A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I'd like to say it was because I was watching BATB episodes all over again, but in reality work has been hectic for a couple of weeks! Anyway, just watched the new episode... I HATE GABE! maybe my next fanfic should have that title! Now, back to this story... continues three years later...

Disclaimer: VinCat are owned by the CW!

Three years on, I was a shell of my former self. Vincent... my life seemed to revolve around our encounter. Had it been love? Had I not felt it? It had been real for me, transformed my life completely. Everyday I held the proof in my hands, Vincent had given me my reason for living and loving, Lisa.

Three years on, I worked as a substitute teacher at an inner city highschool.

Tess had moved in with me, she was still looking for mr. Perfect.

I was still running, though, more and more often around the university's campus, and always bumping into J. T. Forbes. And this morning was no different. I saw him smile as I approached him as he stood by the coffee kart, handed me a tall late and ordered a cappuccino for himself.

"Fancy running into you miss Chandler." he quipped "Were you in the neighborhood?" he was always sarcastic on warm spring days, his allergies were acting up.

I gave him my best smile.

"I was. How are you this morning, Professor?"

"Vincent's not here, although, he might be invisible and I might be the only one..." I smacked him playfully. He smiled. "How is detective Vargas?" he asked about her more often these days.

"Still waiting for mister right, will you be calling any time soon?" it was his turn to smack me. I walked him to his next class. For the last two years, this was our daily routine. But this time he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the classroom.

"Is she safe?" I blinked. He meant Lisa. I smiled at him.

"You're a good friend!" I hugged him and surprised the both of us. "Now, seriously, dude, call Tess!"

"Don't you 'dude' me, miss Chandler!" he deadpanned. "Now, you go home! or school or whatever, and let us adults work!" he pushed me out of the classroom before I could say anything. I texted him and asked him to dinner, it was Tess's birthday.

...

Later that day, as I picked Lisa up from daycare, I had a strange feeling someone was watching us. I looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Lisa grabbed my head and made me look at her, her eyes shone golden.

"Someone's not right, mommy!" she whispered I just nodded once, placed her in her seat and hurried to drive away. A black car followed us for a few blocks. I called Tess, but she didn't pick up. The car was speeding behind me, it was forcing me to drive faster, cutting me off and making me drive to the docks, but before I could stop, the driver rammed his car into mine pushing us over into the Hudson. Lisa was terrified, I unbuckled my seatbelt and collected her from the back. She was howling, golden eyes pleaded with me. I tried kicking the glass but the sheer force of the water was too much. My heart raced. Then the passenger door opened and an arm pulled me and Lisa out of the car. The guy grabbing my arm pulled me underwater across to another pier, where he helped me up the ladder and unto safe ground behind an abandoned building. I could barely see him as my eyes adjusted to the sun.

"Stay here!" he ordered before jumping into the water again. Lisa shivered against me, her eyes hazelnut again. I heard shots and screams in the distance. Lisa cried. I held her closer. I was beginning to feel cold, tired and desperate. It seemed hours passed, the shooting died away, there weren't anymore screams, Lisa still clutched my arms, her little fingernails slowly digging into my flesh. The man came back. He offered his hand for me to get up. He was soaking wet and his jeans and T-shirt hugged his well muscled body, I looked at his face and smiled.

"Vincent!" I made a move to hug him, but he stepped back frowning.

"Who are you?" I blinked. He was staring at me with a wary expression. And then I finally took him in: short cut hair, shaven, unscarred. It was Vincent but not Vincent.

"Vincent?" I asked as if to make sure it was really him, maybe I was just in shock from the accident. "It's me?"

"Lady, you're smoking hot, if I'd met you, I'd remember." he cocked his eyebrow. "How do you know my name?" My heart beat faster with his compliment, and I blushed.

"Mommy!" I heard Lisa's worried voice startled me back to some form of composure.

"I... can... you...?" I shook my head. " I need to get home." Here he was, suddenly back in my life, my heart was beating again for the first time in three years, but all I could think of was getting some distance from him.

"Car's right over there!" he pointed at a red sports car. "But this conversation isn't over."

"Sorry, can we do this later, when my child is not at risk of dying from hypothermia?" Not that Lisa ever got sick but I needed time to process my own rising anger at this whole stupid situation. I had searched for this man for the worse half of three long years, and he didn't even remember me. He just showed up to save me, take me home and leave me again. I felt a growl building in my throat but bit my own lip to keep me from getting angry. He went to the car and grabbed a blanket from the boot. I took it from him without even looking up and wrapped Lisa in it.

"I'll take you home now."

"How did you...?" I had too many questions and I didn't quite know how to ask them.

"I was sent here to keep you safe." he ushered us to the car looking away to the other pier as if to check for someone.

"Sent here? By whom?"

"That's on a need to know basis." He held my head as he made me sit in the back of his car.

"I need to know!" I raised my voice. Lisa grabbed on tighter.

"No, you don't!" He snapped back.

"Mommy!" Lisa shivered. I looked down and saw her eyes changing color again. Thankfully that had been the only physical transformation she had inherited from his DNA. JT had done extensive studying and mapping of her blood and mine. I felt the anger rise up in me so I buried my face into Lisa, as this new and improved Vincent drove us home in silence.