Shadow's Memories
Chapter Two
Vanessa woke up early on the day of her mother's funeral. She quietly dressed in baggy black hip hugger pants, high heeled boots, and a tight black shirt. Putting her hair in a high pony tail, Vanessa quietly walked out of Jeremiah's house, wanting to be alone on this day. Vanessa walked to a nearby market and bought white lilies, her mother's favorite flower.
The young adult walked towards the cemetery and leaned against a tree far away from where her mother was to be buried. She waited two hours when Vanessa saw the line of cars pull to a stop on the side of the small rode. Vanessa watched the people all follow the six people holding a black casket towards the all ready dug up grave.
She saw her oldest, and idol, brother, Bobby, staying strong as usual. He didn't weep nor shed a tear in front of everyone as the preacher talked on and on. Vanessa gave a quiet dry laugh as she thought about what her brother thought of her crying like she was. She's a Mercer; she's supposed to be strong, right?
Next, Vanessa saw her oldest but the youngest of the four boys, crying without any shame, as was Jeremiah. But Jack had a good reason too cry as he was. Just three months ago Jack called their mom, something went wrong and the two didn't say goodbye in good terms.
Once the casket has been lowered and two men started to cover it up, everyone started to walk towards their cars to go to the reception over at Jeremiah's.
Bobby looked around with worried eyes. 'Where are you baby?'
When everyone was gone, Vanessa walked towards the grave slowly, trying to hold back her tears. She moved behind the grave stone as the two men continued to shovel dirt inside the hole. Vanessa kissed the lilies and placed them upon the stone.
"Goodbye 'ama." She whispered before walking away.
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Green and Fowler sat in their car, watching the people walking into Jeremiah Mercer's house for the reception. A car slowly passes by, the person driving Green immediately surprise to recognizing the man.
"Wow," Green says as he watches Bobby drive by slowly before going to park somewhere. "Been a long time since someone's seen that face around."
"Who's he?" Fowler asked, looking at his partner.
"Bobby Mercer." Green tells his partner, looking at Bobby park around the corner. He looks back to Fowler. "Heavyweight Champion, played hockey Michigan Miller."
Fowler looks straight to see a kid in a black leather jacket, crying. "Who's the kid?"
Green looks to where Fowler nodded. "Jack Mercer. First class fuck up, third class rocker."
The two cops watch as Bobby makes his way over to Jack, as Jeremiah talks with a group of old women by his house.
"You okay?" Bobby he asked his younger brother.
Jack nods, not able to use his voice. Bobby puts his arm around Jack's shoulder, quickly hugging him.
"I love you, you know?"
Jack looks at him tearfully, nodding. Letting him go, Jack quickly wipes his tears and follows his older brother, putting a cigarette in his mouth, lighting it. They make their way to their other brother.
"I thought you said there were five of them?" Fowler asks confuse as the women leave Jeremiah to greet his brothers.
"Angel, pretty boy, ex-hustler, soldier." Green said simply. "And Vanessa, the youngest of them all. Turning nineteen in two days, before Thanksgiving." Green shook his head, looking around the people. "She should have been here. I heard that she was the one to find Evelyn dead." Green looked at his partner with a worried expression.
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Bobby and Jack walked over to Jeremiah, Jack taking out his cigarette and blowing out some smoke.
"Where's Nessa?" Bobby asked, looking around desperately.
Jack leaned against the garage, wondering the same thing. And because they were closer of age, Jack and Vanessa got along the most. But that never stop her from admiring Bobby the most, even if she did get along with all of them.
Jeremiah shook his head. "Left early this morning. No one's seen her since yesterday."
"Damn baby, please don't do anything stupid." Bobby whispered, looking up at the sky.
Jeremiah than smiled and poked Bobby's chest with his forefinger. "You remember I built that tree house and you burned it down?" Jeremiah told him with a smile, as Bobby laughed.
"I didn't mean to, man!" Bobby smiled back, remembering at the memory. "It was an accident! Besides, this is made of brick!" Bobby said, knocking on the brick to prove his point.
"Brick my ass! I don't rust you with fire man!" Bobby rolled his eyes as he walked past Jeremiah, who turned to Jack. "You best put that thing out!"
"Oh come on! I'm not Bobby!" Jack complained.
"I don't care! You ain't going through this house with that thing!"
Jack rolled his eyes but put out his cigarette anyways before walking inside with his brothers. Both Bobby and Jack said hello to those they knew but didn't get a chance to say anything before walking out in the backyard. Both Bobby and Jack smiled at the two girls, the oldest holding a dog by a leash.
"Hi, you must be Daniela." Jack said with a warm smile, as he and Bobby kneeled before them.
"And this must be Amelia." Bobby said, scratching the dog's head.
"No! I'm Amelia."
Bobby smiled, chuckling a bit. "I know sweetie. You probably don't remember us but I'm your Uncle Bobby, and this is Cracker Jack."
Jack closed his eyes, before re-opening them and turning to his brother. "Man, don't teach them that." Jack hissed, shaking his head.
"You can't be our Uncles. You're white." Daniela said with confusion.
Bobby and Jack smiled. "We're a different kind of Uncles. You see, your grandma adopted us and your father."
Amelia looked over to the left. "Look! Cops."
Both Bobby and Jack glared at them but made no move to greet them.
Green smiled. "That's right. No one move, you're all under arrest." The girls laughed, running away. "Hey! Where you going?"
Bobby and Jack stood up as Green and Fowler stood in front of them. Neither brother was too happy to be talking with them.
"Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. How've you been? You've been straight?"
Bobby shrugged. "Straight-ish."
Green nodded, looking at Jack. "Sorry about your mom." Green looked at Bobby once more. "She would have been happy that you made it to the service, better yet the funeral."
"I didn't come back for no funeral."
Green closed his eyes as Fowler raised an eyebrow. "Don't go do something stupid. Let us handle it. We'll get the assholes who did this." Green told the oldest, knowing that Bobby would do something stupid.
"Oh yeah, Detroit's finest did a great job cleaning up the place." Bobby mocked them. "Get your damn doughnuts and coffee and get the fuck out of her." He told them as he and Jack turned to go back into the house.
Fowler turned to his partner. "Nice guys."
Green rolls his eyes and both cops follow after the two brothers.
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After the reception was over and everyone left Jeremiah's home and Camille threatening both Bobby and Jack to help clean a bit, they drove towards the home they have not seen in three to four years. Jeremiah parked his car as Jack parked behind him, not seeing Vanessa's car in the drive way. Jack looks to Bobby worriedly, hoping that his sister was okay. All three brother's getting out, Jack took his bag and guitar case out from the back.
The three brothers walked into the porch and over to the house door, Jeremiah ready to open it. A deep voice startled them all, making them turn towards the dark corner.
"Ya'll ain't right leaving me out in the cold."
Jeremiah quickly turned on the porch light. Their eyes all lit up, as Bobby was the first to make his way over to the man.
"Yo little brother, you asshole!"
Angel stood up, hugging Bobby, smiling to see them. Bobby than took a step back as Angel and Jack hugged. Once they parted, Jack smiled at his big brother's pure white teeth, trying to get a better look.
"You whitened your teeth?"
"Man, shut up." Angel picked up his duffle bag.
"Didn't Nessa let you in?" Bobby asked, hoping that Vanessa was there and that her car was way in the back.
"No man. I thought she was going to be with you guys." Angel frowned.
Bobby and Jack turned to Jeremiah. "Hurry up and open the door Jerry!"
Once the door was opened, everyone quickly ran in but stopped at the small hallway, feeling to weird of not having their mother there to greet any of them. Ever. But Bobby quickly got out of it and ran upstairs, yelling all the while.
"Vanessa! Baby, answer me!"
Jack went into the kitchen as Angel and Jeremiah entered the living room and dinning room.
"Shit! She's not here!" Bobby yelled, running down the stairs.
But as all the brothers met in the small hallway, they all stared in relief and worried as Vanessa walks slowly into the house. She had an expressionless face, but looked pale and too skinny. She looked around the house, never has she been inside it since her mother died just three weeks ago.
"Nessa, baby?" Bobby asked cautiously, bring Vanessa out of her thoughts.
Vanessa looked over to her older brother, than looked at all of her brothers. She seemed to be in a daze, not really knowing if this was real or not. But even so, she thought she could be strong like Bobby. She thought she cried out all her tears at the park's lake. But she neither cried out all of her tears nor was she as strong as Bobby.
So Vanessa just broke down and cried, feeling weak to even stand. She fell on to her knees, leaning her body forward. Bobby quickly kneeled over to his sister and helped her up a bit before hugging her close to him. He kissed her hair, holding back his own tears, feeling Vanessa fisting his shirt. Never did he want to see his sister like this. This was not the way he wanted to see her again and catch up since he left. Sure he was there sometimes on holidays, and called every birthday when she gotten a birthday card from him. But being face to face was a whole different story and this was not what he has pictured in his mind.
The other men kneeled around the girl and Bobby, rubbing Vanessa's back and arms, trying to calm her hysteric sobs. At that moment, all four brothers saw their sister as fragile and scared as the day she came to this house. She was strong while the men stayed in the house. Vanessa always following them around, hanging out with them and their friends wherever they went. Vanessa even learned how to fight and scared people just from watching her brothers. But once they left the house, Vanessa became more of girl rather than a tomboy. But she still had the badass attitude she got from her brothers.
After what seemed forever, Vanessa's cries have stopped and Bobby looked down to see his baby sister asleep in his arms, clinging on to him for dear life. He stood up, bringing Vanessa with him, before scooping her up in his arms. Bobby looked at his brothers, also standing up.
"I'm gonna get some sleep. Jack, you take your old room. Angel, take Jeremiah's." Bobby sighed, turning to the stairs. "I'll take mom's room."
Angel shook his head. "I'm get me something to eat. Ya'll hungry?"
Everyone shook their heads, Jeremiah walking over to the couch as Jack followed Bobby up the stairs. Bobby walked over to his sister's room, turning the light on. At this movement, Vanessa woke up, blinking her eyes to see hallway moving away and Jack entering his room. Bobby grimaced at the posters framed and put up as he walked over to Vanessa's bed.
"You just had to go and like Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean." Bobby whispered, laying his sister down.
Vanessa laughed, making Bobby jump up startled. "I only like Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp because they're good actors. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm no love-sick teen in love with them because of their characters they play or how hot they are." Vanessa said, smiling at her brother.
Bobby rolled his eyes. "You're only covering it with that sorry ass for an excuse."
Vanessa shook her head, rolling her eyes. Bobby smiled and leaned down to kiss her brow.
"Try to sleep baby." He stood and walked out, turning off the light.
Vanessa heard the faint strumming of guitar coming from Jack's room, as well as faint crying she knew that belong to Bobby and a seventies song coming from Angel's. The young adult began drifted off to a light slumber until she heard voice out in the hall.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Bobby yelled to his younger brother who was dressed up nicely.
Angel stopped in mid step and looked over to Jack's room to see all three of his brothers looking at him, Jack never ceasing to play his guitar.
"Man, I can't stay in this house any longer. I need some fresh air."
Bobby threw his head back, laughing. "You're full of shit, man. You can smell that ass all the way from over here."
Angel frowned, trying to look innocent. "What are you talkin' about man?"
"You're going to see that La vida loca!" Bobby shouted.
Vanessa smiled, knowing who Bobby was talking about. She opened her eyes and looked through the crack in the door to see her brother Angel.
"She got a boyfriend Angel!" Vanessa and Jeremiah yelled at him at the same time.
Angel looked at Jeremiah and Vanessa, through the crack. "Man, I ain't going to see her! I just need some fresh air!" Angel yelled before walking down stairs.
"Air my ass!" Vanessa yelled after him, her brother's laughing.
"Man, she has a hard ass dick in her right now, screamin' someone else's name. She ain't gonna remember your black ass!" Bobby yelled after his brother, shaking his head as Jeremiah and Jack laughed. "Go back to sleep, Nessa. Sorry to have woken you." Bobby yelled after remembering that she was awake.
Vanessa sighed and got out of bed to change into a tank top and sweat pants as it would be a cold night that night. She went back to her bed and snuggled under the covers, falling asleep immediately.
A/N: Well, I'm kind of surprise to see that a couple people actually like this story as it has been done before, you know, the whole Mercer's having a sister and all. Well, I hoped you all liked this chapter; I tried my best in remembering what was happening and what was being said. Please review!
