It’s Tuesday evening and Thorn is not at the gym practicing kickboxing or running rings around the field track or swimming laps in the pool. Something must be wrong, or in her opinion, very, very right.

Thorn’s a little more then three and a half months pregnant and until this point, she’d still been able to go to the gym and be active, but now she’s starting to show, thus far only a very faint swell to her usually very flat stomach. Most people wouldn’t guess she was even pregnant unless they knew her. Today was the first day she’d decided not to go work out after work, she did walk down to the gym from the office and cancel her monthly membership. No sense in being charged for something you aren’t using.

Gunn had the truck today; he’d said he needed to run a few errands. She told him, like she usually did on Tuesday, to just pick her up at the gym after her workout, then she’d decided not to go. She sat on the bench now, a bag beside her where she cleaned her locker out, and was currently waiting for Gattling to come.

Today she was dressed in a pair of white pants, and white, heeled sandals to make her short form an inch taller. She wore a button down shirt with soft green, blue, gray, and white vertical strips, the top few buttons undone, and a teal (which matched on of the strips) duster jacket. Tucked into an inner-pants holster at her back is a firestar, the only reason she’ll walk the streets without Gatt. Her very long black hair is pulled into a French braid down her back.

He is not however a happy camper today. Fisrt there had been a run in with Tina, then there had been one hellacious phonecall invoolving an hour of bitching from of all people Vivienne. The stars must be conspiring against Gunn today. Then after teh bitching out his sister had asked him to meet her. She was crazy, but he'd gone. Seeing her condidtion hadn't helped matters, corpses gave off more warmth.

He looks pretty miserable when he pulls up to collect Thorn.

She got up from the bench and heaved the heavy bag into the bed of the truck, then climbed in. She took one look at him and just knew his day had been bad, it's the look she got when everything was going wrong. She buckled up and then turned to look at him.

"What happened?" Not how are you, obviously he isn't good and that's a stupid question.

"I went to see my sister." he says, not Viv, not Katie, or even her full name, just his sister. There is a very unhappy note there. He's worried and irrate with Viv right now. He won't even mention that he'd argued with Viv about of all things Dan. He does tell part of it though. "There's something wrong with her and of coarse she won't go to a doctor or anything." he does know a doctor couldn't help her, but Thorn doesn't. It's also depressing to him to know that his offers to help her deal with what's causing her to be freezing were refused, because Dan and some Demon were helping her look into it. Thanks for the vote of confidence Viv.

She looked at the road instead of him for a moment, trying to work it out in her mind. Only just recently he'd gotten a half sister too so she's trying to figure out which 'sister' this would be. Her first guess would be Juliete because Viv wouldn't let him meet her. It's what Thorn's been trying to set up, Viv meeting Gunn.

"Which one?" She finally asked. "You mean Viv right?" It would suprise her that Viv would meet him just like that. But then, Juliete didn't strike her as the stubborn kind. Viv was stubborn. Very stubborn. "Whats wrong with her?"

"Yes I mean Viv. I'm not completely sure, some kind of circulation thing maybe, she's freezing and pale, her hands are blue. Of coarse she insists she's fine and it's being looked into. whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. He won't even mention he's had other visists with Viv or that she's been possesed or any of the inish details.

No. The innish details would freak her out at this point and that would not be a good thing at all.

"Freezing?" She sounded confused, since she'd never actually heard of a circulation problem that would make you cold. "Maybe she's stressed?" When in doubt, blame it on stress. Of couse, blaming stress was what made Thorn only realize she was pregnet after two months instead of just one.

That gets a laugh, of coarse she's stressed she's Viv. finding out she was a lab experiment was no doubt stressful on top of the rest of her life right?

"Pissed would be a better way to describe her." Gunn says.

Thorn shifted in the seat, kicking off the heeled sandles into the floorboard and put her feet up into the seat, crossing her legs into an indian style and folding her hands into her lap.

"Oh? Why?"

She wondered if it had anything to do with the half-sister. Surely Juliete hadn't been to see Viv. She had no relation to her outside of Gatt and Viv being related. Did she?

"She's pissed at me. apparently she's been doing very in depth spying on me." he says. Which implies he has things to hide, now doesn't it?

It does indeed because so far, everything that he's told her about has no reason to be spied on Nor does it merit being pissed at.

She frowned, thinking this very thing, and looked out the window. "Spying on you? Why would she be pissed? What's she mad about?"

"Justine...." is all he says.

"Whose Just..." She turned her head back to him and raises her eyebrow again. Now she remembers. The bitch. Her name hadn't come from Thorn since Gunn had explained well....stuff. Since they'd talked about her. Now she remembered who she was and suddenly her good day wasn't so good.

"What's she got to do with anything." Ohh. Did you know Thorn could sound so very vile.

"She moved here. Just to rain on my parade I think. Viv found out about parts of it." He says.

He certainly is dragging his heels about this isn't he. She does sound rather vile. As vile as his sister had sounded earlier after brow beating him over his intentions or possible intentions for Destiny. In Viv's oppinion he should be trying to make Thorn's baby legally his. His explanation on why he hasn't looked into that yet pissed Viv off even more. she'd called it a cop out. Maybe it was, but he didn't want to adopt the kid if they weren't married and how could he marry someone he couldn't even take care of? Obviously it should be more complicated than that, but sometimes Gatt is rather simple minded.

It should be more complicated then that. Thorn might get as mad as Viv if he tried explaining that theory to her. He was willing to adopt an ex-girlfriend (who happened to hurt him that bad) child who wasn't even his child but he was not willing to adopt the current girlfriends child who wasn't his child. That would make her mad. She can handle his not wanting to adopt her child, because it isn't technically his even though he said he'd call it his and raise it like his. That she could handle. But not his adopting someone elses child when they have no real connection to him anymore but not adopting hers. That would......just hurt.

"What?" Did vile just start sounding like a nice word compared to her tone now? "Bitch...." What parts? "What parts? Parts of what?"

"Uhm well, she's got this kid she says is mine, she says she has blood work, Viv says it's got be bogus, cause there's no way anyone got a sample from me without me knowing about it. So she's trying to extort more money from me." he said. We should place emphasis on MORE money. Yes Thorn your boyfrined is a moron at times. Not to mention while everyone else may be possitvie that girl isn't Gatt's Gatt isn't. He knows he can't make his parts work now, not that he's sterile and has been for a while.

Is it possible that Thorn could get angrier upon hearing the bitches plans? But she doesn't even if it is possible. Actually, her face softens for a moment and then hardens again at the rest of his explination. A child? Did Gatt have a child? Could it really be bogus? If it was his child...what would that mean? Would he love his child more then he would her illigitement child that wasn't his? That would do more then hurt.

"Why didn't....." Frown. It looks like she's caught between hurt, anger, and pitty. It hurts that he's not told her about this, about any of it, anger at the bitch, pitty for the child, pitty for Gatt. "What do you mean 'more'?" She sounds more curious, suspicious now.

He looks completely bewieldered by the question, More what?. He's just said it without really thinking about it. After two years of simply standing by and letting her empty a bank account once a month he doesn't even really think of that money as his. Another sore point with his sister, but he isn't focusing at the moment. If he were even thinking about his sister he'd understand the question. He's thinking about why he hadn't told her though.

"I didn't want you to know. I don't want her near you, or to even know about you for that matter, she'd try to find a way to use you against me. Obviously it's upsetting to you, I hate upsetting you." he said softly.

"I hate being upset," she replied bluntly to his 'I hate Upsetting you'. She's grown a little more honest lately, a little more outspoken. After a few months with him, and reflecting back upon the begining, the part where their relationship had been forming, and from that point on, she'd realized that Gunn could be dominate, she'd have let him, but he wasn't. He gave her complete control. She wasn't sure why, but no matter what she did, it never changed, so she realized eventually that she'd have to step up to that plate. Now she's doing it. Before she would have told him 'no, your not upsetting me.' Now She's speaking flatly. "I hate being upset. This....you kept it from me." that upsets me.

I don't want her near you, or to even know about you for that matter, she'd try to find a way to use you against me.

"She couldn't. I love you." Spoken flatly, strongly. No room for argument there. She really loves him and she's confident that nothing is going to change that. She moved on from that topic, since she wouldn't give him a chance to fight it.

"What do you mean 'more,' Gatt?" She repeated her question. Lets get specific. "You said she wants to exploit you for more money. What money, Gatt?"

Sore spot. Remember how upset she'd been to learn the man that helped her the night she was rapped was gambling and living in cheap hotels? Remeber the wanted her to stay because he didn't need to waist his money on a hotel? She'll be really angry to find out that he had money, he was just letting the leach suck it away without a fight.

"Well I thought she'd be content with the ammount she's been taking it keps her out of the trailer park. It's my problem, my stupidity not yours. Why do you think I haven't told you. You shouldn't have to suffer because of my past." He says.

Though after the argument with Viv, he knows she already is suffering. As Viv astutely pointed out, what could that money have done to help Thorn or bought for the baby? In in the end it hadn't even bought him peace of mind.

"She takes my disability money." he said flattly.

"What?"

She's just hit her head, and sat back down. It seems Thorn's forgotten they were in the truck and stood up (or tried to) in her rage and bumped (or plowed) her head into the roof of the truck. She whinces, touches the top of her head, then glares at him. The glare isn't really for Tina taking his money, it's for him.

"Why? How!? It's your money! How long?" You better answer each and every one of those too. She's not going to be very easy to live with for the next few days....let alone the next six months.

"She's on the bank account, I left it alone because I didn't want her to come after me, and she has anyway. It's been going on the whole time, I don't really think about it anymore. Viv brought it up, I don't wanna know how she knows as much as she does." he comments. (Running to her for help and pissing her boyfriend off in the middle of the night likely sparked part of Viv's interest Gatt)

He looks very deflated. It's just his nature to take abuse from girls, he knows it makes him a sucker and likely a fool, it's just how he is.

"You're telling me that you let her take you money? For no good god damned reason?" Yeeeahhh.....she's not happy. I think you've just lost her sympathy. "You let her screw you over!" Don't you hate it when your girlfriend sides with your sister? It's like your parents tag teaming you. "You didn't think that greedy bitch would want more? Are you crazy? Take he name off the account."

She sat back against the seat and crossed her arms over her stomach moodily. "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

His sister said the same thing. Still in light of how much shit the woman put him through is it any wonder he's scared. He knows he's an idiot it hardly helps. "It's not that easy.....I'd need her to sign papaers to take her off or to close the account. I'd need to go to Georgia to change over where the money get's auto deposited, although since she isn't in Georgia right now, I'm more willing to do that.....Viv want's me to press charges though, and to do that I need proof she's taking all the money and not putting any in....it's complicated. I know it's my own fault." he says weakly.

Really it's terrible that no one has taken control of his life before now, It's amazing he didn't do any other incredibly stupid things while he wasn't at all sober.

"Then do it." Simple as that. "Go to Georgia and change the address. I don't know about pressing charges but Viv's smart. If she thinks you should, you probably should." She frowned. Is all this anger and frustration really good for the baby? Probably not. "Why does she have to sign paper? She doesn't have your last name, you two were never married, you don't have a court order to have her name on the account do you?" Now she's almost suspicious of everything.

She understands that the woman put him through a lot of shit, he might be scared. But she isn't. She's just angry. And if he can't do it on his own, she's going to push him too. If he's not going to take control of his life, she will. You were saying it was amazing no one's taken control of his life....? At least the person willing to is doing it for his benifit. And eventually, she'll get around to makeing him take care of his own mess too.

"It's just the way it works we opened the account together while I was still pretty fucked up, can't take her off but she can't take m off it either, in theory to prevent us screwing each other over." he says while sitting and nodding in agreement Viv is smart, it's something he's well aware of. For a while she took care of everything for everyone.....perhaps that's why Gatt never really did learn to do for himself, when Viv wasn't around to take care of him he let the army do it and then when that ended his present woes began. Though in truth he's completely capable of taking care of himself, he sems to refuse to. It's the primary reason his sister is so very hard on him, Viv is afterall the baby.

"Well." Frown. She seemed to slouch a little, sitting in silence, thinking over the problem. She rolled down the window and glared outside for a few moments. "Lets go home."

She's tired of sitting in the side of the street in the truck. And she grew silent again. For a long time, before finally speaking again.

"I'll go with you and we'll explain what's happening. Or you can withdraw the money each time before she does and put it into another account that she can't withdraw from."

"I think she knows exactly when it gets there, I did try that a few times at one point, I was, sorta desperate fro drug money." he admitted awkwardly as he drove, it wasn't like his previous problem with drugs was something he'd kept secret though....just this foolishness.

He drives home not really thinking about what he's doing until he has to get his pass and I.D. ready at the gate house.

She'd known about the drug problem from the begining. It's why he's not going it anymore isn't it? Because she forbid it in her home? And the fact that she wanted him to stay and he wanted to stay, he'd stopped. She knew about his drugs. It didn't matter anymore.

"Well, then we'll just have to go and fix the problem togather." Screw it if Tina knows who she is. What's a stupid bitch going to do to her that her parents or Dan havn't already done a hundred times? She, of course, doesn't know Tina is initiate. She isn't even initiate. Her voice and tone have grown softer, just a little more reasonable now that she's over the initial suprise and anger and hurt at not being told about this.

Predictably he nods agreement. I think we all know he isn't going to argue with what she tells him to do. The fact that she's being reasonable and cares about him makes it even more likely, he knows whats good for him, and fighting with Thorn isn't. "I'll have to let Len know, I think it'll be okay, her foster son ought to be able to help her around the gallery." he says as he pulls into the driveway.

"Foster Son? When did Len become a foster parent?"

Healthy choice Gunn, fighting with Thorn was definatly not good, for either of them really. And she's quite content to accept his acceptance, even if it does feel strange to have to make the decission for him. She unbuckled and got out of the truck, picking up her gym bag and waiting for him.

"I'm not sure if it's all final yet, but like right after she got out of the hospital." he says. Of coarse he does not mention that he's just started to teach the boy about magic. "It seemed to be an out of the blue thing really, one day he was just there." He tells her as he climbs out himself.

"Oh."

She moved to the door and unlocked it with a key from her purse, pushing the door open and leaving it open for Gunn to close. She put her gym bag down on the floor with a heavy thud. It's heavy obviously, and she unzipped it and took out the half-past-dead infamous running shoes and frowned.

"How is she?"

She set the shoes aside as if she really didn't want to. THey'd gotten all of the boxes unpacked by now, most everything put away. While the house is clean, it's still rather bare, but they'll work on filling it in eventually.

"She's Len, no other way to describe her. She's happy and more active than her doctors would like. She just says livign well is the best revenge. Though I didn't think once she was strong enough to leave the hospital she'd really slow down, at least she isn't giving yoga classes yet." he said as he came in and shut and locked the door. He doesn't act like he believes this place is very safe and he never has.

She feels safe in this place. She's never understood why Gatt doesn't think of it as safe yet. But then, she doesn't know that Dan can locate them just by feeling for them, and in the same way, so can her parents. She doesn't know that Gatt and Viv's father was so dangerous, or that he's back. She probably wouldn't think it was safe either.

She dumped the content of the bag, which conatianed ace wraps, boxing gloves and shoes, weights, and other various things and started finding a place for them.

"Well being happy isn't enough revenge. That Raven boy doesn't care if we're happy or not, just that he did what he did. He doesn't care what...." happened to us. But she didn't continue. She realizes shes already spun this thread of thought to Gunn before, dozens of times. But she's yet to take action, and continueing the thought will only make her angry and then feel vunerable.

"Well as Len says it would piss him off more, but she doesn't care." He said softly. He stood feeling rather helpless himself as he watches her put things away. He felt like he couldn't do anything right, as if they didn't have enough problems and here it seemed he'd made things even more difficult. He should call Viv, he'd told her he would but he didn't feel like it yet. He knew if he put it off long enough she'd call him instead.

If she knew that, she'd tell him to call Viv. He shouldn't make Viv wait.

"Len's a nice person." Implying that Len had a good heart and she knew she was less nice. She wasn't particuarly a mean person, or hateful. And she'd have delt with what happened to her, but after seeing it happen to another person, that had made her hateful.

She turned around when he was silent to look at him questioningly. Then she wadded the gym bag up and pushed it into the corner to be put away later and stood up. "What the matter?"

as if thinking about it made it so his cell phone started to ring. "Uhm Viv, I was supposed to check in." he says sheepishly reaching for his phone. He hopes that she isn't going to yell at him more as he answers it weakly.

She frowned at his weak hello and left the room to let him speak to Viv, but not without muttering loudly so that he could hear.

"Tell her we're going to get your issues with that bitch straightened out soon."

She changed clothes into a pair of gray sweatpants and a tanktop. It showed a little more then the work shirt had that her belly is just a little less flat then it had been. When she came back, she started pulling out pans to start dinner.

He talks very quietly on the phone seeming to only agree with everything Viv might be saying. "You might want to hold off on that." he tells Thorn quietly watching her pull out pans. He is still on the phone.