Mercer Mercy

by AliceMoose

The Mercers mother was just murdered, how would their turmoil be effected if Bobby and Jack had people to lean on too? *One Shot* *Bobby/OC* *Jack/OC* *Entire Movie addition* *Wrote in HS with a friend and just reposted it.*

Prologue

The world is a cold hard place, full of endless pain and suffering. Never will it stop completely but in every day there is at least moment of pure happiness and beauty. Friendship and love pulls us all in one direction, that direction of hope that beckons through the darkness. Each and every one of us longs for those connections that pull us through every day.

New York City, the hoppin', poppin' place to be in the great ole US of A. If you've never been there then you should find some way to go whether it takes every last penny you own. On every corner there's an example of the American dream; men and women clad in their busy work attire, the click of a so called diva's heels as she breezes past, vendors shouting, taxies honking, bikes tingling, what a life. Even if the hustling and bustling gets crazy, there's a place to be among the peace and quiet. Ahh, Central Park, don't you just love it?

On that particular morning on the west side of the park at one of the playgrounds, there were but two women and a set of small twins. A little boy and girl ran around squealing with laughter as the two women sat chatting. Both of them were slouched in a lazy manner watching the children and dried leaves trace across the playground. Both were clad in jeans and hoodies that were almost identical, from afar the only difference between them was the color of their hair. The brunette pulled her hoodie up over her head and rested her head back across the bench back while the blonde played with the tail of her hair.

"This is soo boring." The brunette grumbled, "Why can't I just take the kids now?"

"Shut up. We're waiting for Craig, who is going to die very painfully if he doesn't get here before my shift starts."

"An that has what to do with me how?"

"What else do you have to do?"

"Hey I got stuff to do, lots of stuff, stuff you don't even know about so nah." Kasey made a childish face.

Ashley frowned, "You have no friends but me, your assorted boyfriends are in jail or out doing something stupid without you, I just cleaned your apartment, you're fully stocked on food, you're getting money sent from home, and you just got fired."

"How'd you know I got fired?"

"I got people."

"Well maybe, um, I, um, had to get some, um…"

"Kasey, just shut up."

"Fine I'll talk to myself, damn that Ashley is such a-"

"Hey don't cuss in front of my kids." Ashley shook her head.

"Oh right, like they've never heard it before."

"Why can't you just do what I ask?"

"Why can't you ease up a bit? I'm here to help you alright an all you do is bitch at me."

"Don't cuss in front of my god damn kids!"

"Oh classy." Kasey smirked.

"You bug me."

Kasey cocked her head back in an overly played out dramatic motion and faked a half sob, "Why do you detest me so?"

Ashley cracked up, "You still remember that?"

"Who doesn't? That was one of the greatest nights of my life."

"Why did we invite her in the first place?"

"I really don't know but she was a lot more tolerable after I was drunk."

"You were drunk the whole time." Ashley continued to laugh.

Blank stare, "Oh yeah."

As their laughter played on and they watched the children clamber around, the park started to grow a bit more active. A jogger stamped across the trail, a mother rolled a stroller up and let her child out, a basket ball bounced at the courts. Behind them though came a man in overalls and a muddied workers jacket.

"What're the hen an the witch cacklin' about now?" He smirked and stopped behind the bench.

Ashley whipped her head around, "Where the hell have you been?"

He looked over at Kasey but pointed at Ashley, "She been like this all morning?"

"Where the hell have you been?" Ashley repeated.

"Working, Christ, cut me some slack would ya?"

"Slack? We've been here for an hour. Do you even want to see me an the kids?"

"This is stupid, im not going to have this argument with you." He shook his head and started toward the kids.

He cooed down at them as he reached the edge of the playground and spread his arms wide. They both smiled smiles almost too large for their faces and raced to him. The little girl, Chai, trampled over with her long curls bouncing against her back and her blue eyes gleaming. While her brother, Rome, clambered down a slide and hopped over a railroad tie, his dirty blonde bangs fluffed down in front of his green eyes.

"Daddy!" The twins chimed.

Craig squatted and scooped the two into his arms before placing a kiss on each of their heads. His smile was wide as his babies placed soppy grinning kisses and swung them around in the air. With a chuckle he sat them back on the ground and fell back on the seat of his pants. Chai climbed up into her father's lap and took a childish seat before starting to suck her thumb. Being the playful little boy that he was, Rome ran around Craig and started to clamber up his back.

"Are you comin' home tonight, daddy?" Chai frowned.

Craig stopped playing with Rome and the boy slid down off his back. Seeing that playtime had stopped Rome took a seat beside his father.

"Yeah we don't have anyone to play with." Rome rested his head on Craig's thigh.

"You have Auntie Kasey, she's fun right?"

The three turned back at the women on the bench, while their mother sat calmly looking at her nails Kasey was unsuccessfully trying to hide taking a gulp from a brown bagged bottle. As Craig started to laugh Rome looked up at his father with a skewed frown and cocked his eye brow, a very strange thing for a three-year-old to do.

"At least he's cute with them." Kasey smiled.

"Well I don't care I hate him!" She folded her arms in a pout.

Kasey took a sideways glance at her friend, "You don't hate him you love him."

"Nope, hope he dies."

"Okay," She drew out the word as she stood from the bench, "well I'm tired of this teenage bull shit plus I'm far too out of it to get into a pointless argument with you that I know I'll lose cause you won't listen to reason so I'm leaving"

"Uh huh, right," Ashley stood, "you're reasoning isn't going to help me. An you're only four years older than me it honestly hasn't been that long since you were sixteen so shut up."

"Ok mommy but I'm still leavin'. Kids come on!"

The children looked up from their fathers lap at the two women making their way across from the bench. Craig stood with the two in his arms and a frown on his face.

"My breaks not over for fifteen minutes yet."

"Sorry, gotta get to work." Ashley shrugged.

Craig gave her a blank look and turned to Kasey, "When's her shift start?"

"Uh," She cocked her eyebrow, "nine thirty like she said."

"You don't believe me?" Ashley made a face.

"You used to go in at ten what happened to that?"

"They switched my hours, what's your problem?"

Craig frowned thickly and supplied no response but a heavy sigh.

"Okay," Kasey drew out again and took the kids from his arms, "It's time to go."

A moment more of Craig's awkward silence was followed by his gruff grab of the back of Ashley's neck.

"Craig!" Kasey started firmly.

"Shut up." He pointed at her without looking away from Ashley, "I love you." She didn't answer and he gave her a light shake, "You hear me?"

"Yea, Craig, yea. You're hurting me."

Kasey took a step closer, "Craig, why don't you walk me an the kids home?"

"Yea I'm comin'." He leaned in an kissed Ashleys forehead hard, "I love you."

"Craig, let's go."

The four started off leaving Ashley standing by the playground rubbing the back of her neck. They walked for a block in silence until Rome grumbled to be sat down. Kasey paused and placed him beside her before grasping his hand and placing Chai on her hip. She stood back up to the angry glare of Craig's cold ice blue eyes.

"Nuh-uh, don't you even look at me like that ya lil shit."

"You're my best friend right?"

Kasey stared at him blankly, "That in itself is just sad."

"Seriously, Kace."

"Yea, yea I am. Your point?"

"You'd tell me if she's cheatin' on me right?"

"Wow," She shook her head and started away, "this is far too stupid a conversation even for you."

He grabbed her elbow and turned her back to face him, "Is she?"

She looked down at her elbow and back up at him, "Boy, you better let go of me!"

"Auntie, I want ice cream." Rome groaned.

"Yea," Chai pulled her thumb from her mouth, "ice cream."

"Yea guys, I'm sure your dad will get you some, won't you Craig?"

"Just tell me if she-"

"Won't you, Craig?"

He paused and stared at her then down at his kids, "Sure, let's go."

They walked another block and turned into a corner store. As the children scrambled to the cooler of frozen desserts, Kasey and Craig slowly followed them and continued their conversation in a quieter tone.

"She's not cheating."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't tell you that if I wasn't sure."

"So, she might be?"

Kasey stopped and stared at him jaw agape, "Are you some kind of retard? Do the kids need to be checked?"

"You know what, fuck you ok-"

"Hey, hey, hey, I'm tryin' to help your sorry ass so just shut up an pay attention." She paused for a breath, "She's not cheating on you, she loves you. She's sixteen an cute, people are gonna want to talk to her."

"I don't want her to talk to them."

"Ok here's a solution, lock her in your basement and never let her out again. I'm sure that will get them love juices a flowin'." Kasey pulled Rome down off the freezer, "Look, I'm your friend ok, I'm not lying."

Craig let out a long sigh before picking up his daughter and holding her with a single arm. The band of four headed to the counter where they paid for the sweets and headed out the door. While helping the twins to unwrap their ice cream the two wandered out the door and started down the street once again. After taking a sharp turn at the corner, Craig collided with a stocky looking black teen.

"Hey, watch where you're-" Craig stopped and glared at the boy, "You."

A smile plastered across the boy's face, "Hey, Craig, Kasey!"

Kasey rolled her eyes, "Hi Paul."

"You're the guy who was with Ashley yesterday."

"Yeah, I go see her every morning." He shrugged, "Just saying hello."

"I told you she was cheating!" Craig growled at Kasey.

"Go away Paul." She made a face at Craig, "You are jealous of Paul?"

"Wow, so she likes me?" Paul grinned.

"Go away Paul!"

"Im'a kill you!" Craig grumbled.

"It's not my fault I'm just that good." Paul smirked.

Kasey smacked her forehead, "Paul, I'm going to kill you. Leave. Just go."

Paul shrugged and swerved around them before continuing in the direction they had just came from. Kasey let out an annoyed sigh before continuing down the street, dragging Craig along behind her. As they came to a fork in the path at Craig's job site, Kasey stopped and took Chai from his arms.

"Look if you're that worried about her then here's what you do ok…."

As Ashley started up the steps to her house at the late hour of 11:30, she sighed knowing she'd open the door to a messy house and an angry Craig. With the click and twist of her key in the door, it opened to the dark and quiet of her familiar living room. She let out a sigh of relief and lightly sat her things on the floor before slipping off her shoes to tiptoe into the kitchen. With a flip of the light switch she squinted at the light but then cocked her eyebrow at the sight of a clean kitchen.

"Strange…." She shrugged, "Kasey did some speed again."

She clicked off the light and started back to the kid's room. With a light slip of her hand she slid into the dark of their room and traced her hand in one of their beds. With a shock she flipped on the lights and frowned at her children's empty beds. A frown grew on her face before she switched back off the light and started down the dark hallway to her bedroom. She stopped short just before the door and looked back out through the back door where a light was flickering from outside. A few steps carried her to the back door and outside.

"Craig?"

He stood in front of a crackling fire with a glass in his hand and a depressed look on his face. As he held the glass out to her, she cautiously started down the steps and took it from him.

"Look, I'm sorry about today." He frowned.

"You should be."

He paused, "It was a stupid thing to do, I just thought-"

"That I was cheating." She said quietly, "I know."

"You know?"

"It's all I thought about today and Paul told me about your little….encounter."

"Paul?" He sighed remembering Kasey's words, "You talked to him?"

She sighed and sat down her cup, "Craig, Paul…is an idiot. I do not, never have, and never will have feelings for him. Plus he's oogly."

Silence surrounded them as they stood in the dark and the fire popped behind them. Ashley sighed as a small smile slipped on her face and then looped her arms around Craig. He shut his eyes and squeezed her tight to him.

"I just….I just don't want us to end up like my parents." Craig sighed.

Ashley laughed lightly and looked up at him, "In two weeks I'm going to be having the happiest day of my life." She paused and smiled, "I'll be marrying you."

Craig smiled and pulled her up from the ground before spinning her around.

The world is a cold hard place, full of endless pain and suffering. Never will it stop completely but in every day there is at least moment of pure happiness and beauty. Friendship and love pulls us all in one direction, that direction of hope that beckons through the darkness. Each and every one of us longs for those connections that pull us through every day.

---

Jack Ass

"AHHHH! MOM! CAR!"

"Rome, sweetie, mommy's busy."

The scream of a small boy vibrated through the compact car in the high pitched girly way that little boys voices tend to do. His young blonde mother, Ashley, continued on soaring down the wrong side of the road trying to make a speedy escape from the cop car dipping at their tail. Ten blocks back, in the parking lot of a corner grocery, someone had made the mistake of getting to a parking space before her.

"Why'd you run into that car?"

"He took my space alright!" She peaked into the rearview mirror at the closing in car, "You got your seatbelt on? Good, cause we gotta lose this pig."

"Pig, what pig?" Rome looked around, clearly noticing that they were not at a farm.

Before answering him, she took a sharp turn down an alleyway and grinned like a Cheshire cat as the cop fell from view. Taking another sharp turn out of the alley she hit a pothole and lost control of the car. Swerving, the cars cheap frame rammed into a resistant fire hydrant and crunched to a stop.

"Rome?"

"You're trying to kill me!"

"Get out of the car."

The little five-year-old shook his head causing his golden curls to bounce as he puffed out his lips and his eyes began to water.

"Are you hurt?"

Looking over at him as he wagged his head she sighed and pulled him out her side of the car.

"Well then we need to go."

"But the police ma-"

As the wail of the cop car began to get closer and closer, Ashley bent and pulled her son out of the car. Letting only the sound of the sirens fill her ears she zoned in and prayed that she could get them to safety. Glancing over her shoulder she caught sight of the car two blocks back. Quickly she tucked Rome under her arm and dashed into the nearest alley. Crouching behind a dumpster she clasped a hand over Rome's mouth as the car zoomed past.

"Whew, that was close. Now if I can find where the hell we are then we can get home."

"Would you mind getting off me?" A strange muffed voice grumbled.

"When did your voice get so deep Rome?"

"That wasn't me, mom." He dragged a taunt fist across his eye.

Her face dropped as she slowly turned around to face the unknown voice. There under her was a scraggly man in an old leather jacket. He had dark rings under his eyes of bluish gray which hid beneath hair that border lined brown and blonde.

"Ahhhh, where the hell did you come from?" She leapt from his lap, slinging Rome over her shoulder like a feed sack as she went.

"I was here and you fell on me," he laughed and stood.

He brushed dirt from his black pants the best he could before standing straight. Her eye twitched as she noticed he was at least two feet taller than she was.

"Mom, my head is filling up."

Shoving his hands in his pockets the stranger leaned slightly around her and lightly chuckled when he caught sight of Rome's reddening face. Raising an eyebrow, Ashley poked the man in the forehead and pushed his head back in front of her.

"Damn lady, you got bony fingers."

"Do not!" She paused as if she had forgotten what she was going to say, "Don't touch my kid."

She pulled Rome back over her shoulder and sat him on the ground beside her. He looked up at the man with large blue eyes and cowered back behind his mother to clutch onto her leg. The man grinned again; but, this time at how the boy reminded him so much of himself when he was that age. As the boy stuck his thumb in his mouth, in that childish manner that all children do, the man pulled a cigarette from his pocket and returned his gaze to Ashley.

"You wouldn't happen to have a light would you?"

"Yeah," she pulled a lighter from her front pocket.

"Thanks." He reached for the lighter and lit up.

"So, who are you?"

He spread his arms wide gesturing to the vastness of the alley, "I'm your humble alley hobo of course."

She cocked her head at him, "You smell."

"You're horrible," he grinned, "I'm Jack."

"My name's Ashley, not Horrible."

"Smart ass." He tossed the lighter back to her.

"Mom, why do you have a lighter?" He peaked around her leg and pulled his thumb from his mouth.

"I uh, um….don't tell your dad."

"Okay," His thumb slid back into his mouth with a small pop.

Pulling him up from the ground, she cradled him to her chest and started to walk away. Suddenly she felt Jack inches away and turned back toward him.

"Get down and shut the hell up."

"Wha-"

"Shut it, I said."

He pushed her and Rome back behind the dumpster as the cop car, from before, came to rest at the end of the alley.

"Hey, you!" A cop yelled from the car.

"Why if it isn't one of New York's finest." Jack said, as he took the last drag and flicked his cigarette away.

"Cut the back talk street scum. Have you seen a blonde chick run through here? She's probably got a kid with her."

"Now, is that anyway to treat a valued citizen?"

"Just answer the damn question."

"Well, since you're being so nice about it-"

"Stop the shit, man. Don't think I won't take you in."

"On what charge?" Jack shrugged.

"Harboring an accused."

"Who?"

"Don't make me get out of this car, you little shit."

"Truly, I'm scared."

"Ahhh, that's it!"

The cop stepped from the car and Jack laughed as he saw the man's head barely came over the roof of the car.

"This is just sad." Jack walked closer to the cop trying to get farther away from Ashley and Rome, "Isn't there a height requirement to be a cop because I didn't know that they were letting albino Oompa Loompas on the force."

Ashley crouched behind the dumpster, choking back a laugh while she held a hand over Rome's mouth. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain on her palm as Rome bit into its meaty flesh.

"OW, HOLY SHIT!"

The cop looked around as Jack's eyes grew.

"What was that?"

"You heard me, I said wow a midget."

Ashley backhanded Rome across the head and brought a finger to her lips.

"I can't breathe when you do that." He muttered with a frown.

"Sorry."

"Is the police man gonna shoot that guy?"

"Shut up and let me think."

After a few moments she peaked around the dumpster and caught sight of Jack. He was moving his hand from the top of his head and over the cops. The cops face was growing redder and redder as Jack bent his knees, trying to become the same height as him.

"Ok I got a plan…"

As the cop was prepared to crack Jack over the head with his baton, Rome ran from behind the dumpster toward Jack.

"Daddy, mom will get mad if we aren't home for dinner." Rome took Jacks hand and smiled, "Sorry mister but my daddy's gotta get home before mama gets mad."

"Where the hell'd this kid come from?"

"His mother, I think, I wasn't really there when it happened."

"You smart ass little shit."

"Hey, hey, watch your mouth," Jack frowned and put his hands over Rome ears, "he's just a kid. And you call yourself a keeper of the innocent."

"Sorry kid I-"

"You're a bad man." Rome faked a sob and curled back into Jacks leg.

"Come on, Bobby, we're going home. I'm gonna have to report you mister," He looked down at the cops badge, "Sergeant Kepler."

"Look I'm sorry about your kid-"

Jack turned them around and started to walk away. As he heard the cop mutter a curse under his breath, Jack bent and pretended to tie Rome's shoe. Then he looked over his shoulder as the sound of tires crunching against pavement. Ashley stepped out from behind the dumpster and bent over in laughter.

"You're such an ass hole," Finally she stopped laughing, "Wait, why'd you call him Bobby?"

"Oh, well I thought on impulse," He groaned getting up from the ground, "it's my brother's name."

Rome giggled with a large smile as he ran and leapt into his mother's arms. With an almost lonely look on his face, Jack watched as Ashley cradled Rome to her and showered him with praises. Oh how he missed that feeling.

"Oh, anyway I gotta get home." She turned back to him, "You need a place to stay? My friend Kasey's got a spare room"

Hollow knocks trickled through the emptiness of the paint chipping living room and kitchen until it reached the cluttered bedroom in the back. When she heard the knocks at her front door, Kasey rolled over and sighed but just waited for the knocks to stop. When they didn't she threw a pillow out into the living room toward the sound.

"WHAT? CAN'T A GIRL GET SOME SLEEP IN HER OWN DAMN APARTMENT?"

"Get up you lazy whore!"

"Ashley, is that you?"

"Who else would it be? You have no friends, now open the damn door."

"Oh that just makes me want to jump right up."

"Come on let me in."

Groaning she lifted herself from the bed and slugged to the front door. She opened it, gave a sarcastic salute, and yawned. Still half asleep, she looked over Ashley's head at a towering man with dirty blonde hair.

"I don't know if you know this or not, but there's a giant following you." She pointed lazily back at him.

Confusion clouded Ashley's face as she tilted her head back under the man's chin, "Oh yeah, that's Jack and he's an ass hole."

"Um ok, if you're going to cheat on Craig just remember, I didn't know anything about it. I'm gonna go sleep now and hopefully I'll wake up later and this will all be a hallucination cause of some bad 'shrumes." She started down the hall back to her room.

"Ok, dear god where's your pants?"

"Huh?" She paused and looked down at her bare legs, "Oh yeah, don't worry I'm not naked."

"Anyway," Jack muttered and looked down at Ashley, "Is this where I'm gonna stay?"

Kasey turned on her heels, "What?"

"Um, I kinda told him he could, uh, stay here…for a while." Ashley grinned.

She stomped back to the front door, "YOU ARE AN IDIOT!"

"Auntie?" Rome slid into the room.

"How many times do I have to tell you," She swung to face him, "I'm not your aunt."

"Where's sissy?"

"Your dad came and got her an- YOU," She pointed up at Ashley, "WHERE THE HELL ARE THE GROCERIES?"

"Um, that's a funny story actually."

"Ahhh, go get them NOW."

---

Ashley jingled her house keys in the front door of the small rental house that she shared with her husband and two small children. The lawn was littered with dry grass and little plastic toys but it was still their home and they had worked hard for it. Craig's old blue ford with chipping paint and a full load of construction equipment sat in the driveway with no sign of recently being used. The stack of wood he had been chopping over the weekend was stacked neatly at the edge of the garage just like she had asked. Her lips pulled back into a smile as she thought about how lucky she was to have him. Never had he been cruel to her or their children, always patient and protective, the perfect man and she had gotten him on accident. She walked inside and shut the door behind her before tossing the keys over on the counter.

"Craig, I'm home…I'm gonna take the kids to stay at Kasey's house for tonight…Craig?"

Ashley stood silent for a moment before pulling her hoodie off she threw it over the back of the couch. The silence of the house seemed very odd to her because the usual sounds consisted of screaming toddlers and hollering sports fans. She then slowly walked back down the hallway thinking that perhaps Craig had taken Chai to pick up dinner. However as she began to unbutton the sleeves of her uniform and turned into the bathroom, she stopped dead at the horrifying scene and drug in a breath. There, fully submerged in a tub full of water, lay her delicate little angel.

"Chai…"

She rushed to the tub and dropped to her knees. Drenching her entire blouse, she franticly pulled the child from the tub and pushed long soaked blonde curls from the child's face. Chai's neck was bruised and blood was caked under her fingers.

"Wake up, baby, wake up."

Tears swelled in her eyes as she clutched Chai's cold damp body to her chest. She turned as footsteps slowly came down the hallway to stop at the entrance of Ashley's worst nightmare.

"Craig help me, call 911."

"I'm afraid I can't do that Ash," He stood in the doorway with the short handled ax that was missing from the front yard hanging slack at his side, " because that means I wouldn't be able to take my time."

"What do you mean, Craig? This is our daughter!" She turned back to Chai.

She heard a footstep behind her and everything went dark.

XXXXXXXXXX

The three sat crowded in the small apartment around the coffee table with a deck of cards and cups full of soda.

"Where the hell is Ashley?" Kasey muttered as she dealt.

"Does she usually take this long?" Jack said as he picked up his hand.

"Does a gorilla look fat in a leotard?"

Jack laughed, "What?"

"Rome you go first."

"You're not worried?" Jack continued.

"No, she tends to get lost sometimes…"She looked up from her cards, "Who are you again?"

"Jack." He glanced down at his hand, "Ha Ace, King, Queen, Jack."

"Auntie, why isn't there a girl Jack in cards?" Rome looked up.

"Uh, cause she got beheaded."

XXXXXXXXXX

When Ashley woke up she tasted blood in her mouth and spat at the ground. Looking around she saw that she had been moved to the basement and stretched out three feet from her was Chai wrapped in a blanket. Slowly she tried to crawl toward the limp body but stopped when she met resistance. Reaching down she felt the roughness of a rope, then she traced it back to the heavy wood stove.

"Damn."

Her hand rested on the bulging pocket of her jeans, her cell phone. At an awkwardly calm pace, she took out the phone and dialed 911.

"911, what is your emergency?

"My daughters' dead and my husband has locked me in the basement with her corpse, I think he's planning to hack us up."

"Ma'am, where are you?"

"I told you, in my basement." She heard footsteps above her, " Listen lady my husbands' coming down, I'm gonna lay the phone on the floor and you trace it ok. Don't make too much noise either or he will kill me."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Damn that girl, where the hell is she?" Kasey threw down her cards.

"You keep asking me this but you fail to realize that I don't even know where she went."

Rome had curled up on the couch and went to sleep but Jack and Kasey had kept playing cards.

"Aren't homeless people supposed to know where everything is?"

"Aren't butches better at cards?"

"Hey, you're just cheating you little fairy."

"God if I didn't know any better I'd say you were Bobby's long lost sister 'er brother whatever."

"Who the hell is Bobby…? Wait did you just call me gay again?"

"Bobby's my older brother and yes I did call you gay. Is it so horrible that I stated the obvious?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley stiffed and her eyes followed Craig's footsteps cascading lightly down the stairs. His boots were caked with red dirt from the construction sites that he always worked. She'd bought him those shoes two Christmases ago, the first Christmas the four of them had been together. The house had been warm and their children played happily in the living room with new toys. Having kids at fifteen couldn't have turned out any better than it had but that all went to shit with Chai's apparent death. Craig leaned the ax against the staircase and squatted between his girls. He reached down and tucked a blonde curl behind Chai's ear before leaning in and kissing her forehead.

"You girls look so precious there together." He looked up at Ashley and frowned when she didn't reply, "Oh come on, that was a compliment."

"I'll kill you, Craig."

"Can't we keep from ending our marriage with a fight?"

"As far as I'm concerned it is over already!"

Frowning he reached for Chai again.

"YOU TOUCH HER, I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Where's my boy?"

"Fuck you!"

Stopping, he instead reached for the ax leaning against the staircase.

"I SWEAR TO GOD, CRAIG!"

Swinging the ax he smashed it down beside her head.

"SHUT THE HELL UP I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO END THIS FIGHTING!" He shut his eyes as if trying not to regain his composure, "Now tell me, where is Rome?"

She spat on him, "What the hell is wrong with you, Craig? Why are you doing this?"

"Why? Why? I'll tell you why. Every day. Every single day I get up and work my ass off for you and the kids, people that I never even see anymore. But you, you see them every day, watch them play and learn and just be kids. Meanwhile I sit alone at work and miss out on their entire childhood. This way I get to keep them this way, forever."

"IF YOU LOVED THEM SO MUCH THEN WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO KILL THEM?"

Angered he hit her across the cheek with the butt of the ax, "You listen to nothing woman, I thought you were smarter than that."

Her head swooned and she felt blood start to head down her chin. She watched as Craig turned and started to pull things from under the staircase. They were stacked awkwardly and differently from the way that she remembered but then she saw why. As the large trunk that she remembered so much for its large weight, was moved away she saw a pit just large enough to fit her or her two children.

"Don't you touch her, Craig, don't you dare." Tears pooled in her eyes.

Craig reached down carefully and looped Chai in his arms. He traced a finger across her face and kissed her forehead again. Ashley struggled and fought against the rope holding her in place.

"She looks so much like you." He grinned at Ashley with his eyes glazed over and she knew he wasn't her Craig anymore, "Isn't she beautiful? Remember the first moment we saw her?"

Yes, yes she did. How could she forget? It was one of the happiest moments of her life and now that was all she would have left, her memories.

XXXXXXXXXX

With a knock at the door, Kasey threw down her cards and halted her conversation with Jack.

"Where the hell have you been?" Kasey screeched when she opened the door to Ashley.

After giving her friend a once over, her face was clouded with concern. The white blouse that had been white only hours before was pink across the front and the buttons were burst jaggedly as if jerked. Jack, after catching a glimpse of the horrifying sight, picked up the sleeping Rome and quickly carried him back to Kasey's bedroom.

"Jesus Ash wha-"

"I need to stay here for a while." She sniffed and reached for her friend.

Kasey took her friends in her arms, "Alright, but what the hell-"

"Craig…he's crazy…"

"What?" Kasey tried desperately to keep her voice calm, "Is he ok?"

"No he's not. He's not even Craig anymore."

"What the hell happened?" Kasey held her friend at arms' length.

"He's fucked in the head!"

Jack stepped out of the back room and quickly shut the door, "Obviously something horrible happened but you might want to take Rome into consideration be-"

"IT WAS HIS FATHER WHO DONE IT!"

"At least go out in the hallway to yell."

"FINE!" She stepped back and yanked them both out the door before slamming it shut, "THERE DOES THAT MAKE IT ALL BETTER, DID THAT BRING CHAI BACK?"

"Who's Chai?" Jack mumbled.

"Wait, did something happen to Chai?" Kasey reached out and shook Ashley, "WHERE'S CHAI AT?"

"All that's left of her is on my shirt."

Jacks eyes grew wide and Kasey slunk down to the floor. Ashley jerked off her blouse and tossed it to the floor before sliding down across from Kasey. Her beater underneath showed little stain compared to the vastness of the stain on the blouse.

"He drowned her before I got home and then…" She curled her legs up to her and wrapped her arms around them before starting to sob into her knees.

They sat in the stairwell; Kasey with one leg slack on the second stair down and her back against the wall, Jack stood stiff just outside the door with a blank face. The whole thing hurt him more than they could tell because the girls knew each other and knew one another's past. Jack however; was a stranger and of his past, they knew nothing.

"I'LL KILL THAT BASTARD!" Kasey slammed her head back against the wall.

Jack's shoulder jerked at the sound but he steadied himself as he snapped away from a memory. The apartment door swished open and Rome stood in the light, rubbing a tiny fist in his eye.

"When'd you get back mom?" He walked over to Ashley and dropped into her lap before looking around, "Where's Chai?"

"Um…" She reached down and lightly brushed away hair form his face.

"Cause Jack taught me a new card game an I wanna-"

"Uh, let's go inside kiddo," Jack muttered as he pulled Rome back into the apartment, "your mom and Kasey need to talk."

Kasey leaned forward and huffed. She felt so many things at once like hate, pain, confusion, and just wanting to get revenge.

"Look, let's go get him. Jack can watch Rome and we can go kill this fuck."

"You can't kill him he's half way to county lock up by now." She sniffed and stared up at her friend.

"I'll find a way." She though it over for a moment, "My dealer, my dealer knows a lot of dudes in jail. Tons. I can-"

"You're going to send crack heads to fucking kill Craig?" She cocked an eyebrow and shook her head, "That bastard is crazy. Hell you know that, you've known him longer than I have."

"It could work."

"No what's done is done. We can't do anything about it."

"Can't do anything about it-!?"

"No."

"-what do you mean we can't do anything about it?"

"No."

"-I sure as hell can!" Her voice started to rise.

"NO!" Ashley leaned forward and yelled, "Just fucking listen to me!"

Kasey paused and stared at her with blank eyes, "Why won't you let me help you?"

"You really want to help me?"

"You know I do." She nodded.

"Let the three of us stay here?"

"Three?"

"Me, Rome, and Jack."

"Oh, well yeah of course."

"Good cause I gotta go to work." She rose from the floor and wiped away her tear as if nothing had happened, "Oh yeah do you have any clothes I can use?"

Kasey stood and shoved her hands in her pockets, "Just stay here for a while, I can take your shifts."

"What are you talking about? You got fired last week."

"Jimmy knows about me and you and I'm sure he would let me take your shifts for a while as long as you tell him what happened."

"I'll get fired." She shook her head and smiled, "I need to work, Rome needs me now."

"…you're in denial aren't you?"

"What are you talking about we're nowhere near the Nile we're in New York." Ashley smirked.

"…you're in denial."

"How many times do I have to tell you? CUT BACK ON THE WEED!"

After the girls came back inside, Jack looked up at them from sitting on the couch with Rome. Rome slid from the couch and climbed up into his mother's arms.

"What?" Ashley snarled at Jack.

"Are you okay, I mean do you need anything?"

"Yeah, but not from you?" She turned and stomped away from him.

Ashley disappeared into the guest bedroom with Rome in her arms and Jack leaned over the back of the couch and stared at Kasey.

"Is she okay?"

Kasey shook her head, "She just lost a kid, she'll never be the same."

Three years later...

Ashley stood in front of the static filled screen of the TV bashing a remote against the coffee table.

"STUPID PIECE OF SHIT!" The TV turned on, "Ah ha, violence is always the answer."

Grinning she turned around to sit down but her face dropped when she caught sight of Kasey, stretched out comfortably snoring. With a smirk on her face, Ashley gently slid the pillow from under Kasey's head. She stood there for a moment before swatting Kasey in the back with the pillow.

"You're in my seat!" She swatted her again.

"AHHHH, get away from me you crazy blonde!" Kasey screeched angrily.

She was already mad about being kicked out of her bed the night before and the fact that only a few hours previous she had gone to sleep, didn't help the matter. In haste she pulled out another pillow and threw it at Ashley before hopping from her spot.

Ashley screamed as the pillow crashed into her face, "Now you're gonna get it!"

Kasey bounded over the back of the couch, strewing her blankets and remaining pillows across the room. Ashley gave chase and clambered over the couch after her.

"AHHHH, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kasey laughed no longer angry.

After being chased for a few moments, Kasey finally skidded into the bathroom and locked the door behind her leaving Ashley outside kicking at the door.

"You coward, get out here."

Giving the door one last kick she turned and walked back to the couch. Just as she sat down, she heard little footsteps pad up behind her.

"Mommy."

"What?" She flipped on the TV.

"I'm hungry."

"You're eight, you can get your own food."

"But-"

"Hush, go ask Jack." She flipped the channel.

"Ask Jack what?" Said a second voice came from behind her.

Turning around she saw Jack leaning against the doorframe of he and Rome's bedroom. The room used to be the guest bedroom where Ashley and Rome had slept but as Rome became more attached to Jack, Ashley and he switched places. Only that meant Ashley was out on the couch and she hated the couch so that ultimately meant Kasey was on the couch. A mocking grin covered Jack's face as he folded his arms in front of his bare chest.

"Are those my sweats?" Ashley glared over the back of the couch.

"Huh," He looked down at his legs before staring back at her with a grin, "I guess so...sorry." He shrugged.

"Well, did I say you could wear them?"

"No."

"Then why are you wearing them?"

"Cause." He walked over to her and hopped over the back of the couch.

"Are you getting him something to eat?"

"He can get it." She turned back to the TV.

At that moment they heard the sound of cereal spilling across the counter and Rome uttering a curse.

"ROME!" Ashley yelled.

"Yeah?" Rome poked his head around the corner with his face scrunched up knowing he was caught.

"What did I tell you about cussing?"

"To not to."

"And what did you just fucking do?"

"Um...I dunno."

Sighing Jack rolled off the couch and crawled to the kitchen. "I'll get him."

"I'm gonna kill that child." She switched the channel again.

Ignoring Jack's mumbles from the kitchen, she zoned in to the TV. Oblivious to Kasey running from the bathroom toward her until she finally jumped over the back and onto Ashley.

"MUWAHAHA NOW I SHALL GET MY REVENGE!"

Ashley laughed, "AHHH, YOU WHORE."

Jack and Rome stepped out of the kitchen to take in the sight before it turned bloody. The girls slapped back and forth until they ended up sitting on each other's feet.

"God, I'll kill you." Kasey muttered swinging her hands around.

"Get your fat ass off my feet."

"You two are idiots." Jack laughed.

"SHUT UP YOU FAIRY!" The girls yelled in unison.

"That's just creepy, no more of this saying the same thing at the same time shit."

The phone screamed from inside the kitchen and Jack reached over Rome to grab it.

"Hello?"

"Mom, how is Jack a fairy if he doesn't have wings?" Confusion clouded his face.

Ashley looked at Kasey and in unison they started to laugh. Ashley got up from the couch and started toward the kitchen.

"Who is it, Jack?" Ashley smiled and rested a hand on Rome's head.

Jack had the phone pressed hard against his to his ear and his fingers grasped around it so hard his knuckles were bone white. Rome bent to the floor and continued to clean up the mess he had made by dropping the pieces back into his bowl.

Ashley frowned, "Jack?"

He went on like she hadn't spoken but then suddenly slammed his fist into the counter. Rome jumped, sending the bowl crashing against the floor and he fell back onto his butt.

"No!" He shouted.

Kasey rose from the couch and slowly stood in the hallway with her arms folded.

"No." He said quieter that time and folded his face into his arms on the counter, "Don't tell me that, Jer, please don't tell me that."

Rome looked up at Ashley and she looked back at Kasey who shrugged. The girls knew that Jack had three brothers, one who was in jail, one who was in the army, and one who lived back home with their mother. The one still at home, Jerry, had always seemed to be the reliable one and it made sense for him to be the barrier of bad news.

"Ok." Jack clicked the phone back into the receiver and sniffed.

"Hey, babe, you ok?" Ashley muttered and rubbed a hand over his back.

He stood and looked around at them, "I gotta go home."

"Huh?" Kasey stepped forward with a cocked eyebrow.

"My mom she's, uh, been killed." He looked away.

"Shit, Jackie." Ashley said under her breath and hugged him.

Rome stood and wrapped his arms around Jack's waist, "I'm sorry, Jack."

He pushed away from them lightly, "I gotta go."

"Where the hell you think you going?" Kasey frowned.

"Did you not just hear what I said? I'm going home." He pushed past her toward he and Rome's room.

"Yeah I heard you. I meant I don't want you going by yourself like this." She followed after him.

He started packing things into a bag, "No offense but this is a family thing."

"Jack, we're your family too." Ashley said from Kasey's side.

He looked up at them and opened his mouth as if to say something but then shut it. Rome pressed past Kasey and Ashley, and started to help Jack pack. Jack stopped packing and despite his sadness laughed at the boy. The three adults watched on as Rome carried large bundles of clothing from Jacks drawer to the bag on one of the beds.

When the drawer was empty, Rome stopped in front of Jack and looked up at him, "I'm sorry about your mom."

Jack's face scrunched but then he faked a grin and ruffled the boy's hair, "It's not your fault."

He nodded as if he understood, "Are you really leaving?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Uh, if your mom was in trouble wouldn't you want to go try to make things better?"

Rome nodded again and turned back to his own bed. He crouched to his knees and pulled a box from under his bed. Inside the box were rolls of different color hemp and thick string, jars of beads, charms and trinkets, and little stones with holes in them. He pulled out a large ring with tons of assorted bracelets and chokers. Making them had become a habit not that long ago and he never seemed to stop making them.

"Here." He handed Jack the longest necklace on the loop, "You can have this. So you don't forget me like my other dad did."

Jack looked over the brown leather strand with beads knotted in place along with a metal cross and flattened silver medallion. He slipped it over his head and pulled Rome up to him in a tight hug.

"Thank you." He leaned whispered into the child's ear just loud enough for the two of them to hear, "I'd never forget you, I promise. I'll come back for you."

"I love you, Jack." Rome whispered back and hugged Jack's neck tight.

Without another word, Jack sat Rome down, picked up his bag, and walked out of the apartment. Rome tip toed over to his mother's side and ducked under her arm.

"You think he'll be back?" Ashley asked Kasey as they stared at the closed door.

"Maybe." She looked down at Rome, "I hope so."

The next day...noon...

Ashley was expected back from work any moment but Kasey still lay asleep in bed, oblivious to Rome rummaging around in her room. Suddenly the phone rang from the kitchen.

"Jack get the - oh yeah you left - who the hell am I talking to?"

Slowly she rolled from the bed and shuffled to the kitchen. Picking up the phone she slid back to her room and flopped down on the bed with her eyes still squinted shut.

"Hello?" A husky voice said.

"If this is Buster the answer is still, no, I can't kill your girlfriend."

"What? Never mind. Kasey, is that you?"

"No, this is Peter, where the hell have you been Tinker Bell a certain little lost boy has been missin' you?"

"Can we halt the stupid fag jokes for one second butchy? Where's Rome?"

"In Never-Never land."

"I hate you."

"But Tink, how will I fly without you?"

"Seriously, come on."

"You're no fun. But really what kind of stupid question is that?"

"I miss him is all."

"...ok dude you're taking this whole molesting thing a bit too far."

"I swear I'll kill you-" He chuckled.

"How? Where are you anyway?"

"Detroit."

"Wait...you're from Detroit?" She held back a laugh.

"Obviously...what?"

"On the inside I'm crying, and on the outside I'm laughing."

"Anyway..."

"You alright?"

"As alright as I can be. I'm at Jerry's, the funer-" She heard a voice in the background as Jack paused, "Shut the fuck up, Bobby."

"Bobby? Who the hell is Bobby?" She laughed, "Your boyfriend?"

"That's what he just said you were." He paused again and the voice was closer, "Quit it, Bobby. Stop, I'm fucking talking to somebody. Bobb-"

"Hello?" A new voice said.

"Who the hell is this?" Kasey frowned.

"Jack's big brother. You the dude who's dick my brother's been suckin?" He laughed and Kasey could hear Jack yelling in the background.

"Excuse me?"

"Nah, I'm just kidding. You sound like a chick.-Quit, Jack, I'm on the phone.-You his girlfriend? If you are you should know he's gay." He chuckled and she heard the phone drop followed by a few muffled yells.

"Hello?" Jack said after a moment.

"Who the hell was that?"

"Bobby. He's fucking insane." He yelled the last bit more so at Bobby than to Kasey.

Kasey looked down the hall at the front door slung open and Ashley walked in, "Speaking of the insane."

"Who are you talking to?" Ashley muttered and slammed the door.

"Jack."

"What?" Jack mumbled.

"I wasn't talking to you, you idiot." Kasey mumbled as Ashley walked down the hall and stood in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Mom, why does Kasey put grass in little baggies?" Rome held up a small bag of weed.

Screaming Kasey threw the phone at Ashley and dove for Rome. Before putting it to her ear, Ashley rose an eyebrow and laughed as Rome popped Kasey's newest bag of green.

"Who is this?" She said between laughs.

"Um it's Jack...DON'T HANG UP THE PHONE!"

"I hate you."

"What, why?"

"You made Rome cry you know that?"

"Oh tell him I'm sorry but he's the reason I called, I want you three to come stay with me at my brother's until I get all this shit sorted out."

She frowned "I dunno..."

There was a knock on the door and a bulky, black haired, grinning fool stepped through the door.

"Why can't I learn to shut the door?"

"ASHLEY!" The man hugged her.

"Jack, save me!" She gasped as air was squeezed from her lungs, "We'll be there soon."

"Ok call me back when you get closer an I'll give you directions." The phone clicked off.

Kasey stopped trying to salvage what was left of her stash and turned to look at the two, trying desperately not to laugh. Ashley on the other hand, wiggled in her captor's arms trying to escape without success. Meanwhile, Rome had slowly crawled over and latched his teeth into the meaty flesh of the man's calf.

"AHHH! LEMME GO!" He screamed.

Finally Ashley slipped from her captor's arms and ripped Rome from his leg.

"How in the hell did you find me, Paul?" She hissed and glared at him.

"I have a tracking device in my heart that leads me straight to you." He smiled.

"Ewww." Kasey said from the floor.

"Is that like grandma's pace maker?" Rome looked up at his mother.

"No, it's like the ankle bracelet I had last year but in your heart."

"I'm so glad I found you-" Paul stepped toward her.

"I'm sorry but we're, uh, moving." Ashley took a step back.

"We are?" Kasey questioned but shut her mouth when Ashley shot her a death glare, "I mean we are."

"Oh, where are you moving?"

"Dunno yet were just gonna drive around till we find something."

"Oh then I'll come with you, you'll need a man in the house." He grinned.

"Oh, um, uh...you can't cause she's getting married." Kasey covered quickly.

"I am?" Kasey sent her a glare, "I mean I am, to Jack."

"Oh...I thought he was gay?"

"Nope, in fact I'm carrying his baby. So anyway we need to pack, bye."

They shoved him back down the hallway and out the front door before slamming it. They then collapsed to the floor laughing.

"Seriously, we are moving though." Ashley mumbled between laughs.

"To where?"

"Detroit, Jack says he wants us to come and stay with him and his brothers after all."

---

A stoplight clicked to red and Kasey slid her faded blue Jeep Cherokee to a halt. As cars speed by, Kasey leaded up over the steering wheel and looked around at the street signs.

"Where the hell are we?" Kasey screeched from the driver's seat.

"Maah, quiet! Sleepy sleepy sleepy." Ashley wiggled on the passenger's seat.

"Would you give me the directions already?"

She looked over as Ashley's head drooped back into sleep. Letting out a yell, Kasey rummaged through the piles of clothes overflowing from their bags to grasp her cell phone and pulled ahead as the light turned green. Not paying attention to the road she dialed in Jack's cell and impatiently waited for his voice.

"Hellew?" The phone connected.

"You idiot!"

"Oh it's you, what did I do now?"

"Gave Ashley the directions, you back door freak."

"What, she won't tell you the way here?"

"Let me think…NO! All she's been doing for the past nine hours is snore."

"She's narcoleptic, I swear."

"Congratulations on the big word, now would you tell me the directions?"

"Where are you?"

"….if I knew that, would I be calling you?"

"Actually yeah-"

"Shut up never mind, the street I'm on is uh, Cooper."

While Jack riddled off the directions, Rome squirmed in the back seat in the space beside the pile of clothes bags.

"Auntie?" He tapped her shoulder.

"What, Auntie is busy?" She turned around losing sight of the road again.

"IGOTTAPEE!"

"What? Use words boy."

"Who are you talking to?" Jack muttered.

"Rome," Kasey looked back at the road and almost collided with a car, "Shit. Get on the right side of the road you idiot!"

Kasey continued down the wrong side of the road oblivious to the fact that it was actually she that was on the wrong side. Speeding up, she leaned into the horn with her elbows still keeping the phone to her ear before swerving into the correct lane.

"Fucking idiots! Anyway I'm not too far away then right?"

"No, you maybe have like a half an hour from the house-"

"AUNTIE!"

"WHAT!" She slammed on the breaks at a second stoplight.

"I GOTTA P- oops."

"Oh what now," She turned around and looked at Rome's wet lap," You pissed yourself?!"

"Don't get mad-"

"Ashley, hold this I gotta beat your kid."

"Whaa?" Ashley mumbled.

Kasey hurriedly pulled into a small grocery, after throwing Ashley the phone. She got out of the driver's seat and opened the back door, the light from inside pouring out into the dark parking lot.

"Ashley, are you awake?" Jack whispered into the phone.

"I'm not sure where I am but it smells like piss here."

"I think Rome p-"

"AHHH THERES PISS ALL OVER THE PLACE!" Kasey screeched from the back seat.

"Never mind," He laughed, "It's so crazy here I almost wish I was with you three."

"Where you at?"

"We're getting ready to leave Jerry's."

"Jeez, what time is it?" She yawned.

"Almost ten thirty." He sighed, "I'm glad you all are almost here. I mean I love my brothers but you were right."

"Finally someone acknowledges it."

"Really you were. You guys are my family too."

"So you took the rest of Kasey's stash." She heard him laugh and couldn't help but picturing him stretched out on some couch with a grin on his face, "Don't worry there has to be more dealers in Detroit than New York."

"What? Come on I'm trying to open up here."

"Why to me?"

"I dunno, you're just different."

"Kasey says that to me all the time and she doesn't open up."

"God, it's so weird down here."

"I thought I had a soda, uh sorry why is it weird?"

"Just without Ma I mean."

"Uh-huh."

Ashley got out of the car and left Kasey outside screaming, while still listening to Jack talk about his mother she headed into the store. It was small, like the ones in New York, and had bars on the windows.

"-I mean Ma and my brothers' were all that I had, but then you three came out of nowhere."

"Literally." She walked up to the spinning slushy machine, "Blue or red?"

"What? Are you even listening?"

"Yeah, you were talking about your mom and how us three came out of know where, now answer the question."

"Blue, I guess."

"Ok, blue raspberry it is. Anyway tell me about your brothers."

"I think, I've told you a bit before but anyway. I'm the youngest…"

Ashley filled a big gulp cup to the rim and slid up onto the counter beside the nachos to listen to the rest of Jack's conversation. At the checkout counter the cashier stood in amazement, watching Kasey scream and swing her arms around franticly. With a laugh Ashley slurped down a bit of blue goo.

"Wait if you're the youngest, what are the others?" Ashley mumbled through slurpee.

"First is Bobby, who's 29, he can be a real ass sometimes, wait scratch that, he's like that all the time." He chuckled, "He talked to Kasey today."

"She's going to kill him isn't she?"

Ignoring her, he continued, "Then there's Jerry, he's 27 and he's the only one of us who actually made something out of his life."

"Yeah, you talked to him on the phone at the house a lot."

"Yeah, he was the only one who I could actually get a hold of on a regular basics. He's married now with two kids, they're so cute. Anyway, after that, there's Angel, the same age as Kasey, 25, and he's considered all around bad news."

"An you're the baby?"

"Yeah, I'm only younger than Angel by three years, but still I'm the baby."

"No wonder you're so fucked up."

"Huh?"

"With all them guys in your house while growing up it was guaranteed you were gonna be gay."

"Not you too with the gay thing."

"Sorry, Kasey teaches me bad habits."

"I swear, she's exactly like my brother."

"Which one?" She took the slurpee straw in her mouth.

"Bobby, if she wasn't a butch then I'd say they were perfect for each other."

Ashley blew back into her cup, "WHAT?"

"I said-"

"I heard what you said it's just weird. I mean with all you said about him- wait you're right they're exactly alike."

"That's what I said, you never believe me."

"Wait, shhh, she's coming inside."

The front door of the store slammed open as Kasey screamed and stomped toward Ashley with a glare, she yanked a pack of paper towels from the shelf.

"Pay for these." She wagged them at Ashley before walking back out the door.

"Ok, she's gone."

"Why'd I have to be quite?"

"Cause if she thinks I'm talking about her then she's gonna beat me."

"What?" He laughed, "She's harmless."

"Not right now, she's pissed and it's not a good thing."

"You mean like when she got pissed at the delivery guy cause he forgot the eggrolls?"

"Poor, poor little Chinese Lou." She shook her head, "But no, one that was when she was high and two she had the munchies."

"She got pretty mad then though."

"Yeah, but like I said she was high an she can't get too mad when she's high."

"And you know this how?"

"You're an idiot, I've known her like forever."

Ashley looked outside for a moment to see what her weed-deprived friend was up to and found she was yanking at the back door of the car.

"Um hold on a minute would ya?"

Jumping down from the counter she slid the phone into her hoodies front pocket and headed out the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" She screamed.

"YOUR," yank, "STUPID," yank, "CHILD," yank, "LOCKED," yank, "THE FUCKING," yank, "CAR." Kasey stopped and stared at Ashley with a huff.

"Use the keys!"

"If I had the keys I WOULD HAVE USED THEM."

Ashley slid the phone back out of her pocket as Kasey started kicking at the door.

"Um, what's that noise?" Jack muttered.

"Kasey is crazy. Rome locked us out of the car."

"You know your kids sleeping in his own piss right?" Kasey yelled as she started to smack her head into the window.

"I'll talk to you when we get to the house." Ashley hung up and walked over to the hood, "You keep the hide a key in here stupid."

"Hide a key?" Kasey frowned and looked around to the engine.

"Yeah. Remember Jack stuck it here so that when you passed out someplace with the keys, we could just find the car instead of looking for you." Ashley reached down the edge of the body and pulled the key out.

"Wow, I glad you two cared so much about my well-being."

"You always made it back didn't you?" She handed over the key, "Here, go kill Rome."

After finally getting back into the car the three headed down the road and a half an hour later they pulled up to the Mercer house behind a shitty little maroon car.

"Rome, get out of the car." Kasey muttered stepping out herself.

"Where are we?" He rubbed his eyes.

"Jack's house now get out. Ashley," She frowned and swatted at her friend, "ASHLEY!"

"Mahhh…" Ashley lazily swatted back.

"Get up we're here."

When she didn't answer Kasey walked around to the Ashley's side and pulled her out of the car. Slowly she dragged her to the front door with Rome in toe. Just as Kasey leaned in to open the door, a heavily built black man yanked open the door.

"Who the fuck are you?" He yelled with a frown.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kasey yelled back.

"You ain't gone yet?" A short white guy with greased back hair stopped at the top of the stairs, "Who the fuck is this?"

"If I hear that question one more time I swear to god. JACK!"

"Wait," The man at the door said, "two chicks and a kid are here for Jackie Poo?"

"Yeah can't you see, Angel?" The guy at the top of the stairs grinned, "Jackie obviously is one of those fag bags who gives his man milk to lesbians so they can have kids." He laughed.

Kasey dropped Ashley to the floor and stomped up the stairs.

"OW YOU WHORE, my poor head." Ashley said from the floor.

Shaking his head Angel stepped over Ashley and walked out of the house. Meanwhile as Kasey thundered up the stairs, Jack and a man with a goatee stepped out of a side bedroom.

"Bobby, what the hell are you talking about?" Jack saw Kasey inches away from connecting her fist to Bobby's chin, "When did you get here?"

"Wait you actually know them?"

"Yea you talked to her on the phone earlier."

"Shit," Bobby chuckled, "that was you?"

"I swear to god grease monkey one more word and I'll flat out castrate you. And YOU," She pointed at Jack and glared, "I fucking hate you!"

"What did I do?" He shrugged.

"One," She ticked them off on her fingers, "your brilliant idea cost me like a hundred dollars in gas. Two, Rome pissed in my fucking car. Three, I'm out of weed which makes me not anywhere near happy. Four, some random dude crossing an intersection got ran over cause I imagined he was you so I floored it! And five, I'm tired as hell. AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"JACK!" Rome ran up the stairs.

"God damn," Bobby waved a hand in front of his face, "that kid stinks."

"You don't think I know that?"

"Christ, let me take him home, Camille will take care of him." The man behind Jack said.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I thought you said-"Bobby muttered.

"SHUT IT, IDIOT!"

"Anyway, I'm Jeremiah." He stuck out his hand.

She stuck out her hand, "Oh ok you're the good one. Uh, I'm Kasey. That smelly thing is Rome, and its mother is down there…" She turned around to Ashley leaning lazily against the doorframe, "SLEEPING, AGAIN?!"

Kasey bent down, yanked off a shoe, and chucked it causing it to catch Ashley in the temple.

"WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AND MY HEAD?"

"Wake up."

"Sleepy, sleepy, sleepy." Ashley rolled onto her side and fell back to sleep.

"Ahhh I'm gonna…oh forget it," She started toward the nearest bedroom, "I'm sleeping in here."

"No you're not." Bobby grabbed her elbow.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She turned around and swung her arms away from him.

Meanwhile downstairs, Jack shut the door behind Jerry and Rome. After picking Ashley from the floor he shook her awake.

"Hey Jack," Ashley looked up the stairs, "Yay slap fight, I wanna play."

Ashley ran up the stairs and started slapping both Kasey and Bobby. When they both stopped and stared at her, Ashley stopped swinging her arms and grinned.

"Who the hell are you and what the fuck are you doing?" Bobby screamed.

"I was slap fighting with you guys but nooo. Anyway what you guys fighting about?"

"This crazy bitch here wants to sleep in my bed."

"Wait it's your bed?"

"Yeah and you can't have it."

"I'll sleep where I want grease boy."

"Boy? I'm twenty fucking nine. How the fuck old are you?"

Ashley swung her head back and forth, looking at each person as they spoke. At the bottom of the stairs, Jack stood shaking his head and trying not to laugh at the strange sight.

"Twenty five, what's it to ya?"

"You're younger than me and somehow I'm only a boy."

"You read too much into things. I'm going to bed."

Bobby grasped her elbow again and shook his head with a smirk. While the two continued to argue, Jack walked up the stairs and stood beside Ashley.

"I think you were wrong about them being perfect together." She turned around and looked at Jack.

"Well…"He pointed back over her shoulder.

When she turned back around, Kasey and Bobby were clasped in lip lock. Ashley's eye twitched and she pulled Jack's head down to her level.

"What the fuck just happened?" She pointed a finger at the two.

"Bobby likes it that way and you were always at work during this part of Kasey's relationships." He pulled Ashley down the stairs, "I'm getting you out of here before you get to see the next part. Besides if I'm right, and I know I am, then things are about to get a lot weirder."

"Weird, weird? You don't think that was weird?"

"Not that kind of weird." He yanked her out the front door and slammed it shut.

"EWWWW DEAR GOD!"

Ashley shivered in the sunroom and stared out into the darkness as snow began to fall outside. Jack sat quietly in a corner slowly rolling a cigarette and watching her rubbing her chilled arms. Without warning she turned to him, screamed, and hugged herself.

"What's wrong with you?" Jack mumbled before licking the cigarette paper.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" She threw her hands up in anger, "I'm in a beater. Where did you think we were gonna go?"

He shrugged and Ashley backhanded him across the side of his head. As Jack bucked his head backward almost in the same motion as a cat that's been flicked in the nose, his cigarette flew from his mouth and under a chair.

"Would you rather be in there?" Picking up his cigarette he pointed to the front door.

"Well no but you could have, I dunno, pulled them apart."

"Why in the hell would I do that?"

"Cause, uh, um…Don't question my logic!"

"What? He's been in jail for the past three years."

"You're crazy."

"No, he is when he," he placed the cigarette between his lips and smirked before moving his fingers like quotes, "uh 'detached' so to speak."

"Ahhh! You're a freak you know that?"

She huffed and turned back to the window as Jack lit up. The snow outside floated down in slow flakes and caused her mind to drift back to the twin's first Christmas. Shaking away the thought she shivered and swung backwards at Jack with another scream.

"What?!" He screeched through the cigarette.

"I'M COLD!"

"Don't you have a sweater?"

"Yes."

"Then get it."

"Can't."

"Why?"

"Just can't."

"This is just going to go around in circles isn't it?"

"No you idiot! I can't get in the car cause I don't have the keys."

"How do you lose them in five minutes?"

"I didn't, Kasey has them."

He made an O with his lips and shivered, "I guess you'll just have to freeze then."

"Actually you are."

Jack popped the collar of his jacket in a cocky motion, "I seriously doubt that."

"You're giving me your hoodie."

"Uh huh," He pulled it off and handed it to her, "since your being so seductive."

"Thanks snookums."

They both smiled and lightly chuckled before going back to their places, Jack trying to blow smoke rings and Ashley watching the falling snow. In the far distance Ashley thought she saw two figure's coming through the snow but when she squinted, she saw that it was in fact two figures of a man and a woman.

"Jack!" She pulled him to his feet.

"Hey its Angel!" Jack smiled.

"Who's Angel?"

He shrugged off the question and opened the door just as the two slammed through.

"Shit, it's cold!" Angel groaned before looking around, "What you two doing out here?"

"Chillin." Ashley mocked.

"Ha ha." Angel faked a laugh and then frowned.

"Can we go inside Angel?" The girl with him whined.

"I wouldn't do that-"Ashley and Jack said simultaneously.

Sofie opened the door before they could stop her, to an appalling sight at the top of the stairs. Ashley caught a glimpse of two sets of pants strewn the stairs before Jack reached out and slammed shut the door.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Sofie screeched.

"That, is why we're out here." Jack sighed and laughed at the same time.

"At least I know where the keys are." Ashley smiled.

"Boy just got out of jail an he already got a piece of ass." Angel laughed and clapped.

"EWWW, you're all sick. I'm gonna go sleep in that corner." Ashley then proceeded to slunk into her selected space.

"You slept the whole way here didn't you?" Jack shook his head.

"So! Now shut up and come over here I need a pillow."

Furrowing his brow, he sighed and sat down letting Ashley curl into his shoulder. Without even a glance at Jack, Angel took a quick look through the front window before yanking Sofie through the front door and slamming it shut behind them. Shaking his head Jack laughed and fiddled with a piece of Ashley's hair.

"Hey." She mumbled lazily.

"Hmm?"

"STOP THAT! I'm sleepy."

XXXXXXXXXX

Kasey opened her eyes to a strange room slowly tried to remember where she was, after some thought she remembered the night before and how it had ended. With a slow groan, she rolled onto her stomach and laid her head on Bobby's back. Staring out the window at the clouded sky she drew circles down his spine with the tip of her finger. Groaning, Bobby twisted his head around to come to rest in the nook of his elbow and lazily stared at her.

"Why can't you sleep like a normal person?" He muttered through his arm.

"Cause I'm not tired."

"If that was an insult, fuck you." He shut his eyes with a grumble.

"Insecure much?"

She leaned in and kissed his forehead before rolling out of bed. Walking over to the dresser where a pair of worn faded jeans and an old musician's shirt lay across the dresser, Kasey searched through it for an undershirt to wear. As she changed, she felt Bobby's eyes on her just before she heard the creak of the mattress. His tanned hands wrapped around her waist in a gentle hug and his lips brushed across her cheek.

He snorted a laugh and rested his chin on her shoulder, "What was your name again?"

"Haha, grease head."

Giving up on her search, she pulled the shirt strewn over the top of the dresser down over her shoulders and turned in his arms to face him.

"You think I'm kidding?" He smirked.

She frowned and shoved him away, "Jerk."

He smirked again and ran a hand through his hair, "You remember mine?"

She paused and thought for a moment, "Not the point."

Kasey headed out the door, stopping only to pick up his pants and pull them on. She stomped down the stairs but stopped dead at the bottom, shocked at the sight of Ashley and Jack on the couch. Jack was stretched out on Ashley and they were moving around in jerky movements.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kasey screeched.

Jack screamed and was quickly pushed to the floor. Ashley sat up laughing and wiggled a remote in his face.

"You're a looser! Now you have to watch what I want to!" She stuck out her tongue.

"It's not fair, you had help." He pulled her down to the floor.

Kasey's face went blank as the two began to fight over the remote again. Shaking her head she walked past them to the kitchen.

"You're both idiots."

"Shut up!" Ashley and Jack yelled simultaneously.

"Don't tell me to shut up!"

Kasey jumped down to the floor with them creating a massive three-way fight over the single remote. The front door slammed open and shut with a cold chill as Jerry stepped through with Rome at his side.

"What are you doing?" Confusion clouded his face but couldn't hide the laughter about to erupt.

With a grin on his face Rome jumped into the three's pile, squashing the remote to the floor.

"Move kid I need that to beat your mom with." Kasey screeched.

"Rome mommy loves you and you love mommy so KICK YOUR AUNT IN THE HEAD SO MOMMY CAN GET THE REMOTE!"

"Hey you don't smell anymore." Jack grinned and pulled the small boy from the floor as he himself rose.

Leaving the girls fighting on the floor, Jack sat Rome on the couch and they did the handshake they made up. Rome than reached out his slender fingers and traced them over the necklace around Jacks neck. Jack smiled at the boy's excitement and hugged him to his chest.

"You still got your cooking skills Jack?" Jerry held up a turkey.

A few hours later Jack and Rome fumbled in the kitchen with the raw turkey. Rome stood beside his replacement father with his tongue stuck out slightly in concentration as he tried to hold the turkey pot. Both the girls were chatting on the floor with their backs against the couch and their legs stretched out under the coffee table. They surfed through the channels of mindless garb for something to watch. Kasey leaned her head forward against the table while Ashley continued to surf mimicking Rome's concentrated-tongue-out face.

"Ashley?" Kasey grumbled into the table.

"We need to get one of these. Mmhmm yep we sure do. Sorry what?"

"What's that dude's name?"

"That's Jack stupid! Rome," Rome looked over as Ashley pointed at Kasey, "Exhibit A, don't smoke dope."

"Ahhh," Kasey jerked up, " Don't tell him I do that."

"Like he doesn't know…pot head."

"I'm gonna ignore that. I meant the grease monkey, not Jack, stupid." Kasey smacked the remote out of Ashley's hand.

"Now that wasn't very nice." Ashley stuck out her bottom lip, "Bitch."

"Just answer the damn question."

"How would I know his name?" She stretched out on the floor and reached for the remote, "Even if I did I wouldn't tell you."

"Fine." Kasey got up and started to the kitchen.

"Wait," Ashley lifted her head, "YOU WHORE!"

"What?!"

"First off you know El Greacio for what, all of five minutes and you fuck him!"

Jack dropped the turkey in the other room and looked over at them. After his best attempt at cocking an eyebrow, Rome reached down and picked up the turkey.

"Hey um-" Jack spat in a word before brushing off the bird.

"And two, now you tell me you don't even know his name?" Ashley screeched.

"So, he doesn't know mine either." Kasey shrugged.

"HOW does that make it any better?"

"Shut up!"

"Ewww," Ashley put her head back down and reached for the remote, "I still can't believe you fucked that."

"Ashley I swear to god-"

Ashley waved Kasey away in disgust as she grasped the remote in her hand and began to switch through the channels again. Anger in her eyes, Kasey stomped up to Jack and asked for Bobby's name. Ashley lay on the floor with her tongue stuck out and her hand with the remote on top of the glass centered coffee table. Deep in concentration she didn't hear the footsteps coming down the stairs and into the room.

"Gimme that." Bobby said before yanking the remote from her hands.

"Who the fuck-" Ashley looked through the glass of the table.

Bobby stepped over her, completely naked, with a smirk on his face and the remote in his hand. With a screech Ashley dug at her eyes franticly as Bobby flopped down on the couch.

"Hey babe, can I have my pants back?" He yelled in to the kitchen at Kasey.

"Huh," Kasey turned around and leaned back against one of the dining room chairs with a frown, "Did you call me babe cause you like me or cause you can't remember my name?"

"Just give me my fucking pants."

"Now you're definitely not getting them."

"GIVE-HIM-THE-PANTS!" Ashley screeched from the floor.

"Ahhh," Kasey jumped before looking down at Ashley with a laugh, "Enjoy the view?"

"Just shut up and give him the damn pants." Ashley hissed.

"No," She laughed, "this is what you get for calling me a whore."

Bobby laughed and Ashley began to sob. Rolling her eyes, Kasey walked into the room and started to remove the pants.

"Fine." Kasey grumbled and balled up the pants.

"Ohlala." Bobby mumbled.

"Shut up." She threw him his pants.

Ashley let out a large sob, "Is it over?"

"Yeah," Bobby said as Ashley opened her eyes, "You know you liked it."

Ashley wiggled out from under the coffee table screaming and crawled toward Kasey. Bobby started to rumble with laughter as he started to pull on his pants.

"Get up would ya." Kasey mumbled over Bobby's laughter.

"But Bob-" Ashley looked up and caught sight of a hickey on Kasey's inner thigh, "YOU ARE A WHORE!"

"Ok time for a new insult." Kasey folded her arms.

"Why would you let him do that?" Ashley jumped up.

"Do what?" Kasey looked down at her legs, "I told you I wanted to keep the pants!"

"I can't see, get your fat ass out of the way." Bobby looked around Ashley, "Oh that's not anything compared to the-"

"Hey that's the kind of shit that you keep to your damn self!" Ashley hissed back at him.

"What is going on here?" Someone questioned from the stairs.

The three of them turned to see Jerry, Angel, and Sofie all looking at them with confused looks on their faces. With a yip, Kasey yanked Ashley up from the floor and used her as a temporary shield.

"Upstairs now!" Kasey screeched and spun her friend to face the three in the archway.

Ashley smiled at the approaching threesome and twiddled her fingers at them in a childish wave. With a shove, Kasey pushed Ashley and caused her to remember the whole reason that she had been pulled from the ground in the first place. The two of them than hurried past Bobby, smirking in his seat, past the confused three in the archway, and scurried up the stairs.

"Jesus Bobby you…that?" Angel bucked his chin at Kasey as she fumbled up the stairs.

"Fuck off Angel." Bobby followed the girls up the stairs.

Upstairs Ashley flopped down on the bed and watched Kasey dig around frantically for her jeans. As her friend searched around, Ashley folded her legs up onto the bed and settled her elbows on her knees.

"Where are they? Where are they?" Kasey reached over and shook Ashley, "WHERE ARE THEY?"

Ashley blinked blankly and frowned, "How should I know?"

"If we don't find them then we never get back in the car." Kasey said ending on a dark tone.

Ashley's eyes grew wide as she remembered her DS laying on the front seat, "WHERE ARE THEY?"

Ashley stood from her seat and joined Kasey in the search for her jeans. Bobby walked past the room where the girls were and went into his mother's room to get out clothes of his own. Back in the other room Ashley pulled the pants from under the bed and hugged them to her.

"Yay, now I can get my stuff out of the car." She hopped up on the bed.

Ashley started to dance, cranking her arms around with her bottom lip pouted out and the pants in her hand. Kasey looked up at her with a frown and yanked the pants from her grip. Without stopping her dance, Ashley frowned and plopped down onto the bed. Kasey sat down beside her and pulled on the pants with a groan.

Ashley stopped her dancing and looked around the room, "I thought Bobby's room would look a lot different from this."

"This isn't Bobby's room." Kasey snorted and pulled the jeans all the way up.

"Then whose room is…" She looked around and noticed the old guitar in the corner and random rock posters on the walls, "OH. MY. GOD."

"Uh huh." Kasey nodded with a smirk.

"You two are sick."

"Uh," She turned to her and laughed, "Like he didn't do it to me."

"No, no he didn't." Ashley laid back.

"Yeah he did when you were working day shifts for that little while."

"Wait your room as in the room I was sleeping in or the couch."

"Not the couch."

Ashley blinked, "I think I just threw up in my mouth."

Kasey laughed again laid down on her stomach next to her friend, "It's Jack remember? He looked so guilty, hah, he took all the sheets and shit out and washed 'em."

"And you two didn't tell me?...Secretive bitches." Ashley grumbled.

"He told me not to, said he didn't want you to think it was serious."

Ashley rolled over and buried her face in her arm, "You and Bobby are still freaks."

"Oh come on, think about it. It was either here or in his mom's room."

"Or outside like the animals you are!"

"First time I've been called an animal in that way." Bobby said from the doorway.

Ashley rolled onto her side and threw a pillow at him. He stood there fully in jeans, work boots, and a tight dark blue sweater. Kasey turned around and sat up cross-legged on the bed.

"Don't do that you perv." Ashley yelled up at Bobby..

"Kace," He ignored Ashley and pulled Kasey up from the bed, "We're gonna have dinner soon and I want you two to take Rome over to Jerry's."

"Are you listening to me?" Ashley squirmed.

"Alright but I don't even know where that is. An what makes you think you can boss me around?" Kasey hissed.

"Rome will know. You're my bitch now I do what I want."

"Yeah, right," She snorted.

"I know you hear me you bastards!" Ashley screeched.

"An you think you can talk to me like that!" Bobby pointed to himself.

"You're my bitch I do what I want." Kasey mocked.

"Oh so this is the new thing, 'let's all ignore Ashley' day?"

"Mature, really mature. I don't have to take this shit you know."

"Shut up."

"LISTEN TO ME!" Ashley jumped up.

"SHUT UP!" Kasey and Bobby yelled in unison.

Kasey walked out of the room closely followed by Bobby. With a huff Ashley stood up and followed them down the stairs. Kasey had escaped Bobby downstairs and was terrorizing Jack in the kitchen as he basted the turkey.

"Hey Jack you're pretty good at that."

"Yeah, I guess."

"So you're like the master at it, huh?"

"I suppose."

"So you're a Master Baster?"

"Sure whatever - wait no I didn't mean that."

Ashley looked away as Kasey bent over in laughter and Jack rubbed his forehead. In the center of the living room Bobby stood tapping a hockey puck back and forth with a hockey stick as Angel and Sofi tromped down the stairs.

"Bobby, Sofi's gonna stay with us alright?" Angel muttered.

"Loco Ono is not staying in this house!"

"Bullshit, Bobby!"

"I don't care! La Vida Loca ain't staying in this house one more night. So get her stuff-"

"So, it's your house?"

"This ain't no homeless shelter. Yes-"

"What 'bout them?"

"That's Jackie's baby momma man come on."

"Yeah an her?" He nodded at Kasey.

"That's my girl man."

"How is that any different than Sofi?"

"What's wrong with you?" Sofi screamed from the stairs.

"Baby, why don't you go back upstairs, I've got this covered." Angel turned to her.

"Why do you let him talk to me like that?"

"Go upstairs!"

"Was I speaking Spanish? Was speaking Spanish?" Bobby mocked from the living room.

"What's your problem?" Sofi yelled over Angel before he turned around.

"Can you stop talking to my girl like that, man? That's what I'm talking about, Bobby."

"She wasn't your girl as of yesterday, man. She had another man. So I'm confused."

"What are you talking about, man? She is my girl!"

"Fight!" Jerry laughed from his seat.

"Let's just play some fucking Turkey Cup, man. How about that?" He drove the puck at the kitchen.

Kasey kicked the puck back at him and took away the stick. She mouthed the words 'ass hole' to Bobby and walked back into the kitchen.

"Rome, we're leaving get you coat."

"Where we going, Auntie?"

"You're going back to Jerry's, I don't know where me and your mother are going." She walked back to the front door.

"Why you gotta be such a bitch to me, huh?" Bobby followed her.

"Why baby it's simply cause," she leaned into him, "you're an ass hole!"

Ashley shook her head and drug Rome to the front door. Looking over her shoulder she saw Jack shrug and shook her head.

"You're such a bitch!" Bobby yelled grabbing Kasey's arms.

"An you're the biggest ass hole I've ever seen!" She grabbed the chest fabric of his shirt.

Ashley sighed and heard Jack do the same they both knew what was coming. As Bobby went in for a kiss Ashley shoved Rome between he and Kasey. Laughing she ran out behind Rome and heard Kasey start out too.

"God I hate you, Blondie!" Bobby yelled after them.

As Kasey got in the car and started it, Ashley locked the doors and laughed as she flicked off Bobby.

"He's so stupid." She shook her head.

"He's gonna kill you when we get back you know." Kasey pulled away and started down the road.

"No he won't, that ugly monkey probably doesn't know what day it is."

"He's not ugly."

"Yes he is."

"He is not, shut it."

"Fine, fine…I'll give you one thing though."

"What? It better not be perverted."

"You two will make some oogly babies." She laughed.

"I hate you!" Kasey reached out trying to hit her.

"If you're lucky maybe ugly plus ugly equals cute." Ashley muttered between laughs.

"I'll kill you!" Her hand made contact with Ashley's arm.

"OW, Get away you're gonna give me AIDS!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"God, can we wrap this up?" Kasey sighed and blew a piece of hair from her face.

Camille looked over Ashley's shoulder at Kasey and glared before continuing her conversation with Ashley. Rome laughed as he saw Kasey's jaw drop and then wiggled down to the floor between Jerry's daughters in front of the TV. This house wasn't even near to what Mercer house was like. With the Mercer house's warm, welcoming colors in each room it varied so greatly from the coffee cream colors of this house. Somehow it reminded Kasey very much of some moca latte or something of the sort, not saying she was the kind to drink such a thing but still she had to find something to do while the mother hens squawked.

"What ya look at me like that for?" Kasey squealed.

"Shut your scrawny little mouth before I shut it for you." Camille said around Ashley in a firm voice that had the same power as yelling but without the noise.

"Um you might not want to-" Ashley muttered.

"I'm not scared of her. She's just like that fool Bobby."

"Hey!" Kasey yelled defensively.

Ashley laughed and bent over clutching her sides, "You have no idea!"

"What's so funny?" Camille let out an awkward laugh.

"Nothing," Kasey hissed and walked up behind Rome.

"She's, she's such a," Ashley leaned against a door frame, "she's such a whore!"

"What does that have to do with Bobby?"

"We're leaving!" Kasey started to the door.

"We were in the house all of, like what, five minutes an she and Bobby," Ashley broke down again, "you know made the thing which makes weird noises and the ookie."

Camille's face went pale and she looked at Kasey with an awkward stare. With a screech, Kasey swung at Ashley and started to drag her to the door. Ashley stood and steadied herself before smirking at Kasey with her tongue stuck out.

"And when we left this morning they were going like this." Rome looked at Camille and made a kissy face.

"I feel sorry for your child to have such a…strange aunt." Camille looked at Ashley with a sorry look on her face.

Ashley made the most serious face she possibly could, "I tried to make her go away but she just won't leave us alone."

"Hey Rome, you know why you're really here?" Kasey pushed Ashley out the door with a hard shove.

"Why coodie queen?"

"Cause Jack hates you!"

The door was slammed shut before he could reply and the two heard him begin to sob as they walked back out to the car.

"That was harsh." Ashley muttered as she slid inside.

"If YOU hadn't been such a little WHORE then I wouldn't have anyone to be HARSH to, now would I?" Kasey jumped in and floored it away from the curb.

"You were the one who let it happen."

"Shut up, I didn't even know you then!" She grabbed her phone from the dashboard and threw it at Ashley, "Call Bobby, er Jack, WHOEVER! And ask them where the hell we're supposed to go meet them."

"How the hell do I call Bobby if I don't know his number?"

"Call Jack then stupid."

"Why didn't you tell me that then?"

"I did."

"No you didn't."

"JUST CALL HIM!"

"Alright, alright I'm calling, I'm calling." Ashley pressed redial, "It's sad that I knew the last person you talked to on this thing was Jack." She put the phone to her ear, "Told you you didn't have any other friends."

Kasey swatted her in the arm which was thickly returned by a punch to the boob. A smirk on her face, Ashley laughed and patiently waited for the phone to pick up while Kasey clutched at the forming bruise.

"Hello?" Jack's phone connected.

"Hi! Where am I?"

"Ashley is that y- how would I know where you are?"

"I meant where am I supposed to be?"

"Um at Jerry's?"

"Now I know why Kasey hates you."

"She doesn't hate me. Wait never mind of course she does."

"Where are we supposed to meet you guys?"

"Oh, um I think at the hockey rink."

"Where?"

"The rink. You know full of ice, you skate around on it?"

"I know what it is. I meant wh-"

Kasey slammed on the breaks as a car cut in front of them and caused Ashley to crack her forehead on the dashboard. Kasey yanked down her window and screamed after the car as she floored it and followed them along the back streets and into the inner city.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Ashley squealed and rubbed her forehead.

"That fucker cut me off!" Kasey cut a turn sharp and caused Ashley to hit her head on the window.

"Ow, god I hate you," She buckled her seatbelt and put the phone back to her ear, "Never mind I think we're lost."

"I can't *kezzx* a word that *zzzkez*" The phone went dead.

"You idiot, the phone went out of service!" Ashley threw the phone at Kasey.

"It's a cheap plan shut up." They took another sharp turn and Ashley swung into the window again.

One hour later…

In the middle of inner city Detroit, among the towering gray warehouses, many of which seemed very much abandoned, there was a dark blue Jeep Cherokee rammed into the bottom of a street lamp. About a half an hour before, Kasey had cut a turn too sharp and spun across a patch of black ice into the pole. The warehouses directly surrounding them seemed empty but with the oncoming darkness the creepiness seemed to be getting worse.

"You're so stupid." Ashley laughed and sat down on the curb.

"Shut it! Oh god where the hell are we?"

"I didn't know an hour ago and I don't know now." Ashley took out the phone again and started to play a game on it.

"Of all the people to be stranded with."

" 'Of all the people to be stranded with'." Ashley mocked.

"Stop that!"
" 'Stop that!' "

"I swear to god-"

"Dammit I just died!"

Ashley stood up and dropped the phone through the car window. Leaning against the shut door, she tilted her head back and thought perhaps picking up smoking pot would have been a good idea, at least then she would have had something to do. She knew for a fact that Kasey still had a hidden bag of hash in the back of her glove compartment.

"So you think you can start this trash heap up again?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?" Kasey hissed and headed to the front of the car.

"Well, we gotta get outta here somehow and if we're gonna walk we need to start now."

The sky above them was growing slightly darker and moments before the phone's clock had warned that it was already past noon.

"I can fix it." Kasey laid her hands on the hot hood of the car without thinking.

"No you can't." Ashley smirked as Kasey let out a howl.

Lifting her now burnt hands off the hood Kasey waved them around and blew across the singed skin. Anger fuming through her she started to kick the car unmercifully as Ashley stood back and laughed. The sound of an approaching car pulled Ashley's head up and she watched a light gray Volvo pull up behind them.

"Fancy seeing you here." Jack leapt from the back of the Volvo and shook hair out of his face.

"How'd you find us?"

"Um well…"He rubbed the back of his neck.

"What the fairy means to say is we weren't really looking for you." Bobby slid out of the passenger's seat.

"Then why-"

"This is my warehouse." Jerry stepped out from behind the driver's seat.

"Looks like a dump to me." Angel walked around the Volvo and stood behind Bobby.

"We thought it was abandoned." Ashley muttered and looked through the dusty windows of the warehouse.

Behind her she heard Angel start to laugh and turned to see Kasey bleeding profusely from her hand. She had punched through one of her car windows and was hopping back and forth from one foot to the other.

"You idiot!" Ashley and Bobby yelled in unison.

"Shut it! Ow, ow, ow."

The brothers and the two girls filed in through the door of Johnny G's bar. Kasey's newly bandaged hand was folded lightly in Bobby's as he swatted his other at Angel to shut him up.

"God I missed this place!" Bobby sighed and walked toward the bar.

"WEEE BEER!" Ashley squealed and ran behind the bar.

The rest of the group followed Bobby's lead and took seats at the bar. Kasey rolled her eyes as Ashley stuck her head under one of the beer taps and turned it on full blast. Laughing, Angel grabbed a mug and started to twirl it around between his fingers.

"And who's this now?" Johnny G said as he walked down the bar to them.

"Her name's Ashley." Jack said before reaching out and pulling her head from under the flowing spigot.

"Shit!" Angel leaned over the counter and held his mug under the spigot before cutting the flow.

"Most people just call her 'how much'." Bobby smirked and swung an arm around Kasey.

"Hey I only did that once." Ashley squealed.

"Yeah, once a week." Kasey jerked away Angel's beer and swigged the last of it.

"Aren't you supposed to be my friend?" Ashley swatted at Kasey.

"Aren't you unemployed?" Kasey jerked her chin at Johnny G.

" 'Aren't you unemployed?' "Ashley mocked and turned to Johnny G, "Can I have one?"

"One what?" Johnny G looked over her shoulder and saw a man at the end of the bar check the young blonde out with a smirk.

"A job," She leaned into his line of sight.

"Yeah of course," He smirked and handed over an apron, "I can always use the help."
"Good now since there's two of you can someone pour me and my brothers some fucking drinks?" Bobby pushed Kasey's empty mug across the bar.

Ashley made a mocking face at him and watched as Johnny poured them all a round. Bobby looked at his glass with emptiness in his eyes.

"Your attention, please. I wanna make a toast, to Evelyn Mercer. The greatest mother four degenerate bastards ever had."

They all tipped back their glasses and slid them back to Johnny empty. Ashley started to jump from foot to foot with a sigh and grinned at Jack.

"Johnny, pour me and my brothers another round," He shook from side to side in his seat, the whiskey starting a buzz, "and a warm milk for my sister here."

Bobby reached to the other side of him and shook Jacks shoulders. Jack frowned up at Ashley with a laugh.

"Man, I will drink you under the table." Jack retorted.

"We're not talking about sperm, Jack, this is whiskey."

They downed another round and everyone but Jack moved to a table.

"Hey um Jack?" Ashley muttered and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from under the counter.

"Yeah?"

"Where is this place?" She stepped around the counter.

"Oh god." Jack picked up the glasses.

"Shut up." They started to the others table.

"This is Johnny G's place we're only about half a mile from the house."

Jack slid down into a seat and passed out the glasses. Ashley looked over at Kasey who was in the middle of an argument with Bobby.

"Oh and just because I'm a chick you think I can't drink."

"Christ I never said that!"

"No, but that's what you meant."

"Whatever you crazy bitch, I'm sorry." He leaned in to kiss her.

"Huh uh," She punched his chest and nodded at Ashley, "It ain't the time for any kissy bull shit."

"Yeah grease monkey." Ashley slid the whiskey bottle to her, "Now is the time to prove it."

"Alright, alright," He smirked, "what do I get if I win?"

"The knowledge that you can beat a girl." Kasey kept her eyes on Bobby's as she poured them shots.

"You in a lose-lose situation man." Angel laughed.

"Not how I see it." Bobby mumbled before he and Kasey swigged down their shots.

Jack waved for Ashley to come down to his level and put his lips to her ear.

"Who you thinks got it?" He mumbled and watched Bobby pour two new shots.

"I've never seen Bobby drink so I dunno." She started back to the bar.

"It's probably about a tie, I think." He got up and followed her.

"Really, I say Kasey will hold out longer."

"You wanna bet on it?" He leaned into the bar.

"You don't have any money."

"I wasn't talking about money."

"Uhh! Perv!" She slammed her hands on the counter.

"Not that," He laughed, "I was talking about maybe, a date, maybe."

"What?" She looked over his shoulder at Kasey laughing, "You can't like me."

"If I didn't like you then why the hell would I live with you, little wizomatic, and the pot head for three years?"

"I never said you didn't like me I said you couldn't." She pulled the half-empty bottle of Jack Daniel's from before.

"And why not?" He twirled a glass between his fingers.

"Cause that 'pot head' over there," She nodded at Kasey, "she's psycho and she'd kill you."

"Ohhh, I'm scared." He mocked.

"Fine, fine have it your way." She jerked the glass from his hand and poured them drinks, "let's drink on it."

"Ok, you say Kasey, I say tie."

"Yep but if I win you have to…." She frowned in concentration for a moment but then grinned, "you have to kiss Bobby."

"WHAT? He's my brother!" His eyes grew wide.

"Not by blood."

"And you say I'm the perv."

"Come on are you not willing to risk it?" She stared at him, daring him with her eyes.

"Oh how I hate you." He swigged the drink, "You're on."

"Watching you kiss Bobby is gonna be sooo funny." Ashley tipped back her glass and they headed back to the others.

Half an hour and two dozen shot glasses later…

"God you're a bottomless pit." Bobby slammed down his glass.

"I thought you'd catch on sooner and give up."

"And what, let you hack away my pride?"

"But baby," She made a mocking face, "your pride was what I was aiming for."

"What do you say we, uh," He slid a hand up her thigh, "call it a quits, that way we both win."

"Don't do that!" She swatted away his hand, "I gotta pee and that's not helping."

"Ha, that means I win." Jack mocked in Ashley's ear.

"Ahhh I gotta pee!" Kasey squealed and grabbed Ashley's hand.

After dragging them both into the bathroom, Kasey slammed the door behind them and ignored Ashley laugh as she ran into a stall.

"So uh, Kace'?"

"Finally, I had to piss like a damn race horse. Sorry, what?"

"What would you do if I, I dunno, dated Jack?"

"What?!" Kasey snorted and flushed the toilet, "You an Jack riiight."

"No come on, like, what if?"

"Then you'd have someone to go shopping with," She stumbled out of the stall and snorted, "I dunno, why you asking me this, he ask you out or something?"

"No."

"Then what's with the stupid questions?"

"I was just wondering."

Snorting again Kasey stumbled out the door past Ashley and then dragged her along back to the table. When they got there the brothers had already poured their own drinks so they wiggled back down into their seats.

"Jack drinks Jack, Jack drinks Jack." Jack sung through whiskey.

"That's your brother." Jerry smiled at Bobby and pointed at Jack.

"Jack drinks Jack."

"Jack licks ass crack and ball sack." Bobby mumbled with a frown on his face.

"Jack doesn't lick ass crack and ball sack! Jack likes boobs." Jack stole a glance at Ashley, "Jacks gots fans. Jack's got lots of fans."

"Oh, man." Jerry mumbled.

"Will you shut up, man?" Angel shrugged with a frown.

Jerry shifted in his seat and strummed his fingers on the table. Under the table Jack gave Ashley a kick and mouthed 'you lose' to her. Faking a grin she reached under the table and punched him in the balls.

"Why are you in such a rush? You can't hang with your big brother and have a drink?" Bobby questioned Jerry.

"I'm here. I mean, what?" He threw up his hands at Bobby's stare, "I'm glad y'all here. I love y'all."

Bobby sighed and shook his head as Johnny G walked up behind them.

"Hey, that's real goddamn bad stuff about your mom, fellas."

"Yeah." Angel muttered.

"Freaking gangs. Worms." He leaned against the half wall, "Someone ought to step on them."

Bobby looked around at his brothers and leaned forward, "Which gang, Johnny G?"

"Oh, shit. Here we go." Jerry threw up his hands, "I knew it."

"I think I heard something. The neighborhood's really upset about this."

"Same old Bobby. Mama always said, 'As bright as Bobby is, he just does not like to think.' Ain't no good gonna come from this." He stared at his hands waiting for a reply, "Let the police do their damn job."

"Stop with the police." Jack and Angel irately said in unison.

"Half the cops in this town are crooked. You think the other half give two shits about another liquor-store holdup?" Bobby hissed.

"I'm telling you, man, Green's on our side on this one." Jerry whined.

"Come on, man." Jack shook his head.

"Green? She's the only woman that ever gave a damn, man. The least we can do is go bang on a few doors and see what happens," Angel leaned forward, "We owe her that much."

"Why are you acting like such a bitch, Jerry?" Bobby frowned.

"Okay. So, what, y'all just gonna shoot up the whole town because y'all mad?" Jerry's face wrinkled with a mixture of anger and concern.

"Why not?" Angel shook his hands.

"Come on, man! The people who did this, they probably from the same shitty-ass streets we from," He slammed back into his chair in frustration, "Mom would've been the first to forgive them. Y'all know that."

"We can't all be saints, Jerry." Bobby kept his face flat.

"Yeah, we can't all be saints, Jerry." Jack mocked and picked up his beer.

"All right. All right. Cool." Jerry stood up and pulled on his jacket.

"Bye, Jerry." Bobby took a sip of his beer stared at Ashley.

"Don't call me when y'all get shot up. This is Detroit, in case y'all forgot." Jerry strutted out the door angrily.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Bobby glared at Ashley, "What the fuck you lookin' at?!"

"You're the one looking at me." She grumbled with a shrug.

"Johnny. Come tell us what's going on, man."

"You wanna know what I heard?" Johnny pulled up a chair.

Behind them at the bar men started to yell for drinks so Ashley, closely followed by Kasey, got up and wandered behind the bar. After a few moments they heard the brothers' slide back their chairs and head toward the door.

"Hey, ass munch!" Ashley yelled after them.

The three brothers and a few other guys turned around to look at her.

"What?" Jack yelled back.

Kasey looked over at Ashley and whispered, "Is it bad that it doesn't surprise me that they ALL turned around?"

Ashley waved away a laugh, "Where you goin'?"

"Uh, to go burn some shit. Why?"

"No reason."

"Would you stop with this small talk bull shit?!" Bobby furrowed his brow, "We got places to be."

"You're a dick you know that? You are such a dick…" Jack's voice drifted off as he followed his brothers out of the bar.

Half an hour later…

The bar had by then almost emptied out but a few stragglers were still crowded around on barstools, among them was Kasey. Ashley however, stood on the other side idly swinging a full mug of slushy beer.

"Um Ash, why don't you let me have that one?" Kasey leaned over the counter and reached for Ashley's glass.

"No!" She jerked the mug from Kasey's reach and frowned, "Get your own."

"Isn't that your job?!"

"Oh yeah…"

"Um, excuse me miss…" A man at the end of the bar muttered, "Can you top me off?"

"Sure baby-face." Ashley grinned and headed toward the tap.

"Baby-face?"

"Don't ask." Kasey shook her head.

Without warning Ashley then sprayed the man with the tap, completely missing the glass.

"What the hell?!" He screeched.

"Party pooper." Frowning she filled his glass.

"Thank you." He groaned.

With a grin Ashley took her thumb off the tap, picked up the man's mug, and took three large gulps. His brow furrowed in anger as he swatted the mug from her hand. For a moment blankness covered Ashley's face and then she spewed the contents of the night over the man's head.

"Ashley!" Kasey hopped over the counter.

"Crazy mother fucking-" He mumbled before also barfing.

"Johnny G!" Kasey yelled out through the bar.

While Johnny G and the man's friends shuffled the human barf fountain out into the night, Kasey held back Ashley's hair while she threw up in the mop bucket under the counter.

"Dammit you girls cause me more trouble in one night then ten bumbling drunks." Johnny G mumbled when he returned from outside.

"She'll do better I swear." Kasey looked down at Ashley, "Ya done?"

"Yeah I think so." She mumbled before slouching to the floor.

Kasey shook her head and felt the vibrating of her phone in her pocket. Pulling it out she noticed the caller ID said 'Tinkerbell' and with a grin, she answered.

"What do you want?"

"You two still at the bar?"

"No Jack, we drove home. OF CORSE WE'RE AT THE BAR!"

"Christ sorry, where's Ashley?"

"Screwing Johnny G."

"WHAT?" Ashley and Jack screeched simultaneously.

"Behomeinasec, bye!" Kasey spat out quickly before slapping the phone shut.

With a chuckle Kasey helped Ashley to her feet and they headed home. When they stumbled through the door Sofie had a frown strewn across her face.

"What?" Ashley mumbled.

"I thought you were Angel."

"Ok then, you're a lesbo." She turned to Kasey, "I'm gonna just set down here, ok?"

"Uh sure." She let her slide to the floor before slowly starting up the stairs.

When she reached the top she sat on the last step and started rummaging through Sofie's purse. She pushed away lipsticks and mascara until she came to what she thought foundation. But when she opened it she found it to be birth control.

"Hey, Ashley, look what I found." She held it up and wiggled it in the air.

Sofie whipped around her head and screeched, "Put that back, punta."

"Was I speakin' spanish?"

"Put it back!" Sofie started up the stairs.

With a mocking grin on her face, Kasey threw the compact down to Ashley and laughed as Sofie turned on her heels. Laughing Ashley threw the compact back at Kasey and stuck a tongue out at Sofie.

"Tu loca puntas!" Once again Sofie switched directions on the stairs.

With another laugh Kasey threw it back down to Ashley but as Sofie once again turned the door swung open to the three brothers.

"Jack, it was a questionable kill." Bobby said in a serious tone.

"What makes you think that?"

"Boy, it's sad, you growing up without a father. Nobody taught you anything, did they? I should've stayed around longer and held your little hand, huh, sweetheart?"

With a giggle Sofie ran down and clasped Angels hand in hers. While dragging him up the stairs she almost tripped and fell, sending Ashley and Kasey into horrendous laughter. Bobby and Jack continued into the dining room.

"Whatever, man."

"Look," Bobby turned to his little brother, "sometimes pros will cover up their shots with another crime. Like a burglary or something. Then pay a witness to throw the cops on to the wrong suspect. You understand?"

"Why would anybody wanna kill the sweetest woman in the goddamn world?" Jack threw up his arms.

"I don't know, Jackie. I don't know."

By this time Kasey and Ashley had managed to follow the two into the kitchen and stop their laugher. Seeing the awkward stress on Bobby's face, Kasey proceeded to comfort him and meanwhile the same blank look from before clouded Ashley's face.

"Are you alright?" Jack crouched down to her height.

"I-" She heaved another wave of puke onto the floor between them.

Behind them Bobby had leaned his forehead against Kasey's but when the sound, and scent, of puke hitting the floor filled the room he stepped back with a look of disgust on his face.

"Christ! How much did you drink?"

"Obviously, too much," Kasey patted Ashley's back as she unleashed another wave.

"Huh uh, come on." Bobby pulled Kasey away and led her to the stairs.

"But-"

"It's ok, I got her." Jack muttered and took Ashley's hair in his hands.

"See, she'll be fine." Bobby proceeded to drag her up the stairs.

"You're very insensitive you know that?"

Their voices drifted off as Jack heard a door shut behind them. With a sigh he shook his head and looked down at Ashley who was now bent over dry heaving. Her throat hurt and she was almost sure that if she heaved again she would pass a lung.

"I liked these shoes you know?" Jack teased.

"I liked the lining of my throat you know." She shook her hair from his grasp.

Letting out another sigh Jack stepped over the puke and lifted Ashley into his arms. Half in shock, half enjoying herself Ashley let him carry her to the couch and lay her down.

"I'll ask again, are you alright?"

"Hmmm, I will be if I can figure out how to put my lungs back in."

Shaking his head, Jack walked over to the kitchen, "Glad to see your sarcasm wasn't affected."

"Nope, completely intact."

"Good cause how boring you would be without it." He pulled out a glass and filled it with water before returning it to her.

"Haha, funny, funny."

"You wanna know the really funny part?" He leaned in and gave her a fake wide smile.

"What?" She took the glass.

"One – my shoes are gonna smell for who knows how long. Two – I get to hear my brothers and the chick I consider like a sister, screw their brains out. Three – I get to hear this while cleaning up your puke."

"Sounds like you got a full evening planned." She took a heavy swig.

"If only, if only." He mocked.

After grabbing cleaning supplies he hurriedly cleaned up the mess in the kitchen and headed back to the couch with Ashley.

"You notice that once again we have to share sleeping spots?" Ashley muttered before leaning into his shoulder.

"Yeah. But the truth is I don't really mind." He stretched out his feet and threw an arm around Ashley.

"Mmmhm."

"It's kinda nice actually."

"Uh-huh."

"I hope you know I meant what I said earlier, I really do want that date."

"Hmmmhu."

He sighed, "You're asleep aren't you?"

Looking down at her sleeping face he lets out a small laugh and pulled the blanket from the back of the couch down over her. He thought to himself what he always thought about her, if he didn't love her the way he did she would be the same as a cute little sister.

XXXXXXXXXX

The sun began to shed smooth light through the sunroom and into the living room. In the night Jack had managed to salvage the outer edge of the couch. Ashley however, had comfortably wedged herself between him and the couch back. She had her head rested soundly on his chest and with each of his breaths her head moved. The light poured like butter delicately over their blanketed bodies that seemed to both be cradled in a pleasurable sleep. When the sunlight caught the edge of Ashley's eye, however, she let out an annoyed groaned.

"Oww, my head," She brought a finger to her temple.

This small movement caused Jack to also begin to stir. Stretching, he let out a groan and hugged her to him.

"Morning." He yawned.

"Why are you touching me?"

"It's a little couch, Ash."

"Christ my head hurts." She sat up and rested an elbow on Jack's chest.

"Well," He pushed away her elbow with a glare, "It could be the massive hang over you probably have."

"'Well it could be' - SHUT UP!"

Ashley, attempting to roll off the couch, straddled Jacks waist causing him to let out a groan as he placed his hands on her hips in his own attempt to help her up.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Two voices yelled from the stairway.

Jack tilted back his head just in time to catch Kasey's foot colliding with his chin. Rolling over with a jerk, he sent Ashley tumbling from his lap and caused her to crack her head on the coffee table.

"You stupid little shit!" Kasey backhanded Jack after every word.

"Get away," He crossed his hands in front of his face, "we weren't even doing anything."

"Yeah, cept makin' another BABY!"

Behind then Bobby reached down, lifted Ashley by the seat of her pants, and swatted her on the head. Hearing this Kasey turned around and punched Bobby's arm, causing him to drop Ashley back to the floor.

"What the hell?" He threw up his hands.

"Don't hit her!" She shoved him.

"Don't hit HIM!"

Kasey picked up a book from the coffee table and threw it down on Jacks nuts.

"THERE, I didn't hit him now did I?"

"You bitch…"Jacks voice came out in a whisper.

While Bobby and Kasey continued to yell back and forth, Jack slowly rose from his seat and looked down at Ashley. Her head was back on the table with droplets of blood strewn on the glass around it.

"Oh crap, what the hell?" He reached out and leaned her back.

For a moment Bobby and Kasey stopped fighting. Bending down swiftly Kasey grasped Ashley's shoulders and shook them ferociously. Bobby however turned and walked out into the hall.

"Kace! I don't think SHAKING her is doing any good!" He pushed her away and pulled Ashley up onto the couch.

"Well what should we do then, smart one?"

"This." Jack reached out, grabbed Ashley's glass from the night before, and dumped it on her face.

"Ahhh," She jumped, "What the fuck was tha….oww, why does my head hurt so much?"

She lifted a hand to the pinked blonde hair just above her left ear and let out a whine when she saw the blood. Looking up she saw Bobby thunder back into the room.

"YOU!" She pointed a finger at him.

"What?" He handed Jack the first-aid kit, "The one time I do somethin' nice."

"Well you did drop her." Jack rose an eyebrow.

"After you did."

"Wait, you both dropped me?" Ashley let out a dry sob, "Ashley is confused."

"Would you get out of here?" Kasey smacked Bobby a few times.

He pushed away her hands, "Jesus girl, god I'm going, I'm going."

Letting out a sigh Kasey turned and watched Jack gingerly wrapping Ashley's head.

"Ahhaha, I don't want to look like a mummy."

"You won't…just your head will be wrapped." Kasey mumbled.

"That's much better, thank you." Sarcasm riddled through her voice.

"Well gee, I'm glad to see that's still intact."

"Shouldn't you be screwing something?"

"Well that was mean!"

"Quick, you haven't met the neighbors yet."

"That's it!" She lashed out at Ashley.

"Kasey," Jack stuck his foot out and continued wrapping, "leave!"

"Yeah, I got a serious head injury here." Ashley frowned.

"Fine!" Kasey threw up her hands at Jack and then pointed at Ashley, "I'll get you later."

"Go!" Jack pointed with his foot without looking up at her.

As Kasey backed out of the room Ashley stuck out her tongue before elbowing Jack.

"What the hell was sticking out your foot gonna do?"

"I got long legs…it might have worked…ok it wouldn't-"

"Damn right."

"Hey I saved you didn't I?"

"No! You should have saved me before THIS," She wiggled her head, "happened!"

"It wasn't me! It was Bobby and your crazy dike girlfriend, thing."

"Uhh, you lie, YOU LIE!"

She hopped up and ran up the stairs to the bathroom. Shaking his head Jack followed behind her with a pleading groan. When he caught up to her, she was rubbing her head in front of the mirror with a frown on her face.

"I look like I got on a damn beanie."

"It doesn't look that bad-"

"JACK!" Bobby yelled from their mother's room.

"I'm right here, meat head! What you want?"
"The convenience store opens in an hour and we're meeting Jerry there, so you girlies need to hurry up."

Jack let out a frustrated growl, yanked Ashley out of the bathroom, and dragged her into his bedroom.

"Find clothes. Get dressed. Go wait in the car."

"Bossy, bossy, just because I have a head injury doesn't mean I'm DEAF!" She screeched the last word in his ear.

"No, but now I am." He stomped out of the room and started down the stairs, "God I hate women."

"We know Jackie Poo."

"Dammit Bobby!"

"Well," Kasey leaned out around Bobby, "you set yourself up for that, genius."

"I hate you," He turned on the stairs and pointed at Kasey, "and I hate you." He pointed at Bobby.

Ashley stuck her head out into the hallway and waved at Jack with a wide grin on her face.

"And you, I hate you more than anybody," Jack swung around and disappeared around the stairs rubbing his ear, "DAMMIT!"

Ashley stuck out her bottom lip but then pulled it back in with a shrug and went to put on clothes. Laughing Kasey slid out past Bobby and stumbled into the room with Ashley.

"Yay, the list of people who hate me just got bigger."

"What is that now, seventy percent of people have you met that hate you?"

"You are really mean, you know that?" Kasey leaned against the doorframe.

"At least they love you before they meet you," She pulled a shirt over her head, "then again you do use 'bribery' to get them to like you so I dunno if it counts."

"Ya know, eventually your gonna cause me major head trauma with this pickin on me shit and I'll kill myself." She faked a pout.

"Good you haven't met Satan yet, you can screw him." Ashley turned to her and pointed at her bandaged head, "An if you wanna talk about head trauma then go ask your idiot why he dropped me."

"Jackie's the one who dropped you first."

"Yeah cause the loony squad barged in and attacked us."

"TOO MUCH YELLING TO LITTLE LEAVING!" Jack yelled from the front door.

"Damn Jackie you sure know how ta keep them in line don't cha." Bobby said before turning into the girl's room and picking them both up by the waists, "ok girlies time to go."

"Don't touch me you filthy grease monkey." Ashley started to flail around.

"Yeah put her down, we were trying to have a conversation like normal people who've evolved." Kasey began to also flail around.

"HEY LISTEN," He stopped at the top of the stairs and squeezed them, "if you don't quit that I'm gonna drop your fat assess down the fucking stairs."

The girls quit moving and Bobby continued down the stairs where he sat them down just outside of the front door. He smirked and placed a hand on either of their shoulders while leading them to his car, closely followed by Jack. Ashley sent a glare over to Kasey and then sunk her teeth in the meaty side flesh of Bobby's palm.

"Oww, what the fuck, you crazy bitch?" Bobby stopped walking and took his bleeding hand in the other.

Jack let out a slight laugh and followed the girls to Bobby's car. When they got in Kasey stole a glance at Bobby before looking back at Ashley, who had her tongue stuck out rubbing it with a napkin.

"I can't believe you bit him." Kasey mumbled with a disgusted look on her face.

"Neither can I. God I'll probably get some weird gum disease." She stopped cleaning her tongue and her eyes widened.

"What?" Kasey let out a laugh.

"Please tell me that's not the hand he jerks off with?" She looked over at Kasey, her face a bit purple.

Kasey and Jack hunched over in laughter, which grew louder when Bobby slid into the driver's seat and Ashley started to dry heave.

"What's so fucking funny?" Bobby glared at everyone, "The crazy bitch probably gave me rabies."

"OH MY GOD NOW IM IN HIS CAR, OH GOD ITS EVERYWHERE!" Ashley screeched and pulled her feet up under her so she could crouch in the back seat.

Jack and Kasey roared into another fit of horrendous laughter.

"What the fuck are you doing? Get your fucking feet off the leather." Bobby reached back and tried to pull her down.

"Ahh get those things away from me!" She hopped around the back seat, slipping out of his grasp.

Jack and Kasey continued to laugh as Ashley crawled around and wedged herself between Kasey and the wall. Through all this no one noticed Angel walk up to the car with a confused look on his face until he yanked open Jackie's door.

"What the hell are yall doin," he looked over at Bobby, "and what the hell happened to your hand bro, damn?"

Jack and Kasey continued to laugh at the confused faces of Angel and Bobby even when Angel shoved Jack into the back seat with the girls.

"Don't let the ookie man touch me." Ashley wiggled back between Jack and Kasey.

"Man yall are crazy." Angel mumbled.

"I dunno what the hell their laughing at." Bobby said before starting the car and looking back at the three in the back seat, "Can we go or are you not done yet?"

"First I gotta ask you a question, I jus gotta." Jackie mumbled after calming his laughter.

"What, Jackie Poo, what?"

"Which hand would you say was your 'dominant' one?"

"What kinda – never mind I don't wanna know. Will it make you three shut up if I answer ya?"

"Just answer the damn question."

Bobby held up his bitten hand, "The one that little bitch bit. Christ I probably won't be able to use it for anything now.

"Oh god no." Ashley let out a sob.

Kasey and Jack went straight back into their fits of laughter. Bobby let out a groan and headed to the convince store. When they arrived at the store every one slipped out of the car and crowded around the front. Kasey and Ashley sat down on the hood of the car while the three brothers huddled together.

"It's seven in the morning." Kasey glared at Bobby, "You know, most people are still sleeping right about now."

Bobby rolled his eyes pointed to the sign on the front door.

"It opens at seven. We just want a few minutes of his time. Doing it first thing in the morning is much easier than later. Besides, you were up before I was." He frowned watching Ashley shift positions on the hood, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She wrapped her arms around herself, "My ass is slightly frozen to the hood of your stupid car."

"Then stand up instead of freezing onto the car. You're a bit too big to be a double hood ornament." Bobby pulled them both off the hood.

Jerry pulled behind them while the girls huddled together for warmth with frowns on both their faces.

"All right, I'm here. What?" Jerry shoved his hands in his pockets and joined the huddled mass.

"Last night we found out it wasn't random. The witness was paid, and the whole gang story was some bullshit." Angel grumbled in his pissed off manner.

"Are you serious, man?" Jerry shook his head, "Come on now."

"Yeah." Angel shook his head too.

Jack smirked and looked back at the front door as a man in front of the corner store jingled keys in his hands.

"Guys?"

They all turned and walked to the steps a few feet from the man. He looked at them with a mix of fear and confusion.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?" His Arabic accent throbbing.

"Yeah, if we could just have a moment of your time, sir. Evelyn Mercer was our mother." Jack stepped toward him.

"She was a good lady. I liked her very much." The man stopped for a moment and stared at his feet, "Let's come inside."

The shopkeeper led the posse into his store. As the brothers followed him to the counter the girls stopped at the door.

"It's a bit early for a junk food run don't you think?" Ashley sighed and flicked at the gumball machine near the entrance.

"Do you ever pay attention to anything they say?"

"Huh," She looked up dully, "Oh yeah I paid attention to Jack once, I think it was a Tuesday."

"Ok, we're not here for junk food. This is where their mom was killed." Kasey stole a glance at the brothers as the shopkeeper took out a box full of surveillance tapes.

"Wait you're the dumb one, how the hell do you know this and I don't?"

"In case you haven't noticed Bobby never shuts up for very long, an well after sex it's the same thing. All the shit I've learned 'bout this family in two nights cause that idiot." Kasey shook her head.

"Oh great, thanks, ruin my dream. Now I know he'll never shut up."

They joined the brothers as the shopkeeper pulled out a tape and popped it into the TV.

"This tape is from that night."

Kasey let out a breath before slipping a hand in Bobby's that he squeezed tight as a single tear curved down his helpless looking face. As the tape started to play it showed Evelyn at the back of the store and as the robbers came in she hid behind a rack of food. When Jack's face strained Ashley laid a gentle hand on his back and leaned her head against his shoulder. They all watched the tape play as the robbers shot down the shopkeeper and found Evelyn.

"This doesn't add up." Bobby shook his head, "He's already got the money."

Jack drug in a staggered breath and held a steady hand to his chin. Finally the tape showed the robbers take aim as Evelyn started to back away and then the shot that heavily dropped her to the ground. Jack shut his eyes and threw up his hands before turning around to pull Ashley into his arms. Both Angel and Jerry looked away from the screen to stare elsewhere. Bobby blinked back tears and tried not to look away before giving Kasey's hand one last squeeze.

"Supposedly a witness told the police this was a gang shooting. You know anything about that?" His eyes then stone cold serious and dead to the world.

Angel looked dreadfully glum standing beside Jerry, who had his arms folded with a mixture of hate and confusion.

"The police talk for a long time with one man. One man more than the others."

"Would you remember what this guy looks like if you see him again?"

"He comes in for Gatorade after the games. Big guy. Always wears sweats, never a jacket. Even in snow or rain. He has a dog and a…You know a:" he held his hands around his head.

"A fro? Like an Afro? Like Ben Wallace the basketball player?" Angel said as he tried to let seriousness take over.

"Pistons. Yes, yes, Ben Wallace."

"Okay." Angel nodded and stole a glance at Bobby.

"Is he the on courts a lot?" Bobby stared blankly at the screen

"On the courts or at," The shopkeeper pointed out the window to the school across the street, "at the gym."

At that Bobby lead them all thundering out the front door and into the street.

"That wasn't no gang shooting, that was an execution. They set Mom up. They set her up." He shot a look at his brothers, "Come on."

When they all rumbled into the gym there was a basketball game in progress and it was packed to the rim. For a second they stood in silence taking in the sights and sounds.

"We're gonna get killed." Jack sighed.

"What you mean we, white boy?" Angel shot back.

"You ready?" Bobby lightly backhanded Angles stomach.

Angel nodded back and headed out the door while Bobby and Jerry headed out to center court. Kasey and Ashley stayed back and stood with Jack.

"What the hell is he- Aww shit." Kasey shook her head.

"Being back home, it's just the same as before." Jack shook his head as Bobby pulled a gun and waved it around, "You two do me a favor an help me watch the crowd."

As Kasey took her eyes to the crowd, Jack rubbed his eyes and sniffled. Ashley shoved her hands in her hoodie pockets and elbowed Jack.

"I never seen you cry like that."

Jack laughed a single sarcastic laugh, "Yeah tell Bobby that would ya."

"You really loved her didn't you?"

He looked over at her and opened his mouth to say something but Kasey took off across the gym. They took chase after her and slid into a hallway on the heels of a black teen with a backpack.

"No running in the halls." Jack huffed as they closed in on the teen.

The teen was headed straight to the door but instead ran right into it. He bounced off into Jacks waiting arms and Angel walked in with a snarling look on his face.

"Man, let me go, I don't know nothin, man I don't know nothin." The teen struggled against Jacks tightening grasp.

"Why you runnin? Why you runnin?" Jack said in his ear.

"You got somethin' to tell me youngster?" Angel snarled.

"Go get Bobby and Jerry." Jack nodded at the girls.

As Kasey took off down the hall Ashley grinned at the teen and took off his hat.

"I needed one of these, stupid here rigged me with this sock puppet look this morning." She slammed it down on her head.

"What the fu-" The teen frowned.

Angel led him to a wall and leaned against it while Jack and Ashley closed in around them. Then there was a bang at the end of the hallway and Kasey, Bobby, and Jerry came toward them.

"What do we got here?" Bobby questioned.

"Bobby, met Keenon. Keenon this is Bobby. Something tells me he was on his way to deliver a warning." Angel grumbled.

"What's his name, Keenon?"

"Damian," He sighed painfully, "He's my brother."

"He's your brother? No shit. These are my brothers."

Keenon looked around with a frown, "No, dog. He's my real brother."

"Yeah, these are my real brothers. This is Angel, I'm Bobby. This is Jack and Jeremiah." Bobby gestured to each.

"What 'bout them, they sisters?" He stuck out his chin at the girls.

"If they are, me an dis one here," Bobby stuck out a thumb at Kasey, "got a serious problem."

"Then who are they?"

"Just a few close friends. So, what bout you and Damian? You guys still close? Does he live at home with you?"

"Yeah. But I ain't tellin you shit else."

"Okay."

"I wouldn't sell out my brothers neither." Angel looked Keenon up and down.

Bobby slid the book bag off Keenon's shoulder and handed it to Jerry, who started to look through it.

"Just calm down, okay? Look we just want to talk to him. We wanna ask him a few questions. Is he gonna cooperate?"

Keenon smirked and shook his head.

"We got something." Jerry tapped a paper.

"Address?"

"He lives in the Gardens, right over there." Jerry pointed in the direction.

"Enjoy the rest of your game okay? Don't worry about it."

Bobby and Kasey turned and headed for the door but the others stayed behind.

"These are nice grades. Better stay in school." Jack said after taking the paper from Jerry's hands.

"What is that?" Jerry took Keenon's necklace in his hand, "Aluminum?"

"Shit doesn't even spin." Jack laughed.

"Come on, man." Bobby said from the door.

"Thanks for the hat." Ashley tipped her hat.

They all jammed into Bobby's car and drove over to the complex where Damian was supposed to be. When they parked Ashley slid up on Jacks lap and wiggled around, trying to create space in the small backseat.

"I just don't get it. Why would somebody hire a goddamn killer to shoot mom?" Jerry shook his head in the back seat.

"Here's an idea: We'll wait for the shithead to get back and we'll ask him." Bobby mumbled from the front seat.

"Well, y'all do what y'all gotta do. I got gymnastics. Come on, let me out."

Bobby and Angel snorted from the front seat and turned around to Jerry.

"You got your leotard on, Jerry?" Bobby laughed.

"Go to hell, man. Y'all know what I'm talkin' bout. I got a schedule to keep. Girls got gymnastics. I gotta take them. Come on, let me out, man."

Bobby sighed, opened the door, and slid forward his seat to let out Jerry.

"You wanna take Cracker Jack with you? He's very flexible."

"Bobby, you're the one who took ballet." Jack mumbled.

As Ashley crawled over Kasey into the open seat the girls roared into a fits of laughter.

"All right, Jerry." Bobby said before shutting the door.

In the back seat Jack started to sing and Ashley started kicking the back of Bobby's seat.

"I don't know how you did it for so many years, man. Must have driven you crazy, Angel. You're on a ship for what, six months at a time with nothing but dudes?"

"It wasn't a ship. And the Marines went coed. They got girls now."

"Yeah, I bet them girls look like dudes too, though."

"Not after six months they don't."

They both laughed and gave each other a look. Behind Bobby, Ashley kept kicking his seat and twiddling her thumbs.

"Dammit what are you six? Quit that shit." Bobby groaned.

"Five actually." She kicked again.

"I swear to fucking god."

"Oh you meant quit this?" She kicked again.

"Kasey, get your god damn idiot to quit it or I swear to god, I'll kill her."

"Aww poor grease monkey got anger issues." Ashley kicked the seat over and over.

Bobby turned around in his seat and was about to grab her when Jack stopped singing to point out the window.

"Oh, that's him. It's him!"

The brothers leaped out of the car and followed Damian into the apartment complex. Ashley and Kasey stepped out and started to walk around the building.

"They don't even know if that's the right guy." Ashley muttered.

"I highly doubt that there's more than one guy matching that description wandering around Detroit."

Without missing a beat, Ashley switched subjects, "Do you realize your dating prima-ballerina with anger issues?"

"Shut up he, probably took it for hockey."

"It doesn't matter what he took it for. What matters is that he took it."

"So what, maybe he did it to meet chicks."

"Why are you so surprised? Shouldn't that little bit of info been included in your after s-"

Above them a gun was fired and they looked up to see a man hanging from a rope six stories up.

"What the hell?" Kasey cocked an eyebrow.

Bobby and Angels heads appeared in the window.

"Well that explains it. There's the monkey." Ashley pointed at him, "Maybe if we're lucky, he'll climb down and do a trick."

"Shut up this is serious."

"I know, maybe the trick will be he learned to use shampoo."

They watched as the brothers disappeared from view and then Bobby returned with a meat cleaver that he slammed down on the rope, sending Damian falling from the window and crashing into the ground a few feet in front of the girls.

"Holy shit, is he dead?" Ashley started over to him.

"No but it looks like the boys will be able to talk to him now."

"Help me, call 911." Damian groaned.

"Eww, look at his knee."

The girls bent over his knee and looked at the bone protruding from it.

"That is nasty as all hell." Kasey scrunched up her nose.

"I dare you to touch it." Ashley said after a few seconds with a smirk on her face.

"Eww, why would I want to do that?"

"What? You're all crazy! Get me an ambulance, come on." Damian groaned.

"Come on, touch it, I dare you."

"Oh man this is gross," Kasey reached out a finger and poked the gaping wound, "ew, ew, ew."

Damian let out a blood curdling scream and the girls backed away to set on a bench a few feet away.

"How long does it take them to get down here already?"

"Bobby's extra water weight is probably holding them back."

"Bobby ain't fat. You don't got any idea what you're talking about."

"Well you would know ya whore."

"Your are so-"

"Cute, adorable, cuddly?"

Kasey rubbed her eyes and laughed. When she looked up she saw the brothers round the corner of the building.

"Man, you must be freezing." Jack yelled.

"You won't be needin' this no more, playboy." Angel picked up Damian's dropped gun.

"Where the hell, have you been?" The girls muttered in unison.

"Shut up," Bobby shot them a glare, "You know why we're here, Damian?"

"Come on, man, call me an ambulance." Damian pleaded through gritted teeth.

"An ambulance? What for my dog bites?"

"Dog bites?" Ashley whispered to Kasey with a raised eyebrow.

"Naw, I'm gonna be okay. You give me a name, I'll call 911."

"How should I know where they're from?" Kasey hissed back.

"I wanna know who shot up that liquor store, now."

"Guess you'll find out tonight, huh?" Ashley elbowed her.

"Man I didn't shoot no one."

"Say what? Speak up. Can't hear you, playboy. It's hard to hear you out here with all this wind. If we leave ain't nobody else gonna hear you out here either."

"Yeah probably. It's a high possibility he'll whine all night about it." Kasey nodded and whispered back.

"They say it's gonna be a cold night." Jack looked around, "You ain't gonna make it far with that leg."

"Look, man, these two fools said they'd pay me a few dubs if I said I saw some gangsters shoot up the place, all right? But I didn't hurt know one!"

"All right then, turn into a fucking Fudgesicle then." Angel grumbled.

"Hey, come on, man! I can't say nothing!"

"Fair enough. You're gonna die right here." Bobby turned and walked away.

"Looks like we're leavin'." Ashley mumbled and got up.

"Dammit just tell them to pull up down here and get us. I don't feel like getting up and walking over there."

"Yo, man, come on! Yo, man!"

Jack and Angel started to follow Bobby.

"Girls, girls, come on, help a brother out. Call me an ambulance, don't go with them fools."

"Those 'fools' keep us fed so we leavin'." Kasey turned to follow the brothers.

"Them?" Ashley followed after her, "Them? I keep you fed, not them!"

"Hey, come on! Call an ambulance."

"Have they fed you once?"

"I was makin' a point, it doesn't matter if it's true."

"Ohhh, you mean like half the things you say?"

"I'll tell you where you can find him!" Damian screeched from behind them, causing them all to turn around.

"You gotta be kiddin' me." Kasey groaned and kept walking.

"What?"

"You gotta be kiddin me if you think I'm turnin back around. We're a quarter of the way to the car."

"And I thought I was lazy."

"What 'ittle take them a few minutes to get what they need out of him and by then we can be in the car, warm."

"You're still lazy."

"Yeah well you're still stupid."

"What are we, in third grade?"

"Don't talk to me like that, dummy head."

"What are we talking about?"

"When do we ever know what we're talking about?" They laughed and climbed into the back of Bobby's car.

"So two lil' fake ass gangsters shot up, ma." Angel shook his head as Bobby drove past the school.

"Looks like it, Ang." Bobby frowned.

In the back seat Ashley squirmed between Kasey and Jack. As they passed the turnoff to the house, the entire back seat groaned.

"Genius, the house is that way." Ashley thumbed out the back window.

"We ain't goin' to the house."

Six hours later they pulled into the back parking lot of a bar uptown. The brothers all clambered out and left the girls trembling in the back seat.

"Why didn't we just get dropped off?" Ashley frowned.

"We're needed?"

Ashley huffed, "For what?! What are we helping them with by sitting in the car?"

Kasey frowned and paused for a moment, "Emotional support, that's what we're for."

"Right….I hate you."

"Me? Why?"

"I've always hated you." Ashley smirked at Kasey's deepening frown.

"I'm glad we agree."

"Oh shut up, you know you'd die without me."

Kasey snorted, "Right."

"I am half your brain after all."

"You're not nice."

"Yeah well you're dating a monkey, we're even."

Kasey shook her head, and stared out the window with a slight laugh. On the other side of the car, Ashley huffed again and stared out her own window. Snow started to cascade slowly from the darkened sky. Hues of every shade of the rainbow combated the darkness but as the reinforcement of an oncoming blizzard slowly started to peak through, the lights around the city began to dim and give up.

"Couldn't they of at least left the engine running? My ears are about to freeze off." Ashley clasped her hands over her reddening ears.

"Not mine." Kasey grinned mockingly and pulled a dark blue toboggan down tighter over her head.

"Where the hell did you get that?" Ashley grabbed for it.

"Get off me." Kasey started to shove her away, "It's Bobby's."

Ashley jerked back, "Keep it. I think I'd rather freeze."

Suddenly the driver's seat door was jerked open and Bobby's head appeared, thick frown and all. Kasey cocked an eyebrow at him as Ashley playfully faked a heart attack.

"Gem'me that!" He reached in and jerked the toboggan off Kasey's head.

"Hey I'm freezing' my ass off here." Kasey hollered after him.

"Good, better for me if you lost some." He slammed the door shut and walked way.

"Can you believe that ass hole?" Kasey looked back at her friend.

Ashley tried to stifle a laugh, "Oh he's a keeper."

Kasey gave her a swat as she continued to laugh, "How long you think they're gonna be?"

"Why do you ask me that all the time? Do you think I get a time sheet or something?"

"It was just a question."

"I think you need to stop hanging out with Bobby. He's making you dumber and believe me, you can't afford it."

"Uh, you're mean. Why are we friends again."

"Cause you'd miss my witty personality." Ashley shrugged and hugged herself.

The both laughed, knowing it would be a lot different without each other. Before their laughter halted, the bang of a shotgun and a car taking off rang out though the night causing the girls to jump in fright. They let out shocked squeals as the brothers jumped into the car and skidded out of the parking lot after the other car.

"Christ, what the hell?" Kasey screamed as she slammed into Jack.

"Shut up!" Bobby screamed and took a sharp turn.

"Punch it, Bobby! Punch it!" Angel yelled.

"I got no traction! I'm sliding all over the fuckin' street!" They took another sharp turn and Bobby rammed into a parked car, "Hold on! Shit! I scraped the whole side of my fucking car."

"Christ, they even drive alike." Ashley mumbled to Jack..

"I told you that. You don't listen to a damn thing I say do you?"

"Ya gonna get these guys before they kill us?" Kasey leaned up to Bobby.

"Sit back and put your belt on."

"Watch he snow, man!" Angel held on to the door.

"I don't give a fuck about the snow!"

The passenger in the car ahead of them let off a few shots back at the crowded five-some.

"Shit! Where the hell's that shot gun, Jack?"

"There's no shells."

"Stop arguin' an drive!" Kasey yelled.

"Shit they're in the trunk." Bobby shut his eyes for a quick moment and shook his head in disappointment.

"Well what the hell am I-?" Jack tried to turn around.

"Sit down and shut up!" Ashley pulled him down.

"Angel, stick that cannon out the window and bust some shots!"

"I'm gonna put one in the back of their heads." He leaned out the window and shot off a round.

"Shoot those sons of bitches, Angel! Get em! Shoot that mother fucker!"

One of Angel's shots caught the other driver in the shoulder and the car ahead wiggled from street side to street side.

"You got him!" Bobby sounded surprised.

"Wow such great faithfulness you have in your brother." Ashley sighed sarcastically.

Ahead the car drove awkwardly over a snowbank and skidded into another. Bobby's eyes widened as he saw his chance to pound the other car with a hard blow.

"Y'all got your seatbelts on?" He looked in the back seat, "Watch this. Hold on."

Kasey braced herself against the back of Bobby's seat as Ashley clutched to Jack while he grit his teeth and braced against the ceiling. Then they rammed into the other car, causing them both to spin out of control. Metal crunched and bent as both cars spun wildly through falling snow.

"Shit!" The brothers all screamed.

"We're all gonna die!" Ashley screamed.

"I swear to god Bobby, if you kill me, you're dead!" Kasey punched the back of his seat.

"Don't let em get away! Don't let em get away!" Angel screamed as both cars stopped spinning.

They took off down the street again and Angel leaned out the window as the other car started to shoot again.

"Pop em, Angel! Pop em! Get em!" Bobby yelled.

A bullet spiraled from the car ahead and burst through the hard front tire of Bobby's car. Angel tipped out of the window from the sudden jolt and almost crashed his head into the hard pavement as it speed past underneath him.

"Woah!" Jack grabbed the back of Angel's jacket.

"Angel, get your ass in here!" Bobby quickly reached over and helped pull him in.

Angel was sucked back into the window and safety, far away from the grumbling gravel and snow covered pavement below.

"Jack, sit down! It's already a crisis situation I don't need your ass in my face!"

"Shit we got a blow out!" Bobby yelled and struggled to keep control of the car as the back dropped.

"Bobby, lets just stop the car! Okay, Bobby? Let's stop!" Jack begged leaning forward and ignoring Ashley.

"Shut up, Jack! I'm gonna ride this bitch out on the rim! We got them!"

The car swerved from side to side but they continued to chase the gunman. As they drove over the bridge Bobby pulled his car up to the shooters car.

"Ready?" Bobby pulled up inches from the other cars bumper.

"Ready? Ready for what?!" Ashley screeched and re-clutched the sleeve of Jacks jacket.

"Bobby, you're not gonna – Oh shit!" Kasey ducked back down behind Bobby's seat and braced against it again.

"Hold on I got em now. We got em."

"We got em!" Angel bounced in his seat as Bobby bumped the tail end of their newfound enemy.

"Get em! Get em!" Jack yelled as the other car started to pull away again.

As Bobby hit the tail end again, it skidded ahead of them and started to spin across the street. He floored it and rammed the car again, causing it to flip over in a loud screeching crash of metal against unforgiving pavement.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Jack yelled out.

"That's what I'm talkin bout, Bobby." Angel bumped fists with Bobby.

Kasey leaned forward and kissed him as he grinned, the buzz growing in him vibrating every muscle with anger and excitement while their car skidded to a halt. Angel and Bobby jumped out of the car, leaving Jack and the girls jammed together in the back of his car.

"Stay here." He yelled at them over his shoulder as they started to get out of the car.

"Damnit, would you two stop putting ur'alls asses in my face! Damn. Here move over I'm not sittin in the middle anymore." She swatted at Kasey and slid around her but then a shot rang and they all froze.

They couldn't see through the snow and had been ignoring the sound of a scuffle but as more shots echoed out they slouched back into their seats, not wanting to think about what could have happened. Training their eyes on the snow ahead, the three in the car waited until the two figures of Angel and Bobby slid back into view. They approached the car, strutting in time with each other with their guns in hand.

Bobby reached the passenger door first and yanked it open, "Jack, drive. Me an you switchin seats." He grinned back at Kasey.

"Fuck no!" Angel grabbed the back of Bobby's coat and pulled him out, shaking his head, "Fuck no!"

"Yeah fuck no! Specially with me back here!" Ashley screeched and kicked out at him.

"Fuck you, you can walk home." Bobby yelled and attempted to get at Kasey again.

Instead of pulling him back, Angel shoved Bobby into the driver's seat with a snarl, "Go drive, punk ass."

"Damnit, Angel. Do I fuck with your shit when you tryin to get with Sofi?" Bobby started the car.

"Do I ever try it in a lil ass car wit you, Jackie, an his baby momma in it wit me?"

"I ain't his baby momma!" Ashley screeched almost in unison with Jack.

"She ain't my baby momma!"

"Angel does got a point, Bobby." Kasey said with a shrug.

Bobby whipped around to her, "Don't see why you gotta pipe up, you ain't got nuthin ta do with this."

After stashing Bobby's car, the weary five headed home. The streets were empty except for the falling snow, so they walked down it to avoid the mounds of white fluff coating the sidewalks. Ashley and Kasey leaned against each other lazily as they slowly followed behind the brothers.

"Alright, whose dumb idea was this?" Ashley grumbled.

"That, I'm pretty sure, was my idiot."

"Shut up. There's a perfectly good reason why I chased that car." Bobby growled over his shoulder.

Kasey stuck out her tongue but Ashley grumbled back at him, "Chase their car, yes. Wreck it so we can't drive it home, no."

"Hey! I didn't wreck it, we had to hide it, you stupid blonde. Do you want me to go back to jail again?"

"Actually, yes."

"Can y'all just shut the hell up, please?" Angel begged.

Jack laughed and placed a smoke between his lips. They walked on in silence for a moment, a certain cloud of steam from their breaths forming above their heads. Eventually, the brothers heard two soft thuds behind them as the girls fell sleepily into the snow bank at the edge of the road. Jack smiled through his cigarette before walking over to the bank and picking up Ashley. Cradling her against his chest, he walked back to his brothers where they stood with their mouths agape. Bobby made the cracking sound of a whip and kept walking.

"Hey, uh, Bobby?" Angel rose an eyebrow.

Bobby sighed and turned back to his brother, "What?"

"Ain't you forgettin something?" Angel thumbed back at Kasey.

Bobby snorted and started walking again, "Naw she knows the way." After a moment he looked over at Jack with a deep frown, "You gotta quit with all that princess treatment shit."

"Princess treatment?" Jack raised an eyebrow, "I picked her up so she wouldn't freeze to death."

Bobby frowned and sighed before trying to further explain about the treatment of women. Back in the snow Kasey set up with a jolt and saw the brothers not twenty feet away. She glanced around for Ashley but looked up again and saw Ashley's feet hanging off Jack's arm.

"So if you're babying her like dat-"

"Bobby! You fucking asshole!" Kasey screeched as she stomped towards them.

"What?" He frowned and turned to her.

"You left me in the fucking snow to die, asshole!"

"You're up, you ain't dead."

"That's not the point, you idiot! Why can't you be more like Jack?" She swatted at him.

"Me? Turning gay is not going to make me want to carry you." Bobby laughed.

As she started to swat at him viciously, muttering curses, he laughed and stumbled back somewhat with each hit. Angel and Jack watched for a moment before turning and continuing down the street. Angel rubbed his nose and glanced at Jack as if to say something.

"Jackie, have you gotten anywhere with this girl?"

"What?" Jack said more in disbelief of the question then for the answer.

"You fucked 'er?" Pause, "Alright den, have ya kissed her?" Pause, "What the hell, Jackie?! If you ain't getting' none, then why the hell are you carrying her ass?"

"Angel, in case you haven't noticed, fucking like rabbits ain't what makes a relationship."

They both stopped walking and looked behind them at Kasey and Bobby. As Bobby started to mumble something about her not being funny anymore, Kasey's fist connected with his chin, causing his head to pop back.

He brought a hand to his lip and licked away the blood before looking up at her with a glare, "You crazy bitch! What the hell's wrong with you?"

"You're what's wrong with me Bobby. You been fucking with me ever since I got here an I'm fucking sick of it you prick."

Angel's head snapped back to Jack, "Ok, maybe you're right."

The two turned and continued down the street, leaving Bobby and Kasey to fight it out in the street.

"So…how long have you known?" Angel questioned more out of boredom than to really want to know.

"Uh," Jack looked down at Ashley as she mumbled something about muffins, and laughed, "three years."

"Damn."

After a moment, "You know, she used to have two kids."

"What?"

"Yeah an married too." He paused, wondering if this is his story to tell, "Her husband killed Rome's twin sister and tried to kill her too, literally the day I met them."

"Damn."

"I was with her through all that. An them two," He bucked his head in Bobby and Kasey's direction, "what have they been through together?"

Angel shrugged, "Not having a condom?"

"Nah, he'll get her knocked up an we'll have to deal with another one of him." Jack laughed at the thought of a miniature Bobby running around.

After a bit of pondering, Angel gave a stab at defending his older brother, "Bobby don't show love like we do though, bra. He ain't good at the shit you do with Ashley, hell he can hardly tell us, an we're his brothers. The rough fightin stuff works for him. An Kasey, well she's uh…"

"Crazy?"

"Yeah. So, she gets him." He looked over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Bobby shaking her before she gave him a rough shove away, "Sorta."

When the three of them reached the house, Sofi ran out and clasped Angel in a tearful hug. Jack sighed and pushed past them up to his room. As soon as her kicked opened the door and switched on the light, the scent of two nights worth of Bobby-Kasey make up sex hit his nose.

In his arms Ashley scrunched up her nose and slowly opened her eyes, "Jack?…Where are we? What's that smell?" She yawned and looked around but clung to him when she realized where they were, "No fucking way! You made me ride in his car but no fucking way am I sleeping here!"

"Fine, fine." He turned and sat her down in the hallway, "Where you wanna then?"

She cocked an ear and then looked back at him. "I don't hear anybody making the ookie, where's Kace?" He shrugged. "Waait, how'd I get home?"

"I carried you." He said before weaving past her and starting down the stairs.

"Carried me?" She stood for a moment pondering before hurrying after him, "Whadja do that for?"

As they passed him on the stairs, Angel rolled his eyes at Jack, "Cause I didn't want you to come home later and be mad cause I didn't." The door slammed open as Kasey and Bobby thundered through, "like that."

"You asshole motherfucker! Why I ever fucked you in the first place, I'll never know."

Bobby looked up at Jack and Ashley, a shiner darkening under his right eye, and pointed at them with a glare, "Laugh an I swear to fucking god, you're dead!"

As he continued down the hall Jack turned his head up the stairs, "Ang, Sofi, Bobby needs you with the med kit. He's a little bumped up."

Bobby turned and glared at him, "Jack!"

"What? I was talking about the dog bites."

"I don't give a shit about no dog bites." He followed Kasey into the living room.

Jack leaned up to Ashley, "He'll give a shit if she bites."

"Nah, the perv would probably like it."

Angel came bouncing down the stairs with Sofi at his heels carrying the med kit, "Probably." He continued downstairs and turned Bobby around by his shoulder, "Bobby, you want Sofi to- Holy shit! What happened?" He looked over at Kasey and started to bust out laughing.

"Fuck off man." He shoved Angel and turned back to Kasey, "See what you do?"

"Oh shut up you deserved it ass hole."

"You punched me in the fuckin face, twice! What the hell did I do to deserve that?"

Kasey threw up her arms and slouched down onto the couch, "If you don't know, then you're dumber than I thought."

"Screw it I don't give a fuck anymore." He yanked off his jacket and wandered over into the dining room where Sofie was laying out the med kit.

By this time Jack and Ashley had slouched down onto the couch with Kasey.

"So…are you finally gonna leave the dickweed?" Ashley leaned into Kasey.

"Finally? We only been here two nights."

"Yeah an in my opinion that's way too damn long to date him. His stupid is infecting your brain." Ashley scrunched up her nose and wiggled her fingers in her face.

In the dining room Bobby let out a yell and Kasey threw up her arms, "See he's a pansy on top of all of it."

"Hey, y'all! Police in the house!" Angel's voice rang through the two rooms.

Sofi disappeared from view and Jack quickly ran up the stairs but the girls stayed on the couch didn't move an inch to help. Slowly Ashley got up from the couch and followed Jack up the stairs but Kasey just slouched back into her seat.

"Get me something to cover my arm." Bobby hissed over his shoulder at her but then saw the car pull up behind the house, "Shit. Hurry up."

Sofi returned around the corner with a feathered kimono from who knows where and held it at arm's length for Bobby.

"You gotta be shittin me." As the back door pushed open and heard Angel's gruff voice, "Damnit." He jerked the Kimono over his shoulders.

He quickly spun out of the chair before running to the couch and diving into it beside Kasey. Leaning back into her, he swung his feet up onto the coffee table and sent Kasey a glare as she started to protest. Seconds later two policemen and Angel came through the dining room and strutted to a halt just inside the living room archway. The pale skinny one's eyes lingered on Kasey for a moment.

"Ain't you sexy." Green grinned over at Bobby.

Bobby glared at Fowler for a moment as he stared at Kasey but then pretended to ignore it and got up with a groan to face Green, "Thank you. Jackie wanted this little number for himself, but I fought him for it."

"What happened to the hand?" Greens words making Bobby look down at it, "Did you happen to forget our little conversation we had at your brother's house about not interfering with our investigation?"

Fowler grinned over at Kasey and mouthed out a silent hello, which was returned by a raised eyebrow. Ashley, Jack, and Sofi appeared in the archway by the stairs. Kasey sent a quick, pleading glance at Ashley and jerked her head at Fowler.

Bobby, in an attempt to ignore him, cracked his neck and continued his conversation with Green, "Oh, no, no. This is Turkey Cup, man. Hockey. An old Mercer family tradition. You remember that, don't you, Green? You played hockey. Guys can be pretty rough out on that ice."

"Where's your car, Bobby? It's not outside."

"We left it at Jeremiah's." Sofi pointed over at Angel.

"Yeah. Jerry drove us home. You know, Volvos are one of the safest cars out there. Volvos are incredible, man, when it's a blizzard outside. So we-"

Fowler took his eyes off Kasey and took a cocky step toward Bobby holding up a baggie, "Fascinating. Hey, Gretzky, you know what this is?"

"A hair from your wife's tit?" Bobby shrugged.

"Try from your thick skull. Forensics took it off a pair of contract killers we found dead this morning."

Bobby cocked his head back with a laugh before looking back and forth between the two, "Fishing for a confession with a phony hair, huh?"

Ashley ringed out a laugh before her eyes grew wide and she clasped a hand over her mouth, "Sorry, sorry. Good police work…really…."

"That's an old one, boys. Come on, Green. You know when I'll know you got my hair off a dead body, right?" He slouched back down in to his seat with a smirk and arrogantly caught Fowlers eyes before pulling Kasey down into his lap, who obediently swung an arm around him, "When I hear the jailhouse doors close behind me, girls."

"Okay, then you tell me what they told you. You think that these thugs were hired to kill Evelyn, is that it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Green." He grumbled without really paying attention while Kasey repeatedly drug her hand through his hair.

"Wait, Green, how do you go from petty thug to contract killer? And if they were professional shooters, like you say, they'd have never told us who they was working with anyway. Even if they got one hell of an ass-whupping."

"You think you're pretty cute, don't you? He does." Fowler looked back at Green with a smirk before steeping up to Angel cockily, "Everybody's a smart guy until I bust them in the mouth."

"Wait!" Green shouted.

Angel jumped up from his seat and stood nose to nose with Fowler, "You gonna bust me in my mouth?"

Jack and Sofi leapt from their spaces in the doorway and attempted to keep Angel from attacking Fowler. Ashley, who had been slightly leaning on Jack, steadied herself and let out a sigh. Bobby stiffened against Kasey but made no attempt to get up and kept the sly smirk on his face.

"This ain't what I'm here for!" Green joined in the fight to keep Angel and Fowler from fighting, "The fuck you think this is? Hey, stop, stop!" He shoved Fowler back and sent him a glare before returning his attention to Bobby, "Look, Bobby, if you got something, you give it to me. And if it's something vital, we will run with this. But don't try and take on Detroit by your damn self." Bobby nodded his head, only half listening, "You keep knocking on the devil's door long enough, and sooner or later, somebody gonna answer you."

He bucked his chin at Ashley, "She already did."

"Uhhh, bastard." For a moment her face sagged into a frown but then she grinned and threw up her arms, "I want coffee!"

They all looked over at her for a moment before she strutted out of the room.

Jack shook his head, "Ignore her, she's kinda crazy."

"Who was that?" Green rose an eyebrow.

"Oh that's Jackie's baby momma." Angel sighed and sat back down at Bobby's feet.

"God damnit-" Jack started.

"And who is this?" Fowler grinned stepping toward Kasey and taking her hand lightly in his so he could place a kiss on it.

Bobby reached up and swatted his hand away, "Hey! Back the fuck off man!"

Right at that moment Ashley appeared beside Green with a coffee cup in her hand and a serious look on her face, "Are you aware that we have a cellar here that I will bury you in if you don't leave."

"Where the hell did you come from?" Fowler whipped his head around.

"Ehhh, my mother and the nice people at Area 51 are still trying to figure that out." She shrugged and left the room.

"Uhhh…"

She popped up behind Jack with a grin on her face, "Just kidding!" She disappeared again.

"Anyway," Fowler returned to Kasey, "What are you doing tonight?"

Bobby rose from his spot and stood nose to nose with Fowler, "Alright you dumbass, you best back your shit up. Come near her again an I'll snap your skinny ass in two."

Ashley appeared beside Green again with a shovel in her hand, "Ok really I gotta get to work. Leave! An Kasey, for the love of god, listen to Foamy for once an drop that fucker like a rock!"

"What the hells that supposed to mean?" Bobby and Fowler said at the same time.

Kasey slapped a hand to her forehead, "Oh god."

Fowler leaned around Bobby, "So, your name's Kasey, huh?"

Bobby shoved him back, "You ever get your ass beat by a dude in a Kimono?"

"She needs a real man, real men don't wear kimonos." He cocked his head and examined Bobby's now deep bluish-purple eye, "What happened to the eye? Someone not think you were so funny?"

Bobby looked back at Kasey with a sarcastic laugh before connecting his fist to Fowlers chin with a force that knocked the man back a few feet. Kasey quickly reached up and pulled him back onto the couch as Green held back Fowler.

Fowler brought a finger to his lip and looked at the blood on his finger before letting out a laugh, "Assault of an officer you stupid fuck. I'm takin you in." He took a step toward Bobby who just snorted.

Green reached out and shook his head, "Naw, naw, we gonna let this one slide."

"What?!" He yelled and walked out closely followed by Green and the slam of the back door.

Bobby snorted again before stretching out on the couch with his head in Kasey's lap and reached for the remote. Angel shook his head weakly before letting Sofi drag him out of the room just as Ashley walked back in and stood beside Jack.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She screeched.

"Relaxing, what the fuck are you doing?" Bobby mumbled without moving.

"We," She pointed back and forth between her and Kasey, "have to go to work."

"She ain't goin with you."

"Uh, yeah she is."

"Uh, no, no she isn't. We're going shopping."

"Shopping? Shopping?" Kasey pointed his head up at her. "We're going shopping?"

"Yeah, so."

"You have money?"

He frowned and looked back at the TV, "Yeah, I got money."

"Uh, then why in the hell do I have to work my ass off to pay for shit for you?" Ashley threw up her arms, "You know what, fuck it you ass hole, she's coming anyway."

As she took a step toward them, Jack reached out and gently turned her around, "I'll go with you. You can cash it in for the bet."

"Bet? What bet?" Kasey looked over at them.

Ashley whipped around again, "No, no, you don't matter anymore cause you wanna stay with nasty ass grease man instead of come with me. So nah!" She stuck out her tongue.

XXXXXXXXXX

Johnny G's bar was quiet and empty just like a normal day at any bar in Detroit. Ashley stood on the inside of the counter, slowly wiping it down in a circular motion. Her head snapped up as the door to the bar slammed open and three men barged in toward their usual seats. Switching her gaze over to Johnny G, she saw him acknowledge that he would take the table and supposed that the three were regulars. Other than those three, only a few random stragglers still sat in the shadows with their mounds of liquor and thoughts. Jack sat in front of the taps at the bar and, having only a beer in him, was still sober.

"God I hate them." Ashley mumbled.

Jack looked over his shoulders lazily before returning his gaze to her, "Who?"

"The idiots back at the house, stupid. I can't believe she ditched me for that bastard."

"They haven't been able to do anything together alone so this should be good for them."

"Uh, Jack, them being alone too much is the reason that I'm in this mess. In my opinion we should kill Bobby and get Kasey to start back on pot as soon as possible."

Jack smirked, "Bit harsh don't you think?"

"No!" She huffed, "I'm at work and their off doing who knows what."

XXXXXXXXXX

"You got my jeep fixed?" Kasey grinned at Bobby.

After Ashley and Jack had left for Johnny G's, the other two slowly got ready to leave. Their exit was interrupted a few times by their usual rituals but they eventually started a walk out the house and down the street. To Kasey's surprise they ended up at a garage a few blocks away.

"I thought it would be in pieces and on ten different cars by now."

"I had it picked up."

She laughed and smiled at him before placing a kiss on his lips. The mechanic walked up behind them, rubbing oil from his hands with a greasy red rag, and cleared his throat.

Bobby looped his arm around Kasey's waist and frowned at the man, "What?"

"How are you paying for this?"

"It's taken care of."

"What?"

"The owner owes me for it."

"Well he's not here right now so, "He shrugged, "you're going to have to pay."

"I'm not paying. Give me my keys."

"I can't do that."

"Give me the damn keys!"

Kasey put a hand on Bobby's chest and looked over at the mechanic's name tag, "Look, Raul, it's my car so just give me the keys."

"Well then you'll be paying for it?"

"No, if my boyfriend says it's taken care of then that's what he means."

"Yeah," Bobby nodded in a cocky motion.

"Somebody's paying for this or it stays here, sorry." He shrugged again.

"No, it's not." Kasey shook her head.

By this time a crowd had begun to form around the three as they started to get louder.

"Give me my damn jeep."

"I'm sorry ma'am but if you're not going to pay you're goin' have to leave."

"No, asshole, I want my jeep!"

"Yeah, and I want money." He smirked up at Bobby before returning his gaze to Kasey, "There's another way for you to pay. You leave this ape out here and I'll show you how in my office."

Raul smirked at Bobby again before looking back down at Kasey. To his surprise he looked straight into a solid right hook and fell hard to the ground. A hard 'ohhhh' shot through the crowd as he crumpled and grabbed his nose. Kasey squatted to the ground and grabbed the man by the collar to start jabbing him in the face.

"Get him, baby!" Bobby laughed.

Kasey landed another hard punch to his eye, "Asshole."

She stopped the beating and undid the buttons of Raul's mechanic shirt. Pulling it off him, she stood and kicked him hard in the ribs. Bobby smirked and squatted down next to the man.

"If that's what my 'bitch' can do to you just imagine what I would have done to you. Now where the fuck are my keys?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Have a good day boys." Ashley smiled as two of the customers stumbled out of the door but then the smile dropped, "I hate people."

"Even me?" Jack mumbled.

"No, you aren't people, you're Jack."

"Oh, thanks."

Ashley slipped up onto the counter and let her legs swing down beside him. He was still slouched on a stool, leaned down on his folded arms. With a heavy sigh, he leaned over and rested his head on Ashley's thigh who, un-moved, lightly stroked her fingers through his hair.

"I'm so tired."

"So am I." Ashley blinked heavily.

"You care if I go to sleep like this?"

"No." She paused and looked down at his peaceful face, "I like playing with your hair."

Jack kept his eyes shut but was wide-awake. Tired as he was he just didn't want to go to sleep and miss being so close to her.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kasey and Bobby strutted into a store, arm in arm, Bobby clad in the shirt Kasey had stolen from Raul and the keys to Kasey's jeep clinking in his pocket.

"Anything in the store you want, it's yours."

"What?"

"Boxing gloves, brass knuckles, anything you want." He smirked.

"Jerk." Kasey smiled and playfully punched him.

She led the way back to the electronics and smiled, she was at home.

"Movies?"

"Yeah, whatever you want."

"What bout this?" She picked up a movie and showed it to him.

"Boondock Saints? What the hell is that?"

"A great movie, that's what it is." She handed it to him to hold.

"That it?" Bobby frowned.

"That." Kasey stubbed a finger against the glass window between her and the mounds of playstation2 things.

"I say I'll buy you anything in the store and you want that?" He paused as she stared back at him over her shoulder, "Fine. I'll get you that."

"Yay." She hugged him, "Games?"

Keeping one arm wrapped around her he half turned to see what she was looking at, "That?" He sighed, "Sure."

They flagged down an attendant to help them with getting things. Kasey smiled and pointed out a few games for playstation2, her favorite being 'Def Jam Fight for New York.' The attended shut the door and started to walk them to the counter.

Bobby kissed Kasey's forehead and smirked, "So it's these games that make you fight so much?"

"Shut up." Kasey smiled.

"Wow, uh, I've never had someone your age buy this stuff." The attendant grinned when he stopped behind the register.

"What do you mean my age?" Bobby frowned.

"Oh, I, uh," He looked up quickly but then smiled, "Well I guess you're buying them for your daughter, huh?"

Kasey twigged, "Uh you might wanna just ring us up-"

"Daughter? I'm fucking her you idiot."

The man glanced between Bobby and Kasey but didn't take her warning, "Well, uh, what you do isn't my business but, uh, isn't she a bit young for you?"

"Oh god," Kasey hung her head as Bobby let loose his hold of her.

"Do you know who the hell I am ya lil prick?" He stepped toward the man so that he was nose to nose with him across the counter.

He leaned his face away a bit and pulled the things up between them, "Uh, someone who's buying a playstation2?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Slow today." Jack sighed.

After laying peacefully for a few moments, Johnny G had showed up and told Ashley to get down from the bar. She now sat beside Jack on a stool.

"Yep," Ashley said while she swiveled around on the barstool beside him.

Laughing he reached out and continued to push her around, "Some kind of date we're having."

"Yep."

"Do you realize that every time we've been alone you barely talk?"

"I think I'm gonna barf."

"Yeah you usually do that too." He pulled her to a halt. "At least you're sober."

"That's what you think."

He rolled his eyes, "I been watchin you the whole day, I know you ain't."

"Oh," She looked down at her feet before staring back up at him a wide, eye squinting grin.

Jack laughed again, "You have to be the craziest person I've ever met."

"Yeah, but it's cute on me." She smiled and started to swing a bit again.

"Yeah…I know." He reached up, cupped his hand around her jaw line and rubbed a thumb across her cheek.

Instantly she stopped swinging and her feet dropped dead weight between them. Only then did she notice how close they were and how that space between them somehow kept shrinking. Her eyes were open but somehow, as Jack's lips slid almost perfectly against hers, they found a way to widen to the extent that she thought they would burst from their sockets.

XXXXXXXXX

"Stupid mother fuckin asshole." Bobby grumbled as he pulled Kasey through the parking lot by her elbow.

"At least we got my stuff." She shrugged.

"Walk faster."

XXXXXXXXX

"Jack?" It had been a few moments since the kiss was broken but the time felt like hours.

"Sorry." He hung his head a bit.

"Why? I should have caught on sooner I guess."

"But you don't like me though right?"

"It's not that, really it's not. It's just for all this time I've kinda thought of you as a brother an well this just seems kinda…"

"Unexpected?"

"Well, I was gonna say creepy but that works too."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Oh holy hell there's a ninja in my pants!"

Bobby whipped his head around to her as they drove, "What?"

"Nothing. I was trying to break the silence. God you get so bent out of shape about everything."

"The dude called me old!"

"So? Does it really matter what other people think? I'm sure you've been called a lot worse."

"Leave it alone. Just call Jack an tell him to get his ass home."

XXXXXXXXXX

As the phone in his pocket vibrated, Jack reached down and pulled out his phone.

Seeing the outside screen of it flash 'Butchy', he flipped it open, "What?"

"Bobby, says to get your ass home."

"Fine."

"…Whats wrong?"

"Nothing, just drop it."

"Aww, did Ashley punch you too?"

He heard Bobby groan out a complaint in the background, "Shut up."

"Hmm, did you get turned down by some guy?"

He sighed and snapped the phone closed before looking over at Ashley, "We gotta go."

For about ten minutes after exiting Johnny G's, Jack and Ashley said nothing. He walked on slowly, telling himself over and over again that he'd let her down. She however glanced over at him but only sighed when he showed no sign of caring and caused her own thoughts to begin to flow like his. She stared down at her feet as they continued on, "You're mad?"

He stole a quick glance at her before shrugging, "No."

She arched a brow, "You never get mad at anything do you?"

He chuckled, "I do, it just usually goes unnoticed."

She pondered for a moment, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea."

They walked on, again in silence, the only difference being the air around them seemed to get less and less thin. With a sigh, Ashley pulled Jack's hand out of his jacket pocket and slung his arm around her shoulders, holding his hand in place under her chin so that he couldn't pull away. But he didn't pull away, didn't even try, then again, why would he? Not a word was said about it and soon she was able to let loose of his hand without a single fear. As they shuffled back into the Mercer home and took off their coats, Kasey's screaming voice rang out like a foghorn on a cloudy beach.

"STUPID FUCKER! You hit me, now you're going down. Ha, how did you like that lead pipe to head? Oh, are you bleeding to death? Well, ha, I don't care!" There was a pause and then a sarcastic laugh, "That's a big ass motherfucker, no way am I fighting him!"

"Maybe she's killing Bobby."

"Maybe he's already dead." They looked at each other and laughed.

When the two walked into the living room and looked around, Kasey sat in the middle of the floor concentrating heavily one of her new games, Def Jam. But Bobby didn't even acknowledge their presence and simply gazed down at the Playboy in his hands.

"Goddamn bastards! They sent me home with the ugly chick." Kasey screeched as she bucked back with a frown.

"I told you she was a butch." Jack mumbled to Ashley, who inveterately smiled.

"SHUT THE HELL UP YOU FAIRY!" She yelled violently chucked her controller at him.

"Trust me," Bobby sighed as he flipped a page, "she's not a butch."

"You are aware of the fact that you are looking at porn, right?" Ashley said disdainfully.

"Good point. Congratulations…now go suck on a shotgun barrel." He mumbled without even a glance at her.

While this went on, Kasey had pulled the controller back at threw it Jack yet again, but instead missed horribly and caused it to smash against the floor.

Bobby snapped his head over to her, "What the hell was that?"

"I broked it," With innocent look on her face, Kasey held up the mangled plastic still hanging from the wire cord.

"Well, you're shit out of luck because I ain't buying you another one," He smirked and as he set the magazine down.

"Oh…" She blinked but then and looked up at her friend, "Ashy?"

"Oh, hells no! You dump me for this bastard and then expect me to get you something? And you," She pointed over at Bobby, "Why in the hell did you buy ONE controller? Four fucking people can play that game and you buy one controller."

"She ain't worth that much money."

"YOU ASSHOLE MOTHERFUCKER!" Kasey screeched and leapt to her feet.

"Not this again." Jack sighed before walking over and slouching into a chair.

Ashley rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen to grab another cup of coffee, where Sofi was cooking an exaggerated meal. Moments later, Angel thundered down the stairs and broke up the fight before Bobby ended up with two black eyes instead of the one that he already had. Ashley returned to the living room but instead ignored the happenings and took a seat on the stairs with her cup of coffee. Kasey, seeing for once how it was futile to fight with Bobby, shrugged Angel off and joined Ashley on the stairs. She gave her her usual grin but it slowly pealed to a frown as Ashley shook her head and took a sip of coffee.

"What the hell's your problem?"

"You, you are my problem. You ditched me for that." She bucked her shit at Bobby who was mumbling something or other to Angel.

"Hey, at least he buys me stuff."

"Yeah but only cause he feels guilty for leavin your ass in the snow last night."

Before a reply could be made, they turned their heads to the archway beside them, as the brothers appeared in it, apparently about to make their way out the door. Sofi however, had different plans and threw an arm up in place to cut off their escape.

"Baby," Angel sighed.

"Now, sweetie, wasn't there a discussion about a dinner together?" Sofi hissed, the irritation in her voice slithering out of her mouth, "Because I seem to remember spending two hours in the kitchen."

"We got some important shit to deal with, baby."

"She's so la vida loca." Bobby attempted to mock her accent.

"Man, don't do that right now." Angel groaned.

"Shut up, Bobby. Don't you start with that crap!" Sofi spat out over Angel.

"Yeah, you already look dumb enough, attempting to speak Spanish doesn't help." Ashley grumbled and shrugged away his glare.

Kasey sat beside her and mocked every word Ashley said about Bobby, but was cut off by Ashley quickly jabbing her in the stomach with a sharp elbow. Behind Bobby, Jack covered his mouth with a fist, hoping to hold back his laugh.

"Can y'all not go there? Please." Angel begged, completely unaware of the other situation.

"That's why you don't get a girlfriend." Bobby waved a hand at the three girls while Sofi continued to blare out obscenities.

"Don't go there, please." Angel continued to beg.

"You know what? I want a girlfriend like you."

As Ashley snorted a laugh into her coffee, Kasey held up her right hand with her thumb and pinky folded down, "Read between the lines, Bobby, read between the lines!"

"QUIET!" Sofi screeched out in Spanish.

Bobby ignored all three girls and again, turned back to Angel, "Can we go?"

"Angel." She placed her hands on his shoulders and started to whine, "You said this time was gonna be different."

"Baby…"

"Awww, you're breaking mi corazón." Bobby held a hand to his heart sarcastically as she spun away toward the kitchen, "She's getting real comfortable here, huh? What are you doing? I thought you was a macho man. A tough guy. You know, it's a real shame that little Jackie's the only one down to ride."

"Hey we're gonna go." Kasey squealed.

"Let's go, Jackie." He pushed past Angel and headed toward the door, "Say goodbye to your big sister, Jackie. Let's go."

Kasey skidded to the door but had to reach back and pull Ashley up. She tried to resist but went along with it when she saw Jack follow right after them.

"You gonna leave me too? I just need five minutes, man." Angel groaned.

"She's addicted to what Angel's dick did." Jack laughed and pulled the door shut.

For a moment they stood on the front lawn but then Kasey broke the silence, "Gawd, he's such a pansy. Who would be afraid of their girlfriend?"

"Me. Look at my face!" Bobby growled as he pointed to his still swollen eye.

"What?" Ashley leaned forward and examined his face, "It's not any uglier than usual."

He pushed her away, "Shut up like you'd know."

"Wait, wait…" She leaned forwards again, "Your forehead."

"My forehead?"

"Yeah, it's bigger." She settled back down flat on her feet and took another sip of coffee calmly.

"Ain't you got something else to do like, I dunno, run around in traffic?"

"Ain't you got something to do like, I dunno, start lookin for places to buy a toupee?"

With that he lunged for her but she just stepped out of the way and let him fall. For a second she looked at him down in the snow before looking at her coffee and pouring it down on his head. He jumped up, screaming, while both Jack and Kasey bust out into individual fits of laughter.

Ashley however kept her composure, "Aww my coffees gone."

Bobby started to shake his head wildly, strewing drops of coffee and hair gel across the snow. When he finally stood up again, his hair was mangled and stuck out in various places all over his head. This finally threw Ashley into a fit of laughter along with the others, which had grown much louder.

Kasey hushed her laugh to a giggle and stretched a hand out to Bobby, "Com'mer, lem'me help you."

He swatted her hand away, "No, get. We're leavin. You an that crazy bitch stay here and play with the present you broke. Com'mon Jackie."

Ashley, now silent, looked over at Jack with smirk that quickly turned into puppy dog eyes. Jack looked at her and remembered why he loved her so much, but said nothing. A short snort of a laugh sneaked past his lips before he stretched out his arm and ruffled her hair before walking away.

By the time the brothers reached the car, Ashley decided to holler out in protest, "Wait you're gonna leave me with that?" Kasey's jaw dropped, "An oh yeah, I'm not a dog ya know!"

Jack rolled his eyes at her but Bobby lashed back, "You sure as hell look like one to me."

Kasey started to laugh and stuck out her tongue, "Ha! That's what you get for picking on me."

"Well you ain't got no room to talk neither, far as I can see." Bobby grumbled.

"Hey, you greasy lil bastard, you're supposed to be nice to me. You don't quit it, I'm gonna leave."

He laughed and slid into the car, "You couldn't leave me if you tried," He leaned across the seat and yelled at Ashley, "You, on the other hand, better not fuckin be here when we get back."

"Don't worry greasy poo I'll be here, an I'll have plenty coffee waitin for ya." Ashley said in a lovey-dovey voice and faked a 60s poster woman pose.

For a moment he said nothing but then growled, "Go down the road there and stand in the middle of the street."

Ashley shrugged, "Why?"

"Probably cause he wants to run you over, smart ass." Kasey grumbled.

"Yeah run her over and then back up and do it again."

Jack shoved him back in his seat, "Why would you even do that?"

"Cause the crazy bitch would probably come back from the dead and annoy me." He started the engine.

As they drove past the house, Ashley faked a dramatic wave and yelled out to them, "Now be careful honey and be sure to let Jack out of the car before you drive off a cliff."

When they turned the corner, Kasey sighed and shook her head, "No wonder he hates you."

"Looks to me like he hates you too," She turned and started back to the house.

"He does not!" Kasey quickly padded after her.

She opened the front door, "Oh wait, I'm sorry, he likes you when you two are fu….." Her voice faded, "What's that sound?"

Kasey looked around, "Where's Sofi and Angel?"

They looked at each other and screamed in unison, "Oh my god!"

They quickly turned back to the door and jerked it open, causing the skinny little man in the sunroom to jump. The girls faked grins and slammed the door shut behind them.

"Um, hel-hello ladies." He stuck out his hand, "This is the Mercer residence, correct?"

Kasey looked over at Ashley and hissed, "Mercers, who are the Mercers?"

"You idiot, that's Bobby and Jack's last name."

She chuckled, "Oh."

"Oh my god, you're fucking him and you don't even know his last name. Then again it's a miracle you remember his first." Ashley shook her head and turned back to the man with a smile before shaking his hand, "Yeah you're in the right place, this is the Mercer house."

"Well in that case I need to talk to one of you about your brother and law immediately."

"Brother and law?"

"Yes…" He looked between the two, "Are you not married to Jack and Bobby Mercer?"

The girls looked at each other for a moment before over flowing with howls of laughter. The poor tiny man looked at the two pitifully as Kasey crumpled to the floor and Ashley tried to control herself.

"I suppose I was mistaken."

"Yeah, yeah you are." Kasey said between breaths and clutched at her ribs, "Ow ow ow."

"Shut up." Ashley kicked her and sucked in a breath before returning her gaze to the man, "No we're, uh, we're just staying here a while. She's with one of them but nothing legally binding."

"Well in that case are one of the brothers home?"

"Well one is," Kasey rose back up beside them, "But he's, um, busy at the moment."

"Well I will only take a second."

Ashley sighed and turned to open the door but the handle wouldn't turn. Connecting eyes with Kasey, the two smirked and started pounding on the door. They both screamed and started to kick at the door violently.

The tiny man hugged his briefcase tight to his chest and swallowed, "I can see why you and the Mercers get along."

Ashley stopped and turned to him, "It's more so a necessary tolerance at the moment."

"God Angel, get the hell off Sofi long enough to answer the damn door!" Kasey screeched and switched to slowly clunking her head against it.

Angel jerked the door open, "What!"

"We was locked out." Ashley stuck out her bottom lip.

"An this guy wants to see you." Kasey thumbed back at the man.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I can't believe they didn't let us go to this one either." Kasey huffed and slid deeper into the couch.

Moments before all four Mercers were in the room, looking over the guns Jack and Bobby had heisted from the hitman's house, but now they were half way down the road on the way to the family lawyer's house.

Ashley was stretched out lazily in the other end of the couch, with her head hung back off the arm, "Well Kasey you're just going to have to get used to it."

"To what?"

"People leaving you." She pulled her head up with a grin, "You love me."

"You are so mean to me." She paused a moment and thought back to earlier that day, "Hey what was with you an Jack?"

She laid her head back, "Me an Jack?...Nothing. When is anything wrong with me an him?"

"You're babbling so something happened. What was it?"

"Ya know, this ceiling is really nifty looking."

"Ashley." She reached over and pulled her up by the front of her shirt, "What happened?"

"Well, um…"

"If you two are having a lesbian moment, could you at least not do it in the living room?" Sofi said from the archway of the dining room.

Kasey picked up a book from the coffee table and chucked it at her, "Scat." She turned back to Ashley, expecting an answer.

"He kissed me."

"Who?"

"Johnny G…Jack you idiot!"

"Jack kissed you?"

"Can you not understand the word coming out of my mouth? Has Bobby's stupidity affected you that much?"

"Oh shut up."

"Ey you two," Sofi frowned, "quit mackin on each other an come on."

Kasey hopped up and walked over to her, "Oh yes, oh baby baby, oh how I love her."

Sofi looked over at Ashley as she shrugged, "Ignore her, everyone else does."

"Oh I'm trying to, she just won't shut the hell up." Sofi walked over and pulled her up from the couch, "Just like Bobby I swear."

Kasey popped back around the corner, "Just like Bobby I swear. Ya know what, fuck both of you. Come on."

Sofi whispered to Ashley, "She doesn't know where we're going."

"Just let her go, if we're lucky she'll get lost.

"Where the heck are you taking us, Sofi?" Kasey frowned as she stared out of the back window of the car at the mansions slowly sliding by.

"Ya know," Completely ignoring Kasey Ashley frowned, "if she was a dude she would practically be Bobby."

"Well, she looks enough like one, if we shave her head they'd probably match."

"Hey!" Kasey kicked the seat, "I'm right frickin' here, geez."

"Hush, important people are talking," Ashley wagged her hand at her like she was a child.

Sofi giggled, "Yeah, he'd probably still be with her though."

"Oh my god! You think he's gay too?" Ashley laughed.

"Fuck you guys, he is not, I should know." Kasey pouted.

"That is not something to be proud of, stupid."

"Oh oh here it is!" Sofi turned into the driveway of a large mansion.

"Here what is?" Kasey stared out the window.

"Hey um, isn't that Sir Grease's brothers gay mobile?" Ashley pointed the front windshield.

Kasey reached up and swatted Ashley's head, "Fuck off!"

As the two began a playful slap fight, Sofi slipped half out of the car and slammed on the horn while she yelled out to Angel.

"Bitch, shut up!" Kasey reached out and tried to pull her back inside.

Sofi swung back with a cat like hiss and raked her nails across Kasey's face before starting to yell again. Ashley slowly glanced back at Kasey as she sat in the back seat with a blank look on her face.

"BITCH-GONNA-DIE!" Kasey jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut.

Grabbing a fist full of Sofi's dark charcoal black hair and jerking her head back before slamming an elbow into Sofi's nose. Deep maroon blood burst from between Sofi's glaring teeth as she collapsed to the ground. As Kasey gave a sharp, hard kick to Sofi's ribs and pulled back for another, Sofi reached up and yanked her down into the snow. Inside the car, Ashley stretched out on her stomach and pushed down the lock before slouching on her elbows and watching the fight commence out in the snow. Kasey laced her fingers tight around Sofi's throat but as the color drained from her face, Sofi raked sharp nails down Kasey's cheeks. After Kasey let go to hold her face with a howling scream, Sofi was able to roll them over and slam a skinny fist into Kasey's chin.

Kasey laughed, "You hit like a bitch."

"That's cause I am a bitch, bitch!" She pulled her fist back for yet another punch but was stopped when a hand wrapped tight around her wrist.

"You got that right. Get the fuck off her." Bobby yanked Sofi into the snow before reaching down and pulling up Kasey.

"Thanks, baby." She smiled at him and wrapped hugged him.

"What? No!" He shoved her away, "What the hell are you doin? You're gonna get my ass stuck back in jail."

"I was trying to help you guys, you dumb shit. This bitch," She stuck a finger at Sofi, "is the one that you should be yellin at!" Sofi lunged again but Angel pulled her back, "You better call immigration on this girl."

"You've got a real class act here, Bobby." Angel bucked his chin at Kasey with a frown.

"She should be at Guantanamo Bay-" Bobby shouted and jabbed a finger at Sofi.

"Oh, my God." Jack clasped a hand to his head as he caught sight of Ashley's face resting against the driver's seat window of Sofi's car.

Bobby continued as if Jack hadn't spoken, "-locked up."

As the fight continued, Jack walked over to the car and smiled with a shake of his head as he reached for the handle. The smile fell from his face as he pulled up on the handle with no success.

"Shit." He knocked on the window, "Ash? Ashley, open the door."

She opened one eye and smiled a weak grin at him, "Hiyo."

"The door, Ash, the door." He pointed at the lock and nodded.

With a blank look, she pulled up on the lock and opened the door to fall into Jack's arms, "Fancy meetin you here."

"You followed me, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Actually it was all Sofi's doing."

Jack smiled and let her go as she struggled to stand, but the toe of her shoe caught on the doorframe and she slipped back into his arms. Without even a smirk on his face, Jack pulled Ashley to her feet and pushed a strand of hair from her face. Just as his head dipped and his lips grazed hers, gravel crunched as a car pulled up and passed by Sofi's car. Bobby s head snapped away from Sofi and Angel and he frowned at the man approaching in the new car.

The window slid down to expose the face of their mother's lawyer, "Excuse me. What are you doing?"

Bobby's stride picked up, pulling him quickly to the door and before he opened it, "How you doing, buddy?"

"Bobby! Bobby!" Jerry rushed toward him, "He's a lawyer!"

"What's going on here?" The old man's face ran with fear as Bobby reached inside the car.

"He's a liar, Jerry!" Bobby yanked him out of the car and into the snow.

The group crowded around as Bobby hovered over the now very frail looking man.

"Come here!" Bobby jerked the man's shirt in front of his face, "You heard me, old man. You fucking lied to me. You said you didn't even know my mother. You were the last person to see her alive." He smacked his leather-gloved hand across the lawyer's bare stomach, "Look at that, Jerry. It leaves a nice big red handprint, huh?" Smack.

"Just ask him the question." Jerry shook his head.

"No, I'm gonna do it again," Smack, "and again until I find out what I wanna know."

"Oh, God!"

Angel reached around Bobby and smacked the man's stomach, "Tell him!"

"Okay. Okay, I'll explain." He pulled the shirt away from his face, "It's just that I...I felt so guilty."

"Guilty for what?" Jerry cocked his chin.

"I'm not even sure I know how to say it."

"Say what?"

"Your mother and I were...were seeing each other socially."

"Socially?" Bobby's upper lip curled.

"I didn't want to sully your mother's reputation. She was a fine, fine woman."

Bobby shook his head and pulled him up from the ground. "I know. I know."

"I - I have some of your mother's night things if you want. They-"

"What?" Bobby's forehead crumpled with a shocked motion, "No. No, it's not necessary."

"Too much information," With wide eyes, Angel rubbed a hand on the back of his head and walked over to Sofi.

As the image flashed before Ashley's eyes, her back arched and she heaved into the snow.

Jack looked down at her and rubbed a hand across her back, "Are you all right?"

As Bobby finished talking to the man and he safely walked inside the house, Kasey placed a hand on Bobby's shoulder, "I'm not riding home with her."

"You think I give a shit who you ride with?"

"Pissh, ass hole, I shoulda let Sofi get your asses arrested."

He started back to the car, "Congratulations, you beat up Sofi. Big fuckin deal."

As they passed Jack and Ashley, Bobby gave a hard kick to Ashley's butt, sending her crashing to the snow. Jack reached down and quickly asked if she was ok, before swinging a hard punch to Bobby's chin.

Bobby laughed, "Damn Jackie, that punch of yours is actually getting better."

"What the hell is your problem, Bobby?"

"Yeah what the hell, you greasy bastard?" Ashley kicked at his kneecap.

"Ow, bitch, that fuckin hurts."

"You just kicked me into the snow right beside where I just puked out my liver, thanks." She stumbled up and brushed off.

"And whose fault is that?"

"Yours. I blame you." She stared at him for a moment before turning back to Jack, "Can we go? I want a popsicle."

"This is Detroit in the middle of winter in case you ain't noticed." Bobby shook his head.

Angel strolled up beside him with a shake of his head, "Leave her alone man. Jack's baby mommas probably jus got those weird food cravings."

"What?"

"Naw look," Angel pulled his watch up for Bobby to see, "She got mornin sickness, too. Way I figure, we got bout eight months before she pops out another bun."

"Oh my fucking god, how many times do I fucking have to tell you I'm not his- Wait! A bun? Do I look like a fuckin oven or something you dumb shit?" Ashley shrieked.

"Would y'all shut up!" Jerry forced his way into the circle, "Angel an Jack, you go with Sofi an Ashley. Kasey you ride with me an Bobby. I ain't havin you kill Sofi in a lawyers front lawn."

Bobby looped an arm around Kasey, "Good, that means you can drive."

"Fuck an no. You are drivin an dat bitch is ridin in the trunk."

"Jesus Jerry, I took you for the nice one." Ashley said wide-eyed as Kasey's jaw dropped.

"Yeah you're right, I ain't that heartless. I guess I can drive." Bobby smirked but then Jerry continued, "Bobby you ride in the trunk."

"Fuck that. I'll kick your ass little brother."

"Yeah? I'd like you see you try."

"JESUS!" Ashley groaned and stomped toward Sofi's car.

When they all got home it was like the fight had never stopped, aside from Jerry leaving. Bobby, Kasey, Sofi, and Angel stayed in the living room for hours, shouting and screaming until Green finally showed up and threatened their arrests. This seemed to quiet Angel and Sofi down enough to retreat to their room but Bobby thought otherwise. He hurled a giant fit to Green about it being none of his or the damn neighbors businesses what was going on with the Mercers. It took everything Kasey had to shut him up long enough to convince Green that everything was fine and he could leave. Although, as soon as Green left everything hurled into another fight between Bobby and Kasey. Through every bit of all of this, Jack and Ashley sat calmly, and almost bored to death, on the stairs waiting for things to quiet down. But when Kasey and Bobby's new fight started to rage on, the two started up the stairs and retreated into Evelyn's room.

"Should we be in here?" Ashley questioned as Jack switched on the light and shut the door.

"Why shouldn't we?"

Ashley shrugged and crawled on top of the covers on the far side, "Just thought it was off limits or something."

"Why?" Jack kicked off his shoes and stretched out on his stomach beside her.

"Cause this was gonna be Bobby's room but he and Kasey don't use it."

Jacks silence and blank stare answered her question, "Ohhhhh…perv."

He laughed and eased up on his elbows, "How does that make me a perv?"

"Pssshhh, cause you are one. A, cause you're His brother; an B, you're thinking about them together."

"I was not. I just know that's why they don't use the room. Besides, the whole damn block knows their doin it."

"True, but still."

"They're gonna come up and take my room anyway and besides, you can't truthfully say that you're not getting tired of the couch." He paused as footsteps started to slam up the stairs. "See here they come now."

To their surprise the door to the room slammed open and there stood Kasey, face red from screaming and a thick frown plastered across it.

She paused for a moment before yanking Jack off the bed, "What the hell are you two doing?"

"Trying to sleep." Jack shrugged Kasey off as Ashley stood up beside him.

"Well, you're gonna have to sleep someplace else."

"Psshh, we ain't goin anywhere." Ashley shook her head.

"Not you," Kasey poked Jacks chest, "him."

"Ow." He rubbed his chest.

"No way am I sleeping with that fat fuckin, greasy, stinkin, midget, dumb shit, little ass kissi-"

"Ok Kasey, shut up, and get to the point. We all know you're talking about Bobby." Ashley sighed.

"I'm not sleeping with Bobby and you," She poked Jack again, "aren't sleeping with her."

"Why can't you just sleep in my room?" Jack scrunched his forehead.

"Don't ask questions. Just go." Kasey made a face and pointed to the door.

"Fine," He held up his hands with a smirk.

As he walked past her and out into the hall, Jack turned and mouthed 'sneak out' back to Ashley. Not seeing this, Kasey slammed the door in his face and switched off the light. With a grumble, she threw herself into bed and slid under the covers. For a moment, Ashley stood in the darkness, pondering whether or not to make a break for it but as she pulled open the door, Kasey sent a pillow hurtling toward her.

"In the bed. Now."

With a huff, Ashley slid into the bed with her but lay wide-awake in the darkness. After only moments passing, the sound of Kasey's snoring filled the room. Ashley felt almost sorry for her, considering that was probably the first night since they'd left their place that Kasey would actually get some sleep. Ashley pondered over in her head why Kasey thought it such a big deal if she and Jack got together. Even though Ashley poked fun at Kasey falling for Bobby, she would support it as long as Kasey stayed happy. Why couldn't Kasey support her and Jack? She rolled onto her side and stared at her snarling friend, her almost sister, and smiled. Ashley shook her head. She knew Kasey would support them when the time was right. Slowly, she eased out of bed to insure Kasey wouldn't wake and slid into the hall. She took slow, tiptoeing steps toward Jacks room and the closer she got the more she could hear the soft plucking of guitar strings. As she pushed open the door, Jack's head rose to greet her and he stopped his fingers from dancing across the strings. She'd always loved the way he could make music be felt instead of just heard…she'd never told him that. There was a candle lit in the window, shedding the only light across the room and dousing Jack in shadows. A cigarette hung loosely from his lips before he took a long drag and pulled it away.

"You came." He grinned.

"Yeah, can you not hear her?" She shook her head and shut the door but stood awkwardly leaning against it, "What are you playing?"

"Nothing, just messing around," He slid over a bit and made room for her in the bed.

Without a moment's hesitation she stretched out beside him and rested her cheek against his chest with the guitar just below her chin. He looped his arm around her and started to pick away again. It wasn't the same as when they had ever slept together before, it was different, better. She shut her eyes and let the mixture of his heartbeat and the strum of his guitar, lull her into a peaceful sleep.

The morning was brought in by bright sunlight glaring through the front window into Ashley's face and an empty bed. She rolled over and stared out into the hall where Angel was making his way to the bathroom. She squinted her eyes as he entered and almost immediately heard him start talking to Bobby.

"What freaks." She rose with a groan and started out the door but was confronted by Kasey opening the door to Evelyn's bedroom.

"Well, aren't you a hoe bag."

Ashley grinned and started to the bathroom, "Oh, we didn't do anything. Besides, I couldn't sleep with you snoring in my ear."

The girls stopped in the doorway of the bathroom at the sight of Angel flashing his junk at Bobby.

"Woah, woah. Ask the cockologist in the shower, man."

"How the hell would I know?" Jack questioned from behind the curtain.

"You're the expert."

Jack's head popped around the edge of the curtain and he looked from Angels junk then up to his face before slipping back under the water, "Rug burn."

Bobby smirked as Angel let out a thankful sigh, "You're gonna live."

"Thank God, man. I thought my luck ran out."

"What, in the hell, are you three doing?" Kasey screeched.

Bobby looked up from his paper, "Oh hey baby, come wipe my ass would ya?"

"Oh go suck your dick, assface."

"Seriously, why are you three in here flashing your junk around?" Ashley pleaded.

"We ain't flashin' nuthin." Angel grunted at her.

"Oh really? You got your dick hangin out, Jacks butt ass naked in the shower, and Bobby's takin a shit on the throne. Tell me what part of that isn't gay if not incest."

"Man shut up. Like you two ain't done nuthin like this." He bucked his chin at the girls.

"Um, no, no we haven't thanks."

"Besides, we're chicks and not related so it would still be different from this F.I.L.T. you three are in." Kasey shot in.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bobby turned back to her.

"Fairy, incest, love, triangle. F.I.L.T."

"Wow," Ashley turned to her, "that was good. Did you make that up all by yourself?"

"Yeah I did actually."

"Nice."

"A'ight, a'ight, what the hell makes you think we're gay? For one, I'm bangin the shit out of you every night so I don't even wanna hear it." Bobby shouted in protest.

"Yeah, an I just got engaged." Angel thumbed toward his bedroom in defense.

"So. You admitted the other day to bangin chicks on your Navy base that looked like dudes." Ashley shrugged.

"Yeah an you've been in jail an have been trying to come through the back door lately." Kasey ducked as Bobby threw a chunk of the paper at her, "What? It's the truth."

"That's some personal shit, Kace."

Ashley made a face, "Aww, poor baby. You gonna cry? There's some tissue right beside you if you need it."

Jack sent out a thick laugh from the shower and Kasey shouted out to him, "Hey, don't even make me start on you, Jack. We all know you got some kinda butt bumpin happening."

"Shut it butchy, no one cares what you think."

"Ashley does." Kasey thumbed at her friend.

Ashley jerked her head up from looking at her fingers, "Huh, wha?"

Jack laughed again and Kasey turned in a huff toward the stairs. Ashley looked around at the brothers as she howled out a yawn and flashed a glaring grin. When she didn't follow, Kasey reached around and started to pull Ashley down the stairs by her hoodie.

"Hey, quit! This is hard backwa-" Her foot slid on a step and she started to fall, "Oh shit."

With a thump the girls collided and crashed down the stairs into the coat rack at the bottom. They groaned and didn't move for pain shot through their bodies.

"Ash," Jack yelled from the shower, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," She grumbled and wiggled a bit, "something broke my fall."

"Yeah, me!" Kasey shoved her painfully but slumped back down heavily.

"Don't bleed on the carpet hun." Bobby yelled down.

"Go jump on a steak knife, asshole." Kasey groaned as Ashley rolled off her and started to make her way to the couch.

"Ladies first, baby."

"More like drag queen." Jack mumbled after him.

"Ya know what? All of you just go kill yourselves. Die." Kasey slowly slithered into the living room and collapsed on the floor.

Upstairs started to fill with steady, serious conversation while downstairs was filled with bruised groans.

"…Jerry ain't been straight up with us…Jerry got involved with some bad people…cut his loans off…Jerry's really broke." Angel's voice was deep and cascaded down in broken pieces.

"…something to do with what happened to Ma?"

"…city official named Douglas…gonna go check on some other shit."

"What are you talking about? Why don't you just tell me what you know, Angel?" Bobby's firm growl came through loud and clear.

"I know you need to stay your ass on that porcelain. This is gonna require a little finesse. And given your prior reputation as a hothead-"

"I wrote the fucking book on finesse."

"-you gonna be the first to fuck up." They heard Angel make his way back to his bedroom.

"Wait for me to wipe my ass, Angel. I'm coming with you. Angel! Get me some fucking toilet paper, Jack. Angel!"

In a moment Angel thundered down the stairs, fully dressed, and tossed the girls a strange glance but continued out the door without a word.

"What the hell was that about?" Ashley looked down at Kasey.

Kasey shrugged, "How should I know? I get my info from Bobby not Angel."

"ANGEL!...JACK!" Bobby howled from the bathroom.

The next sound they heard, aside from Bobby screaming, was a bedroom door slamming and Jack clunking down the stairs. The girls looked over at him lazily before he jumped on the couch beside Ashley.

"Christ, watch it. I'm in pain here."

"You? I'm the one you landed on remember?" Kasey howled from the floor.

Jack ignored Kasey and looked at Ashley with sympathetic eyes, "When I asked if you were ok you said you were."

"I am…it just stings."

As Jack started to examine Ashley, Kasey thumped her head back down onto the floor with a sigh, "Wow, shitty boyfriend, constant hate for me expressed daily; could it get any worse?"

"JACK!"

"Is anyone gonna get that?" Ashley questioned.

Jack looked up at the ceiling, "I'm busy!"

"Like I care! Get me some fuckin toilet paper!" When Jack didn't answer or start to make his way upstairs, Bobby tried another approach, "Kace, baby?...Come help me."

"Screw you, asshole." Kasey groaned and rolled over.

"KASEY! Come here, now."

"Do you guys hear anything? I don't hear anything." She looked up at the two on the couch.

"Kasey…please?" Bobby groaned.

"Is that something dying?" Ashley frowned.

"Yep," Jack nodded, "that was his total since of pride."

"Beg." Kasey yelled with a smirk.

"Fuck you…" Bobby waited for her to come upstairs but she didn't come, "Come on, babe, please?"

"Hmmmm, I just fell down a flight of stairs and what was it you told me?...Oh you don't remember? Well Ashley does."

"I hate him an even I think this is mean, oh well." Ashley cocked her head back, "I do believe it was 'don't bleed on the carpet.'"

"Yep that was it, so 'babe' I'm gonna have to, uh, take a rain check on that whole helping you thing, kay?"

The three heard Bobby groan, "I'm sorry."

"What?" Kasey sarcastically cupped a hand over her ear, "What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"I know you can hear me bitch!"

"Oh that wasn't very nice. That's strike two."

"More like eight-hundred an four," Ashley looked down as Jacks thumb grazed a bruise on her wrist, "Ow!"

"Sorry." He leaned down and gently kissed the bruise, "Better?"

"Yeah, thanks." She leaned in and kissed him.

Kasey lay oblivious on the floor, "Yeah you are pretty mean to me ya know? What have you done for me lately?"

"I bought you that playstation2."

"Which is broken."

"Yeah, cause you broke it."

"No, I broke the controller; you broke the system when you punted it last night."

"Christ, I said I was sorry!"

"Not for that!"

Jack pulled away from Ashley, "Leave it alone, damn, I'll get him some fucking toilet paper if ittle shut you two up." He grumbled and stomped up the stairs.

Kasey looked back at Ashley, "What's his problem?"

She shrugged, "He was fine a second ago."

As Kasey turned back away from her, a smirk spread across Ashley's face. Jack came vaulting back down the stairs and retook his seat on the couch by Ashley with a smile. Bobby followed soon after, and yanked on his jacket without even glancing at Kasey.

"Come on Jack, we gotta date with a politician." Bobby headed out the door.

Jack shrugged, "Later."

As Ashley fluttered her fingers in a goodbye wave, Kasey sat up and snapped her head toward Ashley as soon as the door slammed behind Jack, "What was that?"

Ashley jerked her hand back down, "What was what?"

Kasey mocked her wave and then frowned, "That!"

"A wave…you never seen a wave before?"

"Don't play dumb."

"Hmmm, gotta get ready for work." She hopped up from the couch and started toward the stairs.

"God, why do you always do that?"

Johhny G was happy to get the help from the girls because the bar was unusually crowded for a weekday. The day wore on mug by mug, drunk by drunk; until Johnny finally pulled in the next shift of bartenders. The girls slowly wandered outside and down the street.

"Well what are we supposed to do now? It's only," Kasey grumbled and looked at her watch, "4:30."

"We could go get Rome?"

"Yeah, he probably thinks we've abandoned him."

"Uh…do we turn here."

"I think so, yeah."

Within five minutes they made their way into Jerry and Camilles house. Rome hopped up from the floor and ran to his mother, as Kasey collapsed onto the couch beside Camille.

"What are you two doing in my house?"

Kasey ignored Camilles complaint, "Hey uh, we need a ride."

"And what makes you think I am going to give you one?"

"Cause we'll stay here and annoy you otherwise." Ashley grinned.

Camille looked back and forth between the two before rolling her eyes, "Where do you need to go?"

"Bowling alley."

"The bowling alley?"

"Yeah, we're goin bowlin." Ashley grinned down at Rome.

"Yay!" Rome hugged his mother again.

After quickly packing themselves and the three children into Camille's small car, they soared down the road to the bowling alley. Almost without stopping, Camille shoved the three out of the car and into the parking lot.

"Bitch!" Kasey yelled after the car soaring away.

"Come on lets go play." Rome tugged at Ashley's sleeve.

After paying for a lane and gathering their shoes, they started their game. People looked on as Rome granny-rolled the ball slowly down the lane, causing it to crash down all the pins. Ashley and Kasey followed after him, each leaving pins still up. Rome grinned as he once again granny-rolled the ball for yet another strike. Kasey got up and tried again but was unsuccessful and only knocked down one pin.

"What the hell? Damn!" Kasey spun around and glared at people scowling at her for her curse, "What? Mind your business ya fucks."

"Kasey!" Ashley hissed, "Sit down!"

"What? They was pissin me off." Kasey started to her.

Ashley jerked her down beside her, "Shut up and don't move."

"Fine, damn!"

As Ashley took her turn and started Rome on his, Kasey caught sight of Angel at the bar, "Angel!"

He turned with a frown and glared but then grinned and started over when he saw it was her, "What you guys doing here?"

"Bowling. We thought Rome was startin to feel abandoned. What are you doing here?"

"Oh," He looked over his shoulder toward the door, "Waitin on Jack and Bobby."

"At a bowling alley? Wow you three are really livin the high life huh?"

When he didn't answer, Kasey glanced over his shoulder to where he was looking. Bobby and Jack swaggered through the door to the bowling alley and strutted over to them.

"What's going on, Angel?" Bobby said without even glancing at Kasey.

"Was that councilman helpful?"

"Oh, yeah. A real public servant." Bobby grumbled.

"You remember a punk named Victor Sweet?"

"I remember a Malcolm Sweet."

"Victor was his nephew. Used to deliver things for his uncle. Like firebombs and beatings. You remember. Malcolm used to love to humiliate him all the time."

"Yeah, I remember that dude."

"Apparently, Victor got sick of the ass-whuppings and sunk his uncle into the river. He owns the whole neighborhood now."

"No shit?"

"Hey, Bobby. Word around town is that Jerry owed a lot of people some money."

"What are you talking about?"

"Recognize that dude over there with the fat head?" They all looked down the row of lanes at a large black man helping a little girl bowl.

"Yeah, that's Evander Pearson. He used to be all right, that guy. Jerry and him used to hang during the union days."

"He goes by Evan now. And he's working for a guy named Victor."

"You guys are coming up with this pretty quick." Jack mumbled.

"Yeah, we should have been cops." Bobby took a swig of Angel's beer, "What are we doing here, Angel?"

"Holy shit," Jack swatted Bobby's arm and pointed back at Evan.

They looked over in to see Jerry passing a manila folder to Evan before starting back out of the bowling alley without seeing them.

"I found out Jerry got a big insurance check for Mom's death."

Ashley crouched down to Rome's ear and whispered something, causing him to run off after Jerry as he slipped out the door.

"Forget Jerry. We're gonna find him later," Bobby grumbled, "Come on."

As Jack, Bobby, and Angel made their way toward the big man's lane Kasey strutted over to Ashley with an angry frown.

Kasey reached out and smacked Ashley in the back of the head, "What the hell are you doing?"

Ashley rubbed her head with a frown, "Bowling."

Kasey swatted her again, "Rome stupid."

"What?! I sent him home with Jerry."

"Did you not hear any of what Angel just said?"

"Angel? I thought you were talking to yourself again."

Kasey rolled her eyes and twisted Ashley in the direction of the brothers. Ashley watched as a big man clasped a hand over a little girl's ear, "Why does he stand like that?"

"What?" Kasey looked over and saw that she was staring at Jack, so she turned and swatted Ashley again, "This is serious. Angel found out that Jerry might have had their mom killed and you just fucking sent your only son to his house."

Ashley stood in shock for a moment, "Oh shit."

"Yeah, stupid." Kasey nodded with a 'no shit' look on her face.

All sorts of vivid horrible picture flashed through Ashley's mind, all ending in Rome's eminent death. Suddenly Jerry turned into Craig and it was Chai all over again.

Ashley turned with a frantic look on her face and clasped Kasey's shoulders, "You gotta help me get him back."

"I will, we have to stay with the guys right now." Kasey said with a steady voice and bucked her chin at the brothers making their way over.

Ashley followed her gaze and measured up Bobby and Jack, comparing them. Jack's footsteps fell just like Bobby's as they strutted over just like one another. A frown was creased on Jack's face and wrinkles folded between his eyes. His hair even mimicked the spikier version of Bobby's slicked back mop.

She shut her eyes before turning back to Kasey, "My son needs me more."

Kasey shook her head and shrugged away from her as the brothers slouched into the plastic seats of their lane. She walked over and squeezed Bobby's shoulder, not wanting to be to close but not too far away either. Ashley however stood taut and tried not to let Bobby and Jack's faces mold together to make Craig's but the image just wouldn't leave her mind. She looked down at Jack, who was hunched over with his elbows on his knees and his hands at the back of his neck. So much she wanted to reach out to comfort him but she already feared too much. He looked up at her and caught her eyes in his before reaching out and trying to take her hand but she pulled away. His mind fought through a hundred and one reasons why she would be mad at him but he found none. As a half an hour passed the sadness and confusion devolved from Bobby's blood and was replaced with a blistering heat of red-hot anger. The five headed out toward the car as darkness cascaded around them and they climbed in, soaring off toward their former trusted and loved brother's house.

When they pulled up to Jerry's house, Bobby's face was about to burst with held back frustration. Angel, Jack, and the girls all looked at him like they would at a bomb about to explode, taking extreme precaution with each movement.

"I ain't playing no more. I'm gonna go in there and bust that melon and find out what he's thinking." Bobby attempted to get out but Angel pulled him back in.

"His family's in there." Jack said as Rome slipped through his mind.

"Bobby, you're gonna have to calm down." Angel studied him with a distant caution.

"I don't give a shit, man."

"Calm down, baby." Kasey leaned up to put her chin on his shoulder and griped his bicep with a careful hand.

"Oh I'm calm, I'm calm."

"Lem'me just call him."

As Angel flipped open his phone, Bobby started into a rant causing Kasey to re-grip his bicep, "He thinks I'm an idiot. He thinks I don't know what the fuck is going on."

Bobby stopped and let Angel have his short conversation with Jerry. After listening to the rant Ashley's eye's lingered on an open window that she could see Rome playing through. Why had they left New York? Why had she taken him away from danger just to put him back into it? To follow a man that cared about Rome? A man that loved her?

"I'm gonna kill him." Bobby shifted.

"Calm down, Bobby." Jack furrowed his brow like he'd seen Bobby do so many times.

Ashley's eyes lingered on each as they spoke and when she saw Jack's brow crinkle, tears welled in her eyes. He was going to end up just like Bobby; cold, bad tempered, impatient.

"Let me out."

The car grew still with a deadly silence and Angel looked back at her.

"Naw, we're going home."

"Let me out of the fucking car, Angel." She glared at him.

"Ash-" Jack reached out to touch her hand.

"Not now, Jack." She growled and pulled her hand away but kept her eyes locked on Angel.

Jack opened his mouth as if to speak but shut it, looking as if he'd been slapped. Ashley tried not to notice his mood worsen and his hair shift as he stared down at his feet. Angel looked over at Kasey and let Ashley out when she nodded.

"I'm going, too." She crawled over Jack and shut Angel's door behind her, then leaned in, "Take him home. We'll be there in a bit."

"Lem'me come with you." Jack slid to the door with almost pleading eyes.

"Go home, Jack!" Ashley yelled from across the street.

Kasey looked at him with sympathetic eyes but then turned to follow Ashley as Angel drove away. When they got to the door Ashley slammed on it with the side of her fist until Camille answered in her nightgown.

"What on earth?" She stopped when she saw the anger in Ashley's eyes, "Oh, I was just putting the kids to bed."

"Where's Rome?"

"Brushing his teeth," She pointed with her thumb.

Ashley shoved past her and left the two standing in awe with confused looks on their faces. Jerry slid down the stairs moments later, in his boxers but stopped halfway when he saw Kasey in the doorway.

He popped his chin at her, "It just you?"

"Naw, me an Ash," She furrowed her brow, "Why? You spectin' somebody?"

"No," He faked a grin and slipped down the stairs to put a hand on Camille's shoulder, "Angel jus called, and well…ah you'll hear 'bout it when you get home."

"Hear bout what, Jerry?"

He swallowed, "Nothin' important. Just wants me to meet up with them tomorrow."

"Yeah, we uh, we can't wait to see you."

He swallowed again but Ashley bustled down the hall toward them with a sleeping Rome over her shoulder. After she walked out, Kasey backed through with a mocking grin on her face and pulled the door closed. Ashley sifted through the thick snow of the yard until she came to the road, to tired or perhaps too angry to notice. Kasey followed behind silently, taking cautious steps through the icy streets for about three blocks until she saw Ashley start to shift under Rome's weight.

"Lem'me take him," Kasey said quietly and tried to take Rome.

"He's fine." She groaned and re-gripped the leg of his pajamas.

"You're pissed and he's deadweight heavy, I know." After a moment she slid him carefully onto her own hip.

"I'm scared, Kace." Ashley spoke after a moment.

"You? What do you have to be scared of?"

"Not for myself. For him." She bucked her chin at Rome.

"What? Why?"

"I don't want anything to happen to him. I mean I already lost Chai." She swallowed, "I can't lose another one, I just can't."

"Ash…you got Jack now, an the Mercers, an you still got me. Nothing's going to happen to him. I swear."

"But the Mercers are what I'm scared of. When we first got here it was all about them caring about each other and having the will to die to save another. But now…they're gonna kill Jerry."

"You've tried to kill me plenty of times and we're still going strong." There was a long pause. "This is really about Bobby, isn't it?"

Another pause, "Sorry, but yeah it is. I know Jack loves Rome like a son but what if he turns out to be like Bobby?"

Kasey let out a small laugh, "How in the hell did you come to that conclusion?"

"Laugh it up, but seriously, he takes after Bobby in some things. Like when me and Rome met him for the first time, he was the biggest asshole to this cop and after meeting Bobby I noticed that was all him. An little things he does, like when he's mad it's just like Bobby."

"Ash, you're over reacting."

"Fuck you, no I'm not. Ever since that 'date' with Jack, I've been thinking, Bobby plus Jack equals Craig. I can't deal with another Craig. I can't."

They were quite for the next block and then they saw the Johnny G's place at the end of the street.

"Listen Ash, I know you think Bobby is a bad influence but…if something ever happened to you or Rome or any of us for that matter, he'd make whoever did it pay." Kasey waited for the words to sink in but Ashley only stared down at her feet and shook her head, "Well, if Bobby is wearing off on Jack is what you're worried about, then you don't have to worry about him hittin' on a kid."

"Why?"

"Didn't you ever wonder how Bobby got so fucked up?"

"Yes, every day between fighting for world peace and practicing karate." Ashley mocked, "No, no I haven't."

"His pop used to beat the shit out of him when he was little, until finally social services came to get him a little after he turned eight. He said after that everything was easy, nothing scared him. He was always little, always the runt, so people thought he wouldn't fight back, but he did and he fought hard. Eventually he was the one starting the fights, an winnin' them, too. Then Evelyn found him, I mean really found him. And it was the only time he actually felt loved," Kasey coughed out a sarcastic little laugh, "and it only took six years to find it."

"Ok but how does that tell me that he'd never lay a hand on a kid?"

"Cause he'd never repeat onto his kids, or any kid for that matter, what his father did to him. Oh," She grinned, "an he told me he wants five kids."

"Shit. You really want six Bobby's running around?"

"No, we want three girls and two boys. Twin ones."

"He just wants a mob that has to listen to what he says."

"No, he loves kids. Don't you see the way he is with Amelia and Daniela. Rome, too. Sometimes I think he prefers kids to adults."

"Cept for the whole fucking them thing."

"Yeah, I'd hope so."

They stopped walking as they found themselves across the street from the Mercers 'humble abode'. Kasey elbowed Ashley and caught her eyes when she turned.

"Don't have second thoughts about Jack, ok?" She waited till Ashley nodded, "He loves the two of you. He has to, I mean he spent three years living with me for christ sake." Smiling she handed Rome to Ashley.

When they got inside Bobby and Jack were sitting in the living room with their eyes fixed on the TV. For once the house didn't rattle with the rumbling of sex. When Jack saw Ashley, he stood and slipped his thumbs into his back pockets before walking over to her. Bobby's eyes slid over to Kasey and she knew he was still mad but walked over when he looked at the empty seat beside him and back up at her. When she sat down beside him and curled her legs up beside her, he pulled her into him and kissed the top of her head with a tenderness he'd never shown before. At the bottom of the stairs, Ashley shifted her weight and diverted her eyes from Jacks.

"What's wrong?" He was inches from her and leaned in to whisper it.

Without answering him she looked over at Kasey and Bobby; he had an arm wrapped around her shoulder and his chin rested on her head, she'd rested a hand on his chest and shut her eyes.

"Kace?" She said lightly.

Bobby looked over at Ashley with Rome in her arms, "Just put the kid in Ma's room. You two can take Jack's room back," He looked down at Kasey, who had opened her brown eyes, "We'll stay down here."

They carefully stepped up the stairs and pushed through Evelyn's room without turning on the light. Jack turned down the covers, letting Ashley slide Rome in between them. Carefully he pulled off Rome's shoes, one at a time, as Ashley slid off his coat. When they were finished they slipped out of the room and lightly shut the door behind them but moved no further than that. They stood in the hall for a moment, silent, both pondering what the other was thinking. When they finally spoke it was in whispers.

"You're mad at me aren't you?"

"No." She shook her head but didn't look up at him.

"You were." He lifted her chin with a light finger.

"Not at you."

"Then what?"

"It's stupid." She twitched out a smile and reached up to push a bit of hair from his eyes.

"No it's not. When you're mad at me about something stupid, then you yell about it. But you wouldn't let me touch you, christ you wouldn't even look at me."

"I - I was scared.

"Scared of me?"

"No, of what you could become."

"What I could become?" He scrunched up his forehead, "You mean like Craig?" He paused and took in a deep breath, "I'd die for Rome, not the other way around. He's like a son and I love him like he was mine."

"Yeah but then I started to think, on top of all the trouble you and your brothers get into. What if Rome got hurt? What if we lost him?…What if we lost you?"

He paused for a moment and then pulled her into him and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. 'Just like Bobby.' she thought to herself as she shut her eyes.

"Ash, not only would I not let that happen, Bobby wouldn't let that happen."

She rolled her head against his chest and laughed quietly, "That's what Kasey said."

When she looked up at him, he rubbed a thumb across her cheek and pressed his lips to hers in a long, tender kiss that she gave in to as he pulled her up on her toes.

Downstairs, Bobby groaned as he stretched out on the couch and let Kasey slide down between him and the back. They'd cut off all the lights and the TV danced shadows over their blanketed bodies. He had a few long strands of her hair strewn across his chest and was curling them around a rough finger. She snuggled into the warmth of his long sleeve shirt and slid her leg against his jeans.

"I like this." She purred.

"You like this what?"

"This. How we are now. You touching me so lightly, like I'd break if you were to rough."

"Yeah?" She felt him cock a grin, "You don't like the rough stuff?"

"I do but," She hugged him against her, "this is nice, too"

"Yeah, I guess so." He paused but cocked another grin, "My junk needs a rest anyway."

"Uh, that's not true." She playfully smacked his chest.

"What? It was a compliment." He stopped playing with her hair and slid his fingers through hers, "This house hasn't ever been this quiet."

"I believe that."

"The last time I been in a place this quiet was jail."

As Kasey shut her eyes and he heaved out a jagged sigh, the oh so familiar sounds from nights past rang through the house.

"Peace, quiet, this house. What was I thinking?" Kasey mumbled and pulled Bobby's other hand over her ear.

Jack laid down in a huff and kissed the bare, buttermilk skin, just below Ashley's collarbone. He looked up and laced his arms under her shoulders as she brushed sweaty pieces of hair from his forehead. Sighing, he lay his head down on her chest as her hands wandered to his still taunt shoulders and she drew playful circles across them. Every muscle in his body had tensed but now all that was left was the sweet sweat coating their bodies and her. Her, the girl that he loved from the moment they'd met. Her, the girl whose son had taken him as his father. Her, the girl he wanted to have his children with. Her, the girl who he prayed he'd have forever.

XXXXXXXXXX

When Kasey woke and drug a hand through her hair, she looked up at Bobby staring out the front window with a beer at his lips. As his adams apple bobbed, he turned and looked at her.

"Get any sleep?" She yawned.

He shook his head and pulled her up from the couch, "Couldn't. Go get Angel and Jack up an head back down here with 'em. Jerry will be here soon an we gonna have some important shit to talk about when he does."

"Kay," She pulled him down and kissed him but didn't let go when he lifted his lips from hers, "He's your brother. Remember that, ok?"

"Yeah, now get." He smacked her butt as she walked away.

"Quit drinkin' you're hyped up enough."

He looked at her and took a long swig before returning to the windowsill. When she got to the top of the stairs, Angel was in the bathroom splashing water on his face.

"You didn't sleep last night either?" She said as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Naw, how's Bobby?"

"Better than before but I dunno how many beers he's had."

"This is gonna get ugly."

"Go try to stop him from drinkin' more, would ya?"

"Yeah, I'll try."

They both paused for a moment and then spoke in unison, "Damn you two were loud last night." Pause, "What?!"

"We thought it was you!" Angel pointed at her.

"We thought it was you!" Her eyes shot open, "Don't let Bobby know."

Behind them Ashley walked out of Jack's room in a pair of his boxers and the shirt Kasey hadn't been able to find days ago. They both glared at her with their mouths agape.

"What?" She hissed.

Kasey slid forward and clasped a hand over Ashley's mouth before pushing her back to Jack's room, closely followed by Angel. When they pushed through the door Jack set up with a jerk and quickly pulled the sheet over himself.

"Bad timing, shit head." Angel groaned and pushed the door shut.

Kasey pushed Ashley down beside Jack and hissed out the words, "Bobby is already pissed as hell and if he figures out you two fucked, he'll kill you along with Jerry."

"Like he didn't know we were going to." Jack stood and tucked the sheet around him like he would a towel.

"We've slept together since the first night we got here."

"Sleep! Sleep, that's it, sleep. You never fucked!" Kasey said trying hard not to yell.

"Why should it matter? You and Bobby didn't even-"

"Don't give me that bull shit about Bobby."

"Bull shit?" Ashley jumped up from the bed, "You fucked him after - while, having a fight! You didn't even know each other's names until the next day! I've know Jack for three years, Kasey, THREE YEARS!"

"Guys, quiet down." Angel instinctively looked over his shoulder

"Yeah as a brother, nothing else."

"So? I still knew him all that time and didn't just screw him out of the blue."

"No, you drug him home to my place and dumped him there."

"I'm surprised you didn't fuck him, you didn't know him either."

There was a pause and Jack sucked in air.

"You think I'm loose is that it?"

"No, you just wanna fuck everything that walks."

"At least I didn't get pregnant when I was only twelve."

"Yeah by a guy who loved me and he was the only guy I'd been with till now. How many you been with, huh?"

"How many I been with doesn't matter, all that matters is I got on who gives a damn about me now."

"Phsssh, all Bobby wants is to fuck you till he gets tired of your stupid ass and then he'll dump you like the piece of useless trash that you are for a new pair o tits."

Kasey jerked back in shock with a look on her face like she'd been punched square in the jaw. Both Jack and Angel's jaws had dropped as the words spilled from her mouth but Ashley just set her jaw and glared. Shaking her head Kasey pushed out the door past Angel.

"What the hell are y'all-" Bobby stopped at the top of the stairs when he saw tears welled in Kasey's eyes. He looked up at Ashley with an angry look on his face but then saw Jack wrapped in the sheet.

"What the fuck?"

Kasey shook her head again and pulled him back to the stairs by the front of his shirt. Ashley turned around to Jack and gave him a shove.

"What the fuck was that sigh and pause about, huh?"

Jack opened and closed his mouth like a fish before looking over at Angel for help.

"Just get dressed and get down stairs before Jerry gets here." Shaking his head he walked out and pulled the door shut behind him.

As they dressed upstairs, Kasey pulled Bobby into the kitchen before letting him go.

"It was them last night not Angel and Sofi?" He punched the door frame, "Of all the fucking days, they pick this one."

"Am I just a fuck to you?" Kasey said after swallowing her tears.

"What?" He looked at her with a furrowed brow.

"Am I just a fuck to you?"

"What the hell kind of question is that? That why you were crying?…Ashley did this didn't she?"

"Answer the fucking question, Bobby!"

He paused, "Shit, Kace, I dunno."

"How do you not know?" She clinched her teeth.

"I just don't, alright?"

"Then maybe - maybe I should just leave."

"What? Why?"

"If you just want a good fuck there's plenty of girls on the street you can go to." She turned and walked into the dining room.

"Wait, Kace, don't. Damnit Ashley!" He punched the door frame again before staring to pace the kitchen, gripping his hands in one another.

By this time Angel and Jack had set down on the couch. Ashley was sitting on the stairs with Sofi who was lightly braiding blonde strands of Ashley's hair.

"Why am I sitting here with you? I should be with Kasey or Jack or something."

"It wouldn't do any good. We need this silence before the storm."

They both looked up as they heard a car pull up and then Jerry came through the door. He nodded at the girls before walking into the living room.

"What?" He shrugged at Angel and Jack.

"You know what you did." Angel pulled a wad of cash from the manila folder on his lap.

"No! You don't know who you fuckin' with!" He jerked around, "Where's Bobby?"

Bobby ran out of the dining room and smashed his fist into Jerry's jaw, knocking him to the ground next to the fireplace.

Bobby hovered over him, "If you had something to do with what happened to Ma, I swear to God, Jerry, I'm gonna kill you right here and now!"

"No, Bobby, no!" Sofi yelled from the doorway after jumping down from the stairs.

"Angels gonna ask you some questions and, brother, I shit you not, the time for lying is over!" Bobby stood up from Jerry but glared down at him.

"We know you're lying about your business and we know you got mixed up with some gangsters." Angel hovered above him.

"Hold on-" Jerry started to set up.

"Stay down!" Bobby kicked him back.

"You made the payments!" Jack yelled from the couch.

"Good timing, Jerry." Bobby got back in his face, "Just when all seems lost for you, Ma gets shot by some gangsters and you hit the fucking lottery."

"So y'all trippin' cause I made insurance payments? What? I paid all her bills!" He jumped up and pushed Bobby back before slugging Angel in the chin.

When the fight started, Ashley walked up to stand with Sofi and didn't notice Rome came downstairs.

"Jack?" He said from the stairs.

In the mist of the fight Jack got up and walked over to Rome.

"Uh, why don't you go upstairs an-" There was a knock at the door, "Hold on a sec, Rome."

He pulled the door open as his brothers started to talk about Douglas. Outside a man in a hoodie was crossing the street.

"Your mother was a whore." He flicked off Jack with his back turned.

"Hey fuck you, man!" Rome came to stand at his side, "I will kick your-" A snowball caught him in the face.

Pushing the snow from his cheeks, he screamed before grabbing a bit of snow and taking off. Rome hopped down the stairs and followed after Jack.

"Son of a bitch! Piece of shit!"

Back in the house, Bobby looked around, "Jack. Jack!"

Ashley swung around into the open front door just in time to catch sight of Jack and Rome running after a man in a hoodie. As the man stopped short and pulled a gun on Jack, Jack skidded to a halt.

"ROME, DOWN!" He yelled over his shoulder before a bullet caught him in it.

Rome dove behind the snow bank in the front yard and curled into the fetal position, sobbing. Bobby started for the door with a shotgun tight in his hands.

"Jack!" Ashley screamed from the doorway before running out to him.

Bobby appeared in the doorway, "Get back here girl!"

The gunman took aim as Ashley rounded the snow bank but Bobby also took aim and shot him down with the shotgun. As Ashley started to pull Jack back over the snow bank, a black van pulled up and at least ten masked men with M-16's piled out. A gunman unloaded a clip across the snow bank as Ashley heaved she and Jack over it. As they landed Ashley heard a snap and then a deafening scream but winced as she felt a pinch at her side. Looking down she saw blood staining her side but as she looked up she saw a deep maroon circle widening on Jack shoulder. Kasey had shoved out of the door after Bobby but Angel, Jerry, and Sofi skidded out behind her as Ashley screamed in the snow and Jack screeched out Bobby's name.

"Ashley!" Kasey yelled and took a step forward.

"GET BACK IN TH FUCKING HOUSE!" Bobby yelled back to them as he started to back up.

As bullets started to etch across the house, Angel pushed Jerry and Sofi back into the living room but Bobby caught Kasey and pulled her down into the sunroom with him. The brothers screamed to each other as the bullets flew, tattering their childhood home to pieces. Bobby pushed Kasey, screaming, back under the hard porch couch and pulled it down in front of her before folding himself into the fetal position. Jack screamed out to Bobby as Ashley gripped both his shoulder and her side. Blood sponged through her fingers as she let out a sob and looked down at Rome's blank face. She nudged her head against Jacks before breaking down and calling out Bobby's name. Back in the sunroom, Bobby jerked back into real time as he heard both screams ring together for the first time and sorted them through the other hysterical noises. A new anger surged through him as he lunged himself up to the window, taking down three shooters. Behind him he heard guns slide across wood and then Angel firing out the front window, taking down three of his own. As the remaining gunmen took shelter behind a shitty car across the street, Angel and Bobby unloaded what was left of their ammo on them. Bobby swung back behind the safety of the brick and caught sight of Angel scurrying up the stairs as the assaulting gunmen jackhammered the wall with bullets. Outside Jack's screams dimmed and Ashley drug in a jagged breath as everything around her turned gray before going completely dark. When the shots stopped and the sound of an empty clip rang through her ears, Kasey slid from behind the couch in time to see Bobby throw down his gun and crawl over to two chunks of brick. Before she could get all the way out he ran out the door but she scrambled up in time to see him slam one of the pieces into an attacker's face. As the man fell to the ground, Bobby fell with him and continuously crashed the other shard of brick into his face.

"BOBBY!" She screamed as a fallen shooter in the street raised his gun slightly.

All of the sudden Angel landed in the snow in front of her and ran out into the street, kicking the gun out of the fallen shooter's hand. As Bobby continued to beat the attacker with a brick, Angel ran to him as the black van started toward them.

"BOBBY!" Kasey screamed as the van soared toward the brothers.

Out of nowhere Jerry rammed into the van with his Volvo just as it was about to run over his brothers. They all clambered over to the snow bank and skidded in the snow. Kasey rolled Ashley off Rome and Jack and checked her faint pulse before sliding Rome out from under the human pile. She touched his right elbow just above where a jagged bone, as white as the snow around them, jutted from his bleeding forearm. The brothers hovered over Jack as he sputtered.

"Jack. Jack, you alright? Hold on, ya little fairy, hold on." Bobby cradled his head in his arms.

"Call 911!"Angel yelled as Sofi came out of the house.

"Jack. Jackie, please."

"I'm calling, I'm calling!"

Kasey fell back into the snow and watched as Jack spit up blood. She looked down at Ashley crumpled at her feet and then at Rome limp in her arms. It was all coming true. Everything she said wouldn't. She let out a sob when she saw the brother's eyes all fill with tears as Jack grew limp in Bobby's arms. She whispered out Bobby's name as he gritted his teeth and whipped around into the street. Before disappearing around the van, he picked up a handgun and went to the driver's side. After they all heard a shot fired, Bobby reappeared and walked over to Kasey to grasp her in an airtight hug with Rome between them.

"Are you alright? You ok?" He patted her down.

"Yeah," She drew in a breath, "But Ash-Rome-"

"Are they-?" He looked down and slid a hand over Rome's arm.

"Rome's gonna be ok but Ash…I think she's as bad as Jack."

"She's dead?"

"No. They're both breathing, barely, but they are."

He looked down at his brother blankly, "Sofi, where the hell is that ambulance?"

"I don't know." She fell to her knees beside Jack and pressed a hand down on the wound.

Kasey looked back at Rome and as a tear slid down her face, Bobby turned her face up to his.

"I gotta set it."

"What?"

"His arm. I gotta set it or he'll lose it."

She drug in a breath and clinched her teeth before nodding to him. He placed one hand just above the cracked bone and clasped the other around Rome's tiny wrist. Lightly he lifted the limp end, careful not to rip what was left of the tattered skin, and snapped it back into place in one quick motion. Rome's tiny form jerked in Kasey's arms and he whimpered.

"Hold that in place." Bobby mumbled to her before turning around.

He skidded out into the street and ripped off the arm of one of the attacker's sweaters before rushing back to Kasey. Gingerly he tied the tattered gray material firmly around Rome's gushing arm. After letting him check his work, Kasey placed Rome in his arms and crawled over to Ashley to tend to the wound as she could.

"Where's the fucking ambulance?"

XXXXXXXXXX

After the awkward encounter with the police about the attack on the Mercer house, Kasey wandered off into Detroit looking for something to drown out the pain. Everything was gone and everything she had promised was all lies. Ashley was on her deathbed along with Jack, and Rome was on the verge of being an orphaned cripple. Even if the two made it out alive, both she and Ashley were at the beginning of possibly the largest fight they'd ever had. She quickly steered away from Johnny G's direction, fearing the questions she knew she would be expected to answer. As the wind picked up and stung her face, Kasey hugged into the warmth of Bobby's leather jacket. That perfect blend of leather, beer, and hair gel all mixed into that one scent he could call his own; she would miss that too. On top of everything she was losing him and would be alone again, plummeted into that pit of drug addictions and complete loneliness like before Ashley, Jack, and Rome had come along. She stopped walking and shut her eyes as tears stung against her lashes; opening them to see her salvation, her haven, 'Tony's Pool Bar'.

As she pushed the door open the bartender looked at her lazily, "What can I do ya for ma'am?"

She drug in a long breath, "Something hard."

He looked her over as she took a place in front of him, "Vodka?"

"I don't care."

He poured a shot and watched her quickly down it, "Something happen?"

"Everything happened." She bucked her chin for another.

She took the glass in her hand and watched as the liquid swirled around. He looked her over with a silent eye and noted the jacket that he had seen her hug to herself down the street.

"I used to know a guy who had a jacket just like that."

"Yeah," She tossed back the drink and looked at him lazily, "That's amazing."

"Well I don't see him so much anymore," He let his eyes fall from hers as he poured her another drink, "he got sent to jail though."

"Mmhmm, what for?"

He shrugged, "It would probably be easier to tell you what he didn't get put in there for."

"That bad huh?" She downed the drink, "I know one too."

"Crazy world." He bucked his chin, asking if she wanted another drink.

She shook her head, "Naw I'm done with this. Gimmie some o that." She pointed at the whiskey behind him.

He chuckled and took it off the shelf, "I ain't seen to many women who can drink this." He looked up at her blank face.

"Just poor the fucking drink. Like that's your damn business anyway."

He held up his hands and poured her a drink, "Alright, so this is about a guy then." He paused and waited for her to speak but only got a stare in return, "Funny thing is, this was his drink too, well that and beer."

"Who?"

He looked up and sighed, "The one who has your jacket."

"What are you talking about?"

"This guy I knew, Bobby Mercer-"

"Dammit," She swatted the glass away, "does everyone on the fucking planet know that bastard!"

He looked down the bar as the glass spun to a stop before hurtling off the edge with a crash, "Guy like him, girl like you; it was inevitable."

"What do you mean, a girl like me?" She glared beck at him without changing her slouching composure.

"I didn't mean any offense. I just meant that you, drinking like this and acting like you are, you just seem like someone he'd have around."

"Have around is a nice way to put it."

He fetched another glass and poured her a shot, "What did he do?"

"It's like what you said, what didn't he do? God I can't believe I put up with his shit just these couple days." She swigged the drink, "And on top of that Jack, my friend, and my friend's son are all on their death beds because of stupid shit that the Mercers have put us through."

"Jack, Jack Mercer is dying?"

"Yeah and I – I promised none of it would happen." She collapsed her head onto the counter.

Behind her, a bell clanged as the door swung open and Fowler strutted through. At first he didn't notice her and just ordered a beer but as he looked her over she seemed familiar.

"Kasey?"

"What?" She hissed without lifting her head or even knowing whom she was speaking to.

"Wow, how did you know I came here?" He grinned.

Kasey jerked up to face him, "I don't know you ass hole, mind your business."

"You don't remember me?" He searched her blank face, "Fowler? The cop from your boyfriend's house?"

"Oh, you," She turned back to her drink, "you're the one that almost got the shit beat out of you for hitting on me."

The bartender stifled a laugh and shook his head at Fowlers frown.

"I coulda taken him."

"Yeah right, ok buddy." She rolled her eyes at the bartender before letting out a slow sigh, "Well I suppose you'll be happy to know we just recently broke it off."

"So you're free to date me now?"

She made a face at the bartender, "Uh thanks but no."

"Well will you at least have a drink with me?" He grinned.

She held up her glass, "I got one, thanks."

"Oh come on, one drink won't hurt."

She mouthed 'one' and rose her eyebrow at the bartender before turning to Fowler, "Bobby would kill you."

"I ain't scared of him."

"Should be." The bartender chuckled, "Specially if it concerns his woman."

"Woman?" Fowler rose cocked an eyebrow, "She's only been in town for a couple days."

"If he's kept her in his house for more than one night then she's his woman."

Kasey let the thought roll over in her mind before catching Fowler's eye again, "I'll tell you what, you cover my tab and I'll see what I can do."

He smirked and handed over a wad of cash, "I knew you'd come around. Come on let's play some pool."

"Yea, yea, I'm coming." She waited for him to get just out of ear shot before leaning over to the bartender, "Nothing like free liquor."

He chuckled and looked up as a tap rattled the window, "What is it with cops and my fucking bar?"

Kasey turned to see Green waving her to come outside, "I'll be back."

The cold night air hit her face hard as she opened the door. Green pulled her around the corner just out of sight through the window and almost sent her crashing to the ground, "What the fuck Green?"

"Where have you been?"

"Not like it's any of your business," She hissed before sighing and firmly sitting her chin, "but I've been out."

"Bobby's been worried sick about you."

"Yeah right." She laughed.

"I'm not kidding, he's been out looking for you. What if he found you in there with Fowler, huh?"

"I wasn't with Fowler, he just showed up." She hissed with a thick frown.

"Listen I don't need no more headway from the Mercers then what I got, so I'm taking you home."

"Like hell, I ain't gotta go anywhere with you." She started back inside but paused at the door and spun to face him again, "Wait…did Bobby send you to get me?"

"No I, uh, I got some shit to take care of inside."

"What shit?"

"Just go wait by my car, alright? Its out back." He didn't wait for her answer before slipping into the bar.

"Asshole." Kasey grumbled and kicked at a pile of snow.

She took slow steps down the alley as the sun started to drift into its bed behind the horizon and tried to sort through her thoughts. She pushed away what she could of everything about Ashley, Rome, and Jack; and focused on Bobby. She replayed every mean thing he had said or done to her; leaving her in the snow, punting her playstation2 across the room two nights ago, arguing with her about stupid things and then expecting to get her for the night; and her face flushed red with anger. Plus Ashley's constant scorn and her final blast of hatred hours ago didn't better the situation at all. Then the good memories came; ones of him holding her at night and telling her everything about himself, punching a cop for her, of the night before when he was sweet and gentle, saving her life, attempting to save her friends; making the bad memories seem so unimportant. The bartender and Greens words floated through her ears, other people did think he cared and thought that the way he was wouldn't let him be the man she knew he really was on the inside. She smiled knowing that when she slid out of Green's cruiser later that night, Bobby would welcome her with open arms. As she rounded the corner, Green came out of the bar with Fowler gimping behind him.

"Green, wait! There is something I forgot."

"What?" Green whipped around, "What the fuck you wanna say to me?"

Fowler pulled out his gun and popped Green in the gut with a shot. Kasey stopped short and watched Green squirm on the ground as Fowler stepped over him.

"I forgot they installed those surveillance cameras in the station." He took aim and popped him again in the stomach.

"Motherfucker!" Green screeched and clutched at the circles of dark red deepening with each breath.

Fowler smirked and cocked back his chin as he took aim at Greens head, "I've been waiting for this Green. I've taken your shit for too long as it is. Besides how do you call me a dirty cop when you strut around with the Mercers like you do? And now that I've got your good buddy Bobby's bitch on my side, he'll be under my thumb too." He laughed.

"What in the hell are you doing Fowler?" Kasey yelled and took a few quick steps toward them.

"Starting the beginning of the end. Unfortunately now that you know what I'm doing, you'll have to die too." He spun the gun toward her, "To think you could have been with safe me, don't worry my friends and I will be sending you company soon."

Kasey's eyes grew wide as she swallowed and felt her body stiffened with fear. Without any further warning a shot rang out through the snow joined by nothing but the soft fall of a quiet snow.

XXXXXXXXXX

Angel and Jerry were slouched in the living room, surrounded by their tattered home. Jerry had his head in his hands and Angel was staring out into space. With Jack, Ashley, and Rome in the hospital the house seemed cold and empty. To add to the pain, they hadn't seen Bobby in hours and Kasey was nowhere to be found.

"Maybe we should go get the kid out of the hospital. His arm should be fine by now, right?" Angel sighed.

"We can't. We have to be family."

"Shit we're the closest thing he's got right now."

"No, Kasey is." Jerry sighed, "That wasn't right that she couldn't be in the ambulance with them."

The door to the house slammed open and shut as Bobby stomped through it without a sound from his lips. He kicked off his shoes and threw his jacket to the coat rack before starting to the kitchen.

"Any luck?" Angel said after him.

He slammed the door to the fridge and slouched down into a char in the dining room, "Didn't find shit."

He started to pick at the label on his beer without a glance toward his brothers. Jerry sighed and felt more pity for his big brother then he ever had.

"She'll come back."

Bobby flicked at the label and softly mumbled, "I don't give a shit."

Angel opened his mouth to say something but shut it when Jerry shook his head, "Leave it alone."

"Never should have came home. Never should have came."

"They'll all be fine and home soon, bra." Angel sighed.

"If we lose them, we sure as hell are gonna send them some company."

"You can't go to war with Victor Sweet. Not straight up. He'll just hire more and more goons until we're all dead."

"I don't know. I don't know what to do anymore. Is that what you want me to say?" He finally looked at them but then slowly dropped his head, "I almost lost one brother and lost…someone else, you guys are all I got."

They all sat in the silence again for what seemed like an eternity but the abyss was breached by the front door crashing into the wall. Kasey shoved it shut and leaned onto her knees with heaving gasps. In the dining room, Bobby trained his eyes on her as she caught her breath.

"They got Green."

"Who got Green?" Angel cocked his brow.

"Fowler, he's a dirty cop."

"How do you know?"

"I was just with them and-"

"You were with Fowler." Bobby stood up.

She looked him over softly before continuing, "Fowler showed up at the bar I was at not long ago but then Green showed up too. Before I knew it the three of us were out back, Green with a bullet in his gut and me with a gun in my face."

"Are you alright?" Jerry clasped her elbow.

"Yeah I'm fine. Green kicked out Fowlers knee before he could shoot me, an I," She pulled a gun from her coat pocket, "I took this. Greens at the hospital and Fowler got away. I tried to tell them what happened but without Green awake to agree, they thought I was lying," She glanced back at Bobby, "cause they think I'm a Mercer now."

Angel looked sideways at Jerry as Bobby, once again slouched back in his chair and locked eyes with Kasey. She twitched a half smile before walking over behind him and looping her hands down over his shoulders to rest them across his chest. He heaved a long sigh and closed a hand around hers.

"I got an idea." Jerry said after a moment.

"What?" Bobby looked over at him.

"We'll take the rest of the money from Mom's insurance an pay Sweet to call off the dogs." He looked around for approval, "He'll deal. He's a businessman."

"It doesn't count as a plan if it takes you longer to say it than it does to think it up." Angel mumbled.

"Yeah, Jerry. Sweet will meet up with you, take your money, an we won't be able to find your body till the river thaws."

"If you can get that far." Kasey mumbled and rested her chin on Bobby's head.

The room stilled again as the two bothers in the kitchen stared at Bobby, waiting for his answer. They stood poised and ready to follow whatever command they were assigned. It was if they were kids again, he their kingpin they his thugs.

"A'ight, I'll be with this if you're sure."

"I'm sure." Jerry firmly nodded his head.

"A'ight," Bobby stood from his seat and strode to the center of the room, "Angel, you go clue in Sofi. Jerry, you go make sure Evans with us on this."

The two younger brothers parted ways and started on their given assignments. Bobby sighed deep with a hand rested on his hip and the other slowly massaging his eyes. Kasey stood behind him in the same place, cracking her knuckles nervously and biting her bottom lip. He sent his hand combing through his hair and trained his eyes to the floor, unable to turn to the gaze he knew she had set on him.

"Come here."

She walked over and stood in front of him, attempting to catch his eye. Shaking his head, almost unsure, Bobby laced his arms around her and shut his eyes.

"You came back."

She chose her words carefully and paused before speaking, "Green said you were looking for me," She turned her head so that he couldn't avoid her eyes, "is that true?"

"I thought you had went back to New York and left m- us here to rot."

"And that was a bad thing?"

His eyes bounce around nervously in the reflecting pool of hers, "What I said before, I - just forget it."

As he started to turn away, she brought a gentle hand to his chin and turned it back to her, "What?"

Dead silence coated the room, she not speaking because of the need to hear the words that she knew were about to spill from his mouth, he because of the fear of the pain those words could put him through. Her fingers were warm on his face while she slid a thumb across his cheek as if trying to coax the words from his throat. Her lips parted slightly and lightly curved in the corners in an encouraging smile. Lifting one hand from where it clung to her back, Bobby used the other to place over hers on his face.

"I think…I love you."

She leaned up to his lips with a smile, "I know, baby."

He parted his lips from hers to grasp her in another hug as he sighed, "Besides, you had my jacket, I couldn't let you leave."

"Oh," She laughed playfully and pulled away from him to take off the coat, "well here, you can have it back."

"Thanks," He pulled it on and paused as he let the warmth and scent of her still on it, surround him, "When I finish with this Victor Sweet shit, will you be here?"

"I'm not going anywhere." She shook her head and watched him start to turn to leave, "I'll come with you."

"No," He turned and shook his head, "If you got hurt and I lost you again I'd...just don't follow me. Kace."

He turned and left without another word. Walking over to the shattered window, she watched him slowly stride down the street until he turned a corner and disappeared from view. It was then that she took in the sight around her. The couch and floor was coated in shards of glass and jagged splintered wood blown from the window when the bullets had ripped it to shreds. She tried to shake the thoughts from her head as she wandered to the kitchen and returned with a broom. After the filth of the windows debris had been cleared, she went in search of something to cover up the gaping hole that the broken window had created. She returned in a few moments with two heavy wool blankets drenched in the stench of mothballs. She gathered a hammer and nails, using them to tack the blankets over the window. Wiping her brow, Kasey turned to look at the clock, 4:15, the hospital would let visitors in then. She called a taxi and after it had drove her almost half way to the hospital her phone buzzed in her pocket. She opened it and right under 4:30 the screen blinked the number of an unknown caller.

"Hello?"

"Kasey? Its Camille, get your ass down the precinct."

"What? Why?" The phone clicked off and she glared down at it, "What a bitch."

"'Scuse me ma'am?"

"Oh um not you," She shoved the phone into her pocket, "Can you take me to the precinct?"

Funtime at Detroit Community Hospital

"What happened?"

Kasey blew into the station with the whip of harsh winter air at her heels. Sofi and Camille stood stout at the counter battering and bashing the desk officer with pestering questions. Sofi turned with an angry huff and spattered out curses in Spanish. Camille followed after her and screamed lightly as her eyes caught on Kasey.

"Your idiot boy is the one who got my man in trouble!" She screeched.

"Idiot? Why don't you tell me what happened before you go around blaming him?"

Camille shook her head and returned to torturing the desk cop without dignifying her question with an answer. Sofi sighed and smiled before placing a light hand on Kasey's shoulder. Kasey rose a brow at her, remembering how their last encounter when they touched had ended.

"Don't mind her. She's just like that when she's upset." She shoved her hands in her pockets, "Everything went down fine. We got them both. Sweet got iced and Fowler got taken down by his own people."

Sofi went back to join Camille at the counter and Kasey walked down to the edge of the room. She bent low and took a sip from the water fountain and then leaded back into the corner. She could faintly see the outline of what she thought was Jerry in the room next to her but could definitely hear that it was him. The fogged glass can only keep out so much. Each of the three girls heads turned to a door just beside Kasey as Jerry was slammed out against the wall.

Camille rushed to his side with a frown directed back at the closing door, "Don't push him like that!"

Angel was then pushed from the door behind them and shrugged his jacket back up on his shoulders. Sofi's heels clacked against the floor as she took three long strides to loop her arms around Angel. Back at the front desk, Kasey stood taking in the scene as the girls took a few moments to look over Jerry and Angel. She laughed at Camille hovering over Jerry, checking his wounds and yelling for answers.

"Hey, man, where's Bobby?" Angel looked around.

A voice came echoing from down the hallway, "Let me catch you without that badge. I'll smack that smirk right off your face you punk!"

"I'm gonna smack you, Bobby."

"What?" He looked over at Camille as she spoke.

"I told you not to let Jerry get hurt."

"He's breathing." He looked at Kasey and reached over to pull her under his arm, "Hey baby."

"You ok?" She said lightly.

"Yeah I'm all right, you know I always like the rough stuff." He smirked and returned his gaze to Jerry, "You all right, Jer?"

"Yea I'm alright, man."

Bobby bumped fists with Angel and let Kasey slip away from him to follow the other girls outside. They waited for the brothers to return before they all piled into Camille and Sofi's cars. The ride to the hospital in both cars was deathly quiet, all six of them unsure of what they would find there.

XXXXXXXXX

Rome 's arm stung. Without opening his eyes he grasped it, shocked to find that it was coated in a hard, rough plastic. He opened his eyes to the unfamiliar scene of other children and hospital beds. The scent shocked him more than anything, that stench of everything being cleaned and sterilized. It burnt his nose and directly combated the day to day scents that he was used to; smoke, hardwood, cooking food…his family. The side of his face stung as he reached up and traced his fingers across a jagged scab that had started to form. He suddenly remembered cold pavement and a painful snapping sound. The rest of the memories flashed before his eyes like a movie being played; someone at the door, running after Jack, hiding behind the snow, his mother yelling, Bobby yelling, gun shots, and then nothing. He started to sob, drenching tears that stung the wound on his face. Where was his family? He wanted his mother, he wanted Jack, he wanted Kasey, he wanted to not be alone.

"You'll never last if you're going to be ballin' like that all the time."

Rome looked up and saw a pale looking child gazing over at him from his own bed with a dull look. The child had on a toboggan pulled down over his ears and hospital pj's.

"What?" Rome's tears paused.

He sighed as if annoyed, "Orphans can't cry. If you're going to be alone for the rest of your life then you need to be stronger than that."

Rome's eyes began to pool, "I'm not going to be alone. My mom, shes-"

"You broke you're arm, they don't keep kids here for breaking bones. You're here because your mom isn't coming back, ever."

"Well my da- Jack will come get me then." His bottom lip quivered.

"No he's the same as your mom. Besides if he is alive, then I doubt he'll come back to get a whimpering baby like you."

Rome began to sob loud, heaving, back breaking sob that poured tears from his eyes like rain from the heavens. He became inconsolable, the nurse tried with no success. Rome's eyes welled and watered, almost to the extent that he could barely see the small woman pick up the phone.

"No, not a doctor! I don't want a Doctor! I want my mom!" Rome screamed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley woke in an empty room that was desperately trying to cling to a gleeful look. It stank of sterilized bed pans and cold metal. Beside her, a disgusting tray of food lay perched on a rolling desk. The door was shut and when she called no answer came, not even a peak through the door.

"Dammit! Someone better come here!" When, once again, no answer came, Ashley looked around for something to throw, "'We truly care,' my ass."

She than began to hurtle the contents of the plate of food at the door. When she finally emptied the plate she grabbed the plate itself and hurtled it across the room. It flipped in the air end over end as the door peaked open to expose a kindly nurse's face. Her mouth twisted into a shocking mask just before the heavy plate crashed straight into her nose.

Ashley winced, "Oh snap! Are you ok?"

As she leaned forward to look over the end of the bed at the woman now crumpled on the floor, her side pinched and she stopped for the pain forbade it. She sat back slowly and pulled up the tail of her shirt. A bandage was wrapped around almost her entire torso but was heavily padded against her right side. She let her fingers lightly trace the area as tears stared to invade her eyes and break past her eye lids.

"Jack?" She scanned the room but knew she would find nothing, "Rome ?"

Her heart broke, shattered, and slid up into her throat. Gagging she leaned over the edge of her bed and heaved an acid that burned her insides. It tasted horrible and she suddenly wished that she hadn't thrown away her drink. Smacking her lips, trying to rid her mouth of the taste, Ashley slowly slinked out of bed. As she stepped over the unconscious nurse, she mouthed an apology, and then continued out into the hallway. She gimped around a corner and stopped at a nurse's station.

"Could you tell me where someone is?"

A nurse with bleached blonde hair, looked up at her lazily and paused the smacking of her gum, "You need a doctor?"

"No, I need to know where my kid is."

"Oh." She returned her eyes to the papers in front of her and began to smack her gum once again, "You need to go back down to the main desk for that and fill out the appropriate forms."

"I don't have time for that!"

"I'm sorry ma'am but I can't-" Her words were cut off as Ashley's hand grabbed the woman's collar and jerked her upwards.

"Listen, I was just in a gunfight where I almost lost not only my own life but the life of my son and probably the life of the man that I'm in love with! Now I got a bullet hole in my gut and you smackin' your gum at me like there's no tomorrow, telling me that you can't just tell me where the hell my kid is!"

The little nurse's eyes bugged and she swallowed down her gum, "I'll get the information for you now, ma'am."

Ashley dropped her back to her seat with a shove, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

The snow crunched under foot as Bobby and Kasey followed up the six person crowd toward the hospitals front doors. Kasey frowned at the looming doorway as it grew closer. She paused and reached out to grab Bobby's sleeve and pull him to a halt beside her.

"What? Come on, we're losing them." Bobby mumbled blankly.

Her frown thickened and she paused to, waiting for an excuse to come to mind, "I need a smoke."

"Where the hell you want me to get a cigarette from? I don't smoke. Come on." He turned and tried to pull her along behind him.

"I don't want to."

He sighed, trying not to be annoyed and shoved his hands in his pockets, "Why?"

"I just can't, I hate hospitals."

"You hate hospitals?" His forehead scrunched.

"There are people dying in there." Her face flashed fear, "What if some of those people are Jack and Ashley?"

No wounds fell from his lips, not a syllable, because it was like she spoke the words that he was afraid to. But his need to be strong overcame his own fear. He was strong for his brothers, he could be strong for her. Without a word he slowly slipped his warm hand over her palm and laced his fingers with hers that were chilled from the cold. Inside the remaining four stood just outside the elevator awaiting the twos return. Angel frowned as they came around the corner.

"Where the hell y'all been?" He frowned and jammed his thumb into the up button, "I know y'all made up but come on."

"Shut up, Angel." Bobby grumbled.

"Don't you be tellin' me to shut up." The elevator doors dinged open, "You two are the ones holdin' us up."

"Just leave it alone man and get in the fuckin' elevator, Angel."

The six piled in and soared up to the second floor, their fight still continuing. However; when they clicked past the second floor and up to the third floor closed in, they all grew quiet. Ending in a final 'Damn Angel' from Bobby. As they piled out of the small space, Jerry and Camille went straight to the nursing station.

"Ashley Laing?" Jerry leaned over the edge of the counter.

Bobby felt Kasey stiffen beside him and tighten her grip on his hand.

"Ow, damn." He hissed just loud enough for her to hear, "Easy."

"Sorry."

They started down the hallway and turned around the corner at the end. Jerry lightly pushed open the first door they came to on the left. However, they saw not Ashley but a barely conscious nurse with a swelling eye and another nurse hovering over her smacking gum.

"Ashley Laing?" Jerry rose an eyebrow.

"She's gone." The woman with the puffed eye moaned.

The other ceased her gum chewing to speak, "She's crazy!"

"Well, where did she go?"

"What do you mean gone? You just let her leave?" Kasey screeched.

"Ma'am, she attacked us." The gum chewer spoke as if shocked.

"Course she did, she does it everyone." Bobby shrugged.

"Where did she go?" Jerry repeated.

"Children's wing. She was looking for someone named Tyrome Mercer."

"Mercer?" They all said at once.

XXXXXXXXXX

When Ashley rounded the corner into the children's wing of the hospital, she could hear the loud screeching of what sounded like a dying animal coming out of a room to her right. Curious, she peeked in the doorway, barely surprised to see her son with his fingers wrapped around the throat of another child. She stood there for a moment watching in awe as the scene unfolded and yet no one came to help.

"I am not an orphan!" Rome screeched with tears flowing down his red hot cheeks.

Ashley blinked lightly, "Rome, mommy really would rather not deal with this crap right now so-"

"Mom!" He glared down at the child as he dropped him to the bed, "See, I told you so."

Rome clambered off the bed and ran toward his mother. Crashing into her he looped his arms around her waist and unknowingly drug his cast across her wounded side.

"Careful, careful." She detached his arms from he and held him at arms' length, "Damn kid."

"I thought you weren't coming back."

"What? Who told you that?" She watched him point back at the child he was choking, "And you beat him for it?" She watched as he nodded and rubbed at his eye, "Good boy." She ruffled his hair and hugged him.

Rome looked at the bandages peeking out from under the edge of Ashley's shirt, "Did you get shot too?"

"How'd you-" She watched his tiny eight-year-old face go blank, "Yea baby I did."

"Are you going to die?"

She laughed, "Jesus, do I really look that bad?"

"What about Jack?"

She looked down at him, not knowing what to say. As her eyes began to pool he stared up at her expecting an answer to the millions of questions that seemed to flow from behind his eyes. Her arms looped around his small frame almost before the thought was processed through her mind. How could she allow him to lose not one, but two fathers in only three years?

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry."

He hugged her back with his good arm, knowing that his other would hurt him. After a moment he pushed her away, embarrassed for the wet spots of tears he had created on the front of her shirt.

He looked up at the tears falling down her face, "Don't cry, mom." He reached up and wiped away the tears with his small hands, "He's okay, I promise."

"Why you say that?" she hid a laugh and grinned.

"Cause I said so."

"Wow, you are my kid aren't you?" she ruffled his hair.

He grinned, "Yep!"

Ashley laughed and saw a nurse huddled over Rome's roommate, "Um, let's go."

"Ok, let's find Jack."

Rome whisked off down the hallway, as Ashley's side began to pinch with every step.

"Hey, speedy, do I look like I'm on the frickin' track team to you?" She yelled after him, "Slow the hell down!"

He skidded to a halt and watched her slowly try to catch up to him. Looking around the hallway, he grinned at the sight of a wheelchair just parked outside of a room. He quickly turned it around and wheeled in back to his mother.

"Mom, here."

Instead of stopping he wheeled it behind her and quickly turned before jamming it into the back of her legs. She sat with a groan and let her legs kick out in front of her. There was barely enough time for her to get comfortable.

"Better mom?"

"Yeah, I'm great." They neared a turn at roaring speed. "Turn, turn!"

They turned the corner, barely, staying upright. Rome laughed playfully as he made a running start, getting them back to their previous speed before leaning up and taking his feet off the ground. They roared past a nurse's station with Ashley screaming and Rome laughing.

"Shit," Rome dropped his heels and pulled them to a stop.

"Where did you learn that?" Ashley hissed.

"You."

Rome slowly walked back to the nurse's station and put on the saddest face he could. He wanted for the portly looking woman with graying hair, to notice him.

She looked up from her papers and cooed at him, "What's wrong dear?"

"I'm lost and I can't remember what room my dad is in," his lip stuck out and his eyes pooled.

"It's ok sweetie, who's your dad, huh?"

"Jack Mercer."

"OK, I'll find him, you just hold on." She reached under her desk and pulled out a dum-dum, "Here, want that?"

Rome nodded and took the sucker. As the woman focused in her computer, he looked back at Ashley who was rolling into the elevator.

"Oh he's just up one floor in room 208 by the stairs. Would you like me too…?" she leaned forward and looked up and down the hall for the boy, but he was gone.

"You're a strange, strange little child." Ashley stared at Rome.

He jammed the button for the fourth floor, "He's in 208, by the stairs."

"How the hell did you get so smart? It's not like you had any good examples in your life thus far." Flashes of Bobby, Angel, Kasey, and Sofi zoomed through her mind.

"Having you as my mom, and Kasey as my Aunt didn't help," He squatted and crossed his arms on his knees, "Stupid plus stupid equals smart I guess."

"Yeah, I guess you're- Hey!" The doors clicked open, "Little brat!"

Rome laughed and pushed his mother out the elevator. Just as the doors were shutting he reached back in with a playful smirk, drug his hand over all the buttons, and winked at the camera. Rome quickly looked up and down the hall at the numbers so that he knew which way to go. Turning left, he once again took a running start and leaned against the back of the chair, with his feet off the ground.

As the cart slowed Ashley groaned, "Watch out Rome we're going under fifty!"

He ignored her comment and started running again. With each step he looked at the door numbers. 198. 200. 202. 204. 206. He let go of the handles at the closed 208 door. He turned the handle and slipped inside. Ashley, who had not even been paying attention, was frowning at the passing doors.

"Rome, you missed it," No answer, " Rome?"

She glanced behind her but saw no Rome. When she turned her eyes forward once again, she screamed at the sight of an open stairwell.

XXXXXXXXXX

"How did they lose her? Isn't this their job?" Kasey grumbled as they once again piled into the elevator.

"Maybe they think of her like I do." Bobby smirked down at her.

Her jaw dropped and she swatted his chest, "I see you're back to your jerk self. What's got you so happy?"

"They just told me that Jackie is in recovery, which means he's going to be fine, so, I'ma be as happy as I damn well please."

"Yeah, Jackie's gonna be fine, and his baby mama's probably with 'em now." Angel nodded.

"We can only hope." Camille grumbled, "Who knows what that blondie is capable of when left unsupervised."

"Speaking of unsupervised, could one of you explain to me why the hell she and Jack were together this morning?" Bobby looked around at Angel, Sofi, and Kasey.

"What?" Jerry grinned.

The doors dinged open, "Oh, look, we're here!" Kasey dragged Bobby out.

However, they were all crowded in on the elevator as two men in white suits piled in. The remaining four pushed out of the elevator just after hearing the men talking.

"Someone fell down the stairs," one of the men said.

"They should really start shutting the doors," the other shook his head as the doors closed.

"How the hell do you get hurt while in a hospital? You gotta be some kind of stupid to do that," Angel groaned.

"Would somebody answer my damn question?" Bobby yelled, finally dropping Kasey's hand.

"Here, the room is this way," Jerry said.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rome had been standing just inside the door watching Jack's chest move up and down with each breath. He slowly walked over to the bed and slid up onto the foot of it. Jack didn't move, he just laid still except for the movement of him taking in air. In a childish moment, Rome curled up like a dog and stuck his thumb into his mouth. His eyelids dropped, jerked open, and dropped closed again. He curled against himself and drifted off to sleep.

Jack was back at home. He was sitting in the living room with his brothers and the girls. Ashley was smiling down at Rome, who was building a house out of legos and no one was hurt. Evelyn came around the corner with a tray full of hot chocolate cups. Jack laughed as he watched Bobby pull a bottle out of his pocket and dose his, Kasey, and Angel's mugs with the hard stuff. Then there was gunman everywhere. They piled out of the kitchen and in from the street and rattled bullets through each one of them. Even Rome…

"No!" Jack's eyes snapped open.

It was just a dream. Suddenly, the recalled memories cascaded in front of his eyes, and he found himself wishing they too were a dream. As he felt something graze against his foot, Jack looked down to see Rome half asleep with his thumb halfway in his mouth. Jack smiled at the innocence the child portrayed. With his good arm, he reached down and pulled the boy up next to him in the bed. Rome curled against him in sleep and attempted once again to suck his thumb. So much Jack had missed the boy's presence because for three years Rome was his son. He loved afternoons of getting him from school and doing homework with him. Knowing that he had helped him get through what he had all the way to third grade.

Rome stirred and Jack finally caught sight of the white cast covering the boy's small right arm. He tried to remember what had happened, he tried. And he succeeded. He though he had saved Rome, but in reality… He really had hurt him. He smiled down at the boy and how his little blondie curls strangely match his own. With a glance a Rome's wrist band, Jack saw that it read "Tyrome Mercer" instead of "Tyrome Laing," and he tried to think what it would be like if it was true. He laughed and thought, 'probably the same'. Suddenly, the door banged open.

"Quiet!" he hissed.

"What are you doing to Rome, Jack?"

"I woke up and he was here." Jack rolled over.

Kasey shrugged and forgot about it, then followed after by Bobby down the right side of the bed. Angel and Sofi stood on the left as Camille and Jerry took places at the foot of the bed. Jack looked around, feeling a little claustrophobic, and took in the sight of his family, but the new and the old. However, he questioned the loss of a single piece.

"Where's Ashley?"

The six above him stole glances at one another, eventually landing expectantly on Jerry. He shook his head but with a quick swat and a head jerk from Bobby, Jerry sighed and returned his gaze to Jack. Jack looked around at then, both confused and scarred but their strange movements and gestures.

"What?" he sat up. "Where is she?"

"We don't know."

"You don't know. Well go find out!"

"We can't."

"You can't? What do you mean you can't? Go out there and ask somebody!" He was yelling by then.

"Calm down, Jackie, we did ask," Bobby said quietly.

"Yea, don't nobody know where you're baby momma is."

"Stop calling her that, alright!"

"Jack?" They all looked down at Rome, "Could you stop yelling please?"

"Yea buddy sure, just go back to sleep." Jack smiled and pattered the child's golden curls.

Rome looked around the room slowly before glaring at Bobby and laying back down.

"What was that for?" They hushed him to which he quietly replied, "Little brat, just like his damn mother."

Kasey swatted his stomach and ignored his hissed out a complaint. Jerry then yipped and scuttled forward as a nurse pushed through the door.

"Scuse me." She walked over to Jack and examined his IV, "how are you feeling?"

"Better. Is it alright if he stays here with me?" He gestured back toward Rome.

The woman smiled and reached down for Rome's wrist, "Can I see your wrist please, young man?"

Rome stared back up at the woman with blank eyes from around Jacks side. Only after a light shove from Jack did Rome place his small wrist in the woman's long slender fingers. The woman smiled sweetly at him and looked over the band circling his wrist.

"Oh yes its fine." She let loose of Rome's wrist and smiled and Jack, "I should have known. He looks just like you."

"What?" Jack rose an eyebrow at his brothers.

Jerry swatted his foot and shook his head as the nurse reached the door she turned on her toes, as if remembering something.

"The woman who was claiming to be your son's mother, was asking to see you. Would you like me to let her in?"

Jack looked around at his family and the nurse blankly, "Yea of course."

The woman then pushed open the door and waved Ashley inside before leaving. Ashley then paused, glared around the room, and let that glare fall on Rome.

"You!" She jerked a finger at Rome.

Rome began to wiggle behind Jack for cover, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Oh, you're going to be sorry. Come here!"

Ashley lunged at Rome through the small space Jerry had created. However, she was stopped mid-leap and shoved back into place by both Angel and Bobby's arms.

"Sorry for what?" Kasey asked through a laugh.

"That little shit pushed me down the stairs!"

"Actually mom," Rome peaked from behind Jack, "you rolled off them and I just didn't stop you."

"You little-" She lunged again but this time with a slower motion.

Kasey firmly gripped Ashley's arm, "What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know." She rubbed her temples, "I just feel so tired."

Angel shook his head, "Man, you always tired, As-"

"Ashley?" Kasey lifted the tail of Ashley's shirt, "What's this?"

The entire room turned and gazed upon the red swell swallowing what was once the white cotton side of Ashley's shirt. They all gazed on as her hand dropped and her shoulders drooped. A single cry from the hospital bed, reached out to her ears but as her eyes rolled back white and her knees became a weak jelly, they all realized it was far too late.

XXXXXXXXXX

"How the hell does this shit happen in hospitals?" Kasey screeched.

She sucked in a ragged breath through bared teeth as the needle pinched flesh and punctured vein. Her fingers flexed and squeezed tight, gluing skin together with the sticky salt sweat pouring from her palm. Bobby looked down at her angry body pulsing with a mixture of hate and concern.

He slid broad fingers over her stiffened shoulder, "Easy. That needle turns, you're dead."

She glared up at him for a moment before shaking her head lightly with closed eyes and let her muscles rest. The nurse then proceeded to drain the deep maroon stream of life force from Kasey's veins.

"I told you I hated hospitals." She squeezed her eyes tight.

"Yea, yea you did." He leaned down and kissed her head.

"Think she'll be ok?"

"Yea, that crazy bitch will never die." He smiled.

Kasey flashed a fake grin and opened her eyes as the nurse pulled the needle from her arm.

"Alright ma'am, you're good to go." The cotton ball slid over the needles hole.

"Ok thanks." Bobby pulled Kasey up from the seat.

"The doctor will be back to the room with the blood results for."

Kasey and Bobby started down the hall back to the elevator that would carry them back to their loved ones. The silence between them rang loud and clear through Kasey's ears. Bobby's lips parted but he shut them when he realized his words would mean nothing to her, especially if Ashley died. As the doors opened with a ding, the two bumped into Angel and Sofi.

"She awake?" Kasey asked hopefully.

"No not yet." Sofi shook her head.

"Where y'all going?" Bobby bucked his chin at Angel.

"Get some food, man, we hungry."

They switched places; Angel and Sofi in the elevator, Kasey and Bobby heading back up the hall. When they clicked the room's door open, the same silence coated the room. Jerry and Camille were sitting quietly talking in chairs beside the window,
Rome and Jack played back and forth with a deck of cards on the bed. Kasey walked over to Ashley's newly wheeled in bed and slid up on the mattress beside her. She sat cross-legged and for the first time in her life, Kasey closed her eyes and prayed. Bobby watched her for a moment before stretching out quietly on the bed with his back on the footrest and his feet in Kasey's lap. Never had Kasey truly believed that God gave a shit but she knew he was there and could care if he wanted to. Ashley opened her eyed and let out a wail as she caught sight of Bobby at the foot of her bed.

"Why the hell are you in my bed?"

His face remained blank, "Welcome to hell, honeybunch."

"Fucker."

"Ash?" Kasey leaned into view.

"Wow, I didn't think that you'd be in hell with me."

"Uh, we're not in hell. This is the hospital."

"Yeah, you're right. If this was hell that Paul freak would be here."

"Paul?" Jack looked up from his cards.

"Yeah," Rome laid down three aces and discarded, "Mom's friend that showed up at the house after I popped that bag of grass Auntie had in her room."

"Grass?" Bobby rose an eyebrow at Kasey.

Kasey's mouth gaped like a fish gasping for air but her answer was cut off by the opening of the door. Angel and Sofi walked in with their arms loaded with treats and the doctor at their heels.

"Oh you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

"Well your bloods being shipped over as we speak."

"Shipped?" Bobby looked back over his shoulder at the man, "But my girlfriend just donated blood for her."

"Oh," He looked down at his papers and then back at them, "There was a problem with the blood."

"A problem?" Kasey frowned, "I was sure we had the same blood type."

He shook his head, "It wasn't the type that was the problem."

Angel stopped munching on his bag of cheetos, "She got AIDs don't she?"

"No, no. That's not it at all." The doctor shook his head again.

"Then what?" Jerry cocked an eyebrow.

"Yea what?" Bobby glared.

The doctor looked down at Bobby, "Maybe it's a good thing you're sitting down for this."

"Oh god." He leaned his head back and covered his face with his hands, "She does got something."

"Yes she does got something-"

"What?!" Kasey yelled.

"Ma'am, you're pregnant."

"Pregnant?" The whole room yelled at once, accept for Angel who choked on a cheeto.