Hey, you've been waiting a long time for the next chapter and I'm sorry about that, I am at home visiting my family and with christmas and new years, well you know, not a lot of time left lol. Well I've got a cold now so if anything sounds hinky (is that a word?), it might actually be because of the fever and not my mind, who knows. Anyway I hope you're still with me because I'm ready to put this show on the road. Music is very important to me, especially when I write so I got this idea that I can write down the songs that inspired me for each chapter, usually while I write a chapter I listen to the same songs that I feel fits the mood for just that chapter, and sometimes the chapter changes because of the songs I listen to at the moment. Maybe a stupid idea but like I said, music is important to me. Enough of this, time to meet up with Jackie and the rest, and yeah, we're getting closer and closer to, what? Jackies revenge? His downfall? We shall see. I don't own four brothers.

Standing inside his home felt strange. Maybe because it didn't feel like home. It didn't feel safe, it didn't feel warm. It didn't feel like it used too. Or maybe it was he himself that was different, maybe he had changed so much since the shooting that he no longer belonged here, in the place that used to be his safe haven. He wondered if he would ever fit again. His eyes landed on the pictures of him and his brothers on the wall, now riddled with bullet holes. Was he supposed to feel? No. It wasn't the time for feeling, it wasn't time to cry and break, he had done that so much already. He felt too hollow anyway. How could he feel, when the place where his heart should have been, was empty.

He dragged his gaze from the pictures and he took a few steps, the dining room table coming into view. The family table. Their family table. Their family. He turned quickly, catching Angel's eyes.

"In the kitchen"

Angel nodded and left in search for the guns they would probably need. No, not probably. They would need them. Today, tonight. He felt a hand on his shoulder, it calmed him slightly.

"You alright?"

Jerry's voice was steady. He had always been the calm rational one. But Jack knew he was breaking too. They all were. But they just had to hold on a little longer.

"Yeah"

"Don't lie"

There was no accusation in his voice, just that calm statement of fact that reminded him so much of Bobby.

"Don't worry" Jack answered, his eyes distant.

Don't worry about me. Worry about him. He's the one who's dying. Aren't you too? The voice inside him whispered. Maybe I am, I don't care. What's the point of living when I feel dead already... Maybe I was never supposed to make it this far.

"I do" Jerry spoke.

Jack looked at him. Saw the love, the sadness, the anger. He wanted to reassure him, but he had nothing to say. Nothing he could say. He had a feeling it was already decided. The path was chosen and there were no where to turn from the embarked path.

"Found them"

Angel interrupted their stare and they both turned to look at him as he loaded the table full of guns and ammo. Just like Bobby had. They gathered around the table.

"We need a plan. A good one"

"I'll set up the meet with Sweet, offer the money in exchange for our freedom" Jerry stated.

"We need more. He'll kill you before you have taken a step. We'll find you when the ice clears in the spring, if we're alive"

Angel was right. And this wasn't even about their freedom. It was about revenge, it was about blood, their blood. Theirs, and Sweets.

"Set up the meet. We'll meet with him, and then we'll kill him"

Angel would never get used to hearing that cold indifference in his little brothers voice. But as hard as it was he knew Jack had a point. More than that he wanted revenge too. So badly he could almost taste it. He just hoped that Bobby would forgive them for letting Jack do this. If there was another way he would have done it, would have jumped at the chance to keep his little brother away from the danger and the death that was hovering just around the corner, waiting for them. But there wasn't, and he knew that if they tried to keep him out of it they were all dead. They needed each other now. Maybe more than they ever had before.

"And Fowler?"

"He's dead"

"Jack! We can't kill a cop even if he's dirty!" Jerry argued.

"He killed Ma" Jack whispered

"He's not walking" Angel's voice was hard.

Jerry sighed. He wanted this as much as them, but how where they going to get it done.

"I'll call Evan"

30 minutes later Jerry had left for a meet with Evan and Jack and Angel was seated at the table. Jerry had told them he should meet with Evan alone, as to not spook him. They didn't like it, but Jerry trusted Evan, and they knew he was right.

"You know what you're doing?" Angel's voice interrupted the silence. He studied Jack carefully. When Jack didn't answer he continued "It isin't easy. I know it seems like it now, and I know we make it look that way, but it isin't Jack, it isin't easy to take someones life. It's not supposed to be"

Jack still didn't answer but Angel knew he was listening. After growing up together he could tell when he was off in his own world. He wanted to make sure he knew what he was doing.

"The night we killed them" He didn't have to say their names, they both knew who he were talking about "You freaked out. There was a reason Bobby wanted you to stay back. He didn't want you to have to deal with that, because it taints you Jack. It changes you. They got what they deserved, and I don't regret it, and I never will, but we took their lives. That's on us. Bobby never wanted you to know what it feels like"

"Bobby never wanted to be shot either"

"Bobby wouldn't have minded if it meant he was saving your life. That's why he did what he did, he did it for you. And trust me he dosen't regret that, no matter what"

Jack knew that. Knew Bobby would have done anything to protect him. That was one of the first things he taught him when he arrived at the Mercer's. Protect your family. It didn't change the fact that it was Jack's fault.

"It goes both ways" Jack voice was almost a whisper.

"What does?"

"Protecting your family"

Angel nodded.

"Do you remember when you stole that car?" Angel asked

Jack let out a small hollow laugh. It made his chest hurt.

"Yeah. Thought Bobby would kill me when he came to bail me out"

"Oh yeah, he wanted to wring your scrawny neck" Angel laughed

"It was a nice car though"

"It was" Angel agreed.

The door opening and closing made them tense up and reach for their guns, but Jerry's face made them relax.

"It's done"

They were seated at the table. The same table where they had family dinners. The table that were missing two people. Two empty chairs. The sight stung Jack's eyes and made them hurt, made them want to close to block out the sight. They had gone over the plan and were now discussing everything that could go wrong.

"Fowler's a problem. Evan said that he's probably not going to go for it, and he's going to be there. Should we split up?" Jerry's voice was unsure, showing his dislike at the thought.

"No. Too risky. Who would do what, and Jack's shoulder's not alright, we can't take that chance"

"I'll be fine"

"You took any pills?"

"Later. Can't be messing up my mind now"

They saw the logic in that. Still, it must hurt like a bitch.

"And Evan and the rest is on?"

"Yeah" Jerry nodded

"Can we trust him?"

"We have to, got no other choice"

They sat in silence. In an hour they were meeting with Sweet, and they all knew that this was their time.

"It feels wrong without him here. And without her too" Jerry spoke up and broke the silence that had settled over the room.

"I miss them too" Angel's voice was subdued "But we're gonna send Ma some company, so she can straighten him out, her own way"

"He's not going where she went" Jack stated

"I think she's waiting for him, to give him a piece of her mind, before she goes on up" Angel sounded sure of this, and Jack liked the thought of Evelyn lecturing Sweet in the afterlife until his ear bled.

"Hey" They all looked at Jerry "I love ya'll"

Angel grasped his hand hard and hugged it with his own, no words needed. Jack sat silently beside them. For the first time since entering the house feeling some kind of warmth. This was his family. Maybe they weren't bound by blood, but they had grown up together, fought together, bled together, and that bound them to each other more tightly than any genetics ever could.

"Hand me the remote boneyard"

Jack glared at Bobby and clutched the remote closer to him.

"Don't call me that"

"How about beanpole? All tall and skinny, you know that's why Ma wanted you to stay home tonight, she was afraid the hard wind would take the little fairy with it" Bobby laughed

"Shut up" Jack grumbled

"Oh someones getting testy" Bobby clucked his tongue at him "Now that I think about it, you have been growing an attitude for a while Cracker, what's up with that?"

"Nothing"

"Don't sound like nothing to me"

"None of your business"

"Oh now you know I aint leaving you alone, course it's my business, I'm your big brother aint I?"

"Some seems to think so" Jack shot Bobby a meaningful look

"Oh come on Jackie, make my life a little easier and spare me the time and energy from having to sneak around and figure things out myself"

"Cause that would take forever"

"Hey" Bobby struck him with the couch pillow across his face "Watch your mouth. When the fuck did you start being so fucking mouthy?"

"Fuck off Bobby" Jack hissed while trying to spit out the hair the pillow had brought to his mouth.

"Hey I fucking mean it! What the fuck is up with you? You've been moodier than usual, and that's saying something since you're always a moody little emo kid"

"Do you even know what emo is?"

"Yeah, I know it's moody little shits who wears all black and wonders why the stars are shining so fucking bright and are all 'to be, or not to be"

"Whatever man"

"Leave the kid alone Bobby" Jack started to protest at being called a kid when Angel continued talking as he walked through the room to the kitchen "He just got suspended for fighting in school".

Jack sighed loudly. "Thanks Angel!"

"No problem kiddo" Angel called back from the kitchen, totally oblivious.

"So. Suspended huh?"

"Just for the rest of the week"

"Seems like something you would like, no school"

"Yeah, a real sweet deal. Mom's having me get up early to clean the garage. And after I'm done with that she mentioned that the yard is looking like shit. Well, she didn't say shit"

Bobby winced, no one had been able to fit a car in the garage for years because of all the crap stuffed in there.

"Harsh. Still, you know better, take it outside school"

Jack shrugged, reluctant to talk about the fight to had led to his suspension. Bobby seemed to sense that, so of course he continued. How does he do that Jack wondered. Some kind of sixth sense.

"What were the fight about? And did you kick his ass, or did he kick yours? Tell me if that's the case and I'll take care of it"

Bobby looked over Jack quickly, searching for obvious and not so obvious injuries and finding none.

"I kicked his ass"

Jack's voice was steady but Bobby sensed there was more to this story. Jack usually didn't look for fights,but if the fight came to him he was like a wild cornered animal, and there was nothing more dangerous than a wild animal feeling cornered. And Jack still hadn't told him what the fight had been about.

"So what started it? You stole someones boyfriend or what?"

Jack glared but didn't bother to respond to that.

"Oh come on Jackie, you know I'm going to find out anyway"

"He always does" Jerry muttered as he walked past and up the stairs.

Jack sighed and leaned his head back, a headache was approaching fast.

"He was just talking shit"

"About?"

Jack hesitated, but then spoke, knowing Bobby would never give up until he gave in.

"Us. About us"

Bobby's eyebrows rose and his hand clenched together.

"What about us?"

"He said that we aren't really brothers. And that the only reason we're here is because" Jack stopped, caught his breath and then continued, the words coming out slowly "Because no one else wanted us".

Bobby didn't speak for a moment, rage rushing through him. He wanted nothing more than to find this guy and teach him a lesson about respect. He looked down at Jack's head which was bowed down to avoid Bobby's eyes and he felt sadness replace the rage.

"Hey" Jack looked up and met his eyes "He dosen't know what the fuck he's talking about. Little shit probably wouldn't know what the word family means even if you hit him with it. Your my brother Jack. Blood or no blood, your my brother, and I'll fucking kill anyone who says otherwise"

Bobby's voice was so sure that Jack didn't doubt him.

"And yeah sure, no one other than Ma wanted us, that's right. But that dosen't matter cause we could never have done better than her anyway"

Jack nodded. That was true. There was no one better than Evelyn. He was convinced she was the best, and the sweetest person that had ever walked on this earth.

"Your right"

"Of course I'm right. Now hand me the remote before I kick your ass into next week"

Jack sighed but handed the remote over to Bobby who quickly changed to a hockey game.

"Hey Angel"

"What?" Came his muffled voice from the kitchen. No doubt was he stuffing his mouth again.

"Help your little brother clean the garage tomorrow"

Loud sighs and mumbled curses were heard before a defeated "Fine" reached them.

Jack gave Bobby a small grateful smile then asked the question that was burning on his tongue.

"How do you know Shakespeare?"

Bobby scoffed. "The better question is why do you you little fairy"

I hope you like it. In the next chapter the meet is probably going to take place, I'm not completely sure though, but maybe. Songs for this were Red nation – Game, Lil Wayne, One of us – Joan Osborne. Please tell me what you think.