Good morning, sunshine!

Continues from Et tu, Moon?, Red's storyline 48 hours with Cam

Lewis leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. He had gotten up early to run more diagnostics on the core computer system that had the hidden mole. There was only so much he could do to avoid letting whoever was watching know that he knew they were there, so it was business as usual. The secondary parallel system was still running separate from the core, gathering as much information on the leak as possible. He wasn't sure what he could do with that information once he obtained it, however, seeing how he couldn't talk about it without having a severe nosebleed and migraine.

Watching the perimeter cameras as they stood vigilant and hidden along the edge of the property, he yawned loudly as his phone began to vibrate. Leaning forward he picked it up and looked at it.

"Oh shit!"

Lewis turned and almost fell out of his chair as he ran toward the door. "Damnit!" Running back, he set the system on auto and ran back out to the stairs leading up the ground level of Den.

Texting as he double timed it up the stairs, he ran down the long corridor to the wing where the Pipers were readying themselves for their morning run. Sending his text, he ran up to Marko's door and began pounding on it. Marko immediately poked his head out as Lewis ran down to the next door.

"Now?" Marko asked with wide eyes.

"Right now!" Lewis yelled, pounding on the doors.

Viv curled up under the warm covers of her bed and snored happily. Snuggling behind her, Brig moved his hips provocatively as he began to kiss her shoulder.

Both their phones began to vibrate on opposite sides of the bed. Viv reached out and looked at hers.

"Get up, get up!" she said as Brig reached for his phone and read the text. Yanking the covers off them, they scrambled off the bed. Brig threw on his work out shorts and shirt as Viv ran around the room.

"What are you looking for?" Brig said, throwing a fitted black tank at her.

"My pants, where are my…ok I got them, let's go!" Stepping into her black yoga pants, Viv grabbed the matching tank from Brig and slipped it on.

Brig stood anxiously at the bedroom door. "Come on, come on!"

"Ok, I'm coming, I'm coming!" Grabbing a pair of shoes, Viv ran out the bedroom door with Brig.

LT walked slowly to the edge of the Long Run pulling his right arm across his chest, stretching out his muscles when his cell phone vibrated in his exercise shorts. Reaching into his pocket, he checked the message.

Spinning on the balls of his feet, LT ran back to the Den, up the back porch steps and almost knocked over a table getting to the doors leading into the dining area. Cutting through the galley, he ran into the eating area and came to a screeching halt.

"Now?"

Lewis stood with Marko, JT, Marthinus, and Domingo at one of the larger tables. They were all dressed for exercise in their shorts and tshirts.

"Yeah, like five minutes maybe," Lewis replied.

"Fucking A," LT said in an almost giggly voice.

Red paid the cab and walked slowly up the drive to the Den. With Domingo's jacket in one hand, he ran his other hand through his thick hair, scratching at his scalp as he yawned long and hard. It was quiet and not quite 4:45 in the morning yet, so he still had time to run up to his room and then grab a cup of coffee before heading out to the Tikerak.

Lethargically he walked the steps up to the front door, then down the long corridor to the Piper's wing. The others were still sleeping or already out on the grounds waiting for everyone to gather. Walking into his room, he dropped Domingo's jacket on his couch. His bedroom was down a short hallway, first door on his left and he was happy he even made it there. He began to pull his borrowed blue polo from Domingo just as his alarm clock began to go off loudly, scaring him and managing to get himself tangled in the shirt.

"Red. Wake up, Red. It's another day and it's time to get out of bed. Let's ignore the fact that you're getting up out of your own bed and not some curvaceous young thing's full sized bed with lace trimmings and fuzzy handcuffs hanging from her bed post, but you're up. You're alive. And you know what time it is."

Struggling with the shirt, he tore it off and then lunged at his loud radio, shutting it off before Prince's 'Let's go Crazy' started to play.

"Oh my god…that is annoying."

Kicking off his shoes, he changed into his exercise outfit: a pair of black shorts and black tshirt. Before leaving, he grabbed his dark sunglasses and stumbled back out of his room.

They had to be at the Tikerak at five am sharp and he was already cutting it close. He hastened his step as he turned down the corridor that led to the center section of the Den and its dining area. Stepping up to the ground floor landing, he tripped and caught himself with a curse.

"When did they put that there?" Turning the corner, he rubbed his eyes under his sunglasses and then looked up.

"Good…morning?"

Brig was leaning next to Viv who was perched on top of one of the dining room tables, and in the flat of her hands she held a steaming cup of coffee, offering it to Red. Surrounding her was LT, Marthinus, Marko, Domingo, and JT. The other two new recruits were covering Charlie at DI. Red suspiciously wished everyone a good morning and then slowly pulled off his dark sunglasses.

"Damn!" they all said at once.

Red's eyes were so bloodshot that Brig could feel the dryness from where he was standing. Surrounding his eyes were dark circles and thick, heavy bags.

"Dude, have you slept?" LT asked, covering his laugh with his fist.

"Kind of," Red replied with a grumpy look, pushing his sunglasses up into his hair.

"You've been up for two days? Doing what?" Brig asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, snap!" Domingo yelled out when Red started to blush. The Spaniard came over and started to dance up next to Red, knocking him to the side.

"Aw, baby, come have your coffee and tell us your troubles," Viv said, pushing the chair she was resting her feet on out for Red. He came over and slumped into it backwards as he took his coffee from Viv.

"You are worthless to me now, Red," Brig said, shaking his head.

Red took a huge gulp of his coffee and then set it down. Curling up into Viv's lap, he laid his head down and mumbled. "I'm so sleepy, mom."

Viv covered her mouth with one hand, laughing with the rest of the Pipers as her other ran through Red's thick red hair. Domingo continued to mimic sexual innuendos as he danced, Marko and JT joining him with great vigor. Marthinus and LT crossed their arms and sat down on the table, laughing with the rest of the men.

Brig watched his Pipers and his mate, laughing it up, breaking their morning routine with a bit of fun and camaraderie, granted at Red's expense. It made Brig happy. Despite the troubles with Vigo and Viv, the Pipers were a tight knit group of happy men, a group he was proud to lead. He was secretly relieved that he would not have to give up his Command to be with Viv, thanks to his father's blessing, but there was still an uphill battle with the rest of the families. Brig decided he would burn that bridge when he got to it.

Viv rubbed Red's back as he wrapped his arms around her now sizable waist and hugged her legs. His cheek pressed up against her belly and he rubbed it, using it like a pillow.

"Don't rub your dirty sex all over my baby, you heathen! But wow, I hope she was worth it."

Red made a face and grinned. Everyone awed at him and Viv ruffled his hair. "She was nice enough," Red replied.

"Two days with a strange woman? I hope she was," her mate said, sitting down next to her on the table.

Red closed his eyes looking exhausted. "You know I hope your stamina held up. You're pretty pooped."

"I heard no complaining from her," he said with his eyes still closed but grinned a toothy smile nonetheless.

"That is dirty, sir." Viv ran her fingernails through his short haircut, causing something just short of a kitten's purr from Red.

"You might as well go back to bed then. You're on tonight with JT." Brig reached out and grabbed Red's hair, lifting his head off her lap. "Two man team. Tracking a scent for Viv."

"Just a little job as a favor to Simon," Viv said, making Red open an eye and glare up at her.

"I don't work for him," Red said as he mumbled into Viv's pregnant belly. "Did I not tell you this is a fine line we're walking here?"

"It's just a human," Viv said, pinching his cheek.

The Commander looked at the LT and nodded, sending the men on their way. Domingo turned and yelled out to Red as he left.

"Dude I want my jacket back!"

Lifting his hand, he pointed in the direction of their apartments. "It's on my couch. Thanks again."

The Pipers left out the back porch doors to head out to their run, leaving the Commander, Vivienne, JT, and Red in the dining hall. Sitting up, he looked up at up Viv and gave her a dirty look.

"I'm going to voice my intense displeasure over this duty right now."

"Duly noted, Sergeant," Brig said with an equally unhappy look at Vivienne.

It still made Red uncomfortable when anyone referred to him as Sergeant. The Pipers Sergeant was Charlie, not Red. But apparently because Charlie was under the vampire's care, they were now lap dogs.

"Why are we doing Huntington a favor, sir? Charlie saved his ass just as much as that silu saved ours."

"It's a favor to me then, Red," Viv said softly.

"Why do you owe him any favors?" Red pushed back from his chair and stood. "Suddenly we're Huntington's blood hounds?"

"At ease, Red. Like it or not, we do owe him a favor. As far as I'm concerned, we're square after this," the Commander said looking at Vivienne who merely shrugged. "Twenty four hours. You and JT track the scent, retrieve the package, and then deliver it."

"See, we're mailmen, not blood hounds," JT said with a small grin.

Red took a deep breath. "Did I miss something? Who is this human? How did we get involved?"

Viv relayed the story of the chase from Duibne Industries into the convention center and how JT managed to mark the human after he somehow got away from Huntington.

"How is that even possible? Are you sure he's human?" Red asked.

Viv shrugged, "So Simon says. No reason to think otherwise."

"Go get some sleep, Romeo. We're go at 1800 hours." Red and JT stood at attention as the Commander rose off the table. They fell out of it easily as the CO relaxed and picked up Red's coffee, drinking it.

"Thanks, guys," Viv said in that sweet voice that she knew made the Pipers do her bidding and liked it.

"Meh," Red said, but leaned in and kissed Viv quickly on the cheek before turning away. "Bring me milk and cookies later, mom."

"Har," she said with a grin.

Red and JT fist bumped as they walked back to their apartments to sleep out the day and prep for the night duty.

"So, you can mark?"

JT looked at Red who appeared to be wide awake. His eyes were still tired and blood shot, but Red looked at him with a new found fascination.

"Yeah. It's still new to me, though."

"You got close enough to the guy to bite or claw him?"

"Oh no. I winged him with a bullet covered with my saliva. I don't think he even noticed it."

"Wow. That is truly disgusting."

JT laughed with Red as they walked slowly back down the long corridor to their wing of the Den. Being able to mark targets was still a new ability to him, something he discovered at Glenveagh before the raid. Something else occurred to JT as he thought back to the incident at DI.

"Something weird happened though. Being around Huntington doesn't bother me."

"Who gifted you? The old Alpha Michaels is your father, right?"

JT involuntarily flinched. He had not thought about his biological father since the Elders and the Beta had asked him outside Glenveagh. He had not known his father, but from what he understood, it was probably a good thing. "My uncle, actually."

"That is weird. Huntington's own grandson, Marthinus, still has a hard time and it's been about three years for him." Red paused. "That bother you? Who your father was?" Red asked.

JT blinked. "Does it bother you guys?"

Red made a face and shrugged. "I don't think anyone but leadership knows. They told me after what happened to Charlie and I stepped up. But no, you don't seem bat shit crazy like your half brother did. Besides, that's what Viv is for."

"I haven't spoken with her yet."

"You will," Red said quietly.

They walked for a few more moments in silence when JT decided to change the subject. "So this girl. What's her name?"

Red immediately smiled but then shrugged it off. "Camille. Nice girl."

"Very pretty," JT added, watching Red's reaction which seemed to waver between happy, concerned, and disinterested. "Like her, huh?"

"She's all right, I guess."

JT snorted, making Red look at him as they approached Red's door first. "Yeah," JT said walking backwards to his door, further down the hallway, "you like her."

"Meh," Red grumbled and waved at JT as he let himself into his residence.

JT turned and grinned, heading to his own apartment.

Viv began to scoot off the table and Brig immediately reached out and steadied her as she planted her feet on the floor.

"You know, I've survived an avalanche, but I do appreciate you helping me off a table."

"Fine, next time I'll let you fall," he said, sipping Red's confiscated coffee. Brig licked his lips and smiled at her.

Her arousal flared as Brig merely looked at her. It could literally make her heart stop. Frustrating and exhilarating that a man could do that to her, Viv glared at him as they walked back up to her apartment.

"God, stop doing that."

"Doing what?" he said, walking close to her, purposely brushing up against her.

"You shouldn't do that in public."

Brig grinned, "We're in a hallway, Viv."

"You know what I mean. Don't look at me like that. It's distracting."

"I like that I can bother you like this," he said, taking her hand with both of his. Viv rolled her eyes but still grinned. Thankfully, Brig changed the subject. "I still haven't told Hammer about tonight."

"Well, we should tell him. Better to keep him informed than have him find out later. I seem to recall his reaction can be a bit volatile."

Viv involuntarily swallowed, remembering her crushed wind pipe within a minute of landing in Ireland several months back. Hammer's reaction had been swift and almost fatal – she did not want to incur his wrath again.

Brig agreed, nodding. "After our run, I'll speak to Hammer about it."

"Speak to me about what?"

Viv and Brig turned back and saw Hammer coming down the steps they had just passed. Wearing his workout clothes, he nodded to Brig and shrugged.

"Or, you know, now works," Viv said under her breath.

Hammer closed his eye slowly and took a deep breath. Asking why would be pointless, he knew this. Demanding why would just force Vivienne to do it herself, pregnant or not, and he knew he'd never hear the end of it from his cousin for letting her go off on her own. Not to mention that as much as it irritated Hammer, the pack still owed Huntington for Charlie.

"Fine. Do it."

"Hammer, come on…wait, what?" His cousin's mate stopped mid sentence and even Brig was giving Hammer a strange look.

"I've given up fighting you, Vivienne. You do this for Huntington and something happens to my Pipers…."

"I know, it's on me."

"No, Vivienne. If something happens to my Pipers, I take it out of your ass, do you hear me?" Hammer pointed at her, stepping close. "If this is a simple track and retrieval, then fine. If this turns out to be something else, I will hold you responsible."

Hammer narrowed his solitary eye at her and she nodded wordlessly. Straightening, he spoke to Brig but never took his eye off of Vivienne. "Pull the LT and have him choose 3 for back up. They'll ghost JT and the Sergeant."

Hammer heard Brig let out a breath. "All right," Brig answered in a tight voice. He wasn't happy with Vivienne now either, now that this had turned into something bigger than Brig's mate had anticipated. She looked nervous, eventually dropping her eyes.

With a sigh, he finally looked at Brig. "Now can we go run?"

Brig pulled out his phone, presumably to send a message to the LT. Message sent, he put the phone away and answered. "Yeah, two seconds."

Hammer turned and stepped away, waiting for Brig by the doors leading out to the back porch of the Den. With his back to them, he could still hear the tension in Brig's voice as he spoke to his mate.

"We'll talk about this later," Brig said quietly.

Vivienne took a deep breath and mumbled a reluctant affirmative. There was no kiss, no fond farewell; just Brig's foot steps behind him. Hammer pushed on the glass doors and exited.

Hammer was relieved Brig could separate the Commander from the mate when dealing with Vivienne on a professional level. For as dominant a personality that she apparently had, Brig maintained his Alpha role when it came to his job. He had no doubt their discussion would more than likely end them both up in bed, but he knew his cousin would make himself clear beforehand. At least, he hoped so.

"Is it hard?"

"Is what hard?" Brig asked.

"When Viv lets you be the man. The transition must be difficult." Hammer pursed his lips, holding back a rare smile as they stepped off the porch and onto the grass.

"Funny, Hammer," Brig growled. "Funny man."

Viv exhaled as Brig and Hammer exited. It was a slow, labored sigh as she closed her eyes and turned away, cursing colorfully.

Instinctively she wanted to rail against Brig's Alpha, but in the same vein she felt the need to comply. This is why her marriages never last long; human men had no idea how to exert that aggressive Alpha in them, claiming what was theirs and having enough presence to maintain control. Brig not only knew how to command, but his ability to use that control made him a true Alpha. How he and Hammer got along was perplexing, but Vigo and Duncan had the same Alpha personalities and they almost never clashed. At least, not until the other night.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she considered eating breakfast, but it was barely past five am and her bed was calling for her swift return. She'd have to build up the strength to face Brig later, anyway. After his run he was ravenously hungry both in appetite and desire. The baby was sapping her strength making her so tired lately that the naps she was sneaking in during the day had become more necessary than just enjoyable.

She so badly wanted to run and not just in human form – that was something her doctor advised her that she could still do already being in physical shape before her pregnancy, but her wolf would not get to taste the freedom of her skin for at least another four months. She had never gone as long as a lunar cycle, so not being able to run free for at least six months was slowly driving her insane. Running helped alleviate the stress of her existence, and before Nachton there was her healthy (ok that was questionable) marijuana use. She could do neither now so with a frustrated sigh, Viv stalked back to her apartment.

Duncan lowered his hand after having knocked heavily on Vivienne's apartment door for exactly five minutes. Obviously she was not there. Turning away from her door, he realized that she might actually be busy. It was too early to be with Brig yet – he would be out running with Hammer right about now, which admittedly made him sigh with relief. Seeing Brig and Hammer together again made him reflect back to that initial call that put a series of events into motion here in Nachton. The strained and upset expression on his oldest son's face as it appeared on his computer back in Canberra put him on the offensive immediately. Brig was one hundred and ten years old, but he was still Duncan's little boy. Granted what Brig told Duncan was not a boy's problem. It felt like a lifetime ago already.

On Vigo's recommendation, they sent Vivienne. It had been Duncan's request to send the elusive shadow of a female to Nachton, to do what she did best and fix the situation between his and Vigo's sons. Had Duncan known that the second she step foot in Nachton, it would cause such an unforeseen domino effect of unexpected decisions, deaths, and outright disobedience, he would have just done it himself. How could one female cause such a ripple effect, affecting the leadership of an entire pack, two of its established and powerful families, and finally making his oldest and rowdiest son to settle down and start a family…all within six months?

The families had been stretched from one continent to the far side of the globe and northern hemisphere; had lost dozens and an entire compound in the blink of an eye; pushed to the near edge of the world based on nothing but a single name. It forced Vigo and Duncan to Nachton, months ahead of schedule, to evaluate the damage caused – both obvious and unseen. Then another set of problems were brought into view; Vigo's need for Vivienne in his life was causing a rift between the families, forcing her mate, his son, and the Pipers Commander to challenge an Elder, a right Vigo did not have.

Duncan sighed unhappily as he walked down the hallway and walked right into the cause of the problem, almost knocking her down.

The baby threw off her center of balance, among other things, so when Duncan walked into her, the extra weight made her misjudge her feet and she tripped herself. The fall would have been unpleasant but not dangerous and it would have really ruined her day realizing that the baby was making her less and less effective at just walking. For a man who was almost one hundred and fifty years old, Duncan was still surprisingly fast and he reached out and caught Viv gently before she even made it halfway to the ground. His large hands grabbed at her upper arms instead of yanking her by her hands and he pulled her into an uncomfortable bear hug, pressing her up against his front side.

"Whoa, I'm sorry, Vivienne," he half chuckled with surprise, reminding her immediately of his son. No matter how many times she thought it, Brig looked exactly like his father – in facial features as well as his body, which again was pressed up against hers. It also did not help that he had the same startling blue eyes that were currently looking at her with humor and concern.

Viv immediately pushed back on his chest and separated herself from Duncan. Hooking her thumb behind her back, she looked at the ground and avoided his stare.

"The Commander is with the Beta on their run. They should be back in an hour or so for breakfast, Elder Jameson."

Viv reverted immediately to professional courtesy with Duncan. It was easier to maintain a resemblance of respect with Brig's father if she treated him as an Elder instead of her future father-in-law. Taking another two steps back, she rolled her shoulders.

"I'm here to speak to you, actually."

That made Viv look up and give the Elder a strange look. "Me?" He couldn't have heard about the Piper expedition that night already, could he? "Is this about tonight, sir?"

"What's tonight?"

Oh, well ok. Maybe it wasn't. "Let's," Viv pointed toward her apartment door and held her hand out, "let's talk…in the Situation Room?"

After an insanely quick reconsidering, Viv decided she did not want Duncan in her apartment. It was bad enough he wanted to speak to her alone, something he NEVER did, but a private conversation between them would make her feel more relaxed in a stricter environment, ironically.

"Your apartment is right there."

"That works…too," she said turning away and heading toward her door. Opening it, she held her hand out again and looked at his chest, waiting for him to enter. He waited a moment and then moved slowly through the doorway, standing just behind her couch, looking down at her potted Orchid from the Alpha that sat on the sofa table directly in front of him.

"It's kind of early, Elder Jameson. Something wrong?"

Duncan turned and looked at Vivienne over his shoulder. She could see his fingertips gently touching one of the petals of her orchid. Staring at the delicate flower, she wanted to pick it up and keep it safe, seeing how it had already been through an enormous fight between Duncan and Vigo's sons. Instead she flicked her eyes down to it, concentrating on that instead of Duncan's face.

"You're always up this early."

How the hell would he know that? Viv let her expression smooth out to indifference, utilizing the skills Vigo had taught her. She wanted him to get to the point.

Looking Duncan in the eye, she asked quietly, "What is it that you wanted to speak to me about, Elder Jameson?"

"Any other time you'd call me Duncan without any regard to my position. Suddenly you're the pillar of respect?"

"You're in my home, Elder Jameson. First time. I can be a surprisingly hospitable host."

Duncan looked around, dropping his hand from the orchid much to Viv's relief. "Why aren't you staying in my son's apartment?"

"Because I like it here. Not that where I sleep is any concern for an Elder."

"Now there's the flippant Vivienne I'm used to seeing." Duncan's pleasant tone faded.

This was the Duncan Viv knew: painfully neutral and stoic, bordering on annoyed. They looked at each other for a few moments before Duncan turned toward the couch and circled around to sit down on it. Viv waited, not sure if she wanted to sit down with the Elder and have this conversation they were avoiding for some time now. Finally Duncan sighed and leaned back on the couch, draping his arm along the back of it without looking at her.

"Indulge me, Vivienne."

Rolling her eyes, Viv circled around and pulled one of her gray zippered hoodies laying on the recliner across from the couch and pulled it on over her fitted black tank. Settling down into the chair, she tucked her legs underneath her and waited for Duncan to speak.

Duncan had watched Vivienne grow up from a child to a capable werewolf and eventually an extremely skilled asset to the families, albeit a hidden one. In addition to those things, he watched her bloom into an exceptionally beautiful woman. She was neither vain about her appearance nor overly concerned with currying favor with any of leadership. Vivienne lived for Vigo Hammerthynn and it was the only reason why he allowed her to assist in the intricacies of family political issues. She accepted her place in Vigo's shadow and lived her life outside the pack, living without one for all intent and purposes. Duncan wasn't blind, he could see what Brig saw in Vivienne, but he wanted to know what Vivienne saw in his son.

She was nearing her seventh month in her pregnancy, starting to show considerably now. They were having a female child, which pleased Duncan and Brig's mother to no end, but he wondered which traits would dominate. A Jameson and someone of Vivienne's innate abilities would be extraordinary, if the mix was favorable. Duncan knew about Vivienne's ability to observationally learn and that talent alone in a Piper would be incredible in a male child. The baby Vivienne was carrying now had no chance at becoming a Piper, however, since there were no female Pipers.

"I came to speak to you about my son."

Vivienne neither commented nor reacted. He wasn't even sure if she was still breathing. She was so much like Vigo it was scary.

"When do you plan on marrying?"

"That really is dependent on you, Duncan."

Duncan had given Brig his blessing, but he apparently had not told Vivienne about the decision yet. He wondered if Brig was waiting for Vivienne to speak to Vigo, after what happened that same night he vowed to stand by his son's side when he married his Vyusher R'asa.

"You know Brig hasn't asked for my blessing. Are you going to marry my son or not?"

"Of course I am. I could no sooner not breathe than be without Brig."

"I know he loves you, Vivienne. I see you love him; I'd have to be blind not to see it. But I need to know what your plans are afterwards."

"I go wherever my mate goes."

"And the Pipers?"

"Their well being is my priority here, per the Alpha. The Sergeant's recovery, integrating the new Pipers, and seeing to their mental health – I serve the Pack, the Families. Nothing has changed for me."

"Except you'll have a daughter and a husband."

"Multi-tasking isn't a problem for me, Duncan."

Duncan leaned forward, his core filling with a cold disdain for her flippant attitude. "A Piper Commander's mate isn't a joke, Vivienne. Your children with Brig will be your sole priority. I haven't tasted my wife's lips in almost six months. And as the wife of the Jameson Elder, it will be a lonely life; a good and happy one, but lonely just the same. "

"Duncan, no disrespect, but have you ever known a Piper's wife like me?"

"You plan on continuing on as you have before?"

Viv leaned forward, smiling at Duncan. "You really didn't expect me to change, did you, Duncan? I don't do normal and I'd like to think that's part of my appeal for Brig. I'm his mate. I'll always be his mate – I don't have a choice in the matter – but if your son needs me, if my father needs my particular skill sets, if you need me Duncan…why wouldn't I continue to be useful?"

Duncan was quiet for a few moments, just staring at her. Viv couldn't tell if he was surprised, aghast, or just at a loss for words. Granted she and Brig had not had the conversation yet about what will happen after the baby, but she knew her mate wouldn't be as comfortable with sending her away as Vigo might have been, despite his reaction to her leaving his side permanently now. Viv was different, in every way.

Idle hands were the Devil's playthings, after all.

"What do you mean, 'you don't have a choice in the matter'?"

She had not expected that part of her statement to be the first thing he would question. "There's something about Brig. Something…special."

Viv knew no other way to explain their connection or the draw of Brig's scent. She couldn't leave Brig even if she wanted to; his scent being such a compelling and tangible attachment to her. Shrugging, she wondered if telling him something so personal would be something he'd be able to grasp. The Pipers and Hammer knew, but somehow telling her mate's father equated to discussing sex.

"I don't understand. Something special?"

Viv looked down at the floor and inhaled, closing her eyes, and tasting his scent in the room. She felt the arousal well up in her, spilling over and making her blush. A smile touched her lips as she licked them and when she opened her eyes, Duncan's startled expression at her reaction embarrassed her.

"His scent," Viv said simply.

Duncan wanted to yell at her, but it just wasn't his place. Maybe things within the family were archaic, it being the 21st century, but the two families had function with the same values and traditions for centuries because it had always worked. Pipers were Jamesons and Hammerthynns descendants, but the wounded Sergeant Charlie Hammond and grandson of their greatest enemy Marthinus Steyn had changed that. Jameson Pipers married for love, yes, but all Piper wives served a purpose: bearing children and raising them. Duncan's own wife fulfilled this duty, but she walked into their marriage knowing this and accepting it without question.

Then there was Vivienne.

She was as close to the Pipers and family business as she could be without being a part of it. No one skirted the edge of the family business quite as close as Vivienne had. To lose her abilities would be detrimental, as much as Duncan hated to admit it, but as the Piper Commander's wife, it should all end. All this would have Duncan insist on Vivienne stepping down from her duties, until she mentioned not having a choice to be with Brig. Her explanation of that statement had been…startling.

Duncan watched as she inhaled deeply, taking in the scents in the room. He could taste the scents himself that lingered. Old scents from the Pipers, Hammer, and even an extremely old whiff of the Alpha and his mother, but the strongest scents were Vivienne's and his son. Vivienne closed her eyes and Duncan watched as the blush rose up into her cheeks and a knowing smile tainted her lips. When she opened her eyes, he could see the arousal in them and the way she spoke briefly about Brig's scent even made him blush.

"What about his scent?"

Vivienne's smile grew and the more it did, the more uncomfortable Duncan became. She was radiant just speaking about Brig – the flush of her cheeks and when she licked her lips, making them glisten with a want that he was embarrassed to even notice.

"He hasn't told you about our scents? When we first met?"

"No, he hasn't."

Vivienne sat all the way back in the seat and crossed her legs. Smiling, she recounted their meeting at the Park Reserve. "We crossed paths and stupidly got involved in a fight. You know me, Duncan. I have a thing about men and being dominated."

Duncan did narrow his eyes at her with a terse nod.

"We had started to square off when something happened. His scent stopped me dead in my tracks and the same thing happened to him. One thing led to another and then…ok did you want me to actually tell you what happened?"

He held up his hand and stopped her, guessing at what happened next as much as he really didn't want to do that. "Brig's scent. You're drawn to it, where ever it is?"

"And the same for him. Being away from him when I left for Siberia was," Vivienne held her breath and Duncan saw the fear in her eyes. "It was devastating. It was like losing a limb." She looked at him strangely and asked, "Have you heard of this type of thing before? With scents?"

Duncan swallowed and stood. "Yes. Just once. Thank you for your time, Vivienne."

"Wait, what? When?"

"I gave Brig my blessing the other night. I'll speak to Vigo and he'll give his as well."

Viv watched as Duncan moved around the couch to the door. Quickly getting up, she followed him, reaching out and grabbing his arm before he opened the door and left.

"Wait, Duncan, wait. I don't understand. Who else has had this scent thing happen to them? I've never heard of it."

Duncan held the door open with one hand and had his back to her. He paused on his way out the door and then turned back. When he did, Viv was again startled to see so much of her mate in his father, enough to make her blush under his focused stare. Everything about the Elder exuded power and strength, instinctively making the female in her shiver in the shadow of his presence. She really had to stop reacting to her future father-in-law that way.

Duncan shook his head and gave her something akin, if not directly related to, a soft and caring look. "It's a blessing and a curse, Vivienne. It is something special and I'm almost envious of what you and Brig have together."

"Almost?"

"You're extremely lucky to have found your soul mate, not many people even come close, but losing your mate will be something close to hell and I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Duncan turned and pulled on the door, closing it behind him as he left.

Vigo wiped at the sweat running down his face as he walked his mile cool down. Duncan had not met him for their morning run, but that wasn't unusual. He knew Hammer and Brig ran together religiously, but he and Duncan were as much alike as their sons as they were different. Lifting his shirt, he wiped at his face when the distinct scent of his daughter wafted toward him in the morning sunrise.

The initial happiness that her scent brought to him was still there, but when he turned toward her, the swell of her pregnancy immediately withered it. Slowing his walk, he watched her as she made her way quickly up to him on the path leading toward the Den from deep within the well worn running tracks along the Long Run. She was breathless when she got to him.

"Hi," she said with a smile.

Vigo raised his eyebrows, granting her a small smile. Things were strained between them. The tender moments were few and far between and they no longer greeted each other with affection. At least, she never initiated it, so he assumed she did not want it.

"I was hoping we could talk."

"About your baby?" he asked in a monotone voice. Viv looked down and touched her growing belly. A spasm of disgust rippled across his face, but Viv missed it, too enthralled with the choices she had made.

"Among other things, yes. I spoke to Duncan. He gave his blessing to Brig."

Outwardly he was nonplussed, but inwardly Vigo felt his blood pressure rise, threatening to kill him on the spot. So Duncan went ahead and gave his blessing to them to marry, despite the two of them discussing it on the plane over to Nachton. Duncan had seemed dead set against it, but apparently it had changed.

"Good for Brig," Vigo said slowly, staring at Vivienne with his lone eye.

Vivienne stood there, staring up at him. Her face was clouded with pain, but only for a moment. When it smoothed over to indifference, Vigo knew he was cutting her deep. He just honestly did not care.

"So you're asking for my blessing now."

"Actually, no...well yes. I wanted to speak to you about something else Duncan had said."

"What else did Elder Jameson say?" He narrowed his eye at her, letting his irritation show with her casual reference to someone in a higher position. Every little thing about her seemed to change, to irritate him. Her disregard for authority, how she skirted the edge of disrespect with the way she addressed her betters. His was a reminder, one she had better remember.

Viv paused, her expression cautious. "What do you know about two wolves being bound together by their scents?"

Of all the things Duncan could have told her, Vigo was not expecting that.

Her father's reaction was unexpected, at best. Vigo sneered and balled his fists, towering over her as he stepped closer. Intense fear rippled up her spine as he spoke to her in a quiet whisper said through gritted teeth.

"Why is that any of your business, Vivienne?"

Reeling in her fear, she swallowed once trying to get the immediately dry taste out of her mouth. Vigo's rage was palatable and was not something she was privy to in the past. He had never spoken to her the way he spoke to his Pipers or subordinates. She had been so sure he would never feel a need to speak to her in that tone, but apparently she had been wrong.

Everything was changing quickly; her body, her relationship with Vigo, Brig, Simon and within the pack. She had never considered any of it to be more than she was capable of, but Vigo's reaction to her question suddenly made a confusing situation very clear.

"You? Duncan was talking about you and Emma?"

Vigo's rage smoothed over to confusion. "Who else would he be talking about?"

Viv shrugged helplessly, "I was talking about me and Brig."

Vigo paled and took a step back. His fury was gone, replaced completely by shock.

It dawned on Viv now, what Duncan had meant about having the bond but losing your mate. Why Vigo never quite recovered from losing Emma or how he had completely turned away from his only son. Why he ignored family tradition and never remarried or fathered any other children.

It was because he couldn't.

"Duncan was talking about you." Viv rushed forward, putting her hands on her father's chest. He looked at her, confused. "Then you understand. When Brig and I first met, we were drawn to each other's scent. It put everything on fast forward for us. It made him everything to me, literally my center of the universe. I can't imagine my life without him now…but you understand."

Her father reached up and laid his large hands over hers…and then pulled her off him, pushing her away.

"You need to make a choice, Vivienne. Right now. I'm your father. I raised you. I made you what you are. Strong, intelligent…this life, it's not for you. This is beneath you. This," he pointed at her stomach and she instinctively protected her daughter and laid her hands over her, "this isn't a problem."

"This…is my daughter."

"And what will you do with it, Vivienne? Do you plan on settling down here in Nachton with the Commander? Be the dutiful little housewife? How long do you think that will last before you grow restless? You'll resent this life – Brig and your child. This isn't what you were raised for, living the life of a common female. I raised you better than this."

Vigo was serious, she realized. Both Duncan and her father questioned her ability to function outside the life her father had built for her. They both fully expected her to resist this life with Brig and grow tired of her role as a mother and a wife. It made her question just how people perceived her. How Brig must see her.

"Choose, Vivienne. Your life is either with me or without me."

Vigo pleaded with her. How could she not see what she was doing to her life? What she was doing to them? He was forcing her to choose either Brig or him, but the consequences would be dire if she chose poorly.

"I don't understand," she said quietly.

"CHOOSE VIVIENNE," he yelled loudly. His rage was getting the better of him as he looked down at her. Trembling, he reached out and grabbed her arms, his fingers squeezing tightly. "Your place is with ME. Not Brig, not Nachton. It's with me."

"You want me to give up my daughter and Brig…knowing what you know now? How we're bonded by the same thing you and Emma -."

"DON’T SAY HER NAME!"

Vivienne tried to step back, but his hands were still on her, pulling her back. Her fear was as clear as the confusion on her face. Vigo gave her one last chance.

"You'll get over it, Vivienne. Losing Brig now will be easier. You have no idea what it was like to lose her. To not be able to smell her scent, to have it instantly comfort me. To look your child in the face and see…her."

He felt the anguish and pain he had pushed deep down rise up and threaten to choke him. Losing Emma had been devastating. The only reason he had not killed himself when he found her dead in their home was their son. Despite not being the father his son needed, Vigo would not force him to lose both parents, leaving him an orphan within the families. Instead he stayed and suffered so his son could have a family, even when Vigo could barely stand to look at him.

This anguish was easily forgotten looking at Vivienne now. She had changed everything coming into his life. Literally bringing him back to life, giving him a purpose he knew Emma would encourage and understand.

"I'm not Emma," Vivienne said, her face smooth of any expression and her choice made.

Brig and Hammer slowed their run and walked through their cool down, talking about Charlie's status at Duibne, Viv's pet project that was happening that evening, but the one thing weighing heavily on Brig's mind was how his relationship with Vivienne seemed to be changing.

"She sleeps all the time."

"She's pregnant, Brig. I think that's normal."

Brig tried to explain what he was talking about without sounding like a horny teenager. "I mean…she sleeps. All the time. All…the time."

"Why did you feel a need to repeat that three times?"

Brig rubbed the back of his neck and blurted it out. "We're not having as much sex as we used to."

"Oh! Oh. Brian, Jesus. Why would you tell me that?"

"Because I have to tell someone," he said shrugging. "We used to function on two hours of sleep, maybe four, but never more than that. Every single night I was sneaking in through her window and she'd be waiting there, usually dressed in almost nothing."

"I really don't need this mental picture."

"The floor, the couch, the table."

"We eat there, come on."

"And she does this thing. I can't even describe it."

"Then don't."

"But now we actually sleep. Well, she sleeps. We'll do it once, maybe twice, and then she falls asleep."

Hammer was confused. "So technically you're still having sex every single day."

"Well, yeah."

"Here I was thinking she was abusing you."

"The point is --"

"A point. Hoorah!"

"I can't get enough of her. Her scent drives me crazy, whenever…where ever. She's on my clothes, on my skin. She's in my office. I can even smell her on you."

Hammer looked down at himself and sniffed his shirt.

"It's all I can do to keep my hands off her when she's sleeping."

"You sound like an addict."

"I've been out running in the middle of the night, just to burn off the energy, but it's not helping at all. Do you ever feel like that? Like –"


~
"Duncan was talking about you. Then you understand. When Brig and I first met, we were drawn to each other's scent. It put everything on fast forward for us. It made him everything to me, literally my center of the universe. I can't imagine my life without him now…but you understand."

"And what will you do with it, Vivienne? Do you plan on settling down here in Nachton with the Commander? Be the dutiful little housewife? How long do you think that will last before you grow restless? You'll resent this life – Brig and your child. This isn't what you were raised for, living the life of a common female. I raised you better than this."
~


Brig and Hammer stopped in their tracks. Vigo's voice filtered in through the trees as well as their scents and Viv's curled itself around Brig, igniting his arousal, but his uncle's voice broke the trance. Brig moved quickly in between the trees, crossing over to the other part of the path they were walking on and watched.



~
"…I made you what you are. Strong, intelligent…this life, it's not for you. This is beneath you…."
~



"What?" Brig said as he and Hammer pushed through the trees and saw Vigo and Vivienne fighting. His mate and her father did not notice them watching, but their conversation floated on the wind, carrying their words.



~
"You'll get over it, Vivienne. Losing Brig now will be easier. You have no idea what it was like to lose her. To not be able to smell her scent, to have it instantly comfort me. To look your child in the face and see…her."
~


Brig broke out into a run, only to be stopped by Hammer's strong hand.

"Wait."

"For what? He's telling her to leave me, Hammer. For him!"

"Wait," Hammer said again quietly.

Viv was staring at her father, her face pale and expressionless. What she said next was just above a whisper, but both he and Hammer heard it as clear as if they were standing next to her and not fifty feet away.



~
"I'm not Emma."
~

Hammer held onto Brig's arm as they watched Vivienne and his father argue. Finally she was confronting him and Vigo's response was to threatened her. But Hammer was confused. How could Vigo understand the strong bond between Vivienne and Brig, how their scents bound them to each other?

"He had it with my mother," Hammer said slowly. It all made sense. His father's reaction to his mother's death, how Vigo pushed Hammer away, unable to care for him emotionally, and his disdain for tradition, never having any more sons or even considering remarrying.

Footsteps came up behind him and whispers from the Pipers returning from their own run were hushed by the LT.

"Sir?" LT asked his uncle, but Brig watched focused on his mate and her father.

Their father, Hammer thought to himself.

"One second, Lieutenant."

"Hammer," Brig said, looking at him. His face was tense with anger and fear that Viv might just listen to her father.

"If she doesn't do this now, Brig, he'll never understand." Hammer mumbled quietly, just as Vigo reared his left hand up and hit Vivienne across the face, knocking her to the ground.

Viv saw it coming. How could she not? She knew this man from head to toe, balls to bones. Knew how he thought, how he would act, and with what hand he'd strike her with. Viv saw it coming and did not flinch.

She hit the ground with a resounding crack of her cheekbone resulting in what she liked to call 'the triad of face breaks'. Technically speaking Vigo damn near shattered the bone that held the orbital rim and zygomatic arch – but in layman's terms, he backhanded the shit out of her.

So not only had he hit her in anger for the first time in her life, Viv did not prepare herself for the blow, adding to the humiliation. It was as if she felt she deserved it and maybe her subconscious was telling her by not preventing the hit, which she easily could have, that she did. Shaking her head slowly, she tried to stop the spinning when Vigo's words filtered into her head.

"…a whore, a filthy Vyusher R'asa stain that I saved and this is how you repay me?"

There were footsteps and voices yelling over Vigo's. A hand reached out to her and she had the presence of mind to pull away from it.

"No, no," she mumbled, pushing the hands away.

"Vigo, stop. BRIG STOP!"

That was Duncan's voice yelling over the other voices. Slowly, she put her hands flat on the ground and put a knee underneath her, but her equilibrium betrayed her, rolling her back and finally she could see what the yelling was about.

Hammer, Lothias, Marko, and Duncan were holding Vigo back as he tried to lunge at Vivienne. Lewis, Marthinus, and Domingo were pushing back on Brig, trying to keep him away from her father. Where the hell had they all come from, she wondered to herself as she tried to stand again. Twisting, she got her knee up under her again and she pushed off the ground, standing – just barely – on her own two feet. She tasted blood in her mouth and she reached up, her fingers grazing her broken cheek bone and felt the cut along her now split lip. His large hand had covered quite a bit of distance on her face. Impressive, she thought with a shaky laugh.

Vigo glared at her, pulling at the men holding him back, but Vivienne just stood there, looking at him. She no longer recognized him, this man who she called father for over fifty years. In an uncharacteristic show of fury, he pointed at her and spit his venom.

"You are nothing like Emma, Vivienne. She would have never, NEVER, betrayed me like you have. After all I did for you."

"You mean did to me, Vigo. Did to me."

Vigo stopped and his eyes went wide.

Viv took a step back and nearly tripped again, forcing LT to pull away from Vigo and come to her. She pulled her arm out of his grasp and stood defiant. LT stood back, watching. Viv looked down at her clothes and wiped the dust off. She then looked over and pointed at Brig who stopped when she turned her attention to him.

"I choose him."

"Babe," Brig said, his voice cracking with relief.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance," Vigo sputtered.

"Yes. You should have." Looking back up at Vigo, she spit a mouth full of her blood in front of him and turned away.

Vigo felt the words come out of his mouth and he instantly regretted it. Vivienne spat at him and then turned her back. All at once Vigo's world came crashing down.

"Vivienne, no. Please," he begged as she stumbled away from him. "VIVIENNE!"

"Jesus, Vigo. Just let her go," Duncan said through gritted teeth.

The hysteria rose up in him, reminding him of that feeling that nearly suffocated him when he came home that day and found his Emma on the floor, dead. Vigo had stood there for at least five minutes, staring at her lifeless body. Her scent was still in the air, but it was tainted. Wrong. He called out to her quietly. 'Emma, baby?' over and over again until he fell to his knees next to her. Finally he touched her.

She was so cold.

The terror of that loss and inevitably tortured pain filled his chest and Vigo cried out. "VIVIENNE, FORGIVE ME."

Quietly, the wind shifted direction and he heard her response clearly as if she had whispered it into his ear.

"No, Vigo. Not this time."

Vigo felt his knees buckle and the hands pulled away, letting him drop to the ground. Duncan knelt down next to him.

"Vigo. Get up."

But he couldn't. He just…couldn't. Vigo watched as his daughter walked off and disappeared through the tree line, heading back to the Den. He stayed there, on his knees until he felt a large hand reach down and pull on his arm, forcing him up. Vigo turned and looked into the face of his son.

Leaning in close, Hammer whispered to his father. "Just let her go, father."

"I can't," Vigo said in a small voice. "She's my daughter."

"I'm not talking about Vivienne."

Hammer watched as his words penetrated his father's thick skull, hopefully forcing Vigo to realize that it was never about Vivienne. Vigo had never dealt with the loss of his wife and only set aside that detrimental loss and used a little ten year old Vyusher R'asa as a replacement for that unconditional, female love. Hammer understood now what his father went through when his mother died.

As a boy he knew his parents were deeply in love and it was different than the other Hammerthynns. None of his uncles treated their wives the way Vigo treated his mother. Their marriage, although arranged, was held together by a love few rarely ever experienced. When his mother died, Vigo might as well have died with her. Hammer dealt with the loss of his mother and moved on, as all Hammerthynns would and could. But Vigo just couldn't.

So Hammer watched as his father fell apart, mourning the loss of his mother all over again.

LT and the other Pipers did not know what to do. It had been a tumultuous six months, what with the Commander and Beta fighting, Vivienne appearing in Nachton and her subsequent reveal of her true nature and then her pregnancy, Charlie's near death, and bizarre alliance with the silu Huntington. All this was stressful enough, but now to have their Elder reduced to blind rage over a Vyusher R'asa female. LT's head was spinning like a top and the budding Commander in him felt the audible crack in the foundation of Vigo Hammerthynn's leadership.

With a nod of his head, he dismissed the other Pipers, leaving him there with his grandfather, Vigo, the Beta, and his uncle. The latter stood with his hands clenched into fists, glaring at the Elder Hammerthynn as he knelt on the dirt.

"I'll go check on Vivienne," LT said to no one in particular. He had seen the damage on her face and her cheekbone was definitely broken by Vigo's fierce backhand. LT had heard the crack from some distance off and knew that she'd need it looked at before it healed poorly.

"Sirs," he said respectfully and turned away.

Running toward the Den, he found Vivienne walking slowly through the kitchen, blood running down her face and onto the gray zippered hoodie she had thrown on over the black tank he saw her in earlier. Other pack members down for breakfast were watching her silently.

Walking up behind her, he gently took her arm and guided her toward one of the medical facilities in the Den. If she noticed him, he could not tell.

"Viv?" LT pulled her into the clinic and immediately a medical tech took a look at her face. She neither flinched nor reacted to the tech touching her break.

"Viv?" he said again. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes I can hear you, LT."

"Are you all right? The baby?"

The tech sat Vivienne down on a gurney and looked at LT. "We'll get her the once over. What happened?"

"My father hit me," she answered, staring at the ground. "The baby is fine. I have a tripod fracture. The maxillary sinus, specifically the floor of the orbit. The arch and the lateral orbital wall."

"Your cheekbone is damn near shattered," the tech said. "What the hell did he hit her with? A brick?"

"My lip's already closing though." Viv looked at LT as the tech turned away to find a doctor. "This isn't nearly as bad as getting my windpipe crushed, Lothias."

LT shook his head at the tech, dismissing his questions. "Viv, you're in shock."

She shrugged. "Yeah, probably."

LT stared at her as she talked around her swollen lips. Bruises were already forming, covering the entire side of her face. With a deep sigh, he stood next to Viv, refusing to leave her side.

"Red. Red, get up."

Red shot up in his bed, almost hitting Lewis in the face with his forehead. "Huh, what?"

"Get up! You need to come down to the clinic."

Pulling the covers off him, Red mechanically moved. Getting off the bed, he grabbed a pair of jeans lying at the foot of the covers and pulled them on. "Yeah, yeah, I'm up."

Rubbing his hands through his hair, he put on his shoes and moved with Lewis through his apartment. Slowly he woke up, even though his body was moving on automatic. Lewis was talking, saying something about a fight out on the Long Run and someone in the clinic needing surgery.

As they exited his apartment, they took the long corridor to the medical wing of the Den, double timing it when something occurred to him.

"Lewis, wait. Who needs surgery?"

Lewis turned a corner and stood in front of the entrance. "She's in here."

"She? She who?"

Red walked quickly into the clinic and pushed into one of the doors of a private room. The LT was standing next to examine room table with his arms crossed. Red held his hands up, shrugging. The LT nodded down at the body on the table.

"Jesus, what happened to Vivienne's face?"

The clinic tech was peeling the bloody skin back over her left cheekbone, exposing broken bits of her orbital wall. The bottom arch of her eye socket had been shattered, making her now bloodshot left eye droop. From her left temple, down over the eye, passed her lips, and to her chin was a fresh bruise, purple and red. The tech looked up at Red nervously, holding a scalpel.

"Move. MOVE NOW," Red yelled at the tech, backing him up. "Fuck me." Pulling back at the skin, he checked the breaks, counting the fractures. Without looking up at LT, he began asking questions as his fingers moved from the equipment table next to him, back to Vivienne's face.

"Who hit her?" Neither Lewis or LT spoke up. "If you make me look up, I won't be able to fix this without messing up her pretty face, guys. Who the fuck hit her so hard?"

"Elder Hammerthynn."

Red's hands paused for a second, and then he continued reassembling Viv's cheekbone, racing against her regenerative abilities. "Did you check the baby?"

The tech answered, "Everything is five by five. They said she just took the hit to the face and then dropped to the ground. Maybe a concussion, but she walked in here on her own two feet."

Red remained quiet as he worked on her face, only speaking to the tech when he needed something. There had only been one problem reconstructing her cheekbone – the Elder had managed to completely decimate a piece of bone where his knuckle must've connected, leaving Red no choice but to build around it, leaving the smallest dimple. It would be the only scar she'd have from the incident, but it wasn't anything they couldn't fix later. It was right on the highest point of her cheekbone, below her eye. An hour later, Red stepped back.

He had forgotten to put gloves on in his haste, but it wasn't as if it mattered. There was nothing Vivienne could transmit to him that his own regenerative abilities could not handle. Moving toward a sink in the room, he soaped up his hands and washed her blood off him.

"Let her sleep it off," he told the tech and exited the room with the LT. Lewis had left to find the Commander and when they stepped out of the room, Brig immediately stepped up to Red.

"She's fine. I had to reconstruct the breaks."

The Commander exhaled. His face was red and drained as he fell back against the wall.

"There's going to be a small dimple on her cheek for now. She can get surgery to fill it back up, I just didn't have anything in there—"

"I don't care about scars, Red." The Commander mumbled under his breath.

Red looked at the LT and motioned him away from the Commander, down the hall. Whispering he asked, "Why?"

LT rubbed his face. "He asked her to choose. She did."

"What the fuck did he hit her with? A bat?"

LT lifted his left hand and showed him the back of it.

"Jesus Christ." Red had no doubt that Vigo could have caved in the side of her face with his hand, considering he just about did it. LT quietly explained they were all out on the Run when they saw the two of them arguing. Finally the Elder hit her, lashing out, calling her a whore.

"He said he wished he had killed her when he had the chance."

Red paled, flicking a look at the Commander. "What happens now?"

LT shrugged, shaking his head and they both looked back at the Commander who pushed into the room to be with his pregnant mate.

Brig stood watching his pregnant mate walk away. The Pipers followed and then finally his nephew was good enough to check on Viv. He wanted to do it himself, but there was something he had to say.

He looked at his uncle, ignoring the looks from Hammer and his father. Vigo's face was pale with some sort of distraught confusion he had never seen on a Hammerthynn's face. The realization of what Vigo had done was sinking in with the old man, but Brig made sure he'd never forget.

"You didn't have to force her to choose."

His father stepped forward, but Brig held up his hand, silencing him.

"You of all people should know what we have together. You were lucky enough to have it once."

Vigo flicked his pale gray eye at Brig, his confusion smoothed out to the defaulted indifferent expression.

"I love her, Vigo. And I'm lucky enough to have her love me. And despite you humiliating her in front of us, I know she still loves you…even though you don't fucking deserve it." Sighing, he stepped closer to his uncle and looked him in the face.

"If you ever did."

Shaking his head, he turned away from them and walked back to the Den, looking for his mate.

Lewis found him up in Viv's apartment and brought him down to the clinic. They wouldn't let him into the room while they worked on her face, but Lewis stood outside in the hallway with him, quiet in his comfort for him.

"Red is working on her," Lewis said quietly.

Brig nodded, not really hearing what Lewis was saying. He could smell Viv's scent as it lingered in the hallway, and as always, it warmed him, taking the edge off the volatile moment. It made him wonder just what Vigo must have gone through losing Emma. Despite what the old man had done that day, Brig's heart went out to him now that he understood why Vigo was the way he had become. The families had mourned the loss of Emma Jameson Hammerthynn, but not quite like Vigo. At seventeen Brig wasn't that much younger than his aunt and she had been in her prime and as beautiful as ever when she died. She adored Vigo and Hammer, and the short time she had them, Brig knew she must've loved them a lifetime's worth.

Would he be as tortured and removed from life as Vigo was if Vivienne died first? He couldn't imagine her scent reminding him how fortunate he was to have someone love him. To not see her face or feel her skin against his. It would kill him, Brig knew that, and god forbid if she went first, he would not be far behind her. If Viv outlived him, and god willing she would, he'd want her to not to suffer. She was fifty years younger than him and had potentially that long to live without him. He'd want her to be happy, but it wasn't like he wouldn't be waiting for her.

Red stepped out of the room and reassured him that she would be fine. He brushed off the notion of any scars being important and rushed into the room to see her. The tech cleaned up the bloody tools and left the room.

The left side of her face had swelled with ugly purple bruises. Her cheek had two butterfly bandages tight across the wound and where they cut the skin back. There would be no point in stitches; she'd be healed by morning and her bruises would already start to fade to the sickly yellow. Still, the wound looked raw and painful. The corner of her lips had healed splits that were already closing. Reaching out, he gently touched her hair, moving it out of her face.

"Sir?"

Brig turned toward the door. He hadn't heard it open.

"The baby is fine. She'll wake up in a little bit and she can go." The tech paused for a moment and looked at Vivienne on the table. "Just keep her off her feet for a couple hours."

Nodding, Brig turned back and looked at Viv, gently laying his hand on her pregnant belly. He felt a sob rise up and choke him. Looking down at her, the tears that had been threatening him finally spilled.

Inhaling deeply Viv could immediately smell Brig near her. It covered her senses like a warm blanket, wrapping her instant arousal and comfort. It helped her forget, that was until she tried to open her eyes.

The pain radiated down the side of her face practically stopping her heart. Clenching her fists, she took another deep breath and exhaled slowly, controlling the pain. Whatever they had given her, she was still extremely drowsy, so when she felt Brig's arms slid underneath her, she did not resist. Jostling her, she opened up her right eye and peered out, Brig's movement making her dizzier.

"Let me walk," she mumbled, trying not to rub her face against his chest.

"Nope," he said.

Reaching up with her arm, she put it on his chest as he gently carried her. They were headed back to her apartment. The sounds and smells told her that. Occasionally she'd hear Brig say something softly, whether it was to her or someone else, she had no clue. She didn't answer him either way.

"Put me down, Brig."

He replied in a negative tone, but what he said was lost.

Her face felt like fire. Vigo must've hit her harder than she realized, but then she didn't remember much of anything after walking away. Vaguely she remembered LT's scent, sex and vanilla she recalled with a halfhearted smile, and then nothing. Her father must've destroyed her cheekbone requiring some sort of surgery, otherwise she knew it would not be hurting as much as it did. No matter, Viv thought, the pain was manageable. She had felt far, far worse.

The softness of her bed pressed up against her and Brig slid his arms back out from underneath her. He was talking to her again, softly whispering to her, but she couldn't make out the words. She reached out and pulled on his shirt, making him crawl in bed with her. Soft laughter and his warm body pressed up against her made sleep that much easier to find again.

Duncan and Hammer escorted Vigo to his room. Escorted was putting it lightly, actually. He had struck his daughter, and per the Alpha, another pack member in anger doing substantial damage not only to Vivienne but to his authority with the Pipers by doing it in front of them. Vigo had completely lost control in himself and his ability to lead.

The moment they entered his apartment, the vestiges of his authority disappeared. He had walked with restrained anger and pride in between the other Elder and the Beta, but once that door closed, his shoulders slumped and the black veil of depression returned. He hated Nachton and could not leave soon enough. But where would he go now?

"Vigo we really need to talk about what you just did." Duncan stood next to him, speaking softly and as a friend.

"I've said enough for one day, Duncan." For a lifetime, he thought to himself.

Hammer remained by the door, no doubt looking at him admonishingly. "This gets settled now, father. We need to do damage control before this gets out."

"Damage control," Vigo said, smiling. "It's beyond that now, Beta."

His son walked slowly up to him, his boots heavy on his hardwood floor. Hammer stood close and put his hand on Vigo's shoulder in an oddly comforting gesture. "I think it's about time you and I talked as father and son."

Vigo looked at his son and suddenly there he was, eleven years old, looking up at him with that silent need for comfort. Vigo reached out and touched Iov's face with both hands, cupping his cheeks.

"Your mother was so proud of you. We both were, are proud of you, son."

"Vigo?" Duncan said quietly behind him.

"Look at him, Duncan. A fine boy." Vigo smiled at his little boy, seeing his mother in his smile and softness of her hair.

"Dad?" Iov said, reaching up and touching his father's hands. "Dad I miss her, too. Every day. Dad?"

Vigo looked at his beautiful son and ached looking at his fresh missing eye. "She didn't want this for you, you know. She begged me not to do it to you." He ran his big thumb over his baby boy's fresh scar.

"I wanted to be just like you. It was an honor."

"I know, son, but I didn't want this life for you." Vigo felt the tears well up in his eye. "I'm so...sorry."

His son's face crumpled in confusion. "Dad?"

Vigo blinked and suddenly Iov was a man again, looking at him with his weathered, scarred face. A man, a leader, but more importantly, still his baby boy.

"Hammer? I miss her. So much."

Much to his surprise, and he was sure Hammer's, Vigo pulled his grown son into a fierce hug, unashamed for the first time.

His father had not talked to him like this since before his mother had died. A full century had passed. It was odd for Hammer to think that his mother had been dead that long now. It must have felt like an eternity to his father.

Vigo seemed lost looking at him now. The man Hammer knew, who had struck the woman he had called daughter for decades out of an intense fury that Hammer had never seen from his father had been so out of character. It was so painfully detached from the man his father was before his mother had died. Vigo held his face, talking to him as if he was a boy again. This was the man Hammer remembered as a little boy. How Vigo would talk to him gently, raising him with his mother guidance was the example he emulated when Xeph, his own son, had been his charge. Losing an eye and feeling the hard edge of being a Hammerthynn had been an honor, because he was that much closer to being his father.

"Dad?"

Hammer had not called him that since Emma had died. It was either 'father' or 'sir', never anything as remotely affectionate. Vigo was speaking but Hammer just didn't understand. Was his father so far gone now? It didn't matter Hammer decided when his father pulled him into a hug, one he had not felt in over one hundred years. Not when Hammer stepped up with Brig to Command the Pipers or when Hammer ascended to Beta status over the Greater Pack. There were no proud moments between father and son, just indifferent acknowledgement of an expectation met. Vigo hugged him and Hammer looked to Duncan, confused.

Duncan closed his eyes, nodding to Hammer. His uncle gave him a small encouraging smile.

Hammer slowly embraced his father, resting his face onto Vigo's shoulder, remembering the father he was, not that cold man he had become.

There was no point in going back to sleep. Red rubbed at his unshaven face as he walked up to Vivienne's apartment from the clinic, holding a tablet. Wide awake and now concerned instead of just curious, he took the short flight up to the second floor in three large steps. He had been down speaking to the technician about the incident, impressing upon the man to keep his thoughts and details of what had happened to himself. The LT had stood behind Red as he spoke to the tech, silently enforcing Red's directive.

The Pipers took it upon themselves to clean up the mess of any fallout from Elder Hammerthynn's outburst. Quietly he and LT visited anyone who had noticed and ensured that no information would leak out to the families. They didn't need more problems when they had plenty to deal with on their own turf.

LT left Red to gathering up the xrays that the tech had taken, leaving him to take the time to actually look at them. The xray film was odd, to say the least. With the xrays now transferred to the ipad, Red knocked softly on Viv's door, knowing the Commander was there.

The Commander opened the door and invited him in with a nod. "What's up?"

Red held up the tablet and looked toward Vivienne's bedroom door. It was opened.

"She's out." The Commander held his hand out and Red handed it to him. Silently Brig flipped through the film, his expression not changing till he reached the end. Then he doubled back and looked at them again. "When were these taken?"

"That's today. There's nothing on Viv before."

The Commander's face tightened up and he flicked a look in the direction of her bedroom.

"That's a lot of healed fractures for a psychologist," Red said, jumping to the point. "Or is it psychiatrist?"

"A psychologist has a PHD, a psychiatrist has an MD and deals more with medicine. That's a recent job. Vigo's been using her for years."

"Oh. What has she been doing for him?"

The Commander shrugged. "Odd jobs."

Red chuckled and rubbed his face. "Sir, I did odd jobs in primary school. Raking leaves, washing cars at the garage. But I've never had every bone in my face broken doing it. And that's just from the neck up." He held his hands up and looked at them. "I'm not judging, sir, but from what the LT said and from what we've all seen, there's no way she couldn't have avoided that hit."

"There's a lot about Vivienne I don't know, Red, but what I do know is that Vigo used her for things that us Pipers couldn't do and that required more than just her ability to observationally learn."

"She has the same type of healed fractures as you do, sir. I mean, Viv was bad ass before, but now I gotta wonder…just what did the Elder do with her and why would he turn on her like this? And Christ, why would she take it?"

"That's none of our business, Sergeant. I wouldn't even presume to guess."

Red took a deep breath and shrugged. He wasn't sure why he was looking into Viv's prior injuries or her exact affiliation with the Elder Hammerthynn. But if the Commander wasn't questioning it, why should he? A little voice in his head spoke up and whispered to him.

'Because the Commander was too close to Vivienne to ask, this could be a problem in the long run or an extreme advantage.'

"But we should be, sir. Just to level the playing field. You may not want to know, but I think it would behoove us to ask just what she is capable of. I'm not saying don't trust her, I'm just saying if she's trained as a Piper, why not use her as one?" Red paused as the Commander glared at him. "Sir."

"Make up your mind. You either want to know the exact dynamic of Vigo and Vivienne's relationship and how that might affect the Pipers or you want to use her abilities above and beyond what she's been asked to do by the Alpha."

"Uh…both?"

The Commander looked at him, his face void of expression. "Go check her wounds, Sergeant." Then he handed the tablet back to Red.

"Aye, sir."

Red turned immediately toward the bedroom and walked in, looking down at Vivienne on the bed. He almost wished he had been there to see what happened, but LT had been extremely detailed. Red knew before Charlie's accident, LT wouldn't have bothered explaining it, but now that Red was part of leadership (albeit temporarily) his need-to-know-only status had changed to knows-every-goddamn-thing.

She was still sleeping off the drugs they had given her, but looked comfortable if not extremely battered. Her regenerative abilities were already working on the purple bruises and swelling in her face. The cuts on her lips were completely closed, but the bruising on her cheekbone was still red. Sitting on the edge of the bed next to her, he leaned over and looked at her face. He began to mumble to himself.

"Petechiae bleeding on the surface below the left eye. Minor swelling still present." Red moved to look at her face dead on and compared it to the xrays on the tablet. "Slight differential in skull structure, but meh…that's healing fine. It's kinda what makes you pretty. Asymmetrical facial structures are gorgeous, if you ask me."

Reaching out, Red touched the surface just below the wound on her cheek when her eyes flew open and he suddenly found himself face first on the bed, eating sheets.

"VIV! Oh fuck, my hand, VIVIENNE!"

"There is a difference between what we get and what we deserve."

Viv stood on the edge of the circle listening to her father speak. They were in the training room after hours and normally she would be in bed, but for the past year her father had been teaching her to fight. She was an adult, he said. Done with her studies, pursuing graduate work, but he requested her return early, forcing her to drop her classes. It had been grueling physical training every single day for no other reason than 'she was old enough to learn' now. That was the first and last thing he had said to her as to why he called her back early almost a year ago, but she wouldn't understand it until today.

"Do you know what I mean by that?"

"It could mean a number of things, but people almost never get what they deserve – good or bad."

"That's common sense, Vivienne."

It was the truth, she thought, but dismissed it. They were working with katanas that night, much to her displeasure. She wasn't a swordswoman, not that she couldn't handle one, Viv just always preferred physical contact despite being a quarter of the size of her Hammerthynn father. He encouraged sword play, which meant he forced it on her. Viv would be good at it whether she liked it or not.

Her father walked up to her in the circle, his sword still sheathed. Holding it just below the hilt of the scabbard, he pointed at her with it. "Today you learn the difference."

"That sounds ominous," she said with a grin and was immediately rewarded with the tip of the scabbard across her cheek.

"That tongue, Vivienne, will get you into some serious trouble one day."

Viv took a deep breath and swallowed back her retort. College had made her mouthy. "Yes, sir."

Vigo took two steps back and let his rigid posture relax. Viv looked at him, his graying brown hair more gray than brown now, the weathered scars on his face and perpetual sneer on his mouth. He was six foot six and over three hundred pounds compared to her five foot five and one hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet. It never felt like a fair fight to her, but she learned Vigo's tricks even though he always seemed to come up with new ones.

"Come on, then," he said calling to her with his two fingers.

Viv held the grip of her katana with both hands and bent her knees, readying herself. Vigo stood ten feet away from her, almost slouching. God, he was going to kick her ass. Stepping out of her tense posture, she held her katana not in her favored right hand but left, letting his eye look confused at her choice. Surprise was the only thing she ever had on him, for as many tricks as he had, she had to come up with more.

When his eye flicked to her sword, she rushed forward with her feet, kicking him in the stomach and pushing him back. She had hoped it would knock him over, but the man was a redwood of a stoic fucking tree. There was not enough momentum in the small place to get that much speed on him. So for the next fifteen minutes, Viv did her best to come close to touching Vigo's scarred skin with the tip of her katana. These were not sparring katanas, which could still do enough damage to sting, but the real thing. Vigo never fucked around. He did manage to leave several bruises on her face and ribs with the scabbard of his sword, insulting her by not taking the protective sheath off. He knew it would piss her off which it did to no end.

"You can hit me anytime, Vivienne."

He twisted out of the way of the wide arc of her sword easily, even when she followed it with the hilt of her sword, just missing his chin. The move still surprised him, but he was infinitely faster than she was.

"Good. Little faster and you might have hit me then."

Viv twisted back and flipped the sword, releasing it in a tight swing at him, letting her anger get the better of her. Vigo was not excepting that. The tip of it caught him in a horizontal slice across the left side of his chest, forcing him to move quickly to prevent it from impaling him, but it caused him to almost trip, losing his balance. Viv came at him, but as always, he was ready even as he fell to the ground.

In one swift move the scabbard came off the blade and Vigo landed on his right knee, his pained grunt echoing off the walls of the training room. Tucking under he avoided Viv's right hand, and with nothing to stop her motion, she kept twisting as he brought the tip of the sword up and sliced her back open, the blade sinking in at least an inch.

The blade was whisper thin and sharp enough to cut the softest silk in a heartbeat. Viv felt nothing as it sliced her. She felt nothing after she fell to the ground, especially below her waist. Laying in a crumbled mess, Viv balled her fists up and let out a startled gasp. The smell of silver and her burning skin penetrated her nostrils. If she could feel anything, it would have been the sizzle of the silver that severed her spine.

Vigo stood and looked down at her. "Today is the day you learn the power of silver, dear. All Hammerthynns experience the silver test and you are no different. It teaches us to face the fear of silver. To control that fear, lest it control you."

Viv gritted her teeth. "What does that have to do with getting what we deserve?"

"We don't always get what we deserve, if we're lucky."

Viv looked up at her father. "I can't feel my legs."

Vigo shrugged as he towered over her, bleeding from the single wound Viv did manage to give him. "Shouldn't have thrown your weapon away. Hefty price just to hit me once." Vigo paused, kneeling down. "Don't you think?"

Viv pressed her forehead down on the floor of the training building and disconnected from the pain, or rather, the terror of not having any.






"VIV! Oh fuck, my hand, VIVIENNE!"

Viv was on her knees looking down at Red as he lay face down across the center of her bed.

"Viv! What are you doing?" Behind her Brig rushed into the room with a terrified look on his face. "LET RED GO!"

Viv looked back at Red and realized she had his right hand twisted back, threatening to cause a backward dislocation of his upper arm. Immediately she let go.

"FUCK ME!" Red yelled as he rolled over onto his back and cradled his arm. "What the hell, Viv?"

"I'm sorry, Red."

"You know, there are easier ways to get me in your bed, other than twisting my arm out of its socket. Just saying." Red tried to smile, but his eyes weren't communicating the same emotion, not by a long shot.

Slowly she got up off the bed. "Sorry," she said again meekly. Turning, she looked at the clock on the night stand. It said 3:05 pm.

"It's getting close to that time. Why'd you let me sleep so long?"

Brig blinked at her. "I…just thought you'd want to sleep it off." He pointed to his cheekbone, as if to remind her.

"Oh right," she said, reaching up and feeling the butterfly bandages. Without flinching she pulled on both bandages, peeling them off at the same time.

"God damn, Viv," Red said, sitting up off the bed.

"Gotta rip it off like…well like a band-aid." Balling the bandages up in her hand, she walked by Brig who took a step back, giving her plenty of room, and into the bathroom to clean up.

Brig watched as Viv nonchalantly moved past him and into the bathroom. The tangy smell of her blood permeated the air, fresh from the slightly reopened wound on her cheek. He was speechless as Red got up off the bed and stood next to him.

"What the fuck?" Red yelped quietly at him. His Sergeant rolled his right shoulder, trying to loosen up the pain and then pointed to his face. "She is freaking me out!"

"You've got two hours to sleep. Meet down in the Situation Room at five o'clock. Viv will contact Huntington and we'll figure out where to start."

"We're still doing that tonight? She got half her face caved in by her adoptive father. You don't think that maybe…just maybe…she's dealing with a few issues?"

Brig turned and looked at Red. "You tell her she's not going then."

Red gulped. "I'm going to bed," he said as he walked out of the bedroom.

Brig waited for the apartment door to close before he went to the bathroom. Knocking gently on the door, he opened it wide but stayed at the threshold. Viv was in the shower.

"Hey," he said softly.

Viv stepped up on her tip toes and peered over the shower stall glass. "Hi," she said in a strangely normal voice.

"Want something for the pain?"

Her head dipped back down and she continued to wash. "No, I'm good."

"I got something you can take, even with the baby."

The shower cut off and she opened the door. Twisting her long dark hair, she shook her head again. "No, I don't have any pain, I mean."

Brig stepped into the bathroom and grabbed a towel. Holding it open for her, she stepped into it with a smile. Her face was still badly bruised, the purple settling into the skin fully giving her a nasty black eye. Her actual eye was blood shot, but her lips were healed. There was no way she wasn't in pain. Then it occurred to him, Hammer did the same thing with his pain. He disconnected from it, tricking his mind into functioning beyond it. All the Pipers could do it to a degree, but the Hammerthynns learn that ability early on. Pain made you weak.

Brig realized he really didn't know this part of Vivienne…and it scared him a little.

"Ok," he said simply.

He knew there would be no point in stopping her from the tracking job tonight. Brig realized that about Vivienne pretty damn quick. It had not come up yet, but Brig knew she would resume her duties after the baby was born. The Alpha had grounded her from field work the second she found out she was pregnant and that was the only reason why she had complied. Brig had no illusions as to his ability to keep her safe, he knew he could, but he knew she could keep herself out of trouble better if he wasn't tripping over himself because he worried about her. Being a Commander's wife, on the other hand, he knew his father would object to Vivienne being anything but a mother, but Brig had faith in Viv – she could be a wife, mother, and Piper if she chose to. He would greatly discourage the latter, but again, he saw no point.

"I know what you're thinking," she said looking up at him.

"If you did, we'd be on that bed right now," he said easily.

Viv's blank expression did not change. "I'm freaking you out a little bit, huh?"

He shrugged. "A little. You're feisty for such a small little girl."

Viv finally grinned. "It's easier if I handle it this way."

"You mean ignore it?" Brig's tone was soft.

"I'd like to think I'm compartmentalizing everything."

"Yeah, you're ignoring it," he said with a sigh.

"Imagine being a woman in a Hammerthynn's world."

"I can't even imagine being a man in their world, much less as a woman."

Viv raised her eyebrows and moved past him into the bedroom. With the towel wrapped around her, she picked out a Therian-weave suit out of the drawer and threw it on the bed.

"I was dreaming about my silver test. When Vigo severed my spine."

Brig followed her into the bedroom and settled down onto the bed, resting back onto his elbows. "You've never told me about how it happened."

"He said, 'There is a difference between what we get and what we deserve.'"

"So slicing your back open with a silver tipped sword was what? You getting what you deserved?"

"No, I got my spine severed to see if I deserved to walk again."

Brig paused and sat forward. "That has to be the most fucked up thing I have ever heard."

"Yeah well, that was his charm."

He watched as Viv dropped her towel and picked up the bottoms of her suit. Her legs were still tight with muscles as was her arms. Her pregnant belly was starting to really fill out, resembling less like a basketball and more like a pregnant woman's physique. Her breasts were fuller, larger, and he stared as she dressed.

"Should I bother getting dressed?" she asked, getting his attention again.

"Probably not." Grinning, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. She straddled his lap with her belly pressing up against him. "I'm sorry about this morning."

"Why? I chose you."

"I'm sorry you had to choose."

"So…we're not having sex?"

Brig's sweet and compassionate expression cracked as he chuckled. "Well, I would love to have sex right now—"

Viv cupped his face and kissed Brig rather vigorously, that was until he pulled her hands down.

"You don't want to talk about what happened?"

Viv slid off Brig's lap and reached for her Therian-weave bottoms again. They were clearly not going to have sex. Taking a deep breath, she dressed slowly, considering his question. After a few moments, she shrugged.

"I'm not sure what you want me to say."

"There's nothing I want you to say. I know you chose me, but he is your father."

"You rather I chose him?"

"No, of course not."

"Then there's not much else to talk about, other than you thinking I'm not reacting to what happened in the correct way."

"Now wait a minute."

Pulling on her Therian-weave top, Viv smoothed out the material over her belly and turned away. Suddenly she was jerked back by Brig's large hand tugging on her hand.

"Brig, are you really expecting me to react to this like a normal woman would? To cry? Get upset? Curse? Because that's just not who I am. I'm not upset about my fa—about Vigo. He gave me a choice that he felt was necessary. I was either with him or without him. I am now without him. It's done."

She shrugged helplessly at Brig. He just sat on the bed looking at her, his expression confused. He was feeling responsible for what happened between her and Vigo, Viv could see that, but how could she reassure him when it was true?

"Are you with me now because he drew that line?"

"Do you really think that, Brig? I'd like to think you know me better than that by now."

Brig was quiet and he looked down at the ground, thinking deeply. "I know you love me, Viv. But is this the life you want?"

"This isn't the life I expected, but that doesn't mean it isn't what I want." Viv paused as she looked her mate who suddenly couldn't look at her. "This is what you want…right?"

Brig flinched and looked up at her. "Of course it is. You're everything I want."

"Then why is this a big deal?"

"Because he's your father, Viv! Despite being a son-of-a-bitch, he's still the man that raised you. You can't possibly be feeling nothing, not after what he did. Look at your face, for christ's sake."

"I don't remember you getting upset when Hammer stepped on my throat. Didn't try to talk it out with me then."

Brig chewed on his bottom lip and nodded. He bit back the words he wanted to yell at her. That he really didn't know anything about her, other than her god damn emotional detachment from things that hurt her. It screamed 'Hammerthynn' in every way. It was like being married to his cousin.

Standing, he put his hands up and offered a truce. "All right then. You deal with it or don't deal with it however you want. I was only trying to help, but…whatever."

Ok that wasn't the best truce, but he was irritated with her now and they still had the track job that evening. Then something struck him as odd. "Why are you wearing a suit?"

Viv took a deep breath.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You want to go out there with them?"

"No," she said sheepishly. "Not totally out there."

Brig rubbed his face and fought back the growing anger that threatened to top off his irritation with her. It was one thing to push back when he was trying to be sympathetic to her feelings, but now she was just pushing to push. The Alpha in him reared his ugly head and he pointed at her, talking in a low, very tempered voice but he was feeling everything but.

"I said you are staying in the Situation Room. Wear the suit there, but we're not discussing this."

Viv looked at him with pursed lips.

"Vivienne?" he said quietly.

"All right, all right."

Brig narrowed his eyes at her. Turning, he grabbed the bedroom door and slammed it shut. "Take off your suit."

"What, why?"

"Because now we're having sex. And I mean sex like you'll feel the ghosts of your ancestors sex. Hurry up and take it off."

Finally Viv smiled at him. "Yes, sir."

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Brig pulled her to him, tussling her hair. Quickly she pulled her top back off and threw it on the floor behind them as he pushed her down onto the bed. She lifted her hips as he pulled on her bottoms, sliding them down her legs. Climbing back up her body, he laid on top of her, careful to shift to the side to avoid her belly and kissed her deeply.

"Brig," she said pulling away from their kiss. "Thank you."

Cupping her face with his hand, he ran his thumb over her lips. "Thank me by not falling asleep afterwards? That would be great."

"Oh shut up," she laughed and kissed him again.




((OOC everyone out))