* Please Review! jds523: check out Gabriella's dad's name! lol*

After Vincent bailed Alice out, they walked through the streets of New York together. He was pissed that she had dragged him into her trash again. She was digging through her purse for a smoke and her lighter as she rambled on and on. Finally, Vincent decided that he had just had enough. He stopped walking, making her pause and look at him.

" You have to stop doing this shit." He snapped. " I'm not always going to be there for you."

" Yes, you will." She said. " You know, I was going to rent that apartment beside yours. I wanted to knock down the wall between them and make one big apartment for us." He frowned as she started to light up her cigarette.

" Why the hell do you think I'd want to do that?" He snapped again.

" Because we are meant to be together." She said simply. Vincent shook his head as his frown deepen.

" There is something wrong with you. You need to stop pulling me into your shit or I'm going to move out. We are not dating. We are not meant to together. Just stop." He said before he walked away from her. He quicken his steps to his apartment building.

XXXXXX

Gabriella was sitting outside her apartment with her bag straps over her shoulder and across her chest. She was trying to lock her door but was having a hard time. She set her coffee cup down and fought her key. It didn't want to turn the lock and she was starting to get more and more pissed. She was cursing under her breath.

" Stupid, fucking key." She muttered. " Why won't you fucking lock, you stupid dick."

" Talking to it doesn't really help." Vincent's voice made her jump and looked up towards the stairs as he started towards her. He was smiling at her. Gabriella smiled and looked back at her door as she laughed.

" Yeah, I know. But it's pissing me off." She said as she continued to fight the key.

" Can I help you?" He asked. She stepped away and looked back at him.

" Please, be my guest." She said. Vincent smiled again and took a hold of her doorknob and the key. He pulled on the door then turned the key, locking it up tight. He pulled her key out and faced her with his smile still in place.

" Holding the door in helps." He said. She shook her head and quickly rolled her eyes. He held out her key to her.

" So this isn't going to be a thing between us, just so you know. I won't always need you to save me, I promise." She said as she took her key back. Vincent chuckled and put his hands into his pockets.

" It's okay. The building is old so I know the tricks to getting around." He said.

" So you help people move into their apartments and lock doors. Is there anything else you do around here?" Gabriella asked as he bent down and picked up her coffee cup. " Thanks." She said when he handed it to her.

" That's pretty much all I do. I move stuff and lock doors." He said. Gabriella laughed and put her key into her pocket.

" Well, thanks. I better get going to work." She said. He nodded as he searched for his key.

" I'll see you around." Vincent said.

" Yeah, I guess you will." Gabriella said as she started backing up. " Again, thanks for helping me."

" It's no problem. I'm right next door if you need anything else." He said.

She smiled and nodded before she turned and quickly moved to the stairs. When she started down them, she didn't look up at him so Vincent quickly went to the railing and looked down it to watch as she jogged down them. He shook his head and sighed. He moved back away from the steps and went to his own place. He slipped the key in and used his other hand to hold in his door before he turned it.

As soon as he opened his door, Vicky was there to greet him. He was jumping and whining slightly until Vincent shut the door and started petting him. He was miles away though. His mind was on his new, hot neighbor. He laughed to himself as he moved to the fridge. The building was mostly filled with old people and Alice so Gabriella was like a fresh breeze. She seemed nice and was very pretty. He was looking forward to seeing her. He may even ask her out, maybe.

XXXXXX

Gabriella walked into the prison and set her bag on the x ray scanner. She walked through the metal detector, saying hello to the officers working there. She had been coming there for 2 and 1/2 years so they knew her well and she knew them. She waited and chatted lightly with them every time she came to the prison. Sometimes she would bring them coffees or cookies. She smiled at the officers as they searched her bag and when she was cleared, she waved goodbye and continued on her way. She walked down the long hallway to the visitor's room and had a seat at her usual table.

It only took ten minutes before the prisoners began to fill in. She didn't stand up, he'd know where she was. Gabriella always sat at the same table when she came on Mondays. She wasn't even sure why she came. He was her dad but he was a bad man who killed people. They didn't even know all the names of the people he killed. He had told the police some of the names but refused to give up other names. She knew she didn't have to keep her promise to her dead mother but she did. It was the only thing the woman asked of Gabriella as she laying dying of cancer.

" He's your father. He can't help it if he has demons. Please, don't shut him out." She had asked. Gabriella had nodded and brought her mom's hand to her mouth.

" I promise, Mama. I will still see him." She said.

" Gabby!" Her father's voice pulled her out of her memory. He was the only one who called her Gabby and she hated that nick name. Everyone else called her Gabriella.

" Hey, Dad." She said. He leaned down and kissed her head, placing his hands on her shoulders. The same hands that strangled a girl around Gabriella's age. She struggled not to pull away from him. He always acted like she was visiting him at his house instead of prison.

" How's it going, kid?" He asked when he sat down across from her.

" Going good. I just moved into a new place." She said. Shane smiled at his only child.

" Oh yeah? You like it?" He asked. Gabriella shrugged.

" So far, yeah. I have only been there for one night so we will see." She said.

" Did you bring what I asked you for?" Shane asked. Gabriella nodded and opened her bag.

" Four magazines and a deck of cards." She said as she pulled the items out. He clapped his hands together.

" That's my girl!" He said. She slid them across the table to him.

XXXXXX

Gabriella trudged up the stairs later that afternoon. She didn't work on Mondays. Her visit with her dad always drained her and left her depressed so she took Mondays off. She pulled her key out as she reached the top step and turned. She started walking without looking up or paying attention and ran right into Vincent.

" Oh, shit!" She said as she stumbled. He reached out and grabbed her arm to help steady her.

" You okay?" He asked with a smile. Gabriella looked at him and shook her head with a smile.

" I'm sorry. I should have been paying attention to where I was going." She said.

" It's okay, I wasn't watching either." He said as he dropped his hand from her arm.

" Alright well, have a good day, again." She said. He moved to the side to let her pass.

" Yeah, you too." He said slowly as she walked away. He closed his eyes and rubbed his chin for a second. He shook his head and opened his eyes as he turned around. " Hey, you want to go get lunch with me?" He asked before he could stop himself. Gabriella turned around and tilted her head slightly, like she was thinking.

" Right now?" She asked.

" Well yeah. You don't have too. I mean, if you have other plans, it's cool. I just thought maybe you'd want to go. You look like you need some cheering up." He said. She laughed slightly as she nodded.

" I do, actually. Its been one of those days." She said.

" So you want to go? I know of a little place we could hit up." Vincent said. She put her key back into her bag and started towards him.

" Yeah. I don't really know much about the city so you have to lead." She said.