AUTHOR'S NOTES: So. Here I am again with a new story. This time is my new obsession: Briam in a werewolf-based apocalypse. Hope you enjoy it. As always, I don't own Teen Wolf or the characters used in this and I am sorry for any mistakes I may have made while writing it. Reviews and the like are appreciated. Remember, reviews make me smile!

It had been a slow day. Tension filled the air, making seconds linger much longer than one would expect. Brett played absentmindedly with what seemed like a black metallic stick, tossing it into the air, catching it and making it spin with expert moves. He had been doing that for hours. It was always like that. He needed to be doing something at all times, whether it was playing with a stick or pacing up and down the hallway, or else he would go crazy. The wait was killing him. He sighed, catching the black metallic piece in one hand, and leaned against the wall. How long had it been since they had gone out? He was sure they were taking more time than usual, but he couldn't guess what time it was. The door he was guarding was shut tight and all the windows of the ground floor had been boarded up. At least they still had enough power to have the lights on, but no one knew for sure how long that would last.

The sound of hurried footsteps brought him back to reality. Someone was running down the stairs. His back left the wall and he faced the direction of the sound, eager to hear from the guys that were standing watch on the rooftop. Stiles finally ran up to him before putting one hand on the wall. He was panting heavily. They all hated acting as messengers because it usually involved running up and down several flights of stairs. It was a necessary evil. They really needed to get some batteries to power those walkie-talkies they had laying around. The other boy caught his breath and swiped the drops of sweat that were forming on his forehead.

"The scavenging party is coming this way" Brett smirked, relieved. It was about damn time. Then he realized that Stiles had a grim look in his eyes "They are being chased."

"Shit. How many?"

"Allison couldn't make out more than a couple of them but she thinks there might be more" that made sense. Those beasts knew how to hunt. They were especially good at concealing their numbers and at making their prey think there were more of them than there were. Stiles looked at him expectantly. Right, he had to give him orders. How come everyone expected him to figure everything out when Derek and Scott weren't around? Not now, Brett.

"Tell Isaac, Kira and Malia to come help us fight them off. Allison already knows what she has to do, so there's no point running back to her" Stiles nodded and started running towards the stairs again "Hey. And don't forget to tell Lydia to be ready. They might be injured" Stiles grunted and rolled his eyes at the thought of having to rush to deliver orders to even more people, but he didn't complain. They all had started to respond automatically to emergency situations, doing whatever task they had been assigned without second guessing their actions. We've been holed up here for a little over a month and we are already acting like a small army. It's kind of scary. Scary but necessary.

Brett let out a long sigh and stretched his arms in the dim light of the entrance hallway. The mere idea of going out, of facing those things yet again, made his blood run cold in his veins. He didn't think he would ever be able to be outside and feel safe ever again. This month had changed everything. For everyone. Heck, probably the entire world was the same, or else someone would have done something about those beasts. This was life now, and he was determined to survive with his friends. With every last one of them. He had lost enough people already, he wouldn't let anyone get hurt ever again. He chewed on those thoughts while he waited for the others to arrive. Sometimes he needed to remind himself why he was putting his life on the line, or else he would probably chicken out.

Kira was the first to arrive, her sword already unsheathed. She bit her lip, too concentrated to say anything. She seemed nervous, and Brett didn't judge her. She probably wasn't happy to have been called to help. She had her hair in a ponytail and her knuckles were white from the pressure she was holding her weapon with, but Brett knew better. She was an exceptional ally, and few of the others could match her in a fight. Plus, the Japanese sword, the katana, was a fine tool for dispatching enemies, and she handled it like it was an extension of her own arm. Brett liked to watch her train, swirling around the room they had set up as an improvised gym, cutting pieces of wood like they were made of paper. He greeted her with a slight nod which she didn't notice.

Malia came second, her hair messy and her eyes glowing with a mix of danger and anger. She was the one that was never scared, or at least knew how to hide her fear. The short-haired girl was the opposite of Kira in so many aspects that Brett wasn't sure why they were such good friends. If Kira resembled a dancer while she fought, Malia resembled a hurricane or some sort of wild animal. She had an acute sense of danger and was able to discern when she had to duck or retreat in a fraction of a second. She carried a small automatic gun in a holster around her torso and a machete hung from her belt. She was prone to use the machete, though, and would only use her gun in a very dire situation. Malia patted Brett on the shoulder as she approached the door.

To no one's surprise, Isaac was the last one to arrive. With one look, one could tell that he was not made for fighting. Much like Stiles, he carried himself without much grace and could even seem clumsy at times. He was almost as tall as Brett and he had a look of obliviousness that made one forget they were probably living the apocalypse. Usually, Isaac wouldn't help in a fight, but there weren't so many of them and they needed all hands on deck for this one. He was carrying a crossbow and a knife, but he didn't have a signature weapon like most of them did, he was still trying to figure out which one suited him best and, in the meantime, he stuck to whatever worked.

"Okay, that's all of us" Brett unlocked the heavy door that kept them isolated from the outside world and placed his hand on the doorknob, giving every one of them one quick look, trying not to think this might be the last time he was seeing them "You know the drill, we go out, cover Scott, Mason and Derek while they get to the house and try to kill those things. We don't want them leading their pack to us." His words were met with silence as his friends' eyes were focused on the door. "Get back in one piece, guys."

He swung the door open and the chilly autumn wind blew into the hallway. He swallowed hard while he tried to make out the shapes of the scavenging party in the sunset light. He finally saw them running up the small hill that lead to the house, the two monsters Allison had spotted on their tail. He rushed out of the house, the sound of his own voice shouting 'Go!' ringing in his ears. The next thing he knows, he's reached the scavenging party. Derek was already turning around, his own crossbow pointing at one of the pursuers. The bolt missed the head just barely, and the beast growled, mad with anger and bloodlust.

"Get back to the house, now!" Brett yelled, gesturing wildly as the monster leapt towards them. He readied his stick as a whooshing sound darted through the air, followed by the loud and wet splash of a body hitting the muddy soil. If it had been any other moment, he would have been left speechless by Allison's aim but there was no time to be lost so he just spared one quick look to the lifeless corpse, an arrow sticking between its eyebrows.

The scavenging party began retreating again, and Brett followed right behind them. He saw Isaac loading his crossbow on the porch and Kira engaged in her own fight with another of the pursuers, both pacing in a circular motion, eyes set on one another looking for an opening. He was considering joining her and blindsiding the enemy when a groan made him look forward again. One of the members of the scavenging party had tripped with a root and had fallen face first on the dirt. He rushed to his side, offering a hand to help him up. That's when he noticed he didn't know that boy. He looked young and small and mud covered most of his face, hair and clothes. The unknown boy hadn't gotten up yet when Brett heard another growl right behind them. He turned instantly to face whatever was coming their way. A beast jumped from the cover of the trees and stood a few feet away.

"Can you stand?" a soft moan was all he got for an answer, but he saw the boy starting to get up. Suddenly, he stopped and grabbed his ankle while a pained hiss left his lips. Damn. He had to twist his ankle in the worst moment. Brett turned his head ever so slightly to get a better look at the boy, but the monster used that very moment to attack.

Brett's mind jumped back several years ago, to a training session he had had with Satomi, and his body moved automatically. His right hand, which was holding his stick, rose over his left shoulder and, in one swift motion, he discharged all his strength in a swooping movement with his arm. The end that was pointing towards the assailant extended and collided into its face, stopping its tackle. When his arm had described a semicircle, Brett lifted his weapon and hit the monster on the top of the head, forcing it onto its hands and knees to then repeat the action several times until he heard the skull crack under the pressure. His face grimaced at the thought and he had to use all of his willpower not to throw up right there.

"Here" he held out his free hand to the stranger, who had a terrified look on his face, and helped him up "Let's get you to the house." Brett shook the stick again and it extended to its entire length, which was as long as him. He handed it to the boy to use as a walking stick and held him awkwardly, the height difference making it difficult for Brett to put the boy's arm around his shoulders.

"Thanks" the boy's voice was coarse and dry, probably for all the running through the woods he had to do to get to the house, and his eyes never met his saviour's. Not that Brett cared. Not in that moment at least. They got to the porch as Kira shouted and the sound of flesh being slashed filled the air.

"Don't look back." He instructed the boy, but he was decided to heed his own advice "Where's Malia?" He asked Isaac as they passed him.

"Haven't seen her since it all started."

"Right here." She approached the door holding her bloody machete in one hand. "There was another one to the east. It was running away, but it got caught in one of the traps. I took care of him." Brett nodded. It was difficult to get used to Malia's cold and blunt way of saying things. He wasn't one to talk, though; he had just bludgeoned one of the beasts to death in front of the new kid, after all.

Lydia, Stiles, Corey and Hayden were already waiting for them when they got into the house, the first aid kit ready to be used. Fortunately, there was nothing major to be treated apart from some small cuts and the boy's twisted ankle. Brett lead him to the living room and sat him on the couch. He turned to Derek, Mason and Scott, who looked tired and dirty. He wanted to ask them about the boy, but he was not sure it was a good idea to do so in front of him, so they exchanged a few words about the supplies they had been able to get. Fortunately, the city wasn't so far and they had been able to restock some medicine and food, as well as some luxuries like a bunch of books. Brett's face lit up at the mention of the books, as did Lydia's, who was bandaging the newcomer's ankle.

"I really hope you got your hands on some good ones this time" she said, happily "If I have to read another erotic/romantic novel I'm going to pluck my eyes out."

"No, we got Dickens and…"

"Ok, if you all are going to ignore the elephant in the room, I'll ask" Stiles protested, interrupting Scott "Who is the small one and why is he here?" The 'small one' glared at him and Brett could imagine laser beams shooting from his eyes at Stiles.

"He…"

"He has a name. I'm Liam." Scott, interrupted yet again, looked at the floor helplessly.

"He has a name and a temper, it seems" Stiles narrowed his eyes at him, openly hostile.

"It's alright, Sti." Derek put his hand on the slender boy's shoulder, and he relaxed a little. "We found Liam while we were looting the convenience store. He was on his own, so we offered him a place to stay. Like I did with everyone else. My house, remember?" Yes, Derek had found most of them and, even though he didn't know them, he had offered them refuge and food. They all knew they owed their lives to him, but he acted like it was the only natural thing to do.

"I was just…"

"Okay. That's enough. Time to get cleaned up for dinner." This time, Brett had decided to intervene. "Lydia, can you take care of Liam?"

"Sure. Follow me. We'll get you to one of the empty rooms and then I'll show where you can shower."

Brett went up to his own room and picked up clean clothes and a towel. The confrontation with the beasts hadn't been that long but he was covered in mud and blood and he smelled foul. There were two bathrooms per floor, so he headed to the one that was closer to his room. He got the water running in the shower and jumped in as the steam began to cover the bathroom. Hot water was one of the things he was most grateful for. He had spent only a week and a half on his own before Derek had found him, but the lack of a decent shower was one of the things he had struggled with. As much as he wished to stay under the pouring water for hours, he had to get out. It was his time to cook, after all. He was putting his jeans on when the door opened suddenly. Liam stood there dumbfounded.

"S-Sorry… I didn't know you were inside. Lydia told me I could take a shower here so…" The boy started blurting words, visibly embarrassed, as a deep shade of pink started to cover his cheeks and neck.

"Don't worry, I should've locked the door. Shower's all yours" He picked up his dirty clothes and walked out, still shirtless. "Hey Liam" he turned around to face the shorter boy "Don't let Stiles get to you. He's just being cautious."

"No, I get it. A stranger just walked in on this paradise." He opened his arms "It's just natural to want to protect something so special. I shouldn't have snapped at him."

"Maybe. But it's also natural to be upset if someone is rude to you. Don't sweat it." Brett smiled as kindly as possible. If this boy was going to live with them, the last thing he wanted was to make him uncomfortable. "Anyhow, dinner will take some time to be ready, so relax and take a shower." He winked. "We have hot water." He couldn't help but laugh as Liam's eyes went wide with excitement.

Brett headed towards the kitchen in the ground floor. They had some rabbits that had gotten stuck in their traps, so he started preparing them. Fresh food was the best thing of living in the woods. There were plenty of animals around, so they set traps or went hunting. He hummed a song he didn't even know the name of while he cooked. They were having rabbit stew tonight. Brett loved cooking. It was one of those activities that made him forget that the world had ended, and reminded him of when he was living with his sister and Satomi, their adoptive mother.

"Something smells amazing" Allison's head popped by his side, giving a hungry look to the pot.

"Hey. You're gonna have to wait a little." He smacked her hand with a spoon when she reached for some of the vegetables.

"I save your ass and all I get is a smack?" She pouted, falsely offended.

"Nice shot today, by the way. Right between the eyes." He pointed the spoon to the spot where the arrow had hit the beast.

"Well, I couldn't let my favourite cook get killed." She grinned. Allison was by far the best shot out of all of them. It didn't really matter what weapon she was using; her aim was always on point. She was the one that did most of the hunting and the one that usually stood watch on the rooftop; but Brett had seen her with a knife and she was almost as scary in close quarters. "What's the new kid's story? I saw him running towards the house with Scott and the others."

"Oh yeah, you hadn't come back down when he introduced himself." Brett stirred the stew while he spoke. "His name is Liam. They found him looting the convenience store. I don't know much more about him. Stiles' already given him a hard time, so I was hoping dinner would, you know, calm everyone down a little."

"If it's you cooking, it will. Ouch! Hey! Stop smacking me!"

"Stop stealing." He giggled "Allison, I can hear you chewing something. Out of the kitchen. Go get the table ready. Now!"

All of his friends were already sitting at the table when Brett carried the pot with the stew out of the kitchen. They ate in relative silence while Derek briefed them on the situation of the city. Everything was more or less the same. Beasts everywhere, no sign of people around less and less supplies every day. The only good news was that they wouldn't have to compete for supplies with other groups. Brett's eyes kept going to Liam every few seconds. He was sitting across the table, flanked by Lydia and Mason, who seemed to have taken a liking for the boy. He was stuffing his face with the stew as if he hadn't eaten a proper meal for days.

"It's good, isn't it?" Lydia chuckled and Liam had to reach for water. He made a happy noise and everyone else laughed. At least he didn't seem so jumpy anymore. Stiles was behaving, too. Derek had probably talked him out of interrogating the boy. "Brett's the best cook around. I'm secretly trying to confine him to the kitchen so he has to prepare every single meal, but don't tell him."

Derek finally finished his serving and cleared his throat, demanding everyone's attention. "Okay. Liam, I know this might be uncomfortable, but if you are staying with us we are going to need to know a couple of things."

Liam looked up to Derek hesitantly. "If something feels too personal, just don't answer. It's okay" Brett looked reassuringly to him. The boy nodded slowly, gulping down his last piece of stew.

"Were you part of a group?" Derek's eyes never left Liam's. Brett could see how that could be intimidating for anyone.

"No. Not anymore." His voice trembled a little and Lydia took his hand on her own "They got caught by those… things."

"Sorry. Are you from around here? Is there anyone you would like to try and find?"

"No… Me, my stepdad and my mum moved in some weeks before it all started to go to hell. They…" His eyes glowed with the tears he was trying to fight back "They didn't make it."

Derek questioned him for a few more minutes until he decided there was no need to keep pressuring the kid any more. Stiles seemed satisfied as well. That's when Liam decided it was time to ask some questions of his own.

"Why are you all here? In this house? Isn't it a little out of the way?"

Derek sighed, knowing a long explanation was coming his way "The house is protected. They can't get in."

"Excuse me?" Liam shot him a confused look.

"The house is made out of mountain ash. Werewolves can't get in."

"Were… Are you serious? That's what they are?" Liam hesitated for a moment. Brett could see it in his eyes. The disbelief. But Liam's rational mind had been tested for over a month, and he started accepting what Derek was telling him in a matter of seconds. "But how…?"

"Werewolves have been around for centuries. Some people knew about them, fought them. Like my family, Allison's and Kira's. That's why we were prepared to face them. No one ever thought it would get this crazy, though."

"Wait, wait." A flash of anger crossed Liam's eyes. It had been the same with all of them. Brett could guess what his next words were going to be. "If you knew about them, why didn't you make something about it?! We wouldn't be in this situation if we would've known!"

Derek raised one hand, prompting the boy to calm down. "There were many factors in play. Who would have believed us if we had told them werewolves were a real threat, for instance? And no one could have predicted this outcome. Werewolves aren't born, they are made. When an alpha -a very powerful werewolf, the leader of a pack- bites you, you turn into one of them, but that was the only way the… infection spread… until a month ago." Derek scratched his beard absentmindedly "We are not really sure what happened. I think it had something to do with the lunar eclipse we had a while back, but suddenly perfectly healthy people started turning into werewolves and it spread like wildfire. The result, well, you've seen it for yourself. Now it seems that things have gone back to normal and people only turn if bitten by an alpha."

Brett could see Liam struggling to understand all this information, but the boy stayed quiet. It had been a very long day and everyone was exhausted, so they headed to their bedrooms. Once undressed he sat on his bed and thought of Liam. Alone, angry and desperate, in a house full of people he didn't know. He could relate. At least, now he was safe, even if it was going to take him a couple of days to realize so. Brett got under the covers and fell asleep almost instantly, the stress of the day finally taking its toll.

A knock on the door woke him up. He looked out the window; it was still dark. Who could it be at that time? He got up and opened the door to a nervous Liam, dressed in some pyjamas that were too big for him. The boy looked up at him and then down again, realising Brett was anything but dressed. He liked to sleep in his underwear. Again, he could see his cheeks turning pink in a split second.

"Sorry… I was looking for Lydia" The boy turned around.

"Hey, Liam. Can't sleep?"

"Yeah. I just keep thinking about… everything." The boy looked distressed.

"Come in. Lydia sleeps like a log, so you won't be able to wake her up." It was a lie. Brett didn't even know why he did it, but he just felt like he wanted to help Liam in any way possible.

"Uh… I should go back to my room and let you sleep" He hesitated.

"Come on, I'm awake already. The least you can do is keep me company" Grinning at him, he took his arm and pulled him inside. Liam stood there, with a puppy look on his face, like he didn't know what to do. "So, what's up?"

Liam sat on the bed and let out a long sigh, trying to calm himself. "I had a nightmare."

"Wanna tell me what it was about?"

"Uh… Werewolves and stuff. Everyone around me kept turning into one and I tried to run, but…" Liam looked away and Brett couldn't help but think how cute he was in his oversized pyjamas.

"Hey, it's okay. I've been there. Why don't we leave all the wolf-related stuff for the morning?" A nod and a shy smile. Well, at least it was progress. It was difficult to try and picture this quiet and shy Liam snapping and angry at someone like he did to Stiles. "So… do you like comics?"

They talked for an hour or so about things they liked before everything changed. Comics, lacrosse -which they both used to practice-, movies, videogames, music… When Brett was running out of ideas for conversation, Liam started yawning. "Maybe we should try and sleep a little."

"Yeah… Brett… do you mind if I sleep with you? I don't really want to be alone." He looked so vulnerable and young, his cheeks and neck red as an apple, that the older boy couldn't find it in him to send him back to his bedroom.

"Sure. Let's get to bed."

They got in Brett's bed, which fortunately was big enough for both, each one of them in a corner, trying not to touch. Liam was the first to fall asleep, his back turned to Brett. Brett followed swiftly.