A/N: Hello everyone. First off thanks for reading this, but I should let you know, I am not particularly sure I want to start this story. I just figured I put at least a couple chapters up to get this idea out of my head. It's been rattling like crazy for a while now. Any who, this is my addition to it and I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review as always.

P.S. I don't own any of the contents of Warrior, just the stuff you don't recognize are mine =)

Pittsburgh. He never thought he would ever come back to this city, especially with all that happened here to him growing up. But here he was, walking the old stomping grounds, in the middle of the night no less. Not much had changed in this part of town, then again nothing ever did around these parts. Same local food joints, buildings, apartments and homes, same streets with a stillness that over took the neighborhood when it snowed. Made a graveyard jealous.

But to Tommy, this was all new. It confused him greatly as he walked down his childhood street, freshly off a city bus. He never knew this place to be silent. His parents screaming always filled his ears growing up. The noise was always terrible and it made it hard to think about anything else. His mother's screams were always bad but what made it worse was the guilt he always felt for not doing anything about it.

"It's alright, tiger. Everything will be alright..."

That was a lie, a big fat lie. Everything was never alright. In fact it got worse. When he and his mom left, they were betrayed and left to fend for themselves. He was just a kid, his big brother was supposed to come for him, but he never did. He chose the girl.

Tommy didn't have that luxury.

Tommy got to bury people.

But that all happened nearly fourteen years ago. He had grown since then. He was a man now, a man coming back to his roots in a way. He wasn't sure why, but he felt like walking his old neighborhood. Even got to pass the old high school he won so many matches at. He smirked, remembering each and everyone of them

Because she made them memorable. She never missed a match.

"Get em, T! Tigers go for the kill!"

But that was a lifetime ago. Now, he was no tiger, not anymore

Movement ahead of him caught his attention. A small figure, a lady he figured, telling by the white skirt and black heeled boots she was wearing, was coming towards him. She wore a dark colored hoodie with it's hood up, blocking his view of her face. She had long dark hair that was spilling from it, down to her hip and to the small duffle bag slung over one of her shoulders. The word STEELERS was written in bold yellow lettering on the side of it, making him blink at the sight. it wasn't uncommon for people to show their support of the football team, after all they were in Pittsburgh. So it wasn't surprising.

But what caught him was her eyes. As she lifted her head to stare off at the apartment complex on his right, he saw the woman's eyes. She passed him by, completely unaware of him and turned to the house on his left, apartment 915 was staring back at him. She climbed the steps and instantly a dog began to bark on the other side of the door.

"Easy Ace, Imma coming." She laughed, digging for her keys in her hoodie pocket.

Tommy stopped, frowning before turning to 915.

"Sammi..."

Samina Forge, or simply known as Sammi, turned around and looked at the man standing at the foot of her stoop. Her eyes grew wide at the sight.

"Tommy... Hey..."

Tommy smirked, coming to stand at the first step of the stoop. Sammi came down a couple steps staring in disbelief at him. She was speechless.

"How you been?"

Tommy nodded. "Alright...You look good."

"You too..."

They fell silent all of a sudden, not knowing what else to say to one another. A barking dog could be heard from the other side of her door again, shaking Sammi out of her thoughts.

"You wanna come inside for a bit? It's pretty chilli out here."

Tommy thought about it. He was heading to his house, but meeting him was a worse choice than meeting up with Sammi. Besides he was getting cold.

"I'm gonna make some dinner... well maybe more of a midnight snack considering what time it is." Sammi said with a crooked smile. She knew Tommy was the silent type. He never said too much to begin with, it was why she had to say something to egg him on. Otherwise they would be going no where. Besides, she knew he loved food, no matter the time difference. Tommy to her was always the same.

"Unless you have somewhere else to be. I understand if you do."

"Nah, food sound good right about now." Tommy replied, climbing up the stairs to meet her.

Sammi smiled fully, watching him come to her. He had grown exponentially since the last time she saw him. He had a complete wrestlers build growing up, but now he was a man, he was built like something else, something she was happy to see. Wide developed shoulders filled out his two layers of jackets well. His shoulders big and stiff as he moved. He had a duffle bag too, just bigger. She laughed when their eyes met.

"Come here..." she gestured for him to come closer. Tommy knew that smile and obliged slowly, stopping a step from her. Sammi shook her head and wrapper her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She inhaled his scent, it bringing back memories she had buried long ago. She squeezed her eyes shut when she felt his arm reluctantly hug her back.

"I am so sorry to hear about your mom." She whispered in his ear. She felt him nod against her head. She rubbed his back and upper shoulders before pulling away from him, staring at his eyes. She smiled sadly at him.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay, I've had time to cope." he replied calmly.

Sammi's eyes narrowed "You were always a horrible liar."

That brought his smile back, making her chuckle along with it. The dog was barking again.

"Jeez, lets get inside before he wakes the neighborhood up."

Sammi let him go, turning to her front door and unlocking it. As soon as she opened the door, a large black Doberman came barking and wagging it's tail. Sammi chuckled the canine, petting it's head rigorously.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm home. Sorry about the wait, babe." she said to it. She turned to look at Tommy over her shoulder.

"Come on in. He won't bite, unless I ask him to." she laughed walking in. Tommy stared at the dog, watching it follow his owner. He came inside and shut the front door behind him. The lights turned on, revealing a small living room with a long sofa to his right up against the far wall and the a small kitchen to his left, fit with a small dinning table with two seats. A bedroom door was in the living room diagonal from him. It was small but cozy.

"Make yourself at home," Sammi said, shedding off her hoodie and bag. "I'm gonna feed him real quick, then I'll get started on our food. Mac n Cheese sound good?"

Tommy nodded at her. She went off to the kitchen, the dog still with her.

"That's a big dog."

Sammi smiled at him. "Yeah I know, I didn't think he was gonna get this big. He was actually the runt of the litter."

Tommy came into the kitchen, setting his bag on the table before crossing his arms over his chest. He stared at the dog, seeing the large hound was in defensive mode.

"Oh yeah, Ace this is Tommy... Tommy this is Ace, my protector of sorts." Sammi laughed. She poured the dog it's food, gaining his attention. His tail wagged happily as he had new water and food to occupy him.

"He's really protective, but he's a sweetheart. Just like someone else I know."

Tommy's gaze went to her eyes, noticing the cheekiness radiating out of them. Sammi's blue eyes were easy to look at, like deep oceans he would drown in if he kept staring. He forgot how mesmerizing they were, especially when they had that mischievous glint in them, a glint she only showed to him.

Sammi sighed, shaking her head. She went over to the fridge and started working on their meals. Fifteen minutes later, they had homemade mac n' cheese waiting for them to devour. Tommy stomach growled from the smell of it alone. Sammi poured them a bowl each and headed to the table where he had take a seat. He stood up and removed his bag from the table, setting it on the floor off by the wall behind him. Sammi took her seat opposite him but rose quickly forgetting something.

"Forgot drinks... what would you like?"

"A beer would be fine."

"Sorry, I don't drink... but if you want I'll run to the corner liquor store real quick to grab you a case?"

Tommy shook his head. "Bad idea, especially this late. It's fine, I'll have something else."

"Glass of milk?" She laughed, feeling bad she didn't have what he wanted. Tomorrow after work she would pick him up a case.

Tommy nodded.

"Go ahead and eat, don't feel the need to wait for me."

Tommy ignored her, waiting patiently for her to join him. His mother taught him to be respectful and after all these years, with all the things he had been through, he would do his mother proud by standing by her teachings. Besides he didn't have to wait long, Sammi was setting his glass of milk in front of him before taking her seat. Ace had finished his meal and came to sit next to his owner, content with his own meal.

"Hope you like it, I kind of made it in a hurry."

"I'm sure it's fine." he said picking at his food before taking a bite. It was still hot but it was good. Tommy had forgotten how good a cook Sammi was. She, like their mothers, believed in making everything homemade. They were all old fashioned that way. It was what Tommy had grown up on and what he preferred. Nothing was better than a home cooked meal.

Sammi on the other hand kept an eye on Tommy, noticing he was starving, not like he usually did, but like he hadn't eaten in a while, like a couple of days while. He was scarfing his food down like he wasn't sure when he would eat next, like he was homeless or something. It would explain why he was here in Pittsburgh and why he was here in their old neighborhood. But she didn't ask him about any of it. If he was in trouble she would help him without asking twenty-one questions. She knew he wasn't the sharing type anyways. He would never admit he was in trouble.

He had finished his first bowl in a matter of two minutes, surprising Sammi for a moment. She then remembered he had quite an appetite on him.

"If you want more, there's plenty in the pan." she reached over, waiting for him to hand her his bowl but he shook his head, standing instead.

"I can get it, you eat."

Her shoulders slumped watching him head to the stove to pour himself another bowl. She began eating her food, not noticing how hungry she was as well. She hadn't eating since three this afternoon, when she took her lunch break, if you could even call it that. She needed to bring on more people aboard her team, that way she wasn't always covering everyone's breaks without taking one herself.

Suddenly Tommy was staring at her, as if he was waiting for something. Sammi's eyes grew wide staring back at him.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?"

"I said, where do you work so late that you come home at this hour?"

"Oh," she laughed, shaking her head. "You remembered Fitzy's old gym?"

"The one we used to go to?"

"Yeah, that one. Well I own it now." She smiled brightly.

"Really? How'd you manage that one?"

"The old geezer past away a couple years back and his granddaughter, Beatrice I think, was selling it dirt cheap." Sam said, taking the last of her food in her mouth. "Didn't have the heart to see it go, considering how much time I used to spend there."

"Man, that's really great." Tommy nodded. "But doesn't explain the long hours. You guys close at what midnight?"

Sammi chuckled, shaking her head. "No, we close at eleven. I was there after hours to clean and things, set up for tomorrow and what not."

"You have no help?"

"Nah, I have help, I just sent him home, considering I knew how late it was getting. I wasn't about to ask Fenroy to stay just cause I feel the gym needed cleaning"

Tommy nodded again. "You can be a neat freak sometimes."

Sammi gaped at him. "Oh hush, my bad for believing in hygiene."

Tommy smiled at her, shaking his head. He sat back in his chair, looking into the living room. Above the dark grey couch, sat a painting of a snowy mountain range. There was a TV near the wall by the door. There was also a small stereo under the front window next to it. It was simple and neat.

Sammi got up, cleaning up the table quickly before heading to the kitchen sink. She placed them in, turning on the faucet to fill one side of the double sink. She shut the water off to grab the pan she cooked everything in. There was nothing left, not surprising her. She smiled and set it too in the water.

"I didn't even think to ask you if you still wanted some." Tommy said standing up quickly from his seat.

"Oh no, don't worry about it. I had enough, believe me."

Tommy didn't, not one bit. He knew Sammi was a modest person, reserved most of the time she was around people. She would never say if she wanted something, gladly giving her share to others if necessary. She reminded him of a mother that way.

"Tommy seriously," Sammi smiled, catching the look of Tommy's face. "I'm full as it is"

She didn't give him room to argue about it, simply letting it go. He nodded, heading over to her slowly. He felt he needed to do something, help her clean up or something, anything to keep himself busy. He didn't understand why he was so nervous now. It was only Sammi.

Sammi picked up on his nervousness, smiling at the dishes she was washing. Tommy was only nervous when he had things on his mind. Usually that meant heavy things were on his mind, majority of the time he let things roll over his shoulders, the major things he kept bottled up inside. When he felt like sharing, she would listen, but not before.

"If you want, you can go sit down. I'm almost done anyways."

Tommy stared at the back of her head, nodding more to himself than her. She couldn't see him anyways. He made his way to the couch, staring around the small living room. A glass cabinet sitting between the wall and the couch on his left caught his attention. There were things on displayed in there. He came to stand in front of it, staring at the items.

Trophies off all kinds were staring back at him, scattered over three shelves, layered over each other. The top shelves were from earlier awards, things Sammi had won over her elementary years. There was also things of her family on display with it. Her parents wedding picture stood out the most. Her father was brown haired with grey eyes. He looked like he meant business, but Tommy knew him as a caring man who loved his family above all. His wife, Sammi's mother was a spitting image of Sammi. Older but just as beautiful as ever. She had black green eyes with black hair, like her only daughter. Tommy laughed at the next picture that his eyes fell on to. A family portrait. Sammi and her mother were seated in two chairs facing the camera while her father and three older brothers stood behind the two ladies. Yeah, Sammy was the youngest of four children, all boys before her. It was why she had such a charming personality.

"How's the family?" Tommy called over to the kitchen.

"...Wouldn't know." Came Sammi's reply. Tommy instantly glanced back at her, noticing she had finished with the dishes. A small smile was on her lips as she came to stand next to him.

"Something happen?"

"You could say that, but it's alright. It happened a long time ago now and well quite frankly I don't want to talk about it." She shrugged with a smile. She was relieved when Tommy didn't push the matter. She knew him to be quite pressing when he wanted her to tell him something.

"I'll be right back." She smiled heading to the bedroom. She turned the light on and began uncovering the bed, quickly stripping the sheets and pillow cases before changing them into new ones. She placed a new blanket on the bed before drapping her comforter on top of it. She folded the top covers in half, towards the end of the bed before grabbing two towels from her closet and placing them on the corner of the bed. She quickly grabbed her night clothes and the cloths she would wear the next day before going into her bathroom and getting her toothbrush. She could brush her teeth in the sink anyways.

She met Tommy in the living room. He had sat down on the couch, petting Ace who had sat down on the couch next to him. Sammi couldn't help the smile growing on her face. It was a sight she could get used to.

Tommy turned his attention to her, frowning when his eye fell to her things in her hands. He stopped petting the Doberman and stood up, coming closer to her. Sammi smirked at him and shook her head, walking towards the kitchen table. She set her clothes and things on it before turning to the man.

"You take the bed."

Tommy shook his head. "Nah, that wouldn't be right. I'm fine on the couch."

"Tommy, I hardly sleep and I have an early start in the morning, like an hour before the sunrise, early." she smiled at him. "It's alright, you take the bed. I already changed everything for you and set new towels out. You need anything else?"

"Sammi, I..."

"You know better than to argue with me, T. Take the bed, I don't mind the couch, I fit on it, you probably don't"

Tommy sighed heavily, slightly smiling. It felt nice to be in familiar waters again. For so long he was out in a fog, not knowing where he was or who to trust anymore. Sammi was like a beacon that he gladly welcomed. She was always the light he needed, even though he never deserved it. She was the wall his back hit when all else failed. She would never let him fall past her and for that he was completely grateful. He just never showed it. He never knew how, but Sammi never seemed to mind. Deep down, he knew he couldn't always let her, he would have to do something to repay her one day. That he promised himself a long time ago. But for now, he would welcome her bed with open arms. The traveling and the two plates of comfort food didn't help his exhaustion.

And Sammi could tell Tommy was tired. He was fading slowly. She smiled and came closer to him, placing a hand gently one of his massive shoulders. Tommy was always taller than her, but he had grown even more so since the last time she saw him. It could be because he filled out width wise too, but she didn't really care. Sammi was just happy to see him again. After he left with his mom, she wasn't sure she would. But Tommy was back. Her tiger had returned.