"…alright, Gabriel?" Gabriel looked up at the mention of his name but didn't stop playing with the lighter in his hand. On. Off. Flame. No flame. On. Off. Fla-

"Listen to me, Gabriel!" John snapped, his grip on the wheel tightening. "And put that stupid thing away. You don't even smoke." Gabriel snorted but still put the lighter back in his pocket. After flicking it on once more, of course. Gabriel had absolutely zero respect for John. He was a shitty social worker. For Christ's sake, he didn't even know Gabriel smoked. It wasn't as if he made a secret of it or something.

"I'm listening," Gabriel said mildly, knowing he was pissing John off and enjoying it.

"Don't screw this up. Ms. Mercer is the best you're going to get. This is the end of the line for you. If this doesn't work out then you're going to an orphanage until you're eighteen." John kept talking after that but Gabriel stopped listening. There wasn't anything John was saying that Gabriel had heard before. Listen to your new foster parent. Work hard in school. Don't fuck up. Get along with your foster parent's sons. Stay away from gangs.

Wait…

"Sons?" Gabriel asked, finally paying attention to his social worker. John; however, instead of being glad Gabriel was paying attention to him, just became more irritated.

"Yes, Gabriel," he said, "Sons. I told you this already. Ms. Mercer has four boys. But only three are living with her right now. The eldest's moved out. And you need to get along with these kids. That means no fighting with them. And for God's sake, pull up your collar. You want them to see what a klutz you are?" Gabriel scowled but yanked his collar up higher to better cover the bruises on his neck. So he was a klutz, eh? He had a ring of hand shaped bruises around his neck because he was a klutz?

Four boys. Well, shit. Gabriel took out the lighter again and began flicking it on and off. Being a foster kid sucked, Gabriel mused as he watched the flame. He hated it. And he was sick of it. He was sick of having a shitty life because his folks and relatives were all dead. Most foster homes were bad. In Gabriel's experience, all foster parents cared about was either the check or getting a new chew toy. Usually both. And foster siblings… Gabriel didn't have such a great history with them either.

Four boys who already lived in the house. John had said something about them being adopted by that Mercer lady. That meant they would be protective of the woman and territorial about the house. Gabriel banged his head against the headrest. He was so fucked.

"I'm so fucked."

"Watch your language, Gabriel, Ms. Mercer runs a clean house."

"I'm so fucking fucked."

"Gabriel. I'm warning you."

"Terrifying," Gabriel said, his tone flat and emotionless. "What're you gonna do? Put me in a crappy "home"?" Gabriel's voice took on an ugly twist at the word home. "Whatever, man, I don't give a shit." John sighed, he had given up on Gabriel a long time ago. The kid had been nothing but trouble. No matter where he was placed he always managed to bring out the worst in people. That last home for example, John thought, the husband had always been very peaceable. He had never done anything like what he did to Gabriel before. Gabriel must have done something to provoke him. Although, now that John thought about it, maybe the husband had a few assault charges filed against him… John quickly stopped thinking about. No, it was Gabriel's fault. He always brought out the worst in people.

The rest of the car ride was silent, neither passenger willing to say something. Finally, the car pulled into a driveway and stopped. John unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to Gabriel.

"This is your last chan-" The rest of John's sentence was cut off when Gabriel got out of the car and slammed the door. Angry now, John wrenched his door open and jumped out.

"Don't you run away from me!" John yelled. "I just drove you across the entire city and I placed you in this home. Mrs. Mercer is the best you can ask for. The least you can do I show a little respect."

"Shut up!" Gabriel yelled. "You're a liar. You've said that same shit to me a hundred times before! And you don't deserve anything. No, that's wrong," Gabriel planted his hands on the hood of the car and leaned forward, "You deserve to be strung up by your di-"

"GABRIEL!"

"-ck and dropped."

"Don't speak to me like that!"

"GO TO HELL!" And suddenly, Gabriel couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't deal with one more of John's lectures that made everything seem like it was his fault, he couldn't deal with any more hurt and he couldn't deal with a new foster home. He ran. He heard John yelling behind him but he knew that the social worker wouldn't come after him. That would be too much work. So Gabriel just kept running, and running and running.

"Watch it!" Gabriel ran right into another person. Whoever he had run into was both taller and wider than him and Gabriel was sent rebounding off the man onto the ground. He was dazed for a moment but recovered quickly. He had survived worse blows to the head. Gabriel wrenched himself out of the daze and stood up quickly, ready to run again. But whoever he had crashed into had other ideas.

"Careful, kid," the man said, "Don't stand up so fast." The man reached out and grabbed hold of Gabriel, one hand on each arm to steady him. Gabriel ignored his warning and wrenched himself out of the grip. Gabriel wasn't one to sit down and nurse his wounds after he was hurt. No, he stood back up and used the pain as a reward, a tempter, something he got to defeat if he kept going.

"I'm fine." Looking back, Gabriel saw John smirking and walking towards him. Gabriel was about to start running again when he a hand grabbed his shirt collar and jerked it down.

"What the hell?" Gabriel asked, his voice almost a scream. The movement had shocked him; he wasn't expecting he be suddenly choked.

"Is the man you're running from the one who did this?" The man Gabriel had crashed into was alternating from examining the bruises on Gabriel's neck and glaring at John, who was approaching fast.

Gabriel's mind raced. This guy looked pissed. He had nothing to gain by telling the truth and saying no except for annoying questions. But if he said yes… The man would let him go and, by the look on his face, rip into John. That would give him more than enough time to get away.

"Yeah, that's my dad," Gabriel hoped his voice sounded as rushed and scared as he intended it to. "Look, he's really mad right now and I was just gonna lay low for a little while and-" The guy let go of his shirt and began running towards John. Gabriel was shocked. This man was a complete stranger, there wasn't any reason to be that worked up over a kid he didn't know. Maybe he was finally having a bit of luck. Gabriel started running again.

"Fuck!" Gabriel yelled in frustration. Another man had grabbed his arm, keeping him in place.

"Let go!" Gabriel ordered.

"Nice try kid," the man was speaking in a low voice right next to Gabriel's ear, causing Gabriel to freeze. "BOBBY!" The man yelled. "Get back, the kid lied!" The man Gabriel ran into, Bobby, stopped running and turned around. Gabriel couldn't tell what he was feeling from his face, but he knew it wouldn't be good. Gabriel began struggling to get out of the snitch's grip.

"Stop squirming, kid," the man snapped, finding it difficult to keep hold of the teenager.

"Like hell," Gabriel replied, increasing his efforts to get free. Suddenly, there was another hand gripping him, holding his neck.

"You can let go, Angel," Bobby said.

"He's no angel," Gabriel muttered, wincing when fingers dug into his bruises.

"Why'd you lie?" Bobby asked, wasting no time.

"Because I didn't want to tell the truth." Bobby tightened his grip.

"Tell me why you lied." Gabriel really wanted to be struggling to get free but something about Bobby warned him not to. It wouldn't get him anywhere and Gabriel could tell the man was strong. Gabriel muttered his answer.

"Speak up," Bobby ordered, shaking Gabriel by his neck like he was a wayward puppy. Gabriel opened his mouth to do just that when John appeared.

"Thanks for you help," the man huffed, out of breath from his run, "I've got him under control now." Bobby, much to Gabriel's surprise, glared at the social worker.

"Who the fuck are you?," Bobby demanded, shifting his grip from Gabriel's neck to his collar.

"I'm his social worker," John replied, puffing his chest out in an attempt to seem important. "Now let go of the kid, we have somewhere we need to be." But Bobby didn't let go.

"I want to hear the kid's side," he said, turning Gabriel to face him. "Is that true?" Gabriel glared but nodded. The moment this Bobby guy let go… Gabriel knew he was smart enough to make it on the street. He would get some money and catch a bus to somewhere he'd never been before.

"Why were you running?" Gabriel had almost forgotten about Angel. Gabriel twisted around until he was facing him instead of Bobby.

"None of your fucking business, is why," he sneered. Yeah, he was being stupid. Angel was taller and heavier and stronger than him. But it wasn't as if Gabriel was planning on ever seeing them again. Angel frowned and Bobby's grip tightened.

"Listen here, kid," Bobby growled the words and Gabriel's back stiffened at the tone. But he was saved from anything further when John lost his temper.

"Just give me the kid," he snapped, reaching out and grabbing Gabriel's wrist. Gabriel suppressed a flinch. There was way too much touching happening for his comfort. "Gabriel, stop playing games, Ms. Mercer expected us fifteen minutes ago." Bobby let go of Gabriel in surprise but the next words shocked Gabriel enough to keep him from running.

"You're the new kid?" He asked. Angel smirked and held out his hand.

"We're Angel and Bobby," he said, "Angel and Bobby Mercer."