Chapter 3: The Michigan Mauler

Thanksgiving at the Mercer house was a short affair. The boys had cooked a turkey because – as Jeremiah said – they should at least try to act like a family. But the empty chair at the head of the table weighed heavily on all four, and each got caught up in memories of their mother. Before long, Bobby was verbally whipping them to go outside and play some pickup hockey. It was a holiday tradition and although Angel bitched about it to start, he went anyway.

It was a rough and tumble game, just what they needed to momentarily forget their troubles. The verbal barbs flew as frequently as the checks and Bobby made sure to critique Jack's skating and checking ability, saying that he needed to make a man out of his brother. Jerry also was less than amused when Bobby used his cell phone as a puck.

With her father in Florida, Jessie hadn't really done much for Thanksgiving. A turkey was too much for just her, so she'd made a small roast chicken and some sides. After, when her pants felt far too tight, she headed out for a walk. Her steps took her to the local rink, figuring someone would be playing hockey. She stepped up in the make-shift bleachers and sat down. The first thing she saw was the red Michigan Wings game jersey with the big 24 on the back.

Bobby Mercer. The Michigan Mauler.

She watched him chase someone on the other team and throw a casual hip check that knocked his opponent off balance. As he skated by, Jessie started shouting.

"You're getting soft, Mercer! You call that a check, you pansy?"

His head whipped around, looking for the heckler – no one dissed Bobby Mercer's hockey game – and then he realized it was Jessie. "I can check harder than that," she shouted. The next two checks that Bobby threw rang bells and left his victims disoriented.

There's the hockey player I remember. For two years after high school, Bobby'd managed to start a promising career in the AA hockey league as part of the Michigan Wings. While his skills were good and he was plenty talented, Bobby was alternately termed a mucker (a good defensive player who doesn't score many points but also adds a physical temperament to the game – a trouble maker) and a goon (a player with little other purpose than to try and get players to fight).

Bobby had been a goon extraordinaire. He was thrown out of nearly 60 games before the league finally had enough of him and kicked him out. Jessie remembered being at one game where he started with one player and managed to take two others down during the same fight. He got thrown out of that game, and shortly after he was dubbed the "Michigan Mauler." The moniker stuck for the rest of his career and beyond.

The pick-up game went on for another 20 minutes and after a cursory shaking of hands, Bobby skated over.

"Hey, Bobby. Good game."

"You didn't seem to think so earlier. I'm not sure if you were rooting for me or not," he said.

"I always cheer for you. But you were being lazy. No room for that in hockey." He smirked, but Jessie looked past him and smiled.

"Angel! How the hell are you?" She stood up and leaned through the gap in the fence to hug Angel Mercer. "I stopped by the other day but you weren't at the house. I'm sorry about your Mom."

"Thanks." Angel nodded. "You look good, Jessie."

"You're looking good, too… for a jarhead."

"Better than a grunt like you," Angel shot back with a grin.

"Screw you," said Jessie as he skated away. "I was a Ranger, thank you very freakin' much…"

"An Army Ranger?" Bobby raised an eyebrow. "So you know how to handle a gun?"

"More than you know," said Jessie. Then she changed the subject. "I'm stuck having to work tomorrow. What are you guys doing?"

"Got to meet with Ma's lawyer," he answered and a slight frown shadowed his face. He was also planning on finding out more about what really happened to his mother. He pushed back from the edge of the rink to follow his brothers.

"See you soon?" he asked.

"You got it."

Jessie watched him skate across the rink and caught herself sighing. She really loved Bobby in that hockey shirt.

-a-a-a-a-a-a-

Author's note: Hopefully the few who are reading are enjoying. I'm still feeling a little rusty but it is getting better. This was more of a transition chapter. Would love to hear from some readers – let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: the usual stuff – Jessie is my creation but almost all of the other major characters are the brain child of the movie writers or others.