Title: The Most Bitter Pill pt2

Author: veiledndarkness

Rating: Hard R

Summary: Jealously can make things far more complicated and it's always a bitter pill to swallow.

Warnings:

major angst fest here people. I'm aiming for a happy ending but to get to that happy ending, you gotta slog through a lot of shit. This story will only be about 3 parts, but they are kinda long so I feel it works. The first one takes place roughly two years before the movie takes place. The next part will be right after her death when the brothers meet up again. The third will be after the revenge. And no I'm definitely not killing Jack cause he's been through far too much already. And I'm deeply in denial about his death.

Bobby dropped the phone, his fingers numb. He stared at the wall in front of him as his brain struggled to process what he'd just heard. No, no it can't be true, his mind screamed. Ma's fine, there's just been a mix up that's all. Paperwork at the hospital got it all wrong. But that wasn't true, and as Bobby's legs gave out underneath him, he thought about the look on her face that horrid night two years.

The last time he'd seen her, she'd looked at him with such sadness and anger all rolled into one. He sat on the rickety chair nearest him, his mind jumping trains as the memory slammed into him. He snorted absently. Like his brain would let him forget. He might not have been able to forget, but he'd been getting better at ignoring it.

The shouting, the fear, and the shame of knowing that Jack had run from him, run from his confession. He'd driven Jack away, and out of a fierce sense of pride, he'd left too. Evelyn hadn't tried to stop him, she'd let him go, just like all the other times he'd cut loose.

He sat for the better part of an hour before finally reaching for the phone again and dialing Jerry's number. Jerry. Another family member he'd ignored for the past few years. Jerry and Angel. He wondered idly if Angel was still humping that little Latina bitch. His eyes felt dry and vacant and he feared then that he might not be able to cry anymore. Bobby pushed his emotions to the side and settled for the cold, hard, Bobby that most people would know him by nowadays. This expression kept the others out.

Jerry picked up after only two rings, like he'd been expecting Bobby's call. They talked only for a few moments before Jerry asked him point blank to come home. Bobby shot back a nasty response and finished by saying that of course he'd come back. Jerry had sounded angry, Bobby reflected later in the car as he drove down the mostly deserted highway. He feared going back. But even more, feared seeing Jack. He took his hands off the wheel long enough to light a smoke. 'I never backed down from nothin' before', he thought to himself. 'I'm sure as fuck not gonna back down from this' With that thought, he let his mind wander as he drove through the dark night.

Right about the time that Bobby was driving back home, Jack was slowly trying to compel himself to get up off the bed. He was shivering in the chill night air and his warmest sweater was at the far side of the room. 'Damn the landlord', he thought, his teeth clacking. Cheap bastard wouldn't dream of putting the heat on. Jack lay on the bed shivering until he heard the phone ring. At that moment, his breath caught. A sudden wave of knowledge hit him. This was one phone call he didn't wanna answer, he was sure of it.

The phone rang again and again, sounding shrill in the dead silence of the room. Finally it stopped as the crappy answering machine that he'd picked up for 2 bucks at the flea market kicked in. His voice saying "It's me, Jack. Leave a message". He grinned despite the feeling that he wasn't going to like the message.

The grin fell off his face as the voice started talking. "Jackie. It's Jerry. Listen, I know it's been a long time but you gotta come back." Jack scoffed at that.

'Sure, Jerry. Whatever you say man' he thought, kicking the sheets off his legs. Jerry's voice caught for a second. Jack cocked his head a bit at the sound.

"It's Ma. She…was killed last night" Jack whirled around to stare at the machine. A whimper escaped from his mouth as he shook his head in denial.

"I-we need you back here man, the funerals in two days. Sorry you had to hear this way little bro" With that Jerry hung up abruptly.

Jack stood frozen to the spot. No, oh God no! His eyes burned with tears. He suddenly felt much younger than he had in a long time. He stumbled over to his pile of clothes on the floor, randomly pulling stuff out. His hands shook as he tried to pull his pants on.

'Fuck!' he swore softly as the button fly wouldn't catch. He stopped yanking, and tried to take deep breaths, the way Evelyn had taught him to. 'Like Ma said' he gave a breathless giggle. The giggle came out choked and distorted. He grabbed his duffel bag and gathered handfuls of shirts, and pants. He stuffed them in and did a quick sweep of anything valuable he might need to take with him.

He looked over at the bed and saw the still sleeping body of the guy he'd been at the club with last night. He sneered in disgust as he realized his beer goggles must be stronger than he thought. He leaned over and gave the guy a not so gentle shove.

"Hey, get up man!" he said, a little bit louder than he needed to.

The guy rolled over blinking fuzzily up at Jack. "Hey Baby".

Jack grimaced. Again, with the fuckin' Baby name. "Don't call me that!" he snapped as he scooped up his various bracelets and belts on the chair by the bed.

"I gotta leave, so y'know, feel free to let yourself out."

The nameless stranger gave Jack a dirty look as he climbed off the bed, pulling his own clothes on quickly. As an afterthought, he reached into his pocket and produced a crumpled twenty. He threw it at Jack and watched it bounce off his chest.

He smirked and said "You're a lousy fuck anyway, Baby" then walked out the door laughing, right as Jack threw a glass cup at his back. He swore as the glass missed, then shattered to the floor.

"Fuckin' prick" he muttered angrily.

Jack finished packing in record time. He gave his apartment a quick glance over, and then shut the door. The last thing he wanted was to go back home. The whole idea made him queasy. He couldn't avoid Bobby forever.

Now he sat on the Greyhound bus, being pulled back to the last place he called home before running away again. He remembered the look on Ma's face as he'd come barreling through the front door. She'd been knitting on the couch, occasionally glancing at the television screen when he burst through the door gasping. She'd dropped her knitting and stood up. In a split second, she saw the hurt and confusion in his eyes and her heart dropped.

'Damn those boys. Both are far too stubborn for their own good.' As she'd slowly approached Jack, his movements reminded her of a scared animal, ready to jump.

"Jackie, what happened? Are you ok?" she whispered.

Jack raised his trembling head to face her. She gasped at the pain in his eyes. Jack was keening softly, almost under his breath. Whatever it was, it had been bad she decided. She took small, even steps towards him. Jack breathed out unsteadily as she brought her arms and stretched to reach his shoulders.

"Breathe Jackie, breathe. Slow down and breathe. That's right." She said nodding as she felt his racing heartbeat start to slow. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Jack shook his head miserably. He started to pace the floor, pulling on his sleeves with his thumbs. When Evelyn moved towards him again, he let out a small sob and ran for the stairs. She stood staring after him as he ran upstairs. She knew now that he was packing.

Within a few moments, Jack was back downstairs, duffel bag across his shoulder, guitar gripped in his hand. He grabbed Evelyn in a strong hug, and kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry Ma." He muttered, and then headed out the door.

She walked to the screen door and watched him jog down the street. 'My poor little boy' she thought. Then she went to sit down and wait for Bobby to come home, knowing it wouldn't be too much longer.

Jack slowly drowsed off to sleep on the bus, clutching the silver chain that he always wore, except for when he was in the shower, around his neck. It was the chain that Bobby had gotten him when he'd turned 16. Bobby had never told him what the chain meant; just that he thought Jack might like it. Jack had hugged him for much longer than he usually hugged his brothers. Bobby had shivered and sighed when Jack whispered in his ear how much he liked the chain, and how he wouldn't take it off unless he had to. Jack had been thrilled and Bobby had stuck by his side all night long.

Now as he slept, his mouth crumpled a bit as his dreams got darker and the memories pulled him under.

Bobby felt like he was going to pass out at any moment, so he pulled over in the parking lot of a crappy motel. He parked at the far end and took a good look around. The place was pretty shitty, so Bobby felt fairly confident that no security guy was going to be knocking on his window come morning.

Jerry tossed and turned in his bed next to his wife. He couldn't get comfortable, not when all he could think about was how he could keep the peace around here now that Jack and Bobby were coming home.

Angel slept like a rock, his mind racing through his own dark dreams. All four brothers slept poorly that night.

Jerry dreamt of dark shadows yanking him back into the past, of his life before he met Camille. He thrashed in his sleep, covered in sweat as he dreamt of all the things that could happen to his family unless he fixed things fast. He awoke with a start, shaking all over. He watched her breathe and the sight of her breathing calmed him. He went to the girl's rooms and checked on both of them. He returned to his room and linked his fingers behind his head. He'd find a way, he always did.

Angel saw a mental image of his mother being killed every way possible. His mind wouldn't let him wake up. Each death was progressively more horrifying that the last. Silent tears seeped down his dark cheeks as he moved faster through the images.

Bobby twitched lightly every few minutes, groaning in his sleep. He kept replaying the last time he'd seen Ma's face which would then blur and reform as Jack's heartbroken face. In his dreams he'd reach out for Jack, and this time Jack wouldn't pull away like touching Bobby hurt him. This time, he'd turn into Bobby's arms and never let go.

Jack whimpered in his sleep as every bad moment of his life circled around him again, the voice laughing and mocking, the money tossed at him, the beatings, the hands, and the dirty feelings he had fought to leave behind. He saw Bobby's sad face leaning closer to him, then melting in thin strips when Jack reached out to touch him.

'Everything you touch turns to shit, Jack. You'd do well to remember that' the voice of his last foster parent before Evelyn repeated in his mind.

He awoke, shuddering as the unshed tears burned in his throat. "Oh God," he whispered into his sleeve. "How can I face him?"

As morning dawned, the boys all shared the same thought. Why did this happen?

Jerry left for the Mercer home long before the girls were up. He woke Angel up and studiously avoided looking at the dried tear tracks on Angel's cheeks. Angel had never been a morning person and now more than ever that was true. The two of them sat in total silence in the kitchen, Angel leafing through the paper, Jerry staring out the window.

Jerry cleared his throat, much the way Evelyn would to break the silence. Angel glanced up at him.

"Jack called last night before he got on the bus Angel. He'll be here later this morning."

Angel nodded and stared down at the sports section of the paper. Jerry sighed then plowed on.

"Bobby should be here any minute. I'm gonna go to get Jack from the terminal once Bobby gets here"

Angel nodded again, and then stood up to grab more coffee. "You think they're gonna be alright alone together?" he said without really looking at Jerry.

Jerry gazed into his coffee mug. "I hope so man. I really do" Angel smiled a bit.

"There's always hope Jerry" Jerry smiled then for the first time since he'd been asked to come i.d Ma's body. "Oh man, that was deep"

"Shut the fuck up!" Angel yelled as he walked to the living room. Jerry grinned again. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Bobby pulled into the driveway, glancing up at the house. "At least some things stay the same" he muttered as he pulled his coat tighter around himself.

He walked up the stairs, pausing with his hand still on the rail, the memories flooding over him. He gave a half smile then walked through the door. Jerry greeted him whole heartedly, hugs and all. Angel punched him in the shoulder, then gripped him hard in a hug. Bobby sat down on the couch and closed his eyes. Home.

Jack sat on the bus depot bench with his legs sticking straight out, his head resting against the back board. He was too tired to keep his eyes open. Jerry had said he'd be there around 11 and it was 10:30 now. 'Might as well get some rest' he thought sleepily. Before he knew it, Jerry was shaking him awake. His face lit up as Jerry grabbed him into a firm hug.

"How you been Cracker Jack? It's been too long". Jack smiled as his eyes went blurry.

"I'm good Jerry, I swear. How you holding up man?" Jerry looked down, his smile dimmed a bit.

Jack instantly regretted his words. 'Fuck, I never get shit like this right.' He thought miserably.

"I ain't gonna lie Jackie. It's been rough. I walk in there and I just keep expecting to see her, standing in the kitchen, telling me to take my boots off." Jerry said, his eyes haunted.

Jack nodded, tears thick in his throat.

"Well let's get going then…Angel and Bobby are already at the house. The girls will be by tomorrow after the funeral. And Sofi and Camille should both be there. And" Jerry trailed off as he looked at Jack's suddenly pale face. "Fuck" he swore softly.

"Come off it Jackie, you knew Bobby was gonna be there. Look I don't know what the fuck happened between you two, but get it together man. If not for yourself, then for Ma." Jerry said, his teeth clenched, completely prepared for a snappy comment from Jack.

He unclenched his teeth as he watched Jack grow paler except for two bright spots in his cheeks. 'Oh this is not good' he thought worriedly. "Jack. Jack! Wake up man!"

Jack shook his head and snapped out of the trance he'd been in. "Sorry, I just…drifted."

Jerry took a deep breath. "Let's just go Jack. You deal with Bobby on your terms, got it?"

Jack nodded, and started walking towards the car. He sat in the seat with his face close to the window like always. He traced patterns in the fog on the window, singing softly to himself. Jerry sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day and started the car. Jack seemed to be a million miles away. And for once, Jerry was glad cause the last thing he wanted to deal with was Jack's emotional state. Immediately he felt a deep shame for resenting the fact that he had to tread carefully with Jack. They always had. He was strong in his own way, sure. But when it came down to violence, and anger, Jack was the emotionally unbalanced one. He ran; hide from whatever was bothering him, retreating to a small shell inside his mind.

'Easy there Jeremiah' he heard his mother say in his head. 'You've got no right to judge him. You just mind your problems and he'll mind his'. Jerry felt a hot flush sweep over him and he mumbled a quick apology to her.

They pulled into the driveway much faster than Jack had thought it would take them. He grabbed his bag and tossed it over his shoulder.

"I should have come back Jerry" he said quietly. Jerry gave a quick nod.

"No point in dwelling on it Jackie" He ushered him inside. Jack could hear Angel arguing with Sofi, the television blaring. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He could almost see the setting two years ago. He blinked back sudden tears.

'One foot in front of the other' he reminded himself.

He made it to his room without seeing Bobby. Jack stared at his old room and gave a quick grin. It was the exact same as the last time he'd been here. He threw his bag on the bed and poked through the drawers and the closet to see if anything was missing. It was all still there. He smirked as he found his journals and sketchbooks in one drawer, ratty from years of thumbing through them. He lay back on his bed, hair fanning out as he reread the things he had written at the age of 14. He felt so old and used at that exact moment.

He searched for his photo album. It was the one thing that had really mattered that he'd left behind. In his rush to leave, he'd overlooked it. Now he poured through it, laughing at the memories it gave him. The birthdays, Christmas's, and even Easter. Evelyn always swore that you were never too old to celebrate Easter.

Jack smiled as he saw the many, many pictures of Angel, Jerry and Bobby wrestling in the living room, dining room, bathroom, even the back yard. They'd been so physical at first, that Jack had been petrified to go near them. Eventually he learned that they weren't going to actually hurt him, that play fighting didn't have to end with broken ribs, or limbs.

He flipped through the pictures till he found the one that meant the most. The picture of him hugging Bobby during his 16th birthday. The year that Bobby had given him the chain around his neck. From the camera's angle, you could see the embarrassed but happy grin on Bobby's face, and the knowing look on Evelyn's. Jack wondered about the look on her face as he lit yet another cigarette. He breathed out the smoke and held the picture closer to his face. This picture was leaving with him, he decided.

He sat up and tucked it into his bag. He sniffed himself. Blugh. 'I need a shower bad' he thought. He grabbed a towel in his way to the bathroom and ran the water. He pitched his smoke expertly out the window and closed the door.

'Not that closing it helps much around here' he laughed to himself. He could vividly remember how often two or more of the boys would be in the washroom at the same time. It was just the way things went.

He stood under the spray for awhile, letting the hot water soothe his back. Finally when the water began to cool, he washed himself quickly and hopped out to dry off. He had his towel wrapped around his waist as he dried his hair. He stood in front of the mirror, then turned around to check his back. He'd been considering getting another tattoo lately. Now he had the perfect design in mind.

With that thought, he bent over to rub his legs dry. Just as he bent over to dry them, the door opened. Jack heard a gasp and he smirked to himself.

"Serves you right for not knocking" he called out. When he heard no answer, he half turned. Bobby stood in the doorway, forgotten newspaper in one hand as he stared at Jack. Jack felt his heart go into overtime.

In that moment, the past threw itself at him and he gasped as the memory of Bobby's confession hit him full force. Bobby stared at Jack, unable to tear his eyes from him. The water dripping down his body, the wild designs on his body. He felt his hands moving away from him and towards Jack. Jack stood stock still as Bobby moved towards him.

He started to breathe in tiny panicked gasps. Bobby's hand touched Jack's cheek. Jack's eyes were wide with fear and desire. He closed his eyes and felt himself nuzzle against Bobby's hand. It'd been so long, oh how he had missed the warmth that radiated off Bobby. That rough calloused hand scraping against his cheek sent shivers through him.

"Jack" Bobby said his voice raspy with desire.

Jack's eyes shot open. The spell was broken and Jack jerked backwards from Bobby with a startled shout. His mouth opened and closed, and he could feel the sadness coming off Bobby in waves. He made a blind grab for his towel and ran for his room.

Bobby stumbled back against the bathroom wall, his hands shaking with anger, desire, and the urge to scream was nearly overtaking him. 'What the fuck came over me?'

One moment he'd been ready to go take a shit and the next thing he knew, Jack had been bent over, drying his legs, his perfectly rounded butt pointing right at him. He'd been in a daze, unable to stop himself as he'd moved towards Jack. "Oh god, what do I do now?" he groaned.

Jack stood in the middle of his room, angrily fixing his hair. 'Why do I let him affect me like that?' he thought while wiping the excess mousse off his fingers.

'I've been just fuckin' fine the past two years and…and…fuck!' he shouted mentally. He sat down on his bed, closing his eyes in frustration. He couldn't bring himself to explain to Bobby why he had reacted in that particular way two years. Shit, even he barely understood it. All he knew was that he was scared shitless of what was happening between the two of them.

He groaned then as he remembered Bobby's words. 'Nobody else is ever gonna love you like I do Jack'. He wanted to believe that so bad. Jack sat up as he heard Angel holler up the stairs that lunch was ready. His hands trembling, Jack forced himself off the bed and down the stairs.

Bobby was already sitting at the table when Jack reached the kitchen. He kept his eyes on the floor as he grabbed his sandwich and soup from the counter. Jack made no eye contact with any of his brothers.

Jerry watched Bobby sneak pleading glances at Jack's bent head. Angel ate his sandwich in four big bites before leaving the kitchen. The tension in the air was thick and heavy. Jerry sighed and looked at Jack. Jack stirred his soup listlessly, only eating about half a sandwich. Bobby ate quickly also, suddenly desperate to get out of the room. Once he left, Jack raised his head a little and caught Jerry's eye. Jerry stared at him, waiting for an answer. Jack shook his head and propped his head up on his arm.

"Look Jackie, this has got to stop. We're family man. More than that, we're the Mercer brothers; we stick together through thick and thin. You think Ma would be happy to see the two of you avoiding each other?" Jerry said.

Jack frowned. "You don't know the half of it Jerry."

"If there was ever a time that we needed to be tight, it's now. Ma's gone Jack, and we're all we got now." Jerry's voice had gone hard now, his anger and pain lacing through.

Jack made a strangled sound as he pushed his chair back, scraping the floor.

"I'm sorry Jerry. I thought I could do this. I thought I could handle it." He mumbled as he backed away from the kitchen.

He headed for the stairs, leaving Jerry to wonder how the hell he was gonna pull those two back together. He went to sit with Angel and zone out for awhile.

The funeral was far more difficult for them than they expected. Jack had stood up and given a short speech about how Evelyn Mercer had saved him and made him feel worthwhile. And loved. There had been several speeches about Evelyn's dedication to helping the less fortunate, to giving deserving children a safe and loving home. Bobby had blinked back bitter tears, so many conflicting emotions running through him. Jack sat near him, but he might as well have been on the opposite side of the cemetery. Jack had never outwardly ignored him like this. The silence hurt worse than any sharp words could have.

They headed back to the house with heavy hearts.

Bobby moved though the house like a ghost. He drifted from room to room, finally ending up in Evelyn's bedroom. The scent of her perfume lingered in the air. He touched the silver hairbrush on her bureau, paused at each of the many photos. He smiled sadly as he passed into the small side bathroom that she had claimed as her own. Here, he broke down finally, letting his suppressed tears fall as he tried to suppress the sound.

Feeling drained, he stumbled upstairs into the first bedroom he saw. Jack was sitting on his bed, idly playing with his guitar, plucking a string every now and then. Jack looked up when Bobby wobbled into the room with a panicked look on his face. Bobby stared at Jack, then sighed.

"Look, Jack, I'm not gonna do anything. I promise. I won't even…touch you or anything…" he mumbled before trailing off.

Jack watched Bobby's face a moment, then nodded, not trusting his voice. Bobby sat down on the edge of the bed and laced his fingers behind his head, half crouching.

"I couldn't stay downstairs, I tried man. I swear I did. All I could smell was her and…" he broke off, sighing.

Jack sat quietly, strumming a soft tune, plucking the strings while listening to Bobby. After a while of sitting hunched over, he stretched, watching to see if it upset Jack, then he crawled up the bed and lay down on his side. He'd never felt more empty or alone than he did at that moment. Jack hummed along in time to his tune.

Bobby turned to look at him. "What song is that?"

Jack shrugged, a light blush staining his cheeks. Bobby listened carefully to the tune, straining to remember the lyrics. He vaguely remembered hearing it somewhere before, back in the mid-nineties. Jack stopped humming for a moment only to start singing along softly.

"And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky, I'll make a wish send it to heaven then make you want to cry. The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty.
That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of the highest power. In lonely hours the tears devour you."

Bobby sighed at the lyrics. A small feeling of peace stole over him. His eyelids drooped a bit as the strain from the past few days caught up with him. He fell asleep then, lying a careful distance away from Jack, feeling comforted none the less. Jack continued to hum long after Bobby fell asleep. This song had been one of Ma's favorites and he'd made it a point to learn how to play it on the guitar for her. She'd been so pleased. He smiled and put the guitar down. He turned on his side and let the tears fall now that he'd been struggling to keep in all day. This night, neither had any nightmares.

In the morning, Bobby awoke first and realized that he was still in Jack's bed. He leaned forward a bit and watched Jack breathe. Jack snuffled a little in his sleep and Bobby smiled at that. In sleep, he seemed so much younger. 'And far too thin', his lips thinned a little at that. He shifted his way out of bed, easing his way out so as not to wake up Jack.

Jack made a throaty sound in his sleep, drawing Bobby's eyes over to his body. He stretched and as the sheet pulled off his body, it took his shirt up higher on his stomach. Bobby's eyes were stuck on the exposed skin. His palms suddenly moist, heart racing he took a step back to the bed. Jack sighed again, and twitched his legs. Now all Bobby could see was Jack's reaction to the morning. He grinned, remembering the days of pointless hard-ons. Of waking up hard every morning. And of how Ma never said a word, but always included extra sheets each week with his regular laundry. Just remembering it made his face burn with embarrassment. His hand started to move towards Jack's long body. He trembled with the urge to touch Jack.

As he took another step towards Jack, his eyes opened slightly. Bobby leapt backwards. Jack stared at him, with a confused look in his eyes.

"Bobby?" he asked his voice husky with sleep. Bobby blushed and started mumbling about Jack needing to get his butt out of bed for breakfast.

Jack nodded and let his head drop back down. Bobby all but ran out of the bedroom and stood with his back against the bathroom door. He'd not been so turned on so many times in the span of a day since the last time he'd seen Jack swimming at the outdoor public pool. He jumped in the shower, letting the hot water soak away his full body sweat. He fisted himself fiercely as he leaned back against the cool tiles. His cock in hand, he closed his eyes and pictured Jack touching himself the way he would have at that age, waking up with an erection that just begged to be touched. He shuddered, his whole body trembling as he came.

He leaned his head against the tile, gasping. Right then, Angel came bursting through the bathroom door. Bobby poked his still flushed face out the side of the curtain and yelled at him to get the fuck out. Angel smirked and sat on the toilet. Bobby grumbled under his breath and finished his shower.

Each day seemed to just flow through to the next. Jack and Bobby seemed to have reached a tentative peace, and they were finally making some headway on getting to Victor Sweet. The argument with Jerry was breaking the fragile peace in the home. Each brother struggled with their emotions, though it only seemed visible on Jack's face.

No one ever saw the way Bobby would crawl into Jack's bed each night long after Jack himself had fallen asleep. It was the only way he could sleep without his horrifying nightmares.

The shootout took them by surprise, partly because they hadn't expected Sweet to send his goons out in broad daylight. Jack took a shot to his upper shoulder after being lured outside. Bobby's protective instincts had been tweaked all day, and he hadn't strayed far from Jack's side since waking up that morning.

Jack had crawled behind the low brick wall while the boys took out their enemies. Jack had passed out soon afterwards. He awoke briefly to see Bobby hovering over him repeating "Don't you fuckin' die on me, you little fairy…don't you fuckin' dare" Jack had given a small slip of a smile and gone under again.

The hospital bought their extremely thin story about Jack's wound being a gang fight gone wrong. They were too busy to be all that concerned and frankly, Bobby was being a nuisance to the nurses as they patched up Jack.

He'd been lucky, they said. The bullet had gone right through his shoulder. With a few choice words about what lucky meant to him, Bobby was then escorted outside by security, the other brothers and Jack not far behind.

The vengeance continued. Bobby hid Jack from Sweet's men with Sofi. Then they continued to wreak their justice. Jack had complained at first, saying that he was fine and that he wanted to help. Bobby had flat out refused. Angel and Jerry had no opinion, they weren't about to get involved with that argument.

Jack had given in finally and the men left the house to find Sweet. Hours later, they returned, Bobby covered in bruises, especially his knuckles. Sofi had scolded them for putting themselves in danger, while Jack had hovered silently in the background. That night, Bobby headed upstairs to Jack's room. He could hear the guitar again. He smiled. They would work this out.