Jack Mercer's Red Shoes
A/N: A one shot relating "Four Brothers" to "The Wizard of Oz". Enjoy.
I DO NOT OWN "Four Brothers". All credit goes to its rightful owners.
If Jack Mercer had red, sparkly shoes, Bobby would yell "Fairy!" and laugh. If he had a dog named Toto, Bobby would kick it. He hated dogs. As it was, though, Jack was wearing tennis shoes and a turtleneck, which was enough for a joke from his older a brother, but so was anything. There was no puppy in sight.
Jackie was sitting on his bed. Last thing he'd known, he'd fallen into bed after a late night in somebody's basement smoke bar. Now he was here, crying, and shallow memories of the past few days filtered in. The grief drained away in the water, leaving him still sad, and exhausted. Bobby came in and sat at the end of his bed, obviously lonely and tearing himself, but too tough to admit it even to his brother.
Their journey down rebellion road started not long afterwards, paved not by their love for their mother but their hate for her murderers. On the way, it was revealed what each of them sought in the Emerald City.
For Jack, a brain to keep his control and help him think things through. A home for Angel, who had been searching for a family and a home after his brothers grew up. Jeremiah yearned for the courage to pay back his debts and avenge Victor Sweet, as well as to forgive himself for the errors that killed Evelyn and put his family in danger. Finally, Bobby needed the heart to reach out and comfort his brothers, as well as to keep him from being turned bitter by tragedy.
They went on, and met many who were cruel or unhelpful in their quest. They trampled them with power of the Mercer house and melted them with the strength of unshed tears. One good cop changed their story when he reached out to help them. On the path to retribution Jackie wandered astray and perished before they could reach him. The arduous travels seemed a thousand times the worse and the forests so much blacker and more treacherous with the missing soul, but they endured, driven by desperation and misery.
In time, they glimpsed in the distance the spires and towers of the White City, and sped up to the gates. They ran in and finally were done with their journey. But the retribution faded quickly as the glasses fell from their eyes and they saw, all too suddenly, that the city was a just a spoilt green, molded and worthless. They had lost Jackie for a faulty cause and their woe shook the city.
When the smoke cleared, standing in the rubble, they found not the red shoes, but the Mercer home, the true jewel of the city, and the place they had started from. Looking into the brightly lit windows, they walked through the front door.
It was on that day, in each other, that they found what they were looking for. Angel saw that he had a place all along, for his brothers could never forget him and La Vida Loca kissed him on the lips. He proposed that night. Jeremiah had given away the rancid boon of his mistakes and forgave himself, though he never forgot.
And Bobby, now that it was all over, picked up the pieces, with a calmer, but stronger power than ever before. When the puck hit his foot, he saw those scared eyes looking up at him, Jack's eyes, and his heart healed.
If Jack Mercer had red, sparkly shoes, Bobby would hug him and laugh. If he had a dog named Toto, Bobby would spoil it. He loved Jack. As it was though, there was no Jack, only the three brothers, still standing strong.