Author's note: Hi Everyone. I've had a bit of a hiatus from posting anything on , so I'm a bit rusty I think. I'll start with the usual "legal disclaimer" – this story is based on the movie, "Four Brothers." I didn't write the original screen play or have anything to do with the movie. I don't make a bloody cent from this story; it is just an exercise in imagination and writing and meant only to be enjoyed by myself, and hopefully others.

Moving on: This story is meant to be a basic retelling of the Four Brothers movie with the added element of Jessie St. James, my OC. Since I've added her in and tinkered with the timeline a bit, this is definitely AU. I hope you enjoy it – and, as always, I'd really like your feedback. Rating is for language more than anything else. If you like it, please tell me what you like. If you don't, please tell me why. I can't make anything better if I don't have concrete examples. And now, without further delay, on with the story…

Chapter 1: Old, Familiar Faces

Jessie pulled the collar of her coat up a little higher and wished she'd worn a hat. The thin scarf she had pulled up over her lips and nose wasn't doing much to keep the frigid air out. Every winter she remembered again how much she despised the Detroit cold. She walked up the steps to the house and went inside the porch. She didn't hear much inside, but the lights were on. Jessie knocked sharply on the door. Nothing. She knocked again and this time she heard footsteps.

"What?" It was the day of his mother's funeral and Bobby Mercer had used up all of his politeness for the day. For a second, her breath caught. He hardly looked any different, although she hadn't seen him in years. A little more careworn, maybe, but there was still that something, that something Jessie could only count as irresistible. It only took an instant for her to realize that time had certainly not diminished how attracted she was to Bobby - he was still as wild, rugged, and dangerous as she remembered.

She pulled the scarf down and smiled, not entirely certain he'd remember her. "Hi, Bobby."

His eyes got wide and then his serious, sad face broke into a smile. "Holy shit. Jessie? Jessie St. James?"

"The one and only."

For a moment, all Bobby could do was stare. Jessie had moved to the neighborhood when she was about ten. He hadn't paid much attention to her back then; he was a few years older than Jess and spent too much time playing hockey and getting in trouble. He'd gotten to know her when she started turning up in neighborhood street hockey games. And she wasn't half-bad. Then one summer in high school, just as sophomore year was starting, Bobby had seen Jessie in a new light… gone was the lean tomboy who had played street hockey with him. Instead Jessie looked like a girl, a really pretty girl.

From about age 15 on, Bobby Mercer had been what some would call a "player." He dated a lot of girls and most of them for not a long time. Like most boys that age, he was interested in one thing and it wasn't true love. Not long after he rediscovered Jessie, Bobby had taken her out on a date. He took her on a couple dates, in fact, but despite his very best efforts, he was never able to convince Jessie to go all the way with him. Finally, he turned his attention back to girls who were more willing. Jessie had never let on how badly he'd broken her heart.

After high school, many of the people in Bobby's class had scattered, including Jessie. Army or something like that. Maybe it had been to pay for college; Bobby couldn't remember. But seeing her standing there on his doorstep, enormous brown eyes peeking over the scarf when he'd first opened the door, brought it all back to him. And he wanted her more in that moment than he ever had in high school.

"I came by to say how sorry I was about your Mom, and that I'm sorry I missed the funeral. Dad's living down in Florida now with Uncle Lenny. I was visiting with him and just got back this afternoon. That's when I heard what happened. She was a great lady, Bobby. A great lady."

Her voice brought him back from his memory, back to that cold Detroit day; the he'd buried his murdered mother. "Yea, she was." His face didn't change, but the grief was there in his voice and in his eyes… and so was the rage.

"Are you going to make her stand on the porch all night, you idiot?" Jerry shoved Bobby in the back to make him move. "Come on in, Jessie. Let me take your coat."

She hugged Jerry and then Jack, who had come down the stairs to see who was there. They went into the living room.

"I won't stay long," she said. "I just came by to pay my respects. I'm sure you're all very tired…"

"Nah, don't worry. I'm, uh, we're glad you stopped by," said Bobby.

"Where's Angel?" The fourth Mercer brother was conspicuously absent from the house.

"He said he was out for a walk," said Jerry.

"But he's going to grab a little La Vida Loca," added Jack with a snort.

"Sofi?" Jessie shook her head. Angel and Sofi had been an item back in high school. Somehow, Jessie wasn't surprised that Angel was already looking her up. She looked down at the floor and laughed.

When she looked up, she looked at the wall of the living room where all of the photos were. One photo of each brother, a few of Jerry's two daughters, and group shot of the four boys. Jessie smiled at that picture. Four brothers: two white, two black, all troubled with violent pasts… all adopted and made into a family by the indomitable Evelyn Mercer. None of the boys were saints, particularly Bobby, but they were nothing like they would have been without Evelyn.

"You said your Dad went to Florida," said Bobby. "Where are you living?"

"He sold me his house," Jessie answered. "I just started renovating it. I'm a graphic designer at a little local shop. Pay's not too bad and the people aren't idiots. I'm also working two nights a week as an artist at Maverick Ink."

"The tattoo place? Sweet, you can do my next one," said Jack.

"The same. Stop down sometime. But, I'm going to go. I'm sure you guys want some time to catch up with each other." She stood and hugged Jack and Jerry. "Take care guys, and really… I'm sorry, truly, about your Mom. I hope you find the pieces of shit that did this."

They mumbled their thanks as Jerry handed Jessie her coat and scarf. Bobby grabbed his own jacket. "I'll walk you home," he said.

"You don't have to…" But I wouldn't mind if you wanted to…

"This is still Detroit," Bobby said. "Walking alone after dark is just askin' for trouble."

"Hanging with you is asking for trouble," said Jack.

"Shut the fuck up, you little fairy." Bobby gave his little brother a shove and Jack gave him the finger for his pain. As the door shut behind Bobby and Jessie, Jeremiah and Jack exchanged looks. Angel wasn't the only one chasing a memory tonight.

Jessie only lived about three blocks away from the Mercers, so the walk was short. They reminisced a little about high school. Bobby was vague about where he'd been for the past several years, but Jessie knew he'd done some time in jail. For her part, Jessie told him about the college she'd attended in the east and mentioned that she'd been in the Army. She didn't say much about that other than she'd spent some time overseas.

When they got to her house, Jessie thanked Bobby for the company and said goodnight. Bobby started back down the walkway as she unlocked the door. As Jessie started to step inside, Bobby called after her, making her stop and turn back.

"Hey. Jessie. How come we never hooked up in high school?" He flashed her a cocky grin. Jessie studied him for a minute, measuring the question and her answer.

"Why?" An odd smile graced her mouth. "Because I always wanted to be so much more to you than just a hook-up, Bobby."

Then she was gone, disappearing into her house, and leaving Bobby in the cold to think about her answer.