DISCLAIMER: I own nothing other than my original characters.

Jack inhaled deeply, taking in the smells of home, as he stepped into the quiet house. He had only been gone visiting his brother for two weeks, but he was grateful to be back. He kicked off his scuffed boots in the hallway and closed the porch door behind him.

"Ma?" he called softly into the house. He heard movement and moments later his mother appeared in the living room.

"Jackie!" she held her arms out and greeted him with a warm hug. "How was your visit?"

"It was good." Evelyn released him from her grasp and he tossed his backpack against the wall. "But you know Jerry. Schedules, schedules, schedules. It was like being on a fucking museum tour for two weeks straight."

"Language," Evelyn scolded. She chuckled remembering how her second eldest son was always the most organized. "That's Jerry. But it's good. You need the structure."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," laughed Jack. He bent down and retrieved his backpack. "I'm gonna go unpack," he said.

"Jackie, wait. We need to talk." It was then Jack took notice the extra pair of shoes in the entry way, the extra coat on the hook, and the manila folder sitting on the coffee table.

"You took in a kid, didn't you?" Evelyn nodded her head slowly. It was as if she had been afraid to tell Jack. He didn't mind. His brothers had all moved out and it was lonely sometimes. Having a kid around might not be so bad.

Evelyn took Jack gently by the hand and lead him to the couch. "I want to tell you about him before you meet him. He's been… Well he's had, well," she paused. "You and him have a lot of things in common." She shook her head sadly. "Too much in common."

"What things?" Jack asked feeling his stomach drop. It had been a long time since he and Evelyn had spoken of his past.

"I don't think it's beneficial to talk about…"

"Mom," Jack interjected calmly. "What things?"

Evelyn took a deep breath and squeezed her youngest son's hand. "Among other things, he lived with the Roe's for about six months. That was about a year after you were there."

"Shit," Jack sighed at the mention of his last foster family before Evelyn took him in. He had been trying to forget the horrors he'd lived through ever since but the memories still haunted him. "Does he, uh. Does he know about me?"

"No, I figured I'd let you tell him if you wanted him to know." Jack nodded his head. His mind was racing with thoughts and memories but he forced them out as best as he could.

Evelyn took the folder off the coffee table and took out a picture. She handed it to Jack. The boy in the picture was very thin and, like Jack, had messy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. His left eyebrow sported a piece of jewelry as did each of his earlobe. He looked shy and his eyes were dancing with fear.

"His name is Lee," explained Evelyn. "He's fifteen and he's been in the system since he was seven. I don't know how long he'll be staying, but it might be a while. I'm having a hard time finding a family to take him."

Jack nodded again and handed the photo back to his mother. "Can I meet him?"

"I think he might be asleep. He was still pretty hurt when I brought him home from the hospital. But let's go see." Evelyn stood up and Jack followed her lead.

Jack felt nervous as he and Evelyn stood outside the door to the bedroom that had been his brother, Angel's. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he would be meeting someone who, like himself, had danced with the devil. And survived.

Thanks for reading =)

Please leave reviews… I'd like to improve on anything I can.

*River