Bombs, bullets and the battlefield (closed for queenclaire)

Vivian finished zeroing in her sights as Smoke get ready for his part of their mission. She would tell him when it was clear and after the explosion, she would have to trust he would finish the job and get out of there safely. With anyone else, it would not be an issue for her. She would be sure they would do their job. Smoke was a horse of another color. The stories of him told of mischief and mayhem. She would just have to trust.

She turned on her radio to channel 4 and gave him a nod. She was as ready as she would ever be. She shook her head as he spoke and then went down the hill. She then looked for guards who were out and about. First taking out the ones that would spot Smoke quickly, they did not need anyone blowing a whistle on them.

“You are clear for now,” she stated radioing Smoke, “Watch out for the second window to your left on the second story. There were two men walking passed it. I could not get a clear shot.” Plus she did not want to take out anyone in the building as it may cause alarm if they were seen before the bomb went off.

Smoke made his way down the slope, making sure to stay close to bushes and trees so that he wouldn't be spotted. Fortunately for him the forrest was pretty dense and the odds of him being made were slim. The final stretch was a little trickier though, a 20-yard gap between the forrest and the fence. There were bushes scattered there, including a big one just next to the fence.

"Probably the best place to cut the fence." he thought. His eyes scanned the ground, looking for something. The grass was short which made things easier, and sure enough, he found what he was looking for. A patch of grass that didn't look quite right, that seemed to lie on top of the ground.

"Got landmines here." he said into the headset. "Just need a second to find out where I can go without getting my ass blown into outer space." He moved forward behind a bush, still scanning the ground. He found a pattern, three rows of mines laid out in such a way that if you tried walking straight to the fence you would most likely step on one.

"OK, I'm ready to party." he chuckled.

“You are clear for now.” He heard Vivians voice in his ear and quietly moved forward towards the fence, avoiding the mines and staying near the bushes. “Watch out for the second window to your left on the second story. There were two men walking passed it. I could not get a clear shot.” Smoke glanced up towards the window. He couldn't see anyone. "I'll leave a surprise for them." he said while reaching for his wirecutters which were strapped to his leg.

"I'm busting in." Smoke cut the fence and made sure that noone could see him before going through. He moved in, running quickly to the back of the building closest to him. He grabbed one of his bombs out of the bag and placed it at the base of the wall. He set the detonator for channel 2.

"One down, but I guess you saw that." He looked up towards where Vivian was and stuck his tongue out, smiling. "I'll take the building to the south now, then go north and move around to the west. Let me know when I'm clear to move."

Things went surprisingly smooth. None of the guards managed to spot Smoke. Well, maybe they did and Vivian shot them, Smoke didn't know. Noone raised the alarm, that was all that mattered. Smoke had set the bombs to different channels, his plan being that the bombs on the houses farthest away from the mansion would go off first, then the explosions would work their way closer to the mansion which would be the grand finale. It would also work as a diversion, as everybody would be going to the main building, not even noticing the little bomb that had gone off at the same time to blow through the wall to the hostage.

Smoke reached the building where the hostage should be. He was behind it, out of Vivians sight. The fence just a few yards away, the dense forrest just outside of it. There didn't seem to be any mines on this side. He looked at the wall of the building and saw a small window with steel bars, just like in old movies. He carefully looked inside it and saw a man sitting on an old wooden bed with his elbows on his knees staring at the floor. He looked filthy, his clothes dirty and slightly bloody. Smoke frowned.

"Hey. Hey you." He whispered, but the man didn't hear him. "Moxon?" he said slightly louder, and the man turned his head towards him.

"Wha-? Who are you?" the man asked, standing up.

"You Moxon?"

"Yeah, yes, I'm Jimmy Moxon, who are you?" The man came closer to the window.

"I'm Snoopy, Pigpen, and I'm here to teach you what Halloween's really about." Moxon looked confused. "Listen, in three minutes, lie down on the floor under your bed and pull that mattress on top of you. Cover your eyes and ears. And get ready to haul ass."

"When will I know?"

"Believe me, you'll fucking know." Smoke grinned and crouched down, disappearing from Moxons sight. "Vi, I'm going for the fence."

Smoke cut the fence and planted the C4 on the wall, making it the shape of a square which would be big enough to get Moxon through. He checked his watch and he still had about 30 seconds. "Vi, I'm going round the corner between the buildings to take cover. You should see me soon."

Smoke moved around the corner and crouched down. He should be good here, the space between the building was narrow and he had a barrel to hide behind. He just had to wait a few more seconds and then the fireworks would start. He started giggling to himself, he loved the anticipation right before getting to blow something up.

That's when a door on the back of the building next to him opened and a guard walked out, an AK-47 hanging from his shoulder, lighting a cigarette. Smoke froze. He had seen the door, but he hadn't paid it any attention, which was a massive fucking mistake seeing that right now there was a guard just three yards from him.

"Fucking shoot him." he thought, his teeth clenched. Then he realized that Vivian couldn't, the building was blocking her view. The guard took a drag from his cigarette, blowing smoke into the air.

Smoke had to act. He pulled his knife and lunged towards the guard who turned around too soon. His face had a look of surprise on it, but he acted quickly and reached for his weapon. Smoke couldn't let him get a shot off, everybody would know they were there. Instead of going for his throat with the knife he crashed into the guards arm, making him drop his weapon. They wrestled on the ground and the guard punched Smoke in the face. Smoke made a swiping motion at his throat with the knife, but the guard dodged and managed to kick the knife out of his hand. Smoke tackled him and they fell to the ground again, this time the guard pulling a knife. He swiped it at him and managed to make a deep cut in Smokes forehead. The sharp steel burned and blood started flowing from his face, making Smoke grimace in pain. The guard tackled him and ended up on top, pushing the knife down towards Smokes throat. Smoke thrashed with his legs while holding on to the guards wrists, trying to stop the knife from coming closer. But the guard shifted and put more of his weight on the knife, making it slowly come closer to his throat.

"Fuck... you..." Smoke growled through his teeth, knowing that it was probably his last words on this earth. His mind wandered to Vivian. "I'm sorry Vivian. I fucked up..." he thought, still fighting an impossible fight.

Vivian had to admit she was a bit shocked with how smoothly things were going. She really thought Smoke would blow everything up and then leave with or without the hostage. She started to wonder if all the stories about him were true. Seems he was able to take a job seriously enough to not get everyone killed. Though, they were not in the clear yet. He was just now reaching the hostage, all hell could still break loose and she could be left picking up the pieces.

She groaned to herself as Smoke disappeared behind the building. She could not cover what she could not see. She just hoped this part went fast. She ground her teeth as she listened to Smoke talking to Moxon. She scanned the area for guards as Smoke continued talking to Moxon. She wanted them to hurry up as someone would soon notice the downed guards.

She paused as she heard Smoke in her ear stating he on the move. “Great,” she replied, “Hurry up and let’s get out of here.” She was ready to leave. The longer one stayed, the better chances of something going wrong. She preferred that not happening.

Vivian furrowed her brow as she heard what sounded like Smoke struggling. She quickly scanned the area and looked through her scope to see Smoke fighting a guard. “Fuck,” she said under her breath as she watched for a second, see if she could get a clear shot as Smoke was cut by the knife. She could not make the shot yet. She grinned as the guard tackled Smoke, ending up on top. She squeezed the trigger, firing off a round that penetrated the attacked skull just seconds after Smoke spoke. She breathe a sigh of relief as the guard’s head fell. “Things too boring for you? You needed some excitement?” There was a hint of teasing in her voice as she spoke to Smoke. “If you are done playing, you need to get out of there. I will meet you with the jeep."

At first Smoke didn't know what happened. There had suddenly appeared a red mist on the side of the guards head which splattered against Smokes face. Then he just collapsed on top of him, the knife falling to the ground right next to them. That's when he saw the hole in the guards skull, blood gushing out of it onto Smokes chest, fragments of his skull following the blood like leaves on a river.

“Things too boring for you? You needed some excitement?” Smoke pushed the body off him and ended up on all fours, the wound on his forehead covering his face in blood.

"Yeah, I was hungry too. Thanks for the brain matter snack." He spit on the ground, pebble-sized chunks of the guards brain bouncing off the grass. His tongue pushed out between his lips, trying to get all of it out. "Tastes surprisingly sweet." he snickered while picking up his knife.

“If you are done playing, you need to get out of there. I will meet you with the jeep." "Yeah yeah, gimme a second." Smoke couldn't find the detonator. He patted his pockets, but it was nowhere to be found. "Fuck, where the fuck?..." He started patting the ground, barely seeing anything from the blood in his eyes. "It must've fallen out, where..." His hand brushed against it and he grinned. Not for long though as the thing had cracked open, it's wires exposed. "That fucking asshole must've stepped on it. Gimme ten seconds and I've got it." He slipped in between the buildings and started tampering with the wires. "There, got it. Here goes." He covered his ears with his hand and shoulder while pressing the button.

A thunderous explosion erupted as every bomb went off at the same time. Balls of fire rising towards the sky, debris from the buildings tearing through them, fragments of concrete and wood flying through the air. The ground rumbled and screams from men that got thrown to the ground was heard, some shrieking in pain.

Smoke would've loved to take in the destruction he created, but there was no time. He ran to the back of the building and showed his head inside the newly created hole, debris and dust sticking to the blood on his face and chest. "Moxon! Let's go!" He reached his hand out, not being able to see him. A hand did grab his, and he pulled Moxon out. Guards could be heard screaming, running, presumably heading towards the mansion. Smoke ran over to the fence, pulling the hole open. "Go! Whatever happens, keep running straight ahead until you reach the road!" Moxon crawled through and Smoke followed right behind him. "Vi, we're through the fence! We'll meet you at the road!" They ran into the forrest, not knowing if anyone had spotted them.

Vivian laughed as Smoke thanked her for the head shot in his own weird way. She was happy she was not on that end of it. That was one of the reasons she was a sniper and did not get close to her kills. Or at least close enough to taste their brains. “Ew,” she said as he stated the brains were sweet, “You have problems.” She got up from her prone position and started for the jeep. She shoved the rifle in the floor board in the passenger side for the time being and started it up. She paused as she heard Smoke suddenly talking about the detonator. She shook her head at the luck. Seems nothing with that easy with Smoke. She just wanted it done.

She pulled out of the hiding spot and towards the pick up point as Smoke detonated the bombs. She flinched as the explosion jolted the truck even. She looked over to see the smoke rising and buildings crumbling. “Damn,” she muttered to herself as her eyes darted between the road and the destruction. She had to admit, Smoke was good at what he did.

She nodded as she heard Smoke in her ear, telling Moxon what to do. At least they were alive and able to move. “Great, I am almost there,” she replied to him as she headed in their direction. She looked over to take one last glance of the compound Smoke as just destroyed before she headed off. She sped down the road, hoping that no one had followed Smoke and Moxon.

Vivian slammed on the breaks as she saw Moxon running out of the woods. “Quick! Jump in!” She reached for her side arm, just in case someone else came running out of the woods with Smoke. She would be ready to take down anyone that came running.

Smoke and Moxon kept running through the forrest, Smoke staying a few yards behind so he could keep an eye on Moxon. The forrest was somewhat dense, but for most of the time they could run straight ahead, only needing to dodge the occasional rock or tree. Smokes face was completely covered in blood now, the white of his eyes and teeth clashing against his crimson mask. "Doesn't look like they saw us."

That thought was quickly interrupted by the rattling of an AK-47. Splinters exploded from a tree just in front of Moxon who suddenly stopped, shielding his face.

"Keep running!" Smoke yelled as he unholstered his Desert Eagle and screeched to a halt before turning around and firing three shots in rapid succession. He didn't hit anything, but it served it's purpose as their followers took cover behind the trees. Smoke managed to get a glimpse of two of them, unsure if there was anyone he missed. It didn't matter right now though as he turned around and kept running, trying to keep the trees between him and their pursuers. He could see Moxon about 30 yards in front of him running for all that he was worth. Smoke was actually impressed, the guy was fast.

Another rattle was heard and Smoke could hear a bullet zip by close to his ear. He stopped behind a tree and took aim, this time actually trying to hit someone. He fired three more shots but missed just as bad as the first time. "Godfuckingdamn I suck!" He started running again and realized that he couldn't see Moxon. "Fuck, where did he go!?"

“Quick! Jump in!” That was Vivians voice. He couldn't see her, which meant she must've been talking to Moxon. Smoke kept running straight ahead, he had to be close.

Smoke ran out of the forrest and saw Vivian in the jeep on the road below him, a 5-yard slope between them. "Honey, I'm home!" he yelled with a grin. A gun was fired and Smoke felt like someone hit him in the back with a baseball bat the size of a car. "Kh-OOFF!" He fell and tumbled down the slope, crashing into the side of the jeep. "Oh, fuck my ass." he groaned as Moxon grabbed his arm and pulled him into the back of the jeep.

Pistol at the ready, Vivian waited for Smoke to come out of the woods. She knew there would be others following him and was ready to cover him. Smoke’s witty greeting as he came running out of the woods, caused her to smile. “And you brought company,” she replied as she aimed at the men running after Smoke.

She took down one, but did not hit the right one first. She winced as the other fired and Smoke. She quickly aimed, firing a single shot to take him down. She watched as Moxon helped Smoke into the Jeep after his tumble. She smirked as she put the jeep into gear and sped off. She wanted to get as far away as quickly as she could. She did not need any dead bodies to deal with.

Once they were at a safe distance, she finally spoke. “You still alive, Smoke?” She glanced to the back of the jeep, “Because if you are dead, I am going to drop your body off here so I don’t have to dig a grave or ship it back to your home.” She gave him a quick wink and looked ahead again. At least they had completed getting Moxon and Smoke had proved that he could do a job without screwing up completely. She had to admit she was impressed with him on this mission. He may have annoyed her, but in the long run, he was quite good at what he did.

"Oh holy shit." Smoke took short breaths as he sat in the back of the truck, the air in his lungs having been knocked out of him when he got shot and tumbled down the slope. He eventually managed to breathe normally as he looked out the back of the jeep to make sure noone was following them.

“You still alive, Smoke?”

"Barely." Smoke answered and chuckled. His breathing was still ragged and he slumped against the back of the passenger seat, suddenly feeling really tired. Probably because the adrenaline was starting to wear off.

“Because if you are dead, I am going to drop your body off here so I don’t have to dig a grave or ship it back to your home.” Vivian gave him a wink, showing that she was only kidding. Smoke was a bit surprised, she didn't seem like the type to make jokes like that. Smoke's impression of her had been that she was far too serious for stuff like that. Still, he replied with a tired laughter.

"Hell no, I ain't gonna be dumped in no jungle, I deserve the funeral I've always wanted. My blood's gonna be replaced with nitroglycerin, I'm gonna be strapped to a huge rocket and I'm gonna light up the sky one final time. Then I'll be cremated at the same time." Smoke laughed, he wasn't being serious, but it didn't sound bad to him. His final moment on this earth doing what he loved; blowing shit up. Or in this case, himself.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Smoke looked over at Moxon who suddenly spoke.

"Don't mention it." Smoke groaned as he removed his bulletproof vest, his back hurting when he moved. He looked at the vest and found a bullet lodged in the back of it. "Look at that, a souvenir."

"Who sent you? Was it my folks? Who are you?"

"I don't know, I don't know, and it's probably better if you don't know." Smoke adjusted himself, sitting up before pointing next to Moxon. "Grab that first aid kit. I need you to do something about my head." Moxon took the green box with the red cross on it and moved closer to Smoke before opening it.

Despite the somewhat bumpy ride and Moxon's lack of experience he did a pretty good job with the wound on Smoke's forehead. Cleaning it stung like hell and made Smoke curse for five seconds straight. When the wound was clean he glued it together and put tape on it, a large white patch stretching across his forehead.

"Do I look pretty now?" Smoke turned to Vivian and grinned, most of the blood wiped away from his face. There were still stains here and there, and his facial hair was slightly red still.

After about fifteen minutes of driving they were on a small road, the dense forrest surrounding them. Smoke had moved to the passenger seat, reading the map.

"We're almost at the airfield. Just follow this road and we should see the plane soon." Smoke turned around and looked at Moxon. "There's some guys here that will fly you home. They're professionals, so don't worry."

"Thank you. Both of you. I'll never be able to repay you for this but if you ever need anything, please, I'll do anything to help you."

"Ah think ah'll miss ya the most, Scarecrow." Smoke said with a southern drawl, making himself laugh.

Vivian raised an eyebrow as Smoke spoke of his funeral, or at least what he thought was a deserving tribute to his self. Even though he seemed to be joking, she would not be surprised if he really did want to do something along those lines. It did not seem like a long shot for him. Then again, he would probably blow himself up anyway. So, he would probably get that wish.

She continued to drive as Moxon thanked them and asked who sent them. She let Smoke handle that conversation. She was busy taking them where they needed to be. Every once in a while she could hear sirens. Luckily the jeep was headed far away from the mess back at the compound.

She watched in the review mirror as Moxon did his best to patch up Smoke. She tried her best to miss as many bumps in the road as she could. It still did not seem to help much as Smoke let out a string of obscenities. She smirked at his pretty question as she looked over at him. She nodded with a smirk, “Yeah, there is something covering your face. It is a vast improvement.” She then chuckled to herself.

Once they got to the airfield, Vivian felt better. Moxon was no longer their concern once on the plane and she could cross another successful mission off her list. She was glad that Smoke was there to easy Moxon’s anxieties a bit. He had been through hell and at least there was someone there that could make a joke and hopefully make him feel just a tad bit better. They say laughter is the best medicine, but she was not really sure about that. She was happy with how grateful Moxon was for their help. There had been a few times she had rescued someone and they had felt she needed to be their whipping boy as well. This was actually one of the better rescues, even with Smoke and his horrible reputation.

“Yeah, there is something covering your face. It is a vast improvement.” Smoke laughed sarcastically at her comment, actually feeling a bit insulted. But again he was surprised by her wise-cracking, wondering if he had pegged her completely wrong as a no-nonsense type of person. He didn't bring it up though, remembering that she had threatened to kill him over a harmless (in Smoke's mind) prank when they left the motel.

They reached the airfield where a small plane, with room for maybe six people, waited for them. Three men dressed in matching camouflage pants, black t-shirts and sunglasses stood next to the plane, two of them armed with Tec-9's. The third one had a gun in his holster and appeared to be the leader of the group as he was flanked by the other two as he walked towards the jeep which parked a few feet away from them.

"You got the package?" The man asked, looking directly at Vivian, not paying Smoke or Moxon any attention.

"Yeah, I got a... package... for you." Smoke said in a sultry voice while rubbing the inside of his thigh with the palm of his hand. "Man, porn has the best pick up lines, doesn't it?" Smoke laughed as he jumped out of the jeep.

"Do you have it?" The man said in an annoyed tone, this time looking past Vivian, his gaze focused on Smoke who moved towards the back of the jeep.

"He's right fucking next to you, you dolt." Smoke replied as he helped Moxon out of the back. "And his name is Moxon." Smoke was a little annoyed at the man, thinking that he was acting like an asshole. Smoke knew that Moxon had been through a lot, and this guy surely knew it too. Plus, he completely ignored the fact that Smoke clearly had been injured, the white patch on his forehead proof of that. Instead he just grunted at Smoke's comment and turned to Moxon.

"Mr Moxon, you're safe now. We will fly you home, we just need to ask you a few questions first." Moxon nodded before turning to Smoke and Vivian.

"Thank you. Again, thank you so much. You saved my life." Smoke smirked at his words.

"That's okaaaaeeeeooooowwww, that hurts!" Moxon suddenly hugged Smoke, his hands pressing against the bruise on Smoke's back from the bullet that hit him. Moxon thanked Vivian too before walking towards the plane with one of the other men. The other man with the Tec-9 stepped forward and handed Smoke a bucket and a jerrican.

"Cleaning supplies." The man said. "I assume you have some blood back there?" He nodded towards Smoke's forehead.

"Darn tootin'." Smoke said as he took the items from the man, noticing some sponges and other things in the bucket. Smoke glanced at the leader, knowing that he wanted to ask them some questions. Smoke wasn't in the mood to talk to him, so he moved to the back of the jeep.

"Vivian, can you do the debriefing while I clean up the jeep?" He said as he poured some of the content from the jerrican in the back, the strong smell of ammonia hitting his nose and making him frown. He grabbed one of the sponges and started scrubbing away the blood while humming on Raining Blood by Slayer.

Smirking as Moxon hugged Smoke, Vivian stood silently as they group conversed. She was not one to just chime in and speak. And she sure as hell was not going to speak up to clean up the blood in the Jeep. That was Smoke’s mess, he could take care of it himself.

She nodded to Smoke and followed as the gentleman led her aside to speak. She furrowed her brow as he did so. She did not know why he was walking away from Smoke. Smoke was well aware of all that happened. He was in the thick of it, more so than she was.

“How did the mission go?”

“Um, I would say successfully since we are all here and alive,” Vivian said motioning to Smoke and where Moxon went. She looked back to the man, “Look, I get it. You want to know how Smoke did.” She paused as he nodded quietly and motioned for her to continue. “He did…really well actually. He stuck to the objective and did his job without need for redirection, if that is what you want to know.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the man.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he looked passed her at Smoke. “Truth is, Miss Hunt, we were hoping for him to fail. That is why he was put with you.” He looked back as her as she narrowed her eyes on him. “We knew if he messed up, the job would still be done and we could finally rid ourselves of his childishness.”

Vivian remained silent as she thought about what she had stopped Smoke from doing and if she had done the right thing or the wrong thing. Where they hoping she would let him goof off and blow up everything in the country? Did they think she was careless enough to not try and stop him?

“I am sure you know of his reputation,” he continued after getting no response from Vivian, “And that he is someone that no one wants to work with. You are someone that had yet to work with him and we were hoping, for a lack of a better term, the one to put a nail in his coffin. So, if you have anything you want to add.”

Vivian scoffed, “Great choice of words there, but I am not going to bury anyone today. He did great and I am not going to change my story no matter how many people he has pissed off. So, you will have to find another person or reason to fire him.”

The man pursed his lips as Vivian put her foot down and then he grinned, “No, I don’t think I will need another person. You will change your mind in time.”

“What does that mean?”

“That means, Miss Hunt, you get to work with Smoke again since he handled himself so well around you. It is clear you are the only one that he behaves around. Or, I really suspect, you are the only one that can keep him in line.” He turned to walk away, “Enjoy your new partner, Miss Hunt. I have a feeling we will be discussing all this again real soon.”

Vivian stood there glaring at the man as he walked away. She was not the type to have a “partner”, she could barely stand anyone for that long. She really hoped now that she had done the right thing by stopping Smoke from his extra fun.

"Aaaaand there we go!" Smoke stood up, admiring his work as he wiped some sweat away from his face. Every drop of blood that was inside the jeep was gone, and if anybody wanted to test the DNA that inevitably still were there they weren't likely to get a good sample. Smoke nodded, content with his work.

"Hell, if the business of blowing shit up slows down I might go into car washing." He looked down on his chest. "But I guess my tits aren't big enough for that. Eh, I could always get implants." He heard someone clearing his throat behind him and turned around, coming face to face with the man who had handed him the cleaning supplies.

"I figured you could use a change of clothes." He handed over a bag containing a pair of blue jeans, a black t-shirt, and a red baseball cap. "This way, the cops probably won't look at you twice." Smoke looked at his blood-covered clothes and nodded.

"Yeah, sure, but the cops aren't my biggest problem now, right?"

"From what we could gather, most of the cops in this area are on the take, probably from the druglord. The cops are most likely out looking for you now."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Smoke interrupted. "I think Vivian iced the only guys that saw us. There were noone shooting at us as we left." Smoke took of his shirt and unbottoned his pants as he spoke, getting ready to change clothes.

"Even so, there's still a risk, especially if they see you all bloody. That's why we'll be taking your guns too."

"Aw, come on!" Smoke protested as he pulled the fresh shirt over his head. "If they stop us we need guns, for fucks sake! What if they realize it's us?"

They won't realize it's you unless you say something stupid!" The leader of the group overheard Smoke and stepped forward, visibly irritated. "What if they stop you and find the weapons? Then they will know you had something to do with it. But if they stop you and find nothing they will just think you're two tourists, unless you open your damn mouth and screw things up. Besides, the motel you're staying at is far enough that they won't be looking for you there. So no weapons, do I make myself clear?"

"Yeah yeah, fine. What the fuck ever." Smoke was pouting as he handed over his holster holding his Desert Eagle along with the rest of his items. He did realize that he had a point, but he refused to admit it, instead he got dressed without saying anything else.

When they had collected all the weapons and other items from Smoke and Vivian they got in the plane and flew off, Moxon waving to them from the window. Smoke was eagerly waving back to him, like a little kid would do. When the plane was in the air Smoke headed for the passenger seat.

"You mind driving? I'm feeling a little light-headed." He tapped his forehead, covered by the red cap. Smoke gingerly sat down, the bruise on his back still hurting. "So did sergeant Dickhead have anything fun to say? Are we getting raises?" Smoke grinned at Vivian, oblivious to the conversation that had taken place between them.

As Smoke argued over handing his weapons to the man, Vivian remained silent. She was still mulling over the fact that she was now stuck with Smoke. She wondered how long this partnership would last. She was really hoping it did not kill her in the process. She had been relieved when Smoke had finished the mission without killing either one of them, but now she had to deal with that every time they had a mission. Her stomach turned slightly as she thought about that fact.

She snapped back to reality as the man asked for her weapons. She was a bit shocked that Smoke finally gave his over. She did not want to hand hers over either, but knew it was for the best. At least this way they would not look like killers. Though she did not think they could pull off tourist on vacation together either. At least giving up their weapons now would keep Smoke from blowing something up and her having to shoot him.

Nodding at Smoke’s question, she got back into the driver’s seat and took off before answering his question. She looked at him for a second and then back at the road. “Well, I doubt we will get raises though, I do think we deserve them.” She drew a deep breath, “No, what he said was much different than that. It seems they think you and I make a great team. So great of a team, we are now partners” She looked over at him, “For now, of course. It should not be a forever thing.” She hoped it wasn’t. For as cute as he was, he was equally annoying. And she had never enjoyed the company of someone that annoyed the hell out of her.

Now that she said it out loud, it seemed even odder to her. This was not something that The Network was known for doing. If fact, they liked to make sure people did not work together too often, so no conspiracies about a group of mercenaries could be brought up. Putting her and Smoke together for a while could raise eyebrows for any group that was watching for that sort of thing.

“Well, I doubt we will get raises though, I do think we deserve them.”

"Aaw, cheap bastards." Smoke grinned, joking. If they were getting a raise they would probably hear about it from Bernie, not som douchebag flying a plane.

“No, what he said was much different than that. It seems they think you and I make a great team. So great of a team, we are now partners." Smoke had been looking out the side of the car, but this made him quickly turn to Vivian, meeting her gaze, a surprised look on his face.

"What? For real?"

“For now, of course. It should not be a forever thing.” Smoke grinned like a child at Vivian, excited about what she was telling him.

"Shit, we're a team now? That's fucking awesome!" He leaned in and gave her a tight hug, the side of his face pressing against her shoulder, the soft feeling of her skin not lost on him. "Dude! We need a name! Like, like..." He made a gesture in front of himself, trying to picture the name on a billboard. "Smoke-Hunters! Or Bomb-Hunting! Or maybe just Smoke & The Angel of Death." He was really excited about this, working exclusively with Vivian? Hell, the Network must've been impressed with the way they handled themselves, why else would they put them together permanently?

"We need to celebrate!" Smoke exclaimed as they met a police car going the other direction, luckily it didn't turn around. "I saw a bar close to the motel, how about we go there when we get back? Get something to eat, maybe get a drink or two, sounds fun right?"

They arrived at the motel a few minutes after 6 PM, by this time the sun had settled, the streetlights illuminating their way. Colorful lights also lit up the motel, almost making it look festive. They went up to their room, Smoke removing his cap and taking a look in the mirror. The patch on his forehead had started to turn red, meaning he was bleeding through it.

"Shit," he muttered. "I gotta change this. Grab a shower if you want to, I'll probably wash myself off after I'm done with this." Smoke grabbed the first aid kit which was hanging on the wall next to the door and sat down by the table, placing the mirror in front of him. He removed the patch and for the first time he got a look at the cut on his forehead. It wasn't pretty, but Moxon had actually done a pretty good job at gluing it together. Smoke got to work, finding where he was bleeding from and cleaning it out, grimacing at the sudden sting it gave him.

Vivian flinched as Smoke hugged her. Not because it was him hugging her, though that might have played into it a bit, but because she was not keen on anyone touching her out of the blue. She furrowed her brow slightly as Smoke started thinking up names for their “team”. She smirked slightly at his last idea. “Sounds like a name for a metal band or a crappy television show,” she added as he paused in thought. She glanced as him briefly. He seems really excited about this. Then again, he did not know why they were stuck together. He did not know the Network wanted him gone, dead or alive, they did not seem to care about that part. She just had to figure out if she was going to try and keep him alive or let him go down the path he seemed to be drawn to.

She glanced at the police car and then to Smoke as he mentioned celebrating with drinks at a bar near the hotel room. She had to admit, it did sound fun. She needed a nice stiff drink after the day they had. Anyway, she needed to get used to doing things with Smoke since they were a team now. She needed to get a better read on him. Maybe he was not a bad as he seemed. “Ok, why not.”
Once up in the room, Vivian took Smoke up on his offer of a shower. She was sticky and grimy from their job today. She could use a nice hot shower before dinner and drinks.

She stepped into the bathroom and let the shower get nice and hot before getting into the water. She stood under the water and closed her eyes, letting her frustrations slip away with the water. She could not control everything and she definitely could not control what The Network wanted. She would have to buck up and just deal with everything.

Once she was done with her shower, she wrapped a towel around her and walked out into the room. She wanted to let the bathroom’s even out a bit before getting dressed, the steam was thick in there. She sat on the bed with a sigh. She felt better now. Of course she was still bugged by the decision, but she would handle it best she could and that was all she could do. “Did you fix your head?”, she asked Smoke with a smirk.

“Did you fix your head?”

"Nothing left in there to fix." Smoke grinned at Vivian as he knocked on his head with his fist. He now had a new patch on his head, this one smaller and not as eye-catching as the old one, though it was still clearly visible. There were spots of blood on Smoke's face that came from the wound when he cleaned it again.

"Nah, it's good now. Cleaned it, glued it together and slapped a patch on it. You done with the shower?" He pointed at the towel wrapped around her, then rolled his eyes after a few seconds, slapping the side of his head. "Well, duh, of course you are. I'll be back soon."

He went into the bathroom and got undressed, the humidity in there making a drop of sweat run down the side of his face. He got in the shower and turned it on, this time actually enjoying the warm water. He wanted to let the stream hit his face, but he refrained from it, not wanting to mess up the patch on his forehead. Instead he collected water with his hands to clean his face, carefully working around it.

He finished cleaning himself off and wrapped a towel around his waist, holding it in place with his hand. Not because he was shy or anything, but he realized that Vivian might not enjoy the show, even though he was kinda big down there. The other hand grabbed his clothes which he tossed next to his bed before he sat down on it, rummaging through his bag for something to wear. He didn't really have options though as he usually packed light, and ended up with the pair of jeans he had worn during the trip to Paraguay, a white tank top and a blue hawaiian shirt with red parrots on it. It kinda made him look like a tourist, but fact was that he liked that shirt, and considering how hot it was it was ideal since it was pretty thin.

"So," he said as he stood up, lacing on his shoes. "You ready to go?" They left the motel and headed towards the bar, walking. It was close enough, and besides, both of them planned to drink, no need to risk getting pulled over for drunk-driving.

They arrived at the bar which was full of life, bright lights on the outside making it impossible to miss. Adding in all the people standing outside it, drinking and dancing to the music emanating from inside the building it really brought life to the small town. From what Smoke had seen the town seemed pretty quiet, and now when it was dark, almost deserted. Maybe everyone just gathered here during the evenings.

"Shall we?" Smoke smirked at Vivian, making a gesture with his hand towards the opening leading inside the bar. "By the way," he added, "You look really nice tonight." Smoke realized it was a weird thing to say, especially to a colleague, but she did look nice. Even so, it was a comment more fitting on a date, and this certainly wasn't one. He wasn't sure why he had said it all of a sudden, maybe he for a split second thought it was a date.

While Smoke was in the shower, Vivian got dressed. She was not the type to bring a tone of clothes while on a mission, but she was not too worried about the place they were heading. It did not seem like a place one would dress up for.
She pulled out a pair of black jeans, calf high boots and a red shirt that hugged her quite nicely. She let her hair air dry, which made it curly. She slipped on the clothes and sat back on the bed, letting herself relax for a little bit. She did need to unwind after all they went through. She watched Smoke come out of the bathroom as she pulled on her boots.

She walked with Smoke to the bar. The night air was starting to finally cool, which was a nice change. She stood for a moment at the entrance at the bar, watching the people who were already taking advantage of the nice evening.

She looked over at Smoke as he spoke. She gave him a half smile as he said she looked nice. She really was not sure how to take it, so she decided to remain silent and walked into the bar. If she was honest with herself, she had to admit that Smoke looked good as well. He was a very attractive man and in this sort of setting, she could mistake him for being normal. Then again, she was not normal either. They killed for a living. Not really something one would put in their yearly Christmas letter.

She walked to the bar and ordered herself a whiskey then looked to Smoke to see what he wanted. She first wanted a drink before she even thought about something to eat.

“You know,” she stated once he ordered, “this place is really popular and I don’t hate the music.”

Smoke walked behind Vivian, following her into the bar. He thought Vivian's response to his comment had been, well, weird. Usually if he told a woman she looked nice she would almost always respond with a big smile and a 'oh, why thank you'. Sure, he did get a smile from Vivian, albeit a small one, but other than that, nothing. It just seemed strange to him.

"Then again, her fellow killer for hire just told her she looked good the same day they blew the fuck out of a mountain and killed some dudes," he thought as he furrowed his brow. "Guess I can't blame her." If he was being completely honest he felt a little offended that she hadn't given him a compliment about his shirt. He loved that shirt and thought that hawaiian shirts were severely underrated.

Smoke followed Vivian to the bar where she ordered a whiskey. The bartender turned to Smoke, asking what he wanted. Smoke looked at the wall of bottles behind the bar, moving his head around as he took them in. His tongue peeked out between his lips as he seemed to ponder what he wanted deeply before glancing to his side where he saw a woman down the bar. It wasn't the woman that had caught his attention but rather the green drink in front of her. The glass was filled with various fruits and an umbrella and Smoke pointed excitedly at it.

"I want one of those, a green one!" The bartender simply shrugged and got to work making his drink.

“You know, this place is really popular and I don’t hate the music.” Smoke looked at Vivian first, then took a look around the bar as he took it in. The place sure did seem popular, it was more or less packed, people drinking and talking, many dancing to the music which Smoke couldn't recognize, but it wasn't bad and really fit the mood of the bar, upbeat and happy.

"Yeah," Smoke replied as the bartender put the drink down next to him. "Maybe it's because it's the only place in town?" He thanked the bartender for the drink and took a sip from it. "Nom, fresh," he commented before taking another sip. "I wonder if it is the only bar? This place is pretty small after all." Just then a woman walked up to the two mercs, a short but cute dark-haired waitress with big brown eyes and a very friendly smile on her face.

"Are you here to eat?" She asked them with a very thick accent and Smoke noticed she held two menus in her arms.

"Yes we are, madam." Smoke replied, putting a british accent on the last word. "Me and my companionship for the evening have seeked out this fine establishment in search for some nourishment, could you aid us in finding what we are craving for?" Smoke thought he was funny, but the waitress' eyes widened at his words, making him realize that she had no clue what he was saying. Apparently her english wasn't that advanced.

"Uh, yeah. Table for two, please," he said in a normal tone as he held up two fingers. She smiled at them again and made a gesture for them to follow her, seating them at a small round table at the corner of the bar.

"Please look at the menu," the waitress said as she handed them to Smoke and Vivian. "I'll be back in a moment." She hurried of to another table that wanted to order drinks as Smoke looked through the menu, trying to figure out what he was looking at. He wasn't that good at spanish after all, luckily the menu had pictures.

Vivan smirked and took a sip of her whiskey as Smoke spoke to the waitress. Obliviously when visiting an non-English speaking country, it is a good thing to speak pompously to someone, but it was entertaining to her at least.

She sat down at the table and thumbed through the menu. She glanced at Smoke as he looked through the menu. He actually looked cute sitting there. She looked back at her menu and shook her head. The whiskey must be getting to her. She needed to eat. She hoped someone would bring them some chips and salsa. She was hungry.

She looked over at Smoke, “So, what do you normally do to unwind after a long day of…um…” She looked around. Not that anyone was going to hear her in there, but she was still cautious. “Doing what we do?” She took another sip of her drink. She really never spent time outside of the job with someone she worked with before, so she was curious what he did. She usually drank a bit and watched movies.

She looked back at the menu and decided that nachos sounded really good at the moment. She finished off her whiskey and decided she could do with another. If she was going to be out, she was going to enjoy herself. Why not? She earned it. And she needed to get to know her new partner better. What better way than a few drinks in?

She looked up as the waitress returned with chips and salsa and asked if they were ready. “I am,” she said, “I need another one of these.” She pointed to her empty glass. “And I want a large plate of nachos with chicken fajitas on the top.” She looked to Smoke once she was done and waited on him to order.

The tip of Smoke's tongue peeked out between his lips as he looked through the menu, trying to find something he wanted. That wasn't difficult, most of the stuff looked great, he just had a hard time deciding what he wanted. He narrowed his eyes as he took another sip of his drink, the umbrella in it poking his cheek.

“So, what do you normally do to unwind after a long day of…um…” Smoke raised his head as Vivian spoke before she made a pause and looked around her, prompting Smoke to do the same even though he had no idea what he was looking for. “Doing what we do?”

"Oh, I usually rub one out," he said casually before returning to looking at the menu. "I don't know what it is, maybe it's all the adrenaline or something, but DAMN does it feel good to blow a load after a day like this." A thought struck his mind and he looked up towards the roof, squinting as he pondered something. "Maybe it's some sort of circle-of-life thing? Like, cheated death today so the feeling of potentially creating new life feels even better?" He scratched his chin as he thought about it before looking at Vivian again, realizing that maybe he had been a bit too honest with her.

"Um, was that TMI? Sorry, guess you didn't wanna hear about that." Smoke scratched the back of his head as he said it, a bit embarrassed. "Look, I won't do that tonight, OK? We're sharing a room after all, I'm sure you don't wanna see or hear that." "But as soon as I get home I'm gonna whack it furiously," he added in his mind.

Just then the waitress returned with some chips and asked them if they were ready to order.

“I am, I need another one of these. And I want a large plate of nachos with chicken fajitas on the top.” The waitress jotted down her order and turned to Smoke who held up the menu while pointing at a picture.

"I want this one, the um... burritos with cheese on them? And you can get me a new drink as well, same as before. Thanks." He handed the waitress the menu and took a chip from the bowl as she walked away.

"So how about you?" Smoke dipped the chip in the salsa and threw it into his mouth, talking between bites. "What do you do to relax? Clean your rifles? Watch a movie? Snuggle with your hubby? Wait, he's not here, maybe when you get home then?" Smoke felt a burning spread through his mouth thanks to the spicy salsa and took a sip of his drink to ease the sensation.

Vivian narrowed her eyes on Smoke as he spoke of his way to unwind after a good days work. She blinked a few times as she wondered why he would just share that sort of information. Then again, she was not the type to let people into her life and what she did. She kept people at a distance, made it easier to kill them if they were not “friends”. She never knew who she would be hired to take out next, so she just assumed everyone was a target. Made for a lonely life, but it was her choice.

Unfortunately, as Smoke continued to talk, she got a visual in her head of him at home enjoying himself. She looked away as she tried to clear her mind. Luckily, he was looking towards the ceiling, talking about life or something. He lost her once she got a visual.

She looked back at him once he spoke directly to her. She nodded when he said he would not do that tonight, and wished her glass was not empty. She grabbed a chip and dunked it in the sauce. She ate it, enjoying the heat on her tongue. She really enjoyed spicy foods.

“Pretty much,” Vivian answered Smoke after swallowing, “except the hubby part. I am not married or even dating anyone. So, cleaning my rifles and watching movies alone is what I do.” She looked at him, “It is really hard to meet someone when you spend your time killing people. Makes you a little scary, if you are a female that is. Most men have this mucho thing and hate to see a woman show them up.” She shrugged and realized she had opened up, even just a little bit. She found it oddly refreshing. It was nice to get something off her chest.

“Pretty much, except the hubby part. I am not married or even dating anyone. So, cleaning my rifles and watching movies alone is what I do.”

Smoke tilted his head and squinted at her, his eyes turning into thin lines as he had a hard time comprehending what she said.

"A fox like you is single? Why?" He spoke bluntly, but that wasn't anything new for him. Smoke rarely thought before he opened his mouth, another reason why so few in the Network could stand him. Or outside the Network for that matter.

“It is really hard to meet someone when you spend your time killing people. Makes you a little scary, if you are a female that is. Most men have this mucho thing and hate to see a woman show them up.” Just as Vivian finished her sentence Smoke forced a fistfull of chips into his mouth, chewing on them loudly as crumbs fell out between his lips. After chewing a couple of times he was able to close his mouth, holding up a finger at her as if he was asking her to wait. He swallowed after a while, forcing the large mass of chips down his throat.

"If it makes you feel better," he said, his voice somewhat strained after swallowing the large lump of chips, "it ain't that easy for us guys either. Sure, there are women that like it, liking that little bit of danger, y'know? But most of those get bored when they realize that they won't end up in any danger at all. And those that still stick around? Well, they tend to be the bugfuck crazy ones." He tapped at his temple as he said so. Just then the waitress returned with their drinks, placing the glasses in front of them.

"Thanks," Smoke said as he slightly raised his glass at the waitress, giving her a crooked smile before turning to Vivian again. "I used to date this girl just after I started working for the Network. Picked her up at a bar, even told her what I did for a living, thinking 'hey, that could be a panty-dropper, right'? And believe me, it was." Smoke grinned at Vivian, something almost nostalgic on his face as he thought about the girl. "She took me home that night and nearly rode the life out of me. Seriously, for about two weeks we fucked every moment we had a chance, it was awesome! But then, things went to shit." The waitress returned again, this time bringing their food. Smoke stared at the plate placed in front of him, looking at the burritos with the still sizzling cheese on top of them with hunger in his eyes as he stuck his tongue out from the side of his mouth.

"Hope you enjoy your food." The waitress said to them with a smile.

"Oh, I'm pretty damn sure I will. Thanks!" Smoke grinned at the waitress before looking at the burritos again. He realized that they were still way too hot to eat, so he decided to continue with his story while they cooled down.

"So, after about half a month or so she started getting mad at me. She started going on about how she expected there to be shootouts and shit, but that just didn't happen. I mean, why would it? I was at home, and I sure as hell wasn't going to bring her with me on missions. So she decides to create her own danger by pissing off the local bikergang, trying to get me to kill them for her. Now I was at a fucking parking lot in the middle of the night with 10 of these guys surrounding me, pissed because my girlfriend had decided to make some nice art on their bikes using a screwdriver. There was only one way out of it." Smoke made a pause and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before continuing. "I pointed at her and yelled 'SHE DID IT' before running off at full speed. They ran after me, but luckily I was quicker. She got away with it too, none of the bikers stayed behind to keep an eye on her. Still, she wasn't too happy about that, so she dumped me the next day. I wasn't that upset about it to be honest."

Smoke took a bite out of his burrito, the warmth of the meat spreading through his mouth.

"Mmmm," he let out a groan of pleasure, a smile spreading across his face. "Damn, this is good as hell!" Smoke took a sip of his drink before taking a large bite out of his burrito, hot sauce smeared on his cheek.

"Whad aboud yoo," he asked with his mouth full. "Yoo hav' any crafhy ek'hes?" Smoke didn't consider that he might be asking too personal questions, especially by asking about her exes. To him it was just small talk, plus he was curious.

Once their drinks came, Vivian sipped on it as she continued to listen to Smoke talk about his crazy ex. She smiled slightly as he told her about the biker gang and what the girl did to the bike. The girl was crazy, she had to agree. No one in their right mind would do that and put someone they love, or liked seven, in that sort of danger. She knew she sure as hell wouldn’t.

She looked down at her plate of nachos once Smoke was done talking. She took a chip that was loaded and bit into it. It was good, or she was just really hungry. She was not completely sure. Either way, she would be finished the plate. She took a sip of her drink as she looked at Smoke talking with a full mouth.
Vivian thought for a moment and shook her head, “Not any like you have had. Mine tend to keep away from biker gangs.” She smirked slightly and took another sip. She would need more too really open up. She gulped it down and waved to the waitress for another. What the hell, she might as well do it right.

“So, for the most part,” she started with as she put the glass down, “I have dated soldiers, policeman and people of that nature…that way it is not too weird when they learn I can out shoot them. But, it gets awkward eventually…like when you are gone for days and you cannot contact them, then you arrive home and all the questions start. As you know, we cannot discuss it and the jealousy creeps in.” She paused as she ate another nacho.

She looked at Smoke, “There was one guy. He was crazy jealous and tried to follow me once. I ended up having to knock him unconscious just to get the damn job done. Then I had to drag his sorry ass out of the crime scene just to keep him from getting blamed.” She paused as she realized she left out part of the story. She smiled, “Oh right, he blew my cover and alerted the target I was there. So I had to move in and take care of it close up and personal.”

She smiled at the waitress as she set down another drink. “Thanks.” She took a sip.

“Not any like you have had. Mine tend to keep away from biker gangs.”

"Well that's good," Smoke replied as he wiped away the hot sauce on his cheek with the back of his hand. "Fucking bikers man, buncha psychos if you ask me." As he took a large gulp of his drink he noticed Vivian signaling the waitress that she wanted another whiskey.

"Is that her third or fourth one?" He thought about it as he placed his nearly empty glass on the table. Smoke was impressed, but felt his sense of competition kick in. "Can't let her beat me THAT easily," he thought just as another waitress walked past their table, making Smoke stop her and order a beer and a shot of Jager.

“So, for the most part, I have dated soldiers, policeman and people of that nature…that way it is not too weird when they learn I can out shoot them. But, it gets awkward eventually…like when you are gone for days and you cannot contact them, then you arrive home and all the questions start. As you know, we cannot discuss it and the jealousy creeps in.”

Smoke took a bite out of his burrito and nodded, fully aware what she meant. While he had been honest with his former girlfriends about what he did for a living, even though he wasn't sure he was allowed to tell them that, he never told them any details about the mission or where he had been. And just like Vivian had said, the jealousy eventually starts creeping in. Every girl that Smoke had dated since he joined the Network eventually accused him of cheating on her, claiming that his constant trips were just to go see another woman.

“There was one guy. He was crazy jealous and tried to follow me once. I ended up having to knock him unconscious just to get the damn job done. Then I had to drag his sorry ass out of the crime scene just to keep him from getting blamed.” Smoke stared at her with widened eyes as she made a pause. Was she serious? Did her boyfriend really show up when she was working? “Oh right, he blew my cover and alerted the target I was there. So I had to move in and take care of it close up and personal.”

"What the FUCK, really?" His emphasis on the word 'fuck' made a few people around them look at the two mercenaries, wondering if they were having an argument. But when they realized that the two were just talking they went back to their own conversations and drinks. "The fucking moron showed up in the middle of your mission? What a dumbass, how can you risk the mission like that?" The irony of Smoke's comment went completely above his head as he finished off his drink. He didn't have to wait for a new on though as the waitress just then placed new ones in front of them. He picked up the shot of Jager and held it above his glass of beer as he started singing to himself.

"We all live in a yellow submarine, hey! Yellow submarine, hey! Yellow submarine." He dropped the shotglass in his beer, causing some of it to splash out on the table. He smirked as he grabbed his beer and raised the glass towards Vivian.

"How 'bout a toast?" Smoke grinned at her, waiting for Vivian to raise her glass as well. "To our exes. We don't miss you, you crazy fuckers." He let out a laugh as he clinked his glass against hers, taking a sip of his Jagerbomb.

An hour passed and Smoke was getting drunker and drunker. He wasn't completely hammered, but his speech was slurred and he was starting to look drowsy. In front of him there was about seven empty glasses, some of them having an empty shotglass in them. He played with the rim on one of them before letting out a large yawn.

"'Sorry 'bout that, jus' gettin' tired 's all." He stared blankly at the table for a few seconds before he started snickering at something. "Not laughin' at you, 's jus'... jus' remembered sumthin'. This girl I use' to date, she was a narclep... nerco... nanplep... fuck, she fell asleep a lot, y'know? 'Nyway, we we're havin' sex once an' she fell asleep. Not a big deal, 'cept she was on top. She, she fell down an' headbutt' me, broke my dam' nose." Smoke let out a loud laugh at the memory, remembering how surprised he had been when her forehead suddenly crashed into his nose, making blood run from it like an open faucet. It had been awkward telling the people at the E.R. what happened to say the least.

"Shit," Smoke said as he finished laughing, "I havn' had sex since her, that was like..." He grew quiet as he focused on his fingers, counting on them as he tried to remember how long it had been.

"... Four years ago." His eyes widened slightly at his conclusion. "Fuck. Its been that long? Shit, I had no idea." His eyes fell on Vivian sitting across from him, and a question entered his mind which immediately left through his mouth. "How's long has it been for you?"

Vivian had to hide her look of amused confusion as Smoke commented on her ex blowing her cover. She was wondering if he even realized he had tried to do the same thing with her, luckily he listened to her. Though, through a few of the stories she had heard about him, he had done the same thing to some other people. She had to give him credit though, he did listen to her. That was more than her ex did. So, that was that.

The drinks were going down smoothly after Smoke's toast to their exes. She had to admit she was feeling pretty damn good. She was definitely laughing and smiling more and enjoying they company. Smoke was not as bad after a few drinks. What he had to say was quite entertaining.

Vivian laughed hard while he told his story of his last girlfriend. "Now that is a funny," she stated, "And I can see why you have not had sex since. That is not what you want running through your mind while you are going at it." She gave him a wink and finished off her drink.

"As for me," she started without hesitation. Which she could thank the alcohol for, without which she would have been sitting there with her arms folded not wanting to answer the last question. "I have not gone as long as you have, thankfully, but it has been about two years, I think." She really had not thought about it. She was always busy with work. There was a high demand for snipers. She looked up from her empty drink to Smoke, "Between the two of us, those numbers are really sad. I would think someone that looks like you do would have been saying it had been days not years."