Author's Note: I don't know how Jaquettie turned into this character. Every story needs a villain, right?

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or concepts.

Vince didn't know quite what had come over him. He hadn't really meant to flirt with Howard like that, he just couldn't help himself. Blanche had wanted to hug Howard and he'd wanted to hug Howard so they'd just gone for it. And Howard being awkward seemed to make Blanche laugh so he'd ramped up the flirting, knowing it would make Howard blush and stammer which would result in Blanche giggles. Blanche giggles were the best. That was the only reason he'd done it. He was almost sure of that. Except he wasn't.

Trying to think while pulling up ridiculously tight jeans was more than his brain could handle and he stumbled, banging his knee into the wall by the front door.

"Ah, fuck!"

"Language!" Howard called from the kitchen and Vince blushed, despite the fact that no one could see him. He didn't swear that much but he'd really have to watch his language now he was a daddy. It wouldn't do for Blanche to start shooting her mouth off. He hoped her mother hadn't taught her any filthy language. He wished he'd known he had a daughter before yesterday. But for the first time ever, he didn't regret that night four years ago in the toilets of the punk club.

Anyway, no point in wishing for stuff he couldn't have, not when there was a door to be opened and all.

"Alright?" Vince said as he opened the door, expecting to see Ami's ever-smiling, bespectacled face.

She was there but she wasn't smiling and Vince soon saw why. It was possibly the last person he wanted to see in the whole of Paris right now. He tried desperately to put on his usual cold mask, the one he'd worn every day of his modeling career, but something had changed in the last twenty-four hours. His emotions had been allowed back to the front of his consciousness and he couldn't seem to hide them. Howard was back in his life and he'd brought an angel with him and Vince felt more alive than he had in over a year.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Jaquettie just sneered and pushed his way past Vince and into the apartment. Vince fumed and darted around to block his way, placing his hands on the walls to stop the man getting any further into his home.

"Are you having a breakdown, Noir? I've never known you to wear such an unfashionable shirt."

Vince took a deep breath. The man was trying to rile him. He'd gotten good at it. Needling Vince until the cracks showed in his persona, only to remind him that without that mask, that "face," he was nothing.

"I asked you what you're doing here, Jean Claude," he said as calmly as he could.

"He followed me up, sir. I'm so sorry," Ami squeaked and Vince gave her a nod. He knew it wasn't her fault. Ami was an excellent personal assistant but she was rubbish at standing up to people.

He turned his attention back to Jaquettie, who was stalking toward him with a predatory look. He wasn't a big man but he still managed to be hugely intimidating and it took Vince all his nerve to stand his ground.

"Your little announcement yesterday has the fashion world in a bit of an uproar, Noir," he purred. "Everyone wants to know if the rumour is true. Whether Vince Noir really has been tempted by a woman. They want to see your love child, Noir. And so do I."

Vince forced the cold mask on his face. Of course Jaquettie wanted to come and snoop. He was the biggest gossip in Paris and was no doubt the one who had spread the word that Vince was off to see his daughter.

"My private life is private, Jean Claude," he said, trying hard to be reasonable. "That's why it's called my private life, as opposed to my public life, yeah?"

He tried to look firm but the other man just kept walking until he they were almost touching. He stared into Vince's eyes as if trying to weigh up the likelihood that the story was true. Eventually he smirked.

"Either you are trying to hide your child from me, or, more likely, you are hiding the fact that your apartment is as empty as always. And it's probably for the best, Noir. While your frigid nature is amusing to me, it is also the key to my campaign. Vince Noir, the Lonely Angel is the face of Jean Claude Jaquettie. Not Vince Noir, family man. Or worse, Vince Noir, single father. I wouldn't want you to be suddenly too busy to work. You understand?"

Vince's face paled but Jaquettie misinterpreted the reaction and gave a harsh laugh.

"You see, the very thought of fatherhood sends you into a swoon. You are a drama queen, Noir, and that's all your little diva fit was about yesterday. A daughter indeed. You wouldn't even know where to begin."

With that he turned dramatically away and walked back toward the door. He stopped when he reached Ami, who cringed away from him, an act he found amusing if his grin was anything to go by. Vince looked at him in that moment and realised that, even with all of his amazing clothes, expensive boots and big hair, Jean Claude Jaquettie was ugly. A tramp in an alley had more going for him than Jaquettie and Vince wanted nothing more in that moment than to tell the man he could shove his contract and his campaign.

He knew he couldn't.

"I will see you on Friday, Vince. Bright and early. There is much to go through before our big night." He pushed past Ami but stopped and gave one last taunting smile. "And if I were you, I would stop getting your assistant to sneak you so many pastries. It is starting to show, you know. And we can't be having that, now can we Noir?"

As he strutted away from them down the hallway Vince found himself shaking with anger. He rushed forward and slammed the door, leaning his back against it and letting his legs give way beneath him.

It was as much from the pain of his bum hitting the hard floor as the anger at the whole sorry mess that made him let out another loud, "Fuck!"

The sound of two sets of footsteps hurrying from the kitchen toward him made him wish he could get trapped in a cabinet and just forget the world for a while. It was all just too much, too hard, too...

"Daddy?"

And suddenly it was ok again.