Walking Dead/A Crime

Vincent x Carol

A single mother, some windows, and a cat.

Sum: The light from the apartment above caught his eye, a pair of bright green eyes staring at him from a mass of black fur with a twitching tail. A young girl, was sitting at the little ledge scribbling with one of those goofy pens with the glowing pom-poms that lit up when the tip was pressed in. USS Caryl submission for an "Au with any of Norman's other characters."

Song: Lover of the Light, Mumford & Sons

Lover of the Light

The light from the apartment above caught his eye, a pair of bright green eyes staring at him from a mass of black fur with a twitching tail. A young girl, was sitting at the little ledge scribbling with one of those goofy pens with the glowing pom-poms that lit up when the tip was pressed in.

Smirking he turned his attention to his dinner, a bachelors rations of rice and canned mystery meat. Thinking back as he stirred the concoction together.

Alice had left a few months after the second death of the cabby, she'd grown more distant from him, not wanting him near. He'd had his suspicions but hadn't wanted to question her about them, wanting to grow into the new turn their relationship had jumped into. Her leaving was not much a surprise though in those last weeks, an one night while he was at work she'd packed most of her things and left. He never saw her again after that. In truth he didn't know what to think of the relationship now, was his affections towards her genuine or was he just clinging onto the woman who'd basically been stalking him for three years he'd lived in the apartment just below hers.

Vincent remembered the day he'd met the young girl and her mother, it'd been during the last few weeks before Alice had left him. He'd been walking Vicky when he noticed a young girl in the alleyway next to the apartment complex. He had stopped when he noticed the young girl wearing a cheery blue colored jacket that stuck out against the Grey of the alley.

That day was clear to him, Vincent had felt the urge to help her instead of passing her bye like the typical unaware person would. She'd been trying to lure a black kitten out from behind some rubbish bins with a piece of summer sausage.

It took a quick bit of work, with no help from his excited greyhound, but finally with quick hands he snatched up the little guy and got him into the safety of her arms. After that he became an impromptu chaperone once Sophia, as she'd introduced herself once he found they lived in the same building.

He let her lead the way up the steps, and soon he had found that they were near his floor.

They'd made it to his landing when he heard a woman's desperate call and the clump of her boots as she came down the stairs. The first thing he noticed was her short dark hair and the dangling hoop earrings that fit in what looked like an artsy Bohemian style that differed slightly from her daughters. But at a glance it was plain to see that they were mother and child.

"Oh thank god, you found her." She breathed a sigh of relief, coming down the rest of the steps to his landing.

"Glad I could help,

"Sorry, My name is Carol, Carol McBride." she held out her hand for him to shake, which he did out of politeness, not used to having such friendly human contact in weeks.

"Vincent Harris." he had simply replied ignoring the slight tingle as his hand touched hers.

She smiled "Thank you, Vincent for taking care of my Sophia after she wandered off. I had just went to sign the final papers with the landlord and when I came back I found she'd disappeared."

"I thought you guys were new, never saw ya guys before here."

Carol chuckled "I guess so, we are just a floor above you."

It was that moment Sophia decided to break into their conversation.

"Do you want to come for dinner?" They both startled and glanced down to the small girl and the purring black kitten.

"Uh...I can't...not tonight"

"Awww..." She whined, and Carol had admonished her for the rude behavior. She deflated and leaned into her mother who just smiled and thanked him him with his fingers still tingling she went, guiding daughter and cat up the stairs. It was later that he'd look up to see light in a previously dark apartment and find that they had moved into Alice's old space.

There was movement from up above, and Vincent smiled as Carol came into view. Her head was wrapped in a colorful scarf and she was dressed in her usual Bohemian style. She placed a small glass of milk beside Sophia with what looked like a plate of Oreos, the girl smiled and thanked her mother. She smiled and gave the girl a kiss to the top of her head, then she petted the black cat.

She smiled giving him a friendly wave, and he waved back with a soft smile. Next time he should take the offer to eat with them.

Fin?