Time Line: 2002-2003
Joe is alive as is Mary Reagan (their mother)

Ages:
Bobby Mercer: 29
Jack Mercer: 18
Jamie: 18
Joe: 26
Danny: 32
Erin:30

Kids:
Nikki: 10
Jack: 6
Sean: 2

Blood Ties

New York is not how Jack pictured it to be and yet it was as familiar to him as Detroit was. He felt a strange since nostalgia and homecoming even though he had never stepped foot in New York before today.

He walks slowly own the bustling streets, taking in all the sights and buildings taller than any he had ever seen back home. It's cold out. The wind whips at his face and his thinning jacket is not doing much to help protect him from the incoming snow storm. Perhaps coming to New York in the middle of November was not the best of ideas but he was used to the cold. He could handle a little snow.

Jack kept walking until his stomach growled in protest from lack of nourishment and demanded he stopped to eat. He sighed and looked around until he spotted a small diner on the corner of the street. The decor on the outside was bright red and welcoming. A neon sign was hanging in the window with the words 'Half-Priced Warm Winter Soup Sundays". Jack had never been so glad it for the weekday he always dreaded back when he was in school.

The diner was a nice change from the harsh outside world. The heat was running and warm air encompassed is body. The smell of homemade chicken soup and coffee was strong. His stomach growled again. He shrugged his way out of his coat and sat up front in the stool seats. A tall, older woman in her mid forties made her way over to him with a great smile on her face and pencil pad in hand.

"Welcome to Frank's, sonny boy. My name's Sal. What can I get you?"

Jack was a little surprised by the hospitality; his brothers had taunted him with the bad reputations of New Yorkers. "Uh, can I get the soup please and a coffee?"

"You sure can, sonny boy. Is that all?" She asked as she wrote down is order. Jack nodded his head and watched as she turned around and stuck the note onto the order rack. She peered down at him curiously when she turned back to him. "You know, I've lived in New York all my life and I can tell who's a new comer from a mile away. So where are you from sonny boy?"

Jack was a little weary but figured it could do no harm to tell. "Detroit, born and raised."

Sal raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Really? That's where my husband's from. Came up here about twenty years ago on a big rig delivering packages, saw me and decided to stay. Well, that's what he's says. His truck broke down and he had to stay a week before he could leave. That's when he met me while I was on my shift down here."

"You worked here for over twenty years?"

She smiled again before turning back to the food window. "Well of course. I own the joint. Frank was my pop before he passed a few years back."

Jack nodded his head in understanding and said thanks as she set down his hot soup and coffee.

"So where you headed, sonny? Lookin' to stick around for a while or just passing through?"

"Sticking around, that's the plan. Gotta find my new roommate first though." He sipped at his soup gingerly. It still manage to burn is tongue.

"Where's the place at? I'll give you directions."

He told her and watched as her eyes grew wide. "What?"

"I'd be careful around those parts, sonny. That neighborhood is dangerously close to Bitter End."

"Bitter end?" The door bells jingled.

She didn't have time to answer before a strong, deep voice cut in. "Now Sal, I hope you aren't scaring off new comers from our fine city."

Sal laughed and grinned. "Now well isn't it the fine boys in blue. Should have been expecting you two, you've been coming here all week."

Fine boys in blue? Jack turned around and felt his heart speed at what he saw. Jack had grown up surrounded by cops, with a brother like Bobby it was given but that didn't mean he wasn't on the lookout for a shake down. Being a Mercer gave every cop he came into contact with a reason to have assumptions about him and how he should be. Being a Mercer taught him not to trust cops. Not even as a kid, they were always of no use.

"Don't tell me you're tired of our faces already, Sal. That hurts." The first cop is tall, taller than Jack maybe, with short dirty blonde hair not unlike his own, and blue eyes. His face seems familiar and kind to Jack. Like he's met the man before. He has a strong jaw and high cheeks bones. He's what Ma would call a fine looking young man.

"Oh shut it, Joe. You know I love all the boys in blue." Sal laughs again. "Tell me when you're ready to order. I got another table to ten to real quick."

She wanders off and the cop turns to him. The cop is still smiling and holds out a hand. "Hi there. Hope old Sal didn't scare you too much."

Jack slowly shakes hands with the man, his mother hadn't raised him to be rude but he could already hear Bobby's yells of betrayal from where ever he might be.

"Judging by the luggage your new here or least just coming back, am I right?"

"Yeah, just got here."

The man never stopped smiling at him; it seemed to be warm and sincere. Not like the false smiles he got from cops back home when they wanted something from him or thought he was up to no good.

"Well welcome to New York. Greatest city that ever came to be." He paused to wave Sal back over. "The name's Joe Reagan and this is my partner Lou. You ever in trouble just look for the blue uniform."

"Yeah, I'll do that." Jack muttered to himself. He had absentmindedly finished his soup and was only left with his cooling coffee. He didn't have much money left for more so he picked up things and grabbed his guitar.

It looked like it was time to find the apartments near Bitter End.

Jack stepped out into the cold weather and looked for a yellow cab. This was it. This was his new home.