Authours note: Hi everybody! This is my first fanfiction that I've submitted, so please be nice if you choose to review (constructive criticism is welcome). I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't not own Four Brothers

Chapter one: Homecoming

I scowled at the dust rag that was clenched in my fist, mentally asking myself why I was performing this most hateful chore. Of course I knew why, Ma wanted the house clean for the arrival of her latest project, my new baby brother. My Ma was a social worker and a damn saint. Her goal in life was to find a permanent home for every foster kid she came across. Some people laugh this off and say that there are some kids that are just too far gone to be placed. Well I was, probably still am, one of those kids and you know what she did? She adopted me and I'm not the only one either, my brother Angel and Jerry were the same way.

"Yo, Bobby!" my youngest brother (at least until the new kid showed up), Angle called down the stairs, "You almost done? Ma just called, she's gonna be here in 5 minutes."

"Crap!" I cursed. I hadn't been expected Ma for another hour. It wasn't that the house wasn't clean, I just wasn't ready yet. From what little Ma had told us about this kid, I had been able to discern that he was pretty screwed up. Not Jerry, Angel and I were the shining examples of normalcy, but this kid was bad. He had been badly abused by his parents. Ma wouldn't divulge the exact details; she said that that was something he would share when he was ready.

"You ready for this?" my other younger brother, Jerry, asked as he came to my side. I could tell that he was trying to get me to share my feelings. Nice try, Jerry.

"Ready? I survived you and Angel didn't I? This kid will be a piece of cake," I lied receiving a knowing look from Jerry.

Jerry, Angel, and I took a seat on the worn sofa to await the arrival of our new little brother. I hate waiting for things, I always have. Minutes seem more like hours. Ma says I'm just impatient, but I swear they get longer. During this time, I wonder what the kid would be like. Would he be pissed off at the world for dealing him such a crappy hand, like Angel and I had? Or would as distant and seemingly uncaring as Jerry had been? Maybe he would be completely different. The latter of those possibilities scared me and there's not much that scares me. The sound of car tires against the driveway caused all of to jump to our feet.

"Should we answer it or let Ma open the door?" Angel whispered hurriedly.

"We don't want to seen to eager," I hissed not quite sure why we were being so quiet.

"But what if seems like we don't want him here?" Jerry replied. Before a decision could be reached the door was shoved open.

"Boys! I'm home!" Evelyn Mercer, Ma, cried out as she entered her home. Based on her grandmotherly appearance, you would never guess that she possessed the strength to raise three foster boys.

"Hey Ma," my brothers and I answered unintentionally in unison. At first it seemed as though our new little brother hadn't come after all, but a small boy peeked out from behind my mother. He had a head of messy blonde hair and the bluest eyes that you would see, but what really stood out to was his size, he was so small. He was supposed to be 12 years old, but based solely on his appearance I would have guessed that he was at least 2 years younger than that.

"This is Jack," Ma said, giving the boy a gentle push forward, "These are your new brothers. That's my oldest son, Bobby, he's 21. The one next to him is Jerry, he's 18. The last one is Angel, he's 16."

"Hi," Jack greeted almost inaudibly, his eyes focused on the wood flooring.

"Hey Jack," Jerry replied giving the younger boy a friendly smile.

"Well, I'm going to start making dinner, why don't you three show Jack to his room?" Ma suggested with a smile, but her eyes projected a different message, which I must say was mostly directed at me, don't scare him!

"C'mon Jack, let's go," Angel said cheerily, trying to coax a smile out of him.

Jack merely nodded and allowed Angel to lead the way. Angel and I followed the other two. I noticed that Jack kept on glancing over his shoulder as if he expected me to grab him from behind.

"Here it is," Angel said pushing the door open to reveal Jack's new room. The room was pretty bare, only containing a twin bed and a dresser. Jack would be able to decorate it in a way he saw fit. Jack gave the room a quick look-over and much to the surprise of the rest of us, made a bee line for closet. After that he proceeded to open the closet door and close himself inside.

"Uh…" I glanced at Angel and Jerry hoping they would have some insight in to what had just happened. Has the kid seriously just locked himself in the closet? "Angel… go get Ma."

"Yeah…good idea."

I took a deep breath, summoning what little patience I have, and knocked on the closet door. "Hey Jack… what are you doing in there?"

"Am I being too noisy?" Jack squeaked, "I'm sorry!"

"No," I backpedaled, desperately trying not to make Jack cry on his first day Mercer household, "I was just wondering why you're in the closet buddy."

"Isn't this my room?" the boy asked as he opened the door a crack, "Did I go in the wrong closet?"

"No…you're room is out here," Bobby explained, "You sleep out here. On your bed."

"I'm sorry. I slept in the closet in my last foster home," Jack apologized looking ashamed, "I messed up."

"No…" I trailed off unsure of how to continue. What were supposed to say to someone who thought they messed up because they didn't know that they didn't have to sleep in a closet?

"No sweetie, you didn't mess up," Ma interjected, surprising me, I hadn't realized that she had been standing in the doorway next to Jerry. "You just didn't know. I promise that my home is different than the ones that you lived in before. Why don't you come downstairs?"

Jack obediently followed Ma down the stairs. Jerry and I exchanged glances, each silently willing the other to explain what has just happened.

"So…the kid likes closets?" Jerry suggested casting me a hopeful look.

"Yeah…I guess there are…weirder things," I answered.

"Well one thing's for sure," Jerry stated trying to lighten the mood, "He came to the right place."

"You got that right."