Brig knew if she didn't want him there, she wouldn't have left her window open, but when she stepped back into his arms, he knew he was right where she wanted him. He had been waiting all day to be alone with her again, to feel the softness of her skin, to have her scent all over him. Standing next to her during the armor presentation had wound him up tight and he absolutely loved it. Their bickering even delighted him, annoying though they were. But those feelings felt inconsequential when he saw her standing in front of the fireplace, just staring into nothing. Any other woman and he'd tell her to sort out her issues and then call him, but he genuinely wanted to be there for her, to make her feel whole and when she stepped back into his arms, he knew that it was what he needed as well.

Running his hands up and down her arms, he kissed the top of her head gently, letting her take as much time as she needed. He held her like that for a few moments before she turned around and looked up at him, her hands flat on his chest. Brig felt his grin spread across his lips as he looked at her. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the large recliner behind him and he backed into it, gently pulling her into his lap.

There were no sexual advances or even promises; he was fine with just holding her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he used his long fingers to softly massage her back. Viv touched his face and then smiled back, her tense expression slowly fading. Pulling her close, he pressed his cheek against hers and inhaled deeply. He stayed like that, breathing in her scent and feeling her long brown hair against his face. Without really thinking of it, he mumbled softly in her ear.

'I so love the way you smell.' Brig felt her grin against his cheek as he stayed pressed up against her. She was sitting to his left with her legs draped over his lap and he gently laid his hand on her, slowly running circles on her bare thigh with his thumb.

Viv was wearing the same nightie as the night before, only this time a soft purple. Her skin was soft and her toenails free of color. Pulling away, he rested his forehead against her chin as he ran his hand along the length of her legs, memorizing every part of her, and then pressed his face against her neck, inhaling deeply again.

'So...so love your scent.'

Viv rested her elbow on Brig's shoulder and lazily ran her fingers through his ever growing hair. He loved her scent, he said. She slowly rubbed against his stubbled cheek, mimicking his movements. Gently she ran her lips against his jaw and kissed his chin, then continued with the slow rubbing. His fingertips stopped as she did it, pressing softly against her skin. Brig whispered her name in her ear, drawing out the syllables and making it sound profoundly dirty. Smiling she pulled back and reached out to the end table beside them and picked up the remote of her Ihome player. Selecting a playlist, Viv pressed play and turned it down so the music would serve as suitable background music. Putting the remote down, her fingers went back into his hair, making him close his eyes.

'I don't know if I want to call you Brig,' Viv said. He slowly opened one eye and watched her. 'I suppose 'Commander' would sound a little dirty during sex.'

They grinned, laughing softly with each other. He rolled his eyes up and made a strained, thinking face. 'I could call you 'irritating smallish woman'?'

He could call her whatever he wanted, she thought, but kept it to herself. The music changed to something slow and sweet by Corinne Bailey Rae and Viv smiled as she listened to the lyrics. The slow, jazzy blues filtered into the room and she narrowed her eyes at him playfully.

'That would be 'irritating smallish brown girl' Get it right. But Viv works, thank you.' Pausing, she then asked, 'What would you like me to call you?'

Brig had been Brig since he could remember. It was short for Brigadier and being a Piper was all he would ever know; Jamesons were bred for that one thing. His father, Duncan, had been a Piper, all this brothers were Pipers and his aunt married Vigo, another Piper. He was Brig. Period. Except for...

'Hammer calls me Brain,' he said suddenly. His eyebrows furrowed at the admission. 'He called me, rather.' Grabbing a piece of Vivienne's long hair, he twirled it around his index finger.

'I don't think I've ever heard about that.'

'No,' he said looking at the piece of hair. 'No one knows.' Brig looked up into her eyes and saw a sad smile on her face. 'We were kids,' he started shaking his head, 'he was actually a pretty gimpy kid before we were gifted. Got beat up a lot.' He smiled, recalling the memory. 'Hammer was an only kid and his father was hard on him. I was all he had.'

Brig's voice trailed off and he winced at the memory.

'What did you call him?' Vivienne asked quietly.

'Hams.' He found himself grinning, staring off at the fireplace. They were like brothers, no, they were closer than brothers. Hammer had been so alone and Brig knew the love of a brother - how strong it was and how, in the end, you always had your brother. It was their secret as boys, and still their secret as men. That was until...

'Don't tell him I told you,' he said softly. Vivienne reached up to her heart and crossed it.

Brig loved Vivienne Sena, and he was pretty sure Viv knew it, but as it sat on the tip of his tongue, he wasn't sure how she'd react to him saying it.

Viv watched as Brig recalled his good memories with Hammer; memories of boy hood friendship as well as between men. They were each other's constant in their long lives and something Hammer had done, so many years ago, was tearing Brig up inside. Viv knew Brig would let it go someday, but that day would have to be sped up by Vivienne and she wasn't sure what it would be. She didn't know if becoming involved with Brig would hamper that healing process, what with her own issues with Hammer. They were both good men, but even good men were flawed. Once Brig accepted that, she was sure they would put the past behind them.

Brig looked at her now, his crisp blue eyes searching her face and she could see he was thinking something...something bigger than he could articulate. Viv knew what it was; he would not have told her the story of their private nicknames to just anyone. Right then, Viv knew he loved her, heart and soul, balls to bones. They were bound by something more intricate than sexual attraction. It was a tangible yet chemical thing. She had never heard of two wolves being bound by their scents, but she didn't think anyone would really understand it unless they experienced it. There would be no way to describe to anyone what she felt for Brig and how she knew it was real, but she would wish it for everyone.

As the music played softly, VIv wished she could find the words to explain how much he completed her. Without breaking their stare, his right hand found her left and their fingers entwined, like a perfect fit.

She could see he wanted to say it and damned if she didn't want him to.

Brig took a deep breath and looked down for a moment. 'So,' he exhaled slowly, 'can I ask what happened earlier today?'

Vivienne's eyebrows arched up and seemed caught off guard by his question. Maybe she was expecting him to say that he loved her. He gulped as she pulled her hand away from his and ran her fingers through her hair, pulling at the ends and twisting them around her finger.

Quickly he added, 'If you don't want to, I understand. I just thought...' Brig adjusted himself in the recliner, sitting further back and rocking her in his lap. 'I was...you were...'

Vivienne gently laid her hand on his chest, stopping him.

Viv touched his chest, stopping his stammering explanation. She looked at her hand and tapped his chest gently, reigniting that deep seeded desire for him in her. Running her hand up his t-shirt, Viv picked at the collar before she answered him. And she did owe him an answer, considering the secret he just divulged to her. It was quid pro quo, she wagered. Fair enough.

'Did Hammer say anything after I left?'

'Not really, no.'

Nodding, she didn't think he would. 'You weren't there with them.'

Brig shook his head. 'I was with the Alpha. Hammer was behind with Lily.'

With a deep breath, Viv shrugged, 'You know the story? Two of my older male cousins had...attacked two Kadzait females. Vigo and his Pipers tracked our families across northern Algeria at the start of the French Algerian war in 54.' Viv stared at Brig's collar, picking at it gently. 'Vigo, he found me hiding. My mother had hidden me far up into the rafters of the barn hoping the smoke would cover my scent. He found me, though. I was bleeding still from my gifting literally hours before. My mother, she reopened the wound dragging me.'

Viv could feel Brig's eyes on her, but she maintained her stare on his collar. Shrugging, she swallowed and finished. 'The other Pipers were still in wolf form. They were covered with blood. Kadzaits are so much larger than our kind.' It felt wrong saying that and she corrected herself. 'Than Vyusher R'asas. Vigo brought me out of the barn and in front of the others. And they were all missing their left eyes.'

Chuckling nervously, Viv watched as her hand began to tremble. She balled it up, trying to control it. 'That thing with the eye. That really does lend to the whole Hammerthynn mystique. It was quite possibly the scariest thing I had ever seen.'

Brig nodded slowly, tipping his head and watching her expression.

'Vigo did that thing with his hand.' She held her hand out and sliced the air horizontally in front of her. 'Then they left, turned away. Except for Hammer, but only for a fraction of a second. I could see it, in that one good eye - he hesitated for just a moment and then turned with the others.' Viv winced at the thought and wiped at her mouth with her trembling hand. 'It's knowing I was that close to dying with the rest of my family. That close. And honestly I haven't seen Hammer in wolf form since then. I've seen him maybe once, after that day, in human form? When Vigo broke my back.'

Swallowing, Viv tried to face that memory in her head again, of Hammer hesitating just long enough to convey that obvious message. That she was alive, but only barely.

'I don't hate Hammer for it. He just...scares the shit out of me,' Viv laughed nervously and looked back up into Brig's blue eyes. They were soft and just a little sad. Then she wondered; if Brig had been there, would he have killed her? The question was on the tip of her tongue, but realistically she knew...he would have done his job. Was that a bitter taste in her mouth, looking at him? Being in this place, amongst the killers who murdered her family? Justified or not, they murdered her parents. There were other children there, some younger than Viv, but Vigo saved her, and for the life of her, she did not know why.

In an emotionless tone, Viv answered Brig's original question. 'That's what I saw, earlier,' and, she thought to herself, she saw Hammer finishing what they had started.

'Little bit of a mood killer, huh?'

Brig still had her in his embrace and his fingers ran the length of her spine when he felt it. Gently he felt along the diagonal scar and her eyes met his.

'Vigo did this?'

He realized just then that he really knew nothing about Vivienne. There was very little he could glean from her background check and he did a thorough check on her after he showed her to her quarters that first day. Brig suspected his father knew more about Vivienne, but he didn't think Duncan would tell him anything more than the background check had. She was, quite literally, a ghost; a ghost that Vigo Hammerthynn, Elder, kept close to him like a shadow. Why would Vigo grant her a stay of execution from the blood retribution but not any of the other children present?

'I guess I went through the same rites of passage that the other Hammerthynn boys did.' She pointed to her left eye, 'Except getting maimed horribly. I see better with two though.' Her smile seemed strange, considering the statement.

Brig took her shoulders and twisted her in his lap. Lifting her night gown, he looked at the faded tattoo of a vertebra down her back. The scar was three quarters of the way down.

'This was your silver test?'

Hammerthynns, Brig had to admit, were twisted fuckers. All the Hammerthynns went through their silver test - an acknowledgment of the dangers of silver; a dual purpose, a deterrent and a reminder of the power of silver. Hammer's was a knife wound along the length of his left arm, from the top of his shoulder down about six inches, located on the backside of his bicep. The scar had healed badly and the skin puckered, but over time it did fade. Brig had honestly never heard anything worse than Hammer's scar and he certainly had not heard of a sliced spine.

'That could have crippled you,' he said disgusted.

'A year of physical therapy and I was right as rain.'

He was glad she couldn't see his reaction to it, having not noticed it when they made love before. Embarrassed, he recalled his attention had been intensely focused on other things, but he should have seen it. Viv began to turn back and he wiped the look of disgust off his face. It wasn't for her, but for the souls the Hammerthynns seemed to lack in some instances.

'We're different, us Jamesons, when it came to certain milestones. Hammerthynns are as intense as they are perpetually indifferent. And yeah, this was a bit of a mood killer.'

Brig puckered his lips up to one corner and it made her laugh. Again, Viv's pained expression faded into warm laughter and it brightened the mood considerably.

Maintaining his ridiculous expression, he said, 'I'm going to kiss you now. You all right with that?'

Sitting in Brig's lap with her hands on his chest, she grinned happily and leaned in to kiss him. Touching his face, she giggled into his kiss. It was harmless, loving, and welcoming; everything she needed right then. Their fun kiss turned passionate when Brig's hands gripped her hips, immediately making her rub against his crotch, eliciting a drawn out moan from him. Grinding down, she could feel his hardness beneath his jeans, making her pull back and tease his lips with hers. He reacted accordingly, reaching under her night gown and ripping at her underwear.

Viv reached down and undid the zipper of his jeans and tugged at them, sliding them down his hips far enough to climb back into his lap and push him into her. Brig's arms wrapped around her and he hooked his hands over her shoulders and pulled her down. Running her hands up into his short hair, they rocked together, sitting up on the recliner. She could feel his mouth on her neck, biting at her skin as he grunted hard, pushing up into her. Moaning his name, she winced as his fingers dug into her skin, his arms wrapped tight around her. Already she could feel her center vibrating from his roughness, and in response, she squeezed her legs together and flexed her kiegel muscle, surprisingly him greatly.

Inhaling her scent, Brig lost himself in the heady musk, grabbing her hips and wincing as he pushed hard against her. They had so quickly moved from their serious conversation to frantic rough sex that he almost felt guilty changing the subject, so to speak, until he felt Vivienne flex her muscles and sent a gasping jolt through him. It startled him to the point of stopping, much to her chagrin.

'What...what was that?'

Viv chuckled and gave him a strange look. 'You're kidding...right? Did you want me to stop doing it?'

'No!' he said quickly. 'Keep doing it, I was just...forget I said anything.'

Brig blushed as Viv began to slide up and down on him again, returning them to the point they were at before, the feeling building up inside him, making him dizzy with want when she did it again. She pulled back and watched his reaction as she continued flexing that muscle, squeezing and stroking him at the same time.

Now, Brig had been with women, not a ridiculous amount of women, but he was one hundred and ten years old; high double digits, at least. But he had never felt such a strong flexing from a woman's kiegel muscles as he felt from Vivienne. She had to work at it...constantly. He tried concentrating on this distracting thought because every time she pulsed it, it brought him that much closer to his climax, and he had no intentions of finishing this quick.

In an ironic twist of fate, Brig panted, 'Wait...' he winced through the jolting pleasure. 'Wait...wait,' he gasped as Viv began to grind hard on top of him, refusing to comply.

Laying his head back, he closed his eyes and gripped the armrests. Viv reached out and grabbed the back of the recliner and vigorously rode him as she neared her end, and together, they climaxed, but it wasn't like the night before to Brig, not in the least.

Brig tensed his entire body and felt the veins in his neck wanting to burst. He clawed at the armrest as Viv brought him to his end and it took everything not to yell out. He felt his groin tense tightly and his orgasm was hard and long, taking the breath out of him. So much so that he had to shut his eyes tightly to keep his eyeballs from popping. Letting out a painful sounding grunt, Brig came, but again...it was different. As he gasped for air, he realized he was still hard.

'Ready?' Viv asked breathing hard.

'For what?!' he exclaimed a little louder than normal.

Viv stood up, sliding him out of her, and he was indeed still hard. He realized he did have an orgasm, (or he had a magnificent stroke and was dead), but did not ejaculate, thus not losing his hardness. As he tried to grapple with what happened, Viv turned around and sat back down on top of him, making him gasp and reach out and grab her shoulder. The sensation was one hundred times more intense, and as she rode him backwards, he immediately began to thrust up into her, still dizzy from his orgasm.

She pulled off her nightgown and Brig marveled at her back muscles and faded spine tattoo. The scar was located just where a lower back tattoo would be and it was at least six inches long. Running his hand up her spine, he gasped for air as Viv began to flex her muscles again.

'Oh...god,' he managed as he laid his head back and straightened his body, making his penetration deeper and tripling the sensation. Viv immediately responded to his depth and leaned forward, grabbing his thighs as she balanced herself in his lap. This time, Brig could not hold in his exuberant excitement.

Grimacing, Brig tried to breathe as she continued to squeeze him, almost milking the orgasm out of him. His fingers tore at the arm rests and his entire body shuddered as she began her climax, tightening her muscles even more around him. Reaching behind him, Brig tugged at the small recliner pillow and brought it up to his face. Finding his end, or rather having him thrown at it, Brig came again, this one being even more powerful than the first, and he grunted loudly into the pillow for what felt like eternity.

As they rode their climax, both he and Vivienne gasped for breath. Brig pulled her back onto his chest and he ran his hands down her arms, feeling her small weight rise and fall on him. Disengaging from him, he winced as Viv rolled over nestled herself happily in his lap.

'What the hell?' he said, making her look at him quizzically. 'Holding out on me, are you?!' he said in a high pitched exclamation.

'Are you trying to tell me that you've never had a woman do that before?' Brig's face was flushed and she could see the sweat running down his sideburns. Pulling back, Viv gave him an appraising look and snorted. 'Oh I so win.'

'No, no,' he started.

'Uh, yeah.' Tapping his chest, she looked down at her naked body and looked at his still partially clothed one. 'Why am I naked and you're not?' Slipping off his lap, she reached for her night gown and stood. Brig murmured unhappy noises, pulling his jeans back up as she dressed.

He stayed in the chair and watched her as she picked up her ruined underwear and turned off the ihome. It gave her goosebumps looking back at him, sitting with his muscled arms casually hanging off the arm rest and hooded eyes traveling the length of her body. Standing in front of him, she reached out with both hands and he slipped his large hands into her small ones. Pulling, he stood and towered over her, barefoot and barely five foot five. At six foot five, she had to lean her head back to look at him, but when he smiled at her, Viv stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly.

'So are you hanging out, then?' Viv asked in a hopeful voice as she moved around him and walked toward the bedroom entrance. Brig stood in place, but turned to watch her go. The look he gave her made her knees weak and she grabbed onto the doorframe and leaned on it casually but definitely out of necessity. Slowly he walked toward her, taking her hand, and pulling her into the bedroom.

'Guess that's a yes,' she said, her voice trailing off.

Hammer checked his watch as he walked down to Vivienne's second floor guest quarters. It was late, after 11 p.m., but he wanted to give her time to get over what happened at the staging area earlier that day. The Therian-weave armor demonstration had gone well until he had changed over to wolf form to demonstrate the material's effectiveness. R&D had out done themselves in developing transitional armor, but Vivienne's reaction to his wolf form had been...unexpected, at best. No doubt embarrassed about the incident, Hammer had concluded that she probably wanted an apology of some sort, or maybe even wanted to discuss it.

Frowning, Hammer found the whole thing a wasteful use of his time, but Lily had encouraged him to speak to her. Vivienne was, after all, special to Vigo; again something he just did not understand, but it warranted at least his offering of an explanation. She had been an exceptionally bright girl, from what he understood, and she no doubt recognized his hesitation for what it was - an unfinished task that should have resulted in her death.

Maybe Brig had talked to Vivienne? Hammer shook off that train of thought - it was obvious that they did not care for each other in the least; having gotten off on the wrong foot at the Alpha's office. They seemed to be at odds at every meeting; curious Brig hadn't taken his usual interest in the girl, like with every female that came within eye shot of him. Maybe Brig's instincts were telling him to stay away from someone so volatile. Hammer had never known Brig to take up with a Vyusher R'asa female - no reason to start now.

Taking two steps at a time easily with his six foot six frame, Hammer hit the landing and then turned down the hallway to Vivienne's door. He paused for a moment - maybe it was too late to call on her? Well he was there already, so she'd have to forgive his intrusion.

Knocking loudly on the door, Hammer waited for Vivienne to answer.

Showers were fun.

Brig soaped his body as he watched Vivienne rinse her long, dark brown hair under the shower head. It was a stand up shower, quite large really, but then it had to accommodate uncommonly tall men, so it left plenty of room for them to shower and do...other things...together.

Nudging Viv away from the water, he grinned as he took up the water spray, causing her to smack him gently as she moved around so his back was to the water. Tipping his head back, he closed his eyes and let the water rinse him from head to toe. Her small hands ran up his chest and she pressed her lips against him, making washing off and not touching her difficult.

'Ok,' he said, pushing her up against the tile of the shower and sliding a soapy hand in between her legs. Viv's hips rocked against his hand as she reached down and began stroking him. His lips found hers as they began to christen the shower, just as loud knocking from the door broke the silence.

They both froze.

'Who's that?' Brig stopped what he was doing and shut the shower off, listening. 'Are you expecting...' Just then another loud knock vibrated off the wood door, quickly followed by Hammerthynn announcing himself.

'Oh shit,' he said turning to Viv who turned the shower back on, but opened the door out, shoving him out.

Mouthing silently to Brig, Viv grabbed a robe and threw Brig's clothes at him.

Get dressed and go!

They ran around the bathroom, quickly drying Brig off and she left him to dressing and stepped out to the living room. Clearing her throat, she listened to Brig zipping up and backed up again.

Stay here.

Why? He mouthed back. Don't let him in!

Well duh, Brig. Ya think? She mouthed back angrily.

He slouched his shoulders at her and pointed to the door.

Just stay here! She silently demanded and ran out to the door. Opening, but just a crack, she saw Hammer standing on the other side.

'Hey, Hammer, hey...I was in the shower.'

'Can I come in? I was hoping to speak with you about today.'

Swallowing, Viv looked down at her dripping body and pointed at her robe. 'Two minutes? K? Just...gimme two minutes.'

Hammer began to reply when Viv shut the door on him. Running back to the bathroom, she grabbed a now fully dressed Brig and dragged him out to the living room.

What are we doing? Brig mouthed.

She dragged him to the window he had come in and pointed.

You want me to jump out the window?

You've been jumping out of the window! She silently stomped her foot. Just...GO!

Brig looked at her and hooked a leg out of the window and then another when he turned back again.

Oh my god, what are you doing? She mouthed/yelled.

Brig pulled on her robe and kissed her so deeply that she almost forgot Hammer was at the door, but he was courteous enough to remind her by knocking and calling her name.

Viv shoved Brig and without thinking, blurted out, 'I love you, now go!'

When she realized what she just said, she covered her mouth with both hands, muffling a very distinct GAH!

'Wait, what?' Brig had half turned to go when Vivienne recovered from her initial shock and began shoving him hard out the window. 'Do you love me? Did you just say that?'

It slipped, we'll talk later about it. Maybe. Just go!! Viv mouthed pushing on him.

His legs were still out, but Brig leaned back in, grabbing Viv's hands. I love you, too. I wanted to say it earlier, he mouthed back.

What?

'I said, I love you. We should tell Hammer.'

What??! NO!!

And then Hammer called out through the door, asking if Viv was ok and it must have startled her because when Viv turned toward the door and backed up against Brig, sending him out the window.

((OOC - Brig out))

Twice in one minute Viv gasped and held her hands up to her mouth as Brig fell out of the second floor window. Poking her head out, she saw Brig standing slowly up from the ground.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered and then pointed for him to leave.

Brig gave her a grumpy look and then took off toward the tree line, disappearing.

Running back to her bedroom, she spent the next fifteen seconds throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt. As she hurried, she mentally kicked herself. Why did she say that? What the hell was she thinking, saying that first of all things? Taking a peek at the mirror, she made sure there were no tell tale signs of anything salacious happened and ran back to the door. Opening, she found Hammer leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed.

'Sorry, sorry,' she waved him in. 'Come on in.'

Hammer pushed off the wall and walked slowly into the living room. He stopped right behind Viv as she closed the door, making her step right into him.

'Something wrong?'

Hammer made a face as Vivienne shut the door. Maybe insisting on speaking to her right then had not been a good idea. Taking a step back, he leaned his considerable frame against the wall and waited for her to get dressed. Why he couldn't wait in the living room didn't strike him as odd; he had that affect on people, and he dismissed the obvious question.

Crossing his arms, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he examined the door frame. Hammer calculated one strong kick would split the wood easily. Then he examined the door knob - he could probably twist it off as well. Sticking his jaw out, he considered remodeling for stronger protection when Vivienne opened the door again.

She was flushed and her hair was wet. Opening the door wide, he pushed himself off the wall and in two strides was in the apartment. A familiar scent immediately hit him and he stopped, inhaling deeply and taking in everything. Vivienne gently bumped into him and asked if something was wrong.

'So the Commander stopped by?' Turning, he looked at her and saw her brown eyes blink once at his question. 'He was here.'

It wasn't a question.

Vivienne figured she had about .5 seconds to hold it together and think of a plausible lie. It wasn't as hard as she thought it might be, but then she had been waiting for a question like that to come up, and everyone knows that luck favored the prepared.

Answering immediately, Viv rolled her eyes and stepped past Hammer. 'Yeah, he tried his best to awkwardly console me, I guess.' Turning to face him, she pointed to the couch. Hammer nodded and sat his large frame down.

Settling into the recliner she had just made love with Brig in, Viv shook her head, 'He's not very good at that type of thing, but then I suppose you Hammerthynns and Jamesons don't exactly get that type of life experience,' Viv said with a sad smile.

Hammer leveled an even, one eyed glare at her, 'He's a good man.'

Viv watched Hammer with great interest as he said that. There was a little bit of contempt mixed with pride in that statement. She agreed with him. 'I suppose he is, but you'd know that better than I would.'

Hammer's evaluation had not been planned until the end, but Viv took any opportunity to interview Hammer outside his comfort zone, and this could not be a better time. Well it cut into her naughty evening, but she'd forgive Hammer for that.

Hammer mentally narrowed his one eye at her and tried to temper the annoyance he was feeling for her line of questioning. He had come to speak to her about earlier and she was turning it into a therapy session. Sitting back into the couch, he folded his hands into his lap and stared straight ahead.

'Is this where you ask me about my mother?'

'You came to talk to me, Hammer.'

Hammer flicked his good eye at Vivienne who was sitting relaxed in the recliner. Brig's scent seemed to be the strongest there. He wasn't sure why that thought occurred to him, but he looked back at the fireplace trying to recollect his thoughts.

'I just came to make sure you were alright.'

'I appreciate the concern.'

'I'm not concerned,' he said without thinking. He bit down on his response but too late. 'What I mean to say is: I know you're not troubled by what happened. If Vigo taught you anything...' He paused again and looked at Vivienne who slowly blinked with an emotionless expression.

'You don't have to be afraid of me.'

'That's not what Vigo taught me, Hammer. You of all people know that.' Vigo did teach Vivienne many things and to fear was definitely one of them. Through fear comes the inevitable struggle of either becoming its master or letting it consume you.

'I haven't seen you in wolf form since that day. It was a natural reaction to seeing you and being reminded.' Viv shrugged impassively. 'No deep seeded fear or even hate, Hammer. You're just a naturally scary guy.'

Hammer looked at her, probably trying to understand her tone and she smiled at him, trying to alleviate any guilt or suspicion he might have regarding her. He didn't trust her, she knew that, but the fact that he even came to speak to her about what happened spoke volumes of him that she did not know even existed.

They sat silently for a few minutes; she reflecting on Hammer and Hammer reflecting on whatever goes on in that mammoth head of his. Viv tried a different approach.

'So how's things with Lily?'

'Doing well,' he replied. If she expected Hammer to suddenly cut himself open and spill out emotions and small talk, she was sorely mistaken.

Nodding, Vivienne asked, 'That was too personal, huh?'

Hammer watched her openly now, trying to gauge the purpose of her question. With a slight shrug, he repeated himself. 'Lily and I are doing well.' Only Superman did 'good', he thought to himself. 'Why do you ask?'

'Curious, is all.' Pausing, Viv asked slowly, 'So was it worth it?'

Hammer now glared at the small woman. She was as subtle as a pair of spiked combat boots. Poking and prodding his psyche, devouring his secrets like candy. He didn't like Vivienne, for more than just what she was but because of her casual nature around things that she clearly had no business being part of. Her questions felt like invisible fingers and he didn't like it.

'Let me ask you something, Vivienne,' Hammer said slowly making Vivienne raise her eyebrows. 'Did you talk to the Commander about his feelings, too? Did you casually ask him about his personal life? Poke your little fingers into his head and pick out anything interesting?'

Vivienne folded her hands in her lap and did a damn good job holding back the contempt for him. Leaning forward, Hammer rested his elbows on his legs and poked a little bit more.

'The mere idea of explaining my actions or my feelings to you is ridiculous and insulting. Why Vigo would thrust you into the heart of the Pack and expect us to indulge you and your methods is beyond me. The others - they're young. Batting your eyelashes and purring works for them. They'll tell you whatever you want to hear in the hopes that you'll flash a bit of skin, but when you talk to me, Vivienne...when you talk to leadership, do it with the respect that is due. You might as well have asked me about my mother, for this thinly veiled attempt at getting to know me.'

Hammer indulged in a sarcastic tone with his last words. He sneered at her now; with her casual friendliness, dimpled smile, and sex appeal. It insulted him to the point of spitting.

'Was it worth it,' he repeated. Moving over onto the arm rest of the couch, Hammer leaned close to Vivienne, enough to make her pull back slightly. 'Was it worth losing my one and only friend when I told him that the woman I love, the only woman I have ever loved, bore me a son and hid it from he and I both? Was it worth the embarrassment from my father and the families to have to admit that not one, but two things resulted from me breaking trust? Let me ask you, Vivienne. Was it worth it, to you, that Vigo saved you from certain death, only to live in the shadows, being in a pack that won't even recognize you? It's a choice we make, Vivienne - a choice to accept the consequences of our actions and to live with them.

So was it worth it? To you? Living in the contempt of others? Because that's what you're asking me. Are you happy with being happy enough?'