A/N: And back with a chapter of this one. Thank you to those who have read, followed, or reviewed. I much appreciate it, and I hope you all continue to enjoy.

North Carolina – 11:32 AM – Matt's house

"Let me explain, Viv!"

"No!" she stubbornly said. "I don't even want to hear it, Jeff. For years, it's all been nothing but bullshit from you." She buzzed around the room in Matt's house designated for Shawn.

"For years?" he repeated with an heated fury. "And what? You got sick of it? Hid my kid from me and ran to Jay?"

"Oh, please," she said with an exasperated sigh. "I refuse to take the blame for it anymore, when truth be told, had you gave a shit about anything other than your next high, you would have contacted me."

"You wouldn't even talk to me! How was I going to do that when I couldn't even get a chance to see you?" He watched her pick up toys, dusting as she went.

"Jeff, I'm just so done with it all." She waved her arm around to make her point. "It wasn't fair for me from the start, and had I fucking known – "

"You what?" he interrupted. "Would have never been with me? Would have never married me? Tell me all the fuck ups I've done to you, while you've done nothing to me."

She pointed a finger at him, more anger surging through her. "Don't you fucking dare turn this around on me. You know exactly why I'm mad. You know exactly why I don't want to deal with your bullshit anymore. And you know exactly why I'm not trusting you with my son anymore."

"He's my son too, Viv, and I'll be damned if you even think you're going to take him away from me." He turned from her, a hand running through his hair. "I can't believe this shit."

"Why can't you?" she snapped out. "You're not satisfied fucking up your own life, you have to fuck up our son's too?" She wiped off the final piece of furniture, and quickly left out the room.

Their son... Nothing had been theirs in a long time. Even the home that he'd bought for her that she loved so much... They hadn't shared a vehicle. Hadn't shared a quiet night together. Nothing. And he had to admit, most of the negativity in their relationship had come from him. There was a reason why she felt the need to hide her pregnancy with Shawn from him. He just never found out why.

He took a deep breath, calling out to her as she dashed down the stairs. "Viv, come here."

"No," she spat out, not even bothering to look up at him from the bottom of the steps. She mumbled something about Matt before disappearing into the kitchen.

He didn't want to follow her. He thought this was all over. But here she was, doing the very thing he didn't want. She'd already stated that Shawn would be with her until further notice, and that's how their arguing began.

"Viv, just talk to me," he repeated for the tenth time in the hour or so she'd been there. "Talk to me, goddamn it!"

"About what?!" she screamed out, snapping her glare up to him as she organized belongings. "About how I have to be dragged to wherever the fuck you are to straighten out shit messes that you make!" She took a deep breath before continuing on with her rant. "With Shawn, with Dixie, with Matt... With fucking everything you do!"

"Oh please, Viv! You're one of my fucking messes!" he shot back before realizing that he was even speaking. "You haven't even been here!"

She was silent for a moment, her darkened eyes scanning him over, studying his face. When she did finally speak again, her voice was something that Jeff was almost scared to hear. It was weary, shaky, and calm all at the same time.

"How dare you even think I'm a mess," she simply said. "Our entire marriage was based off a lie I had about you. A lie that I was hoping would melt away so I could have you as a husband. But I see now that lie became your reality, and the fact that you dare part your lips to say that I'm the mess, is completely laughable to me."

She was silent again, Jeff just watching her zip up the tote bags. Slinging the bags over her shoulder, she muttered something about Shawn and seeing him soon, but he wasn't really paying attention to her as she disappeared out of the front door. He sat himself at the kitchen table, head in hands, thinking over her words.

"""""

"Sorry about all that, Matt," she apologized again to the eldest brother. He shook his head, holding up his hand.

"It's all good," he said with a smile. "No need to apologize. I'm sorry it happened at all. Shawn needs him more than ever now."

As much as he wanted to be on his brother's side, he just couldn't be. In all the years Vivian was his sister-in-law, not one time did she ever do anything wrong to him. Sure, he didn't particularly agree with the seemingly too close of a friendship she had with Jay, but there was nothing wrong with having a close friend. In fact, in all those years, she'd become close with Shannon and Shane just as well. Matt knew there were things he didn't know about, but in his view, he didn't need to know any of it to know that Vivian was in the least, a decent person.

He looked up at her, seeing the absolute worry on her face. If he were being completely honest with the situation here, he'd have to admit that Jeff probably brought this all on himself. Unlike Jeff, he paid close attention to her years ago, and her reaction to his issues. She tried to help him – she really did – but there's only so much a person can do. Jeff never really saw his using as a problem. He always told everyone that he could just stop if he wanted to. And that's what Vivian never understood, and when she confided in Matt that she didn't get why he couldn't stop for her, it all made sense to Matt as to why she just left.

And now here she was, sitting across from him at the patio table, drowning herself in her own thoughts. She just didn't know why. Why did he have to put that in front of her? In front of the family she tried to build with him... It just didn't make an ounce of sense to her, not back then, and not now. Matt knew though, that there was never any room for her in Jeff's life while he was on his own cloud. He'd painfully witnessed her for a few years make every excuse in the book as to why she didn't have her husband. Oh, he's traveling... Oh, he's working... Oh, he's so concentrated in wrestling...

Matt watched her as he lit a cigarette to puff on.

"You know, it's at times like this where I wish you at least smoked," he commented. His words must have startled her, because she looked up at him like she had forgotten where she was. That's when it hit Matt. She looked so lost.

But she just gave him a small smile, then turned her head to look back down at her feet.

"That would just be another problem I have," she said quietly.

Matt cleared his throat, thinking of anything else to say to keep her talking to him.

"So, I heard you and Jay are getting married?"

"Yeah," she said, sitting up a bit straighter. "He asked me about a week ago."

"Well, that's nice. I think you guys go together. Marrying your best friend can be a good thing."

Her lips tilted up. "Thanks. Thought I had done that the first time around, but I guess not."

"You're marrying Jay now?"

His voice nearly made her jump as she turned around to see Jeff emerge from the sliding door.

"Jeff, I think it's nice."

"You think it's nice that she's marrying the guy she was fucking before me?"

"It's none of your concern, Jeff," she scoffed as she turned back around, her back facing him.

"The fuck it isn't when you have my son!"

"Calm down, Jeff," Matt started.

"How the fuck are you going to tell me to calm down? Whose side are you on anyway?"

"And what's it matter to you?" Vivian asked Jeff as she stood from the table. "We're not together anymore, and you have someone. So pay attention to her. I can only imagine the bullshit she has to put up with now dealing with you." She pushed past him towards where her car was parked around the side of the house. Jeff followed her down off the porch.

"How can you drop a bomb on me like that and leave?" He grabbed her wrist a split second before she was able to open her car door. "You're not going anywhere until we talk."

"I have nothing more to say to you," she spat out as she tried wrenching her arm free. "We've done all the talking in the world, and it's gotten me absolutely no where with your dumb shit. Get off me. I'm leaving."

"No," he said stubbornly.

"Jeff, let her go," Matt put in from where he stood at the top step of the porch.

"Stay out of it, Matt," Jeff warned.

"I'm not staying out of it," Matt started as he walked down the steps, "when you feel the need to grab her. She's not a rag doll. Let her go."

"I can't believe you're on her side, man!" He pulled Vivian away from her car, throwing her body to the ground between them and Matt. "That just makes me think you were fucking her too!"

"Jeff!" Matt shouted, as he knelt beside Vivian.

"What's going on here?" Shannon's voice asked as he walked around to the side where they were. Shane wasn't too far behind him, looking on as well. They watched as Matt quickly pulled Vivian back up to her feet, then turned their looks to Jeff.

"Oh you all just take her side. I don't give a fuck. She's got guys wrapped around her finger anyway. I should have seen it from the start."

"You okay, Vivy?" Shannon asked her as she brushed herself free of grass bits.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Someone just decided to get crazy."

"I've been crazy. Ten years ago when I asked you to marry me," Jeff shouted. "But go on. Go on with Jay and your daughter. Have the family that I couldn't fucking give you." He made his way past the group back up to the sliding door. "You both are just fucking perfect for each other," he said in a low tone before stepping back into the house and slamming the door closed.