Disclaimer: I do not own Blood and Chocolate or any of its characters.

Enjoy! And PLEASE review!! It's a little OOC.

Chapter 4:

The Arrival

Part 2

'Black, all black,' Vivian thought disgusted. That was the first thing she had noticed; black jeans, black painted nails, and a black T-shirt. Everything was black, but the thing Vivian hated the most was the black combat boots. She looked at how the lace was pulled tight through the tiny silver rings, and watched as the blinding shine on the boots trudged into her house. No one had invited her in.

Who did she think she was?

"I'll leave you two alone," said Esme, making Vivian tear her eyes away from the hideous boots. Why did she choose to butt out of Vivian's life now? Without saying a word Vivian walked past Kelly downstairs. There, Vivian sat down and Kelly followed suit. When she sat down, Vivian got a good look at Kelly's pale face.

Kelly's eyes looked mocking and Vivian knew whatever she had to say wouldn't be good. For a while there was silence with the exception of laughter from the kitchen. Then finally, getting tired of sitting there, Vivian spoke.

"Why did you come here?" her voice was cold and harsh, but Kelly's reply made Vivian want to laugh. Kelly had flipped her hair awkwardly behind her shoulder, revealing a bright sliver pendent. 'Congratulations Kelly! You know just how to set a girl off,' smirked Vivian.

Kelly wasn't pleased with the response.

"If you came here to make me jealous it hasn't worked."

"Aiden gave it to me."

"I know who you got it from. Do you honestly think that Aiden went out and personally picked that out for you?"

"He told me so," she said smugly.

"Newsflash, Kelly, he got that for me when he went away on his vacation. When we broke up I gave him the necklace back."

"Well I have it now."

"Well it wasn't bought for you," Vivian laughed, "is that why you came here?"

"Listen, Vivian, I don't know what game you're playing, but we all saw you at the concert last night. More importantly, I saw you at the concert last night. Stay away from Aiden. He doesn't love you anymore. In fact, he doesn't even like you," she laughed gaily, "don't go near Aiden, me, or my home again."

Vivian stopped smiling remembering when she had gone into Kelly's room and destroyed all of her belongings.

"Yeah, I know it was you who did all of those things. I'm loved by everyone except you, and frankly you're scum on the bottom of my boots. Stay away or I'll have the police after you again." By this time Kelly was up out of her seat and headed for the door.

"You can take your advice and shove it. I'll go where I want, thank you," Vivian stood with her arms folded waiting for Kelly to leave. "The door's right there." She stomped out the door aggravated that her "little speech" didn't go as planned. 'What a random punk jerk,' thought Vivian, 'wait a month why don't you, to bring that up.'

She, then, veered back to Gabriel who had moved himself onto the roof.

"Hey, what are you doing out there?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was lying in bed and saw the sky and thought I could get some fresh air," he helped Vivian on the roof, his shirt tightening around his mussels.

"So you like the fall?"

"Mmhm, do you smell that?" he breathed in deeply through his nostrils. Vivian copied Gabriel, breathing in deeply.

"No," she tried breathing again.

"But you do, everyone smells it. It's the fresh air. Only autumn has that brisk smell." Again Vivian breathed in and this time she caught the smell along with a shiver. Gabriel took her in his arms and rubbed her shoulders warming them.

"It clears my mind," he closed his eyes, inhaled and then exhaled. Vivian just took in her familiar surroundings. She could sense Kelly on the sidewalk just in front of her house and a chipmunk on the ground harvesting nuts. The colors were brilliant; red and orange together on a single tree looked like gold, so rich in texture. Gabriel's breathing exercise made Vivian feel peaceful and calm and she felt ready to take on that painting she wanted to do earlier.

"Gabriel?"

"Vivian," he squeezed her in his arms.

"Stay here, I'm going to go get my canvas and paints."

"Okay," he let her go and inhaled trying to catch a weft of her scent. Once inside her room Vivian grabbed her canvas, paints, paint brush and her jug of fresh water which she re-filled every time she finished with a painting. Then, she went back to her window and handed Gabriel her paints and canvas.

"Thank you," she sat down aside from him, setting everything in place.

"What are you going to paint?"

"You'll see," she said unscrewing the lid on the jug.

"Who was at the door before?"

"I don't think you know her. Her name is Kelly. She hangs out with Aiden and his crowd now."

"Is she the one that wears all black all the time?"

"Sadly, yes," Vivian dipped her brush in the water and then placed it in a brown paint.

"What did she want?"

"Nothing, just the usual threat," she said in half a laugh. Suddenly Gabriel was tense.

"Don't worry. It's not like I wouldn't be able to handle her."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about. Vivian, you didn't say anything did you, nothing out of the ordinary?" She gave up her canvas and leaned over to Gabriel, kissing him on the cheek.

"Don't worry. She just said that I should stay away from Aiden or else," Vivian whispered in Gabriel's ear, "Besides, I thought you heard it."

"Well, I did, but I didn't want to say anything because then I knew you would be mad at me," he frowned, giving Vivian a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Now," said Vivian becoming serious, "leave me to my work and do not disturb me until I am finished." She pronounced the last word with a French accent.

She then returned to her canvas and dabbed the brown paint on the paper in the shape of a tree trunk. After she made the trunk she placed her brush in the jug to clean it and started again with a Forest Green. She took her brush to the canvas and made short strokes for grass. Then, she went back to her warm brown and made gnarled roots through it. Now came the part that Vivian was so longing to do; the top.

First, she selected a light orange paint that matched the trees around her. The brush and the canvas met and became one. The orange flowed from the top of the tree to the bottom in thin strips like lace. Then Vivian added a red and a soft yellow on top of it. All the colors bonded together, shooting down towards the ground like rain, but stopping at a halt only inches away.

She looked at her work, feeling as if something was missing. She had painted the willow Gabriel had shown her with fall colors, just as she wanted, but something felt left out. Vivian took a deep breath and closed her eyes; thinking of what she could add the painting. With no avail she opened them and saw Gabriel resting out of the corner of her eye. Vivian turned her head fully to Gabriel and looked at his peaceful stance.

His arms were folded across his muscular chest and his eyes were shut deep in slumber.

'Gabriel,' Vivian thought, 'the missing piece.'

She cleaned her brush and painted his thick pelt right under the willow, sleeping soundly. 'Perfect.' Done with her canvas Vivian rinsed her brush, tidied her paints, and screwed the lid on tight on top of her jug. Carefully, she brought her painting in through her window first and nestled it safely on her desk. Then she quietly went back up to the roof and gathered her art possessions.

She placed her brush and paints next to her canvas while she took her jug to the kitchen to wash out. It was noon and Vivian was hungry and wanted to grab a snack, but decided to wait for Gabriel.

"Where did Tomas disappear to?" asked Vivian as she emptied the jug's murky water.

"Said he wanted to go looking for a good suit; he has a friend that invited him to a cocktail party. Something like that anyways. I didn't quiet understand what he was saying because he was talking about several parties and whatnot. I offered to help him look but he said that I should get some rest if I had work tonight. He is so thoughtful."

Esme sighed circling the rim of her mug with her index finger. "Were you painting?"

"Mmhm and Gabriel fell asleep out on the roof while I was painting."

"Moon knows he doesn't get enough sleep. Either that or he needs a vacation. He does way too much for the pack, but what should we expect? He is the alpha male, is he not?" said Esme having her own mini conversation.

"That's a great idea. We should all surprise Gabriel with a vacation," Vivian finished up with her jug, "we'll talk about it later though. Gabriel might hear."

"Okay darling, whatever you say." At that Vivian left her mother to the confines of the kitchen. When Vivian got back to her room she placed the water down and grabbed a blanket from her bed. She put it in her arms and walked onto the roof. Gabriel was still fast asleep. She placed the blanket over his tan body and kissed him on the forehead.

He stirred slightly, but nothing drastic to make Vivian think that he might have overheard her and Esme in the kitchen. She knelt down on the roof and leaned against the window for support. She raised the blanket and slid under it, immediately feeling its warmth. Then she placed her head on his shoulder and slept.

When they simultaneously woke up when the sun was low in the sky.

"You need more sleep Gabriel," Vivian lectured.

"So do you. You were asleep both times I was asleep."

"Well you need it more than I do." They ventured forth into Vivian's room stretching.

"Where's your painting? You never told me what you were up to," he smiled. Vivian was reluctant to show Gabriel anything. She didn't want him to tease her for incorporating him in her painting.

"Is that the willow?" Vivian nodded, "And, do I dare ask who that charming wolf is?" she blushed but smiled. 'So he can be facetious,' Vivian privately joked.

"Yes. C'mon, let's go grab some food, I'm starving."

Review!! Please!! What'd ya think about this chappie?? Review and tell me!