentatively sat down in front of the man whose mere aura demanded awe and attention. She noticed his hair was slightly longer at the top since the photograph was taken, and he had a large scar across his right cheek. His stare pierced through her soul and for a little while neither of them spoke. "Mr. Keller," Catherine finally filled the silence with her soft and endearing tone, "I'm…"

"Catherine Chandler… I know who you are." Vincent interrupted, one of the few pleasures prison life offered was the occasional newspaper. He'd seen her image above her articles many times. "I've got to say, I would've never come out to greet you if I wasn't slightly intrigued. I haven't had a reporter bother me in years."

"Journalist…" Catherine corrected and smiled to mask the scorn in her tone. She hated being labeled a reporter; it felt a little sleazy to her. Vincent smiled in amusement and Catherine couldn't help but blush like a schoolgirl with a crush. "So, Vincent… I'm intrigued by your story and I want to give it justice."

"My story? What, you mean why I left that guy for dead? I can't see why that would intrigue the likes of you." Vincent was a little rough around the edges; a result of the constant beating that life had given him.

Catherine slowly slanted her head as if studying his face, "for now I'd just like to have a chat about you. You know, who you are, what life was like growing up…"

Vincent was no fool, he knew why she was here the instant she mentioned 'growing up'. "That, Miss Chandler, is a conversation I'm not having with you today."

Catherine was taken back by his blatant refusal, but wasn't shaken. She'd experienced worse barriers in her subjects before. Vincent sat back into his cold steel chair with a smirk of curiosity plastered on his ruggedly handsome face.

Before Catherine could attempt to regain her flow, Vincent continued with a raised eyebrow and slightly pursed eyes. "Are you afraid of me Miss Chandler?" He sensed her pulse was rising, her breathing more shallow.

On the outside Catherine didn't budge, nor blink, although she couldn't control the rapid and hard hitting pace of her heartbeat forcing her whole body into a rhythmic motion. She was a fierce and damn good journalist, and was not about to let her subject have the upper hand. "Afraid? Mr. Keller I don't fear tough people or situations. It's what makes me a good journalist."

Vincent's expression hardened in response to her over confidence. But rather than deterring him from his fascination of her, it heightened it. "You know… Catherine… There's an important place for fear. It makes you cautious, meticulous. It keeps you safe."

Catherine quivered at the way he uttered her name, his voice was deep and gritty. She tried hard to stay focused on her end goal – her story – but she'd become hypersensitive to every move, every expression, and every breath this man took. What worried her most was that she had never felt so drawn to a man before, and a convicted felon at that. "Fear holds me back Mr. Keller, and I can't afford to be held back." Catherine was assertive.

Vincent tilted his head slightly and snickered in contempt. He disliked reporters fervently, ever since their relentless pursuit of his story after the house fire 13 years ago. But this one? He didn't mind her so much. In fact, he was struggling to maintain his composure while he watched her jade almond shaped eyes, her plump glossy inviting lips and her feminine but strong physique.

Catherine felt herself gazing at Vincent a little longer than was respectable and blinked rapidly before looking away. "Anyway I'm here to interview you Mr. Keller…" She managed to crack a superficial smile, "… not the other way around."

Vincent was still distracted by the rapid beating in Catherine's chest; it was the only sound his heightened senses could tune into. It drove him crazy, she was clearly aroused, but from what? Was it in fact fear? Nerves? Or was it something a little more… provocative?

"What is it that you want exactly?" Vincent retreated from his own badgering.

"The house fire, Vincent. I'm not convinced that it was a simple error of calculation in your father's lab. He was a genius in his field, I cannot believe that he could've mixed up the wrong chemicals during an experiment. And those bodies that were unaccounted for? Never ID'd?"

Vincent pulled his chair up to the table in haste, causing Catherine to jump in her seat and other visitors to look over at them.

"Miss Chandler, you come here to bother me with this rubbish? Something that happened over a decade ago?" Vincent looked away to avoid exposing the golden tint invading his irises. The two were now enveloped by a tension that couldn't even be cut with a knife.

"Yes, because now I have a way to get the truth." Catherine pressed.

Vincent returned eye contact once more after skillfully controlling his beast. "The truth?" Vincent waited for Catherine to clarify.

"You know what happened that day, what really happened. I can see it in your eyes, how it torments you. Somehow… somehow it's shaped who you are Vincent. I can dig you out of this hole, the one you're in now… you've already served two years and I can't imagine you'd like to complete the next three. I'm close with ADA Gabriel Lowen. This prison? Consider it history. All you have to do is tell me."

The urgency in her manner exposed her desperation. It wasn't Catherine's style, but she'd lost her cool, she was too close to this story. She had always been a skeptic by nature, and that extended to her mothers death. She was determined to leave no stone unturned, including Vincent Keller. Why did her mother have his father's contact details in her notebook… the notebook she always kept close?

Uninterested in Catherine's proposal, Vincent smiled broadly, exposing his alluring dimples. Catherine bit down on her lip in admiration. "You mentioned having no fear. So then you better leave me in here, turn around, walk away and pursue another story, Miss Chandler, or you might discover something that really scares you." Vincent rose to his feet, intending to end the fruitless interview.

Catherine followed suit, stepping away from the table and coming towards him. Their close proximity was intoxicating each other. Their feet were firmly planted on the ground and they glared deeply into each other's eyes. The heat between them was scorching, the pull undeniable, but they both fought it.

"You don't scare me… I see through the act. You struggled through foster care after losing your parents at 16, you joined the army after losing your brothers too on 9/11. You served your country as a special ops officer. How could I be afraid of that? What, because of your aggravated assault charge? Vincent you don't belong in here… let me help you."

Vincent allowed Catherine to complete her plea uninterrupted. His stern expression was unchanged, "Don't think you know a thing about me Catherine. And don't come here again either."

Left speechless, Catherine inhaled sharply after what felt like a whole minute of holding her breath. Vincent looked upon her luscious lips one last time before following the prison guard, ingraining the image of her beauty in his memory. She'd been the only woman to ever ignite the beast within him. But this was to be a single event, never to occur again. Vincent managed to keep off the radar through years of training and self discipline to tame the beast and hone its skills, not its primal desires or its brutality.

He faded into the distance and she retreated into herself. But this wasn't over… not by a long shot.

A/N: so there's a lot to be revealed with this re-imagining of Vincent's back story and Catherine's connection...