Disclaimer: I do not own anything except ocs.

Chapter 1: Brutality

The summer sun blazed brightly in the clear blue sky, illuminating the towers of New York to sparkle with power as they loomed over citizens rushing across sidewalks to their destinations and the endless congestion of cars stretched along blistering, black pavement as far as the eyes could see. A spot of yellow appeared after every other car and blaring horns belonging to frustrated people added harsh music to the busy city. A woman stood on the edge of the sidewalk, peering under her thick lashes at the gleaming windows refracting the relentless beams of afternoon light. She wiped the sweat from her brow, wondering how she had come to love the crowded and cramped city, consumed by mismanaged people and flaring tempers. Shrugging her shoulders at the thought, she pulled her thick mane of chocolate curls into a tight tail. Her thin fingers smoothed tiny baby curls which demolished her feeble attempt to straighten her hair. She marched along the sweltering pavement, her feet wrapped in thick cotton sneakers to protect her toes from being crushed by the trampling feet of others. Her blue eyes darted to the side, scanning the shops she passed in hopes of finding something she needed for a special surprise.

Suddenly a baby store captured her attention, a simple stroller of blue and white stood on display behind thick glass. A small white crib stood next to the stroller, a railing protector decorated with little brown bears with arms spread wide for a hug and a welcoming smile plastered on a pale blue background, spots of red filled the empty spaces. Her hand pressed to the glass, she would need baby materials within six months in caring for a new life. Pulling her black purse strap over her shoulder, she strolled into the side shop, her eyes filled with new hope in becoming a mother. Her fingers laced around the edge of a red velvet dress, the ends of the puffy sleeves laced with white fringe as the hem copied the same design. She wondered if she was carrying a boy or a girl. Should she ask the gender from her doctor so she could better prepare for what she was having? Gently shaking her head, she rid the questionable thought from her mind, she would be completely ready for anything, having time to spare for what was to come in the later future. Gliding down an aisle lined with many pairs of shoes, she paused in front of little brown sandals. She gingerly touched the edge of the rubber sole, amazed at the limitless choices of clothes and shoes for babies in a petite shop. She never imagined infants would need so much material. Sauntering to the end of the lane, she turned right and met a modest choice of clothes for parents-to-be. Her delicate features sparkled with new-found joy from her discovery, she walked down the racks of hanging shirts, skirts and pants. Pausing before a shelf of neatly folded T-shirts, she skimmed through the stack until she found a perfect fit. Lifting the neon material to her eyes, the slogan along the front torso read "World's Greatest Daddy" in capital letters, emphasizing a true fact. Glancing at her wristwatch, she realized time was running short until her husband would arrive home. Yanking the shirt from the pile, she raced up the aisle to the cash register, where an older stocky woman with red hair greeted her with a friendly grin.

"Did you find everything you wanted?" She smiled, pulling the shirt to her view as Jennie placed the top on the counter. "Oh, that's a good choice." She replied, scanning the bar code on the price and waited for the cost to appear on the computer screen.

"Thank you. My husband doesn't know, so I'm going to surprise him with the shirt to convey the message." Jennie explained with a joyous beam across her face, lighting the dull room with her immense happiness.

"Now that's a wonderful surprise!" She enthused, twisting the shirt into a tight roll and shoved it in a blue paper bag as she pulled the cardboard handles together, making sure the bag was secure enough. Jennie reached into her purse, quickly pulled the wallet out and slipped the cashier a crinkled twenty-dollar bill. "How far along are you?"

"I'm about three months along." Jennie answered, tugging a loose curl behind her pierced ear, placing her free hand on her flat belly, evidence of her pregnancy not yet visible.

"Congratulations. Believe me, when you see your child for the first time, it will be something you will remember for the rest of your life. I wish you happiness on your journey to parenthood with your husband." She beamed, handing Jennie the bag as her eyes glanced down at her lower abdomen, glad for the new life.

"Thank you." Jennie said, grabbing the bag, slightly taken aback by her sincerity. Jennie was merely a customer yet she showed her the same courtesy as her own family.

She pushed the glass door open and emerged with the horde of people waiting at the edge of the sidewalk, anxiously anticipating the moment the don't walk sign would shift green. Rubbing her thumb and forefinger together, she nibbled on her bottom lip, attempting to control her bubbling excitement. Jennie needed to hurry home just in time to arrive earlier than her husband to wrap the shirt. She received the news of her pregnancy the day before, losing track of her time of the month with all her focus drawn on her job and husband, Noah. The red light flashed green, immediately the crowd rushed across the street to the other curb. She stepped on the cement curve, continuing left to a nearby park she regularly cut through to get home to save time spent at lights, waiting to cross to another one.

Jennie passed through the steel entrance of the lush grounds, greeted by enormous pine trees that stretched heavenward beside man-made towers, in a silent race who would claim victory to the sky. She ambled across the fresh green grass, dew along the tips of the forest blades tickled the bottoms of her sneakers, a few drops seeped through the material and dampened her plain cotton socks. Her eyes darted to her watch, fear crawled up her spine in realization her little trip to the store cost her valuable minutes. Jennie sighed with irritation, determined to beat the hand of time and prepare her little surprise. An idea popped in her mind, causing her fingers to rake through her purse until her fingers laced around a familiar oval object. Pulling the flip-phone to her view, her thumb slipped in between the tight crack and pushed the cellphone open. The bright screen of the background decorated with a picture of Noah's face nuzzled close to Stash, their beloved calico kitten they found beside the road on the way to her parents' home. Her thumb punched the number keys, dialing Noah's phone number in haste.

"Hello, beautiful." A soothing, deep voice answered on the second ring.

"Hey, are you still at work?" Jennie requested with hope, the urge to spill the truth from her full lips was almost unbearable. She wanted him to know he was going to be a parent, a father to a new being created from their love.

"I'm just heading out the door now, why?" He asked, only half paying attention as he packed his briefcase with necessary documents he planned to work on over the long weekend.

"Well, would you mind swinging by the grocery store and picking up a jar of pickles?" She requested, the first item came to mind slipped from her mouth before she registered what was her answer.

"Pickles? What do you need pickles for?" Noah asked, his voice climbed an octave with confusion, not understanding her sudden need for pickles. His mind reasoned the pickles were probably part of dinner. He shrugged. What could he do? He wanted to make her happy even if the request was quite silly.

"Noah, I just need pickles. Why are asking twenty questions over getting a jar of pickles?" She threw back, her irritation elevated to a new height as she tried to remain in control over her emotions.

"You don't need to bite my head off. I was just asking. Alright, I'll see you in a bit. I love you." He complied, grasping the handle of his briefcase and slipped through the sliding door, haling for a taxi on the side of the hustling road.

"I love you and don't forget the pickles." She reminded, hearing a grunt for his response as she ended the call, closing the phone and stuffed the electronic in the pocket of her jean skirt. She quietly giggled to herself as she stepped on a side path that made the trip home shorter.

Tuffs of grass lined the sides of the dirt path, she strutted up the slope of a small hill, easing her way down as she neared the end of the path. A dark figure rushed past her, catching her attention out of the corner of her eye. Glancing to the side, a bulky man raced toward her, wearing a black mask to conceal the true identity. She darted ahead, the end of the path in sight as panic raced through her blood, her heart pounded in her ears calling upon her survival instincts. A big hand darted to her hair, grabbing the end of her pigtail and roughly yanked her down to the dirt flooring. A hard rock scraped the side of her cheek, dust stung her eyes causing her vision to blur, fresh tears spilled from her eyes and slipped down her full cheeks. Jennie pulled her head forward trying to pull her hair from his grasp, the hand grabbed the base of the tail and pulled her head back. Black eyes peered into wide blue irises, fear struck the young woman, worried what harm the attacker would cause. Her hand shot to her stomach, making sure she did not endanger her child from her collapse.

"Give me your purse, lady." The stranger commanded. Swiftly, Jennie yanked the strap from her shoulder and tossed the purse to the side for the thief to take and abandon her without a second thought. "And the bag too."

She hesitated surrendering the bag, the gift she purchased for Noah. She wanted to see the look on his face when he would realize the truth behind the little present, she craved to tell him, but the stranger was threatening everything they shared.

"I said give it to me." He demanded, his voice gruff as he pulled his leg back and launched his hefty foot at her stomach. Agony shot through her body, her thin figure curled in pain, her cries for mercy began as she kicked the bag to the intruder. Quickly he pulled the paper bag up, yanking the shirt out. His dark eyes glowered in distaste at his prize, a lousy shirt was to be his reward for carefully ambushing a single woman who travelled alone. "This is it. How tacky? But thanks for the purse." He smirked with victory, stomping his foot on her wounded abdomen, assuring himself she would not attempt to follow him. He glimpsed around, absorbing his surroundings in the event he might be discovered by an onlooker. He bolted to a thicket of trees, disappearing as quickly as he appeared.

"No... No... No..." Jennie wept, her body writhed in pain as warm liquid slipped down her legs, a crimson pool grew wider as she continued to cry. "Why me? Why us?" Her hands gripped her stomach for dear life, the agony would not end and her mind raced with concern for her unborn child.

Gravel crunched beneath burly weight supported by strong legs protected in brown leather boots as the masculine physique marched with cautioned towards the injured woman. Dark cobalt eyes searched the perimeter, checking for signs of people who could help the woman to the nearest hospital. The green environment remained still except for the constant noises of traffic in the distance, the surrounding area was absent of any human activity. Glancing down at the young woman, the stranger bent down beside Jennie, face cloaked with a blue hoodie to hide a terrible face. She turned on her side, her eyes constructed a dark figure beside her body, her sight still blurry from the dirt. Her hands pressed hard against her stomach, trying to calm the thumping agony pounding on her insides. Gathering courage, a small hand reached towards the stranger, her fingers latched on the soft blue cloak that concealed the entire body of the potential protector. Her figure trembled with fright, she did not know if the stranger meant any harm, yet she was driven by the need to preserve the life of her child.

"Please, help me." Jennie pleaded, the strength in her body began to slip away. The hold of her fingers became loose, her hand limp as it fell to the hard ground. Her head slumped back on the dirt, her dark curls tangled with light dust. The light cut on her cheek started to heal over. Her other hand remained protectively on her lower abdomen, her fingers lightly curled over the baby, her pale pink shirt tugged under her touch.

The stranger remained beside her, barely capable of understanding the right decision to make if he chose to take responsibility for the injured young woman; however, he was already involved. He was walking through his home when he sensed uneasiness in the atmosphere. The new emotion overpowered his reasoning and forced his body to carry him to a woman who encountered a brutal robber. He witnessed the act of violence from afar and immediately raced to Jennie once he realized what took place. He had to lend a helping hand to the woman, refusing to abandon her to allow another stranger to possibly provide assistance if anyone would spot her existence in time to save her life. To disregard the woman would be an act of cruelty towards the her who begged for his help and a pang of guilt would forever be part of him if he were to turn his back and continue forward with his life. Making his final decision, he gently scooped the fragile woman in his arms, gingerly shifting her body, the weight balanced in his durable limbs. Her feminine face winced, the slightest motion of her body caused waves of cramps to stab the bruised walls of her stomach. He turned back, stepping through tunnel entrance illuminated by a golden light of hope for a better future.

A/n: Lately, I have watched this wonderful show. I love Vincent; he is so gentle and poetic in the way he views the world. This story came to me as I was watching the episodes. Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my story and please leave a review. They are great sources of inspiration which drive determination to pursue the story further.