Here's chapter two. Thanks for the lovely reviews they gave me the push to do a new chapter tosee if it goes well. Again please read and review. And again i also do not own any rights to the Four Brothers, or the main plot line. This one is a bit shorter, uni is piling up a bit. I f you have nay ideas for a flash back for the next chapter let me know, im planning on doing one for Bobby, Angel and Jack, and any suggestions are welcome. Thanks :)
Angel slowly opened the door to the house. It was dark and silent. He motioned to the girl behind him to follow. She slipped inside and he closed the door. They waited to see if anyone heard, but the house remained quiet. Taking the girl by the hand, Angel led her upstairs. At the top he pointed at his door, and she padded across the hall and into his room. Angel walked down the hall a little till he was outside his mother's room. It pained him to look in, and he felt a heaviness in his heart. To his surprise the bed was empty, no Bobby. He walked further down the hall and stopped outside Jacks room. His heart hurt more at the sight. On Jacks bed lay three bodies. Elle was curled up, tiny, near the top of the bed, using Bobby's chest as a pillow. Angel gave a small smile, even though she was 16, she was just as tough as any of the brothers, though this made her more vulnerable than them. Bobby lay sprawled half on half off the bed, with both arms wrapped around Elle's shoulders and a certain card clasped in his hands. Jack lay on the other side of Elle, his arms wrapped around her waist, his body outlining hers. Angel slipped inside the room and picked up the duvet that lay crumpled on the floor. He puzzled at its dampness but shrugged it off and laid it gently over the sleeping party. Angel felt a little comfort at the scene, one he had seen many times before, and also been a part off. He slipped noiselessly out the room and back down the hallway to his room, where the lovely Sofi was waiting for him.
Elle woke to the sound of shouting downstairs. She looked around to find herself in a nest of duvets. Memories from the night before came flooding back and the ache in her chest throbbed. She smelt Bobby's musk and Jack's aftershave as she pushed the duvets off herself. She could remember her brothers strong arms around her the night before making her feel safe and protected, their gentle chatter lulling her to sleep. The shouting downstairs continued. It sounded like Bobby and Angel, and the input of Spanish every so often made Elle aware that Sofi was here. 'Great' she thought. Elle heaved herself off of the mattress and padded to the open dresser, pulling out one of Jack's t-shirts and putting it on with a jeans. Elle always had a habit of borrowing her brothers clothes.
"Miss La Vida Loca is not staying in this house!" she heard Bobby yell, followed by and angry flurry of Spanish. Elle smiled. Bobby had never liked Sofi, not hated they just rubbed each other up the wrong way. Elle stood at the door and watched Sofi stomp angrily up the stairs and into Angels room after being sent upstairs by Angel.
Elle walked to the top of the stairs. Bobby and Angel were in the hall having an argument, she could see Jacks leg hanging over the arm of the sofa.
"What are you doing Angel? She shouldn't be here" she heard Bobby ask, indicating up the stairs. He clearly didn't like Sofi being in his mothers mouse. Elle slowly padded down the stairs. An urgent cough from Jack indicated her presence to Angel and Bobby and they stopped their argument. Elle reached the bottom and was swept into a bear hug from Angel.
"Hey squirt" he said softly. Bobby had filled him in on her story and he hated himself for not being there in person. Elle allowed herself to feel safe again for a spit second in Angels arms, before realising that they would all do their disappearing act again soon, and pulled herself free.
"Hey guys" she said softly. Jack came from the living room and gave her a hug.
"You wantin' anything to eat? He smiled at her. Elle shook her head and walked into the living room, receiving a shoulder squeeze from Bobby as she passed. She curled herself onto the couch and pulled a blanket around her. Switching on the TV she settled down to stare numbly at the television for the rest of the day, pretending everything was normal.
She barely registered Angel asking her a question, just shrugging in reply. The three brothers looked at each other before moving into the kitchen, leaving Elle to her way of coping.
"We're just in the next room Ellie" Bobby called to her as they left. The three of them seated themselves around the dinning table. Bobby let out a tired, angry sigh.
"You know what we gotta' do" he said "We gotta find that witness"
"Yeah we know" answered Angel. He clenched his hands together. "We gotta find them, an we gotta make them talk" He looked over at Jack. He was sitting, pale, staring at the tabletop, working a knot out of the wood with his finger.
"You alright Jackie?" he asked. Jack looked up and gave him a weak smile.
"Yeah course Angel" he said "So how we gonna find this witness?" Bobby eyed Jack he could tell there was something bothering him but decided it would be best left till later.
"We are gonna have to visit the shop" he said. There was a shout from the living room.
"Guys, someone at the door" they heard Elle call in a flat voice.
"SOFI! DOOR!" yelled Angel. They waited for a few seconds before resuming their conversation.
"Right, so how we gonna go about this?" asked Jack.
Elle turned her attention upstairs. Sofi had made no signs of coming downstairs, and the knocking came again. She sighed. She was comfy and to be perfectly honest she didn't want to see or talk to anyone, especially not someone who was most likely offering more condolences. The person knocked again, Elle groaned. She knew she'd have to move, she always had to answer the door. She tossed the blanket to one side and heaved herself off the couch. Reaching the door she glanced towards the kitchen, the sight of Bobby's arm giving her a small form of comfort. Elle pulled open the door and saw her neighbour standing there. He was 17, just one year older than her, and had the sexiest smile she had ever seen. He was standing there with some flowers and a sad smile.
"Hey Jake" she said, mustering a small smile. He smiled at her attempt.
"Hey you" he said "I thought maybe some flowers could make you smile and...some chocolate" He pulled a bar of chocolate out from behind him. Elle smiled.
"Jake, that's lovely thanks. I'm kinda busy at the moment" she said, motioning behind her. He glanced over her shoulder to see Bobby staring at him from the kitchen, his eyes piercing him. Jake nodded,
"I understand, I hope you are doin' ok" he smiled. Elle shrugged and took the flowers and chocolate from Jake.
"Thanks" she said. She half stepped forward for a hug but a loud cough from Bobby behind her reminded her that he was probably watching, so she smiled at Jake. He took the hint and left calling bye as he walked down the path.
She shut the door with her foot and walked to the kitchen. The room fell silent as she entered but conversation quickly resumed. Jack was at the cooker, making something that looked like mashed potato. She sat the flowers on the table and threw the chocolate at Angel. He caught it and looked at her, his eyes full of worry and sorrow, but also hope.
"Good catch" she said. Bobby sighed inwardly in relief. Her first happy words since they had been back. He looked at her, in Jack's t-shirt and her jeans an noticed the one thing that was missing. There was another chap at the door and this time Angel went to get it, ruffling Elle's hair as he passed. She smiled at him an then looked at Bobby.
"Bobby…I-"
He shushed her and walked over to her. Reaching behind her ear he flipped his fingers and the playing card appeared in his hands. Elle's eyes lit up and she looked up at him.
"I thought id lost that at the funeral" she choked on the last word as she took the card from him. She frowned slightly at the new crease down the middle but shrugged it off as, for a change, she pulled Bobby into a hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes till they heard Jerry's dullest tones. He had come round for dinner.
"You ok in here Jack?" she asked.
"I wanna do this" he said, "It…I wanna" Elle hugged him as she passed.
"I understand"
Jerry was sitting in the chair across form the TV. For 28 he had already got his life sorted, a wife, two daughters. He had what he had always wanted. Angel was sitting next to the record player, talking to Jerry About the hockey game that had just come on the TV. Bobby and Elle went and sat on the couch, Bobby covering her with her recently discarded blanket, and she cuddled into him. The ice hockey game played in the background as the family sat in the living room. Jack was busy in the kitchen. Angel picked up little record dusters form beside the LP player and threw a couple at Bobby.
"Why do you always do that?" asked Bobby, putting up his hands lazily to deflect them and throwing back the one she caught.
"Shut up" retorted Angel, a cheeky smile on his face.
"To be aggravating" put in Jerry.
"To be aggravating" mocked Angel, turning his attention to Jerry and throwing them at him. Jerry sighed.
"Chill out, man. I'm watching the game, c'mon" he said flicking his hand. "Why don't y'all hold that down?" He continued.
"Yeah" threw in Elle, though if she was honest she enjoyed the teasing. It made the house feel warm and homely. She had missed this.
"Hold that down, man" said Angel throwing another at Jerry. Jerry looked at him.
"You a woman" Jerry's eyes narrowed at Angels comment but continued to watch the game.
"Get him, Jerry" put in Bobby, watching gleefully at the events unfolding before him. He gave Elle a squeeze as she snuggled in more.
"Try it one more time" warned Jerry.
"What you gonna do?" taunted Angel. It was the usual banter back and forth.
"You'll see" he warned in reply, keeping his gaze on the screen, but Elle knew he wasn't concentrating on the game.
"Big-ass teeth. Bite me?" mocked Angel. This resulted in a loud laugh from Jack who was still busy in the kitchen. Elle giggled and felt her spirits rise. It really was like home again. Like nothing had changed.
"You do got some big-ass teeth, Jerry" Bobby put in, laughing.
"Yeah" answered Jerry, looking directly at Angel.
"All right" retorted Angel, not taking him seriously.
"Yeah, get him, Jerry!" shouted Bobby as Jerry stood up a and slapped Angel on the back of the head.
"What the hell you doing?" shouted Angel.
"Come on, boy" mocked Jerry as he grabbed Angel in a headlock.
"The Gorgeous Black Ladies of Wrestling, Nitro and Midnight" commented Bobby in peals of laughter as his two brothers wrestled in front of him. Angel had wriggled out of the headlock and subsequently place Jerry in one.
"Nitro got Midnight in a headlock" continued Bobby. Elle was wetting herself.
"Get him! Get him, Jerry!" she yelled in-between gasps of breath from laughing.
"Midnight trying to get up, but Nitro's on him! Get him, Nitro! " Bobby kept up on the commentary as Angel and Jerry switched between different wrestling techniques, both desperate to come out on top. Jerry however won, pinning Angel down.
"Okay. All right, all right. All right" Angel admitted defeat.
"I'm still your big brother" said Jerry, helping Angel to his feet. They nodded to each other and turned to Elle who was crying from laughter on the sofa. Angel smiled.
"Good to hear you laugh Ellie" he said.
"Hell yeah" agreed Jerry, and Bobby nodded.
"Come on, man, let's eat. Bring out that bird" Bobby yelled to Jack.
The family stood around the dinning table all holding hands. A feast lay out on eh table ready to be devoured. Elle loved how no matter how long they were away for or what had happened to them or how angry they felt, her brothers always respected the rules and routines of the house.
"Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savoir, thank you for this day. Thank you for this food we're about to receive and thank you for bringing us together. Amen" chanted Bobby.
"Amen" repeated the rest of them in unison before sitting themselves down. Bobby sat at the head of the table with Jerry and Jack to his right and Angel and Elle to his left. At the opposite end was an empty chair. Nobody mentioned the empty seat.
"Pass me the salad, man" Jerry asked Jack. Jack passed the bowl over.
"Zip up your mouth, Jeremiah. You grow up in a barn?" Jerry looked up at the empty chair to see Evelyn seated. She smiled at him as she spoke the words, a fond memory he had of her. She had said it to him on one of his first nights in the house, as an attempt to cheer him up and even though she was serious it always made him smile. He glanced over at Angel, his mouth hanging open and chewing noisily.
Close your mouth, Angel. You think you a cow or something'?" said Jerry. Angel stopped eating and abruptly closed his mouth. He stared guiltily at the table before reaching for his glass. His sleeve slid up revealing tattoo.
"More tattoos, Angel? You don't have to hide them. Look at mine." Angel glanced at the chair and saw his mum, sitting as perfect and a lovely as she had always been. Evelyn had always supported his decision to go to the Marines, and never bothered about his tattoos, she even had a few ones herself. Angel smiled.
"But take your elbow off the table." Angle quickly withdrew his elbow, before continuing to eat.
"Jackie?" Jack stared hard at the table. He remembered so vividly the first night he came here, the first night she had made him feel safe. He glanced to where her plate would usually be. Her hands were there, and she opened them invitingly to him.
"l know bad things happened to you before you came to me. Hey, look at me." Jack looked up into her warm, safe eyes. Tears were threatening. He missed her painfully
"But you're safe now" Jack hated that she was gone. He would never be able to see those eyes again. Unfortunately for Bobby and Elle when they finally had the confidence to look at the empty chair, Bobby saw nothing. He couldn't accept that she was dead. Wouldn't believe it, not till he had broken every bone in the body of the bastard that gunned her down. Elle was still to traumatised to remember anything but the accident, so she also saw nothing. Slowly, everyone stopped eating.
"To hell with this, man. Let's go get a pickup game" said Bobby pushing back his chair and standing up. "I wanna see some quick sticks and some tight passing"
"It's too cold, man" complained Jerry, though secretly he was grateful. The air was to tense in here. The memory of their loss to fresh. Maybe the dinner had been a bad idea.
"I ain't come all the way back out here to go play no hockey" said Angel.
"Come on, ladies" laughed Bobby. "Let's show these guys some fucking skills!"
