I never though that I would see you again[tag-gab]

[Zachary Mark Flaherty]

Zach sat on one of the benches in the green with some snow on the ground. He had a baby in his arms and he had a smile on his face. The baby was wrapped up warm in a a few layers of cloths, and he made sure that she would stay warm before they went out. He had the baby held up to his face and she was giggling like crazy. She was definitely a daddy's girl.

Sure, he got very dirty looks from older women that were walking around, but he didn't care. Ember was his life now, and he didn't care what other thought of him, not that ever did anyway. He smiled at his daughter and she laughed. She looked like her mother except for his blue eyes. that was about all he saw on her that was him. She was a mini Sydney and he knew it.

The baby took her arms and wanted to snuggled into her father's sweatshirt. He held her cloth to him with on arm since she was so small. He touched her nose. "I got you." He said to the baby who only starting to giggle more.

[Gabriel Taylor Adams]

I Didn't Either.

Snow crunched under his boots as he walked, flurries falling down and dusting his hair. Gabriel had left the tempo in a coffee shop parking lot, wearing a gray hoodie over a maroon long-sleeve. Several little old ladies stared, and he scowled at them, although they couldn't see it. He'd worn the mask today. Gabriel was willing to be that he could have walked into town with a rifle over one shoulder and there would have been less of a reaction.

No one trusted anything they weren't sure of. Gabriel finally pulled it off and let it hang at his side. The scars were just as obvious as the mask, with no make-up. Gabriel scowled at the snow and let his bangs hang in his face.

Somewhere, a baby squealed in delight. A smile tugged his lips, and he looked up. His eyes fixed on the adoring father.

Gabriel had a mad moment where he forgot everything. Is that Eliza's baby? But then he remembered. It'd been a miscarriage, hadn't it? Speechless, Gabriel found himself feet away, but he didn't remember starting off. His eyes narrowed hatefully, and he took the last few steps.

Zach was completely absorbed in his bundle of joy. Gabriel was smiling, but the rest of his face was hateful, angry.

"Cute baby," he murmured. "What's her name?"

[Zachary Mark Flaherty]

Ember cuddled up into her father. Zach smiled at the baby. She was his life, his joy, his daughter. He loved her a lot, and Ember loved him back. She reached up to his face and touched his face with her tiny fingers. He smiled at her. He touched her face and smiled at her. "Yes?" He said to the baby. He looked the baby for a while and held her close to him.

He heard a man's voice and looked up. the man looked familiar, but the boy couldn't put a name to it. "Thanks." He said. "Ember." He said. He looked at the baby as she yawned. "Oh no. Your not going to sleep on me. You were sleeping earlier. You have to stay up now." He said to the baby. Ember looked at him, her blue eyes starting at him, though she couldn't see his eyes.

He didn't like this person at all. They were creepy, and he had a feeling that something bad would happen. but then again, he had gotten along with Hugo pretty well then they were at burger king. He looked back up at the man. He knew the face, but he just couldn't put a name to it. And he wasn't exactly sure why not. He could usually, but not tat the moment.

[Gabriel Taylor Adams]

Gabriel stared at the baby for a long time, committing the name to memory. Who had Zach been dating? What was her name, the chick who'd played soccer. He was pretty sure it was the girl who played soccer...or maybe it'd been someone else. Gabriel couldn't remember, but he finally did remember the name.

They had the same hair. Dark chesnut, kind of, a muddy hue. Gabriel stared at the baby for a while, then looked at Zach in disbelief.

Granted, he'd gotten a handful of scars since he'd last seen them. And spent some time in jail, or the institution. Loads of places. He probably had changed alot. He needed a haircut, that was for sure. The baby yawned, and Gabriel tried to swallow his anger.

"That's Sydney's baby, right?"

Gabriel kept his voice neutral. "Do you still have that scar on your ribcage, Zach-a-ry?" He drew the name out, a smirk unfurling on his lips.

[Zachary Mark Flaherty]

Zach looked at the boy, still not being able to put a name to the face. He stared at him. It was getting annoying that he couldn't put a name to this boy's face, but he knew for one thing, he was afraid of him. He looked at the boy, then back at the baby.

She looked like Sydney, but had Zach's eyes. That was all he saw ever out of his daughter that was him in her. She had his bad luck, since she was born with a lung problem that cleared up when she was in the hospital after she was born.

"Yeah. She is." He said. He stared at the boy.

When the boy asked about the scar on his rib cage, then said his full name, Zachary's blue eyes widened. "Yeah. Why are you here Gabriel?" He asked. He instantly held Ember closer to him. He wasn't going to put the baby down. Not for one one, not even if he was to die here by Gabriel. For one thing, he didn't like Gabriel, and he was the only person that Zach was actually afraid of.

"If your wondering. I haven't seen Hugo nor bothered to find him." He growled. He didn't want Ember to loose her father, and for once in his life, Zach didn't want to die. He was finally happy with his life. Ember made a noise and started to cry.

Zach looked down at her and rocked her in his arms, not pulled her away from him in case Gabriel moved. Zach was sure Gabriel had some kind of weapon on him, but Zach didn't care. He still wasn't going to let Gabriel anywhere near him, or the baby.

[Gabriel Taylor Adams]

"Chill out, homophobe," Gabriel spat, registering with an annoyed relief, Zach's recognition. About damn time, he thought, wondering why he was so irritated. What did he care if an ass like Zach remembered him? Maybe because I cuffed him and stuck a knife to his ribs.

He was being very defensive. Sure, he was holding the baby so tight Gabriel wouldn't be surprised if the thing's head popped off. But that wasn't going to keep Gabriel from blowing his head off.

Fortunately, he didn't have a gun. He didn't have the money to buy one illegally, and he had the record that kept him from buying one legally. Sure, Meg had kept one in the cabinet, but Gabriel had let her have it.

Plus the cabinet was under her bed, no way of getting that. Not before he'd taken off.

"Neither of us have. I've been in jail, in case you were wondering. And some other places about as pleasant. Fortunately I'm out of the house now." He grinned crookedly at him. "More time and more freedom to torture scum like you. Did you knock her up or was the bundle of joy actually planned?"

[Zachary Mark Flaherty]

Zach rolled his blue eyes at Gabriel, though his bangs were in his face, so no one would see him do so. Why was Gabriel here? He figured he was as good as dead. "If you want to kill me, so right ahead. Though, there are plenty of people to see you do so." He said. Ah, one thing for being in a public place, if someone got murdered, people would see.

Zach looked down at the baby. He didn't want to die. He wanted to stay and watch Ember grow up. He loosened his grip on the baby, still rocking the baby in his arms. He rubbed the baby's cheek.

"What did you do to go to jail for? Let me guess, you killed someone." He said. He looked at the baby. "I've been in and out of the hospital for so long I haven't seen anyone. I've already had my heart restarted twice." He said. He looked at the baby who stopped crying.

"She wasn't planned exactly. Sydney wanted a baby, and well, she got one." He said. He touched Ember's hand and her little fingers wrapped around his finger. He smiled at her and she giggled. She stared at Gabriel, not blinking. "Though, I have to admit. She doesn't blink a lot which is creepy on its own." He said, though he doubted that Gabriel had a heart at all.

He knew that Gabriel would kill him, he could feel it. Though, if he had been to jail, he would kill Zach, then go back. It was probably worth it in Gabriels book, or at least that is what Zach thought. "I suppose you have seen Eliza around? She's prostitute now." He said, figuring that Gabriel had probably seen Eliza around.

[Gabriel Taylor Adams]

"I don't know where Sydney is, and I'm not playing baby sitter. I doubt you want the bundle to grow up in the trunk of a car." Gabriel glanced around. "Unless your baby's mom shows up in about a minute, you're safe."

"And honestly, if I wanted you dead, I'd kill you. I don't care who sees me anymore, they have to find me again anyway," Gabriel said with a shrug. He blew his hair out of his face, the scars tingling in the cold.

Gabriel squinted. "Last I checked, you wanted to die. Did Giggles here change that?"

Gabriel reached out and stuck out his index finger, something for the kid to grab onto. He'd seen Alicia do it with their cousin's baby. It took him a moment to register what Zach had said. A prostitute. "No, I haven't seen her." He didn't believe Zach, naturally. Zach was just itching at him, Gabriel knew that.

Wasn't that what Zach always did? "I should have cut you open in the bathroom," he murmured. "I can't believe Sydney had a baby with you." Maybe she's just trash, Gabriel thought. Like him. That'd explain alot.

Hopefully they wouldn't screw up Ember too.

[Zachary Mark Flaherty]

Zach looked at him. He didn't say anything and had a very blank stare at him. "She's at work." He said calmly. He didn't need this. He didn't need Gabriel here. His life was going well, and he shows up.

"No. You would have killed me and let my body just lay here, crushing Ember to death, and gone. But then, you would upset Eliza, cause you know how much she cares about me, and Sydney and all of her friends. I don't think you want to upset her." He said calmly. He looked at the baby again. He watched her for a moment. He smiled at her and she giggled like crazy. He smiled.

"So, maybe I did. Things change, people get married. Things happen. Don't want to now." He said.

He watched as another finger was put into Ember's reach. She looked at Gabriel for a moment before taking his finger and looked at him. "I think she likes you." He said, a sour look on his face, hidden by his hair. The baby giggled and started to moved her hand that was wrapped around Gabriel's finger up and down, giggling like crazy.

"Well, she is one if you see her. She told me herself when I asked her at the mall what she was doing when she left." He said calmly. He didn't take his blue eyes off of Gabriel's finger that Ember had.

"Its a thing called love." He said, hearing Gabriel mutter. He looked up at him. "I highly doubt you would understand. " He said looking back down at Ember.

[Gabriel Taylor Adams]

How quickly things change, Gabriel thought. Why did I ever let Eliza stay with his scumbag? Oh, right. Because he got brownie points for calling me when she was in trouble. He'd been smart enough to do that. Gabriel sighed softly, letting little Ember tug at his finger.

"No, I didn't kill anyone." He gritted his teeth. "Hadley Institute made me soft. I don't give a damn about Sydney or anyone, except Eliza, maybe. And I think she'd get over it."

Gabriel's mouth twitched. "You shouldn't tell people stuff like that. It's up to the person to tell out things like that. So keep your mouth shut, alright, homophobe?"

Lip curled, Gabriel gradually pulled himself away from the baby. His eyes went to Zach's face for the first time in awhile. "You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. You might love that baby, but you'd let me kill you. You obviously don't love her enough."

Gabriel scowled at him, as if irritated. He was, a bit. Didn't know what love was, he thought, almost snorting. Of course he did...maybe. Gabriel wasn't even sure. What was love, anyway? Great, Zach was turning him into a philosopher.

"What's the meaning of life, Zachary?"

[Zachary Mark Flaherty]

Zachary looked at him. He really didn't want to know what Gabriel was talking about with some institute, nor did he really want to know. "I don't want to know." He said. He looked at the baby as she smiled and played with Gabriel's finger.

Ember looked at Gabriel and reached out with both of her hands when he pulled his hand away from her. She liked Gabriel for some reason and wanted him to hold her. She reached for him again and made a noise. "Uh.." He looked at Gab. "I think she wants you." He said, really confused.

"I would rather die, then let anyone hurt her." He said.

Zach looked up at him, confused. "What?" He asked. "The meaning of life? I suppose its what ever you want your life to mean. Like, if someone was a candy inventor and loved their job, then their meaning for their life is candy. " He said looked back at Ember who was still reaching for Gabriel.

[Gabriel Taylor Adams]

"You'll die to protect her, but you'll let me hold her." Gabriel was slightly dumbfounded at the idea. Before Zach could reply, Gabriel reached out and took the baby. Zach's grip on her had loosened from the protective stranglehold he'd had earlier, and it wasn't difficult. Ember gurgled.

She really was a pretty little girl, and so tiny. For a beat, his eyes softened. Little kids in general bothered him, but infants were just...Infants. They cried, giggled and stared at you. She gurgled again.

"Don't let her grow up to be a brat," Gabriel advised. "Give her a yearly spending budget or something."

Another giggling gurgle. Gabriel started to hand her back, brow furrowed. "I think she has the hiccups or something."

Had Gabriel been an infant at one time? He doubted it. He had probably fallen out of an upside down wardrobe or something as some weird gothic faun.

Or whatever. "Here."

[Zachary Mark Flaherty]

"She wants you to hold her. She's picky and she gets what she wants or she screams at the top of her lungs." he said. He didn't want Ember to scream, he hated it when she screamed. It was pretty bad when she did, and it hurt your ear drums.

Zach could tell that Ember was staring at him. He heard her gurgle. He raised an eyebrow. "Why would I let her do that?" He asked. He wouldn't ever let her be a brat. She would learn that quickly, or she was going to get yelled at.

Zach looked at Ember, who was reaching for him. He took her back and watched her for a moment. She gurgled. "Maybe." He said. He wasn't sure what she was doing.

He smiled at her, and she gurgled again. He watched her as she reached up and took his bangs and pulled. "Ow ow oww" He said. He took one hand and pulled his hair out of her grip.

[Gabriel Taylor Adams]

"Screaming spoiled child makes a brat later on, Zach. We had a cat that did the same thing, so we ignored it until it got over it." Gabriel chewed his lip. "Its just a phase. They either grow out of it, or you fall to their every whim, and they don't."

A small smile tugged his lips. If someone had asked him if he'd ever give parenting advice to Zach Flaherty, he would have broke their nose.

Abruptly, the spoiled infant grabbed at daddy's hair. Gabriel chuckled lightly, going to tickle her by the wrist and make her let go. A thought struck him.

"When Eliza's dad went nuts...What made you call me?"

It'd been rolling around in his skull for a long time. "You hate me. But you called me when she was in trouble."

Why, why why? Gabriel watched him, listening to Ember gurgle away. Bright eyes.

[Zachary Mark Flaherty]

"I'm not going to make her spoiled. She will learn, or she will be punished." Zach said. He wasn't going to spoil her, was he? He was far from spoiled child. His own parents gave him away and never wanted him, ever.

Hearing Gabriel's laugh, he rolled his blue eyes. "You like me in pain, don't you Gabriel." He asked. He was sure this boy loved people in pain, and would cause it. He watched threw his hair as Gabriel touched her wrist and she let go, taking his finger in her hands and pulling.

He looked at him. Why did he call him? "Um.. I'm not sure. You were the first one I could think of, and I knew you care about Eliza, so I called you." He said. Yeah. That seemed like a good explanation.

"Just because I hate someone, doesn't mean that I won't get help for someone I care about when they are hurt. Weather it was from you or not, I figured you would show up the quickest, and kill her father. You don't know How much I wanted to walk into that apartment when I found her and strangle her father and burn his body up watching him die." He said. He watched Gabriel's face, for something to appear on his face. Some emotion.