Title: Another Life 10/?

Author: veiledndarkness

Rating: R

Pairing: None

Summary: You can change your name, but you can't change who you are.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no harm intended, no profit made.

Four Brothers/Death Sentence Cross-over

XX

Jack gripped the straps of the back pack that sat in his lap, his fingers twisted with the material. He sighed and curled up on the chilled leather, his head against the frosted over window. With a sullen pout, he listened to Billy's excited ranting. His nose twitched, the amount of cigarette smoke that filled the car was annoying, even if his fingers did itch to have one. Bobby was less likely to refuse Billy's request to smoke, so long as Evelyn wasn't around, but if Jack dared to ask…

He blew a puff of warm air at the window and dragged his finger through the resulting patch of fogged glass. Jack closed his eyes, yawning. He wanted nothing more than to crawl back into his bed.

"Hey, sleepin' beauty."

Jack opened his eyes, scowling at the glass. "Fuck off."

A hand reached back and gripped his arm. "The fuck is your problem, Jackie? Someone piss in your cereal?"

Billy snickered. Jack flinched back from Bobby's strong fingers. "Just go back to ignoring me," he muttered.

"What'd you say?" Bobby stared at him, frowning.

"Nothing…"

Bobby snorted. "Bullshit. Look Jack, I don't got time for this fairy diva shit. You're gonna be late so up an' at it, huh?"

Jack tugged the back pack off his lap and pushed the seat forwards, sliding out of the backseat, mumbling, "Whatever," as he went. He hunched his shoulders and walked up the frozen path to the school. He heard the car door slam shut and heavy footsteps following him.

"Hey, Bobby forgot t' give ya this," Billy pushed a brown paper bag at him. "Evelyn asked 'im t' give them t' us."

"Would it kill you to enunciate properly for once?" Jack snapped.

Billy blinked at him, his eyes narrowing fast. "The fuck is wrong with ya t' day? I'm so very fuckin' sorry that I don't speak like some suckass lil' pretty boy like you!"

"Shut up!" Jack hissed. His face was very pale. "You just shut up or I'll..."

"Or what, Jackie boy?" Billy rolled his eyes. "Ya gonna take me on? Pfft, don't flatter y' self. You ain't got a chance of beatin' me. You're a lil pussy boy, that's what you are. Bend over in a second if that's what it takes, right? I ain't afraid of some fairy boy!"

Jack dropped his backpack, incensed. He shoved Billy with an incoherent shout.

Billy stumbled back, eyes wide. "You'd best back the fuck off, now, Jack," he growled. "I ain't gonna fight you."

"Why?" Jack shouted. He was only dimly aware that they were attracting a crowd of curious school kids. "Afraid he'll get mad, huh? Afraid he might wanna spend some time with me for once?!" Jack shoved him again.

Billy fisted his hands, his chest hitching. "Knock it off, I'm fuckin' warnin' you."

"Make me!" Jack lunged at him, swinging his fists wildly. "It's your fault! All your fault…I hate you! You're stealin' him an' he's supposed to be my brother! Not yours!"

Billy hit the ground with a thud and a grunt. Jack's fist connected with his left eye, a flare of pain exploding fast and hard. He groaned and rolled to the side, dodging Jack's fists as the blows rained down on him. He closed his eyes, retreating inwardly to block everything out.

There was a fierce tug and Jack was lifted clean off of Billy. He was tossed down beside Billy, a slap upside his head making his ears ring. He stared up into Bobby's very angry face. He swallowed nervously. "I…I…B-Bobby…"

"You wanna tell me what the fuck is goin' on here?" Bobby demanded. "Have you lost your goddamned minds?"

Jack cringed back from him. He sucked in a breath and promptly burst into furious tears. He hid his face in his knees, his shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. His knuckles ached and the anger on Bobby's face was almost too much to handle.

"Jesus fuckin'…" Bobby sighed. "Don't cry…C'mon, Jackie, don't cry." He knelt down before them both. "Billy? Billy…" he touched one hand to Billy's shoulder, shaking the silent boy.

Billy made a soft sound, tensing up. Bobby leaned in, whispering something to him. Billy sniffed and sat up, rubbing at his sore face. He fingered the rapidly bruising skin around his eye. "Y' keep him away from me or so fuckin' help me, I'll knock his fuckin' teeth in."

"You touch him an' I'll spank the ever livin' hell outta you," Bobby growled.

Billy flushed a light pink, embarrassed. "He hit me, Bobby! I didn't start shit!"

"I know, I saw." Bobby leaned in, checking him over. "Split lip, that eye's gonna black up real nice," he mused. "You ok? Dizzy at all?"

Billy shook his head, sniffing harder. "M' fine an' I had worse b' fore." He squatted down in front of Jack, his hand held out. "C'mon, Jackie, school's startin' soon."

Jack lifted his head, his cheeks blotchy with tears, abject misery in his eyes. With a sigh, he took Billy's hand. Billy tugged him upwards, dusting the snow off him carefully.

"Helluva punch," he murmured. "You gotta 'member not t' tuck your thumb, ya gonna break it if ya keep doin' that."

Jack sniffled, wiping at his eyes with both hands. "Knuckles hurt."

"Yeah," he nodded, slinging his arm around Jack's narrow shoulders for the briefest hug. "That'll happen till ya toughen 'em up."

Jack nodded silently and stepped away from him. Bobby glanced at his watch and swore under his breath. "G'on inside an' wash up, Billy. Lie if you gotta about your face. I'll catch the call from the school if they do doubt you. I'll be back by three for you both."

"Yessir," Billy grabbed his back pack and lunch. He bumped shoulders with Bobby and hurried off to the school building.

"The fuck are you all starin' at?" Bobby barked at the kids that were lingering nearby. "Fuck off, all of you!"

The kids scattered within seconds, leaving Jack and Bobby alone together. Bobby sighed and looked Jack over. "We're talkin' tonight, that clear?"

"You can't make me," Jack mumbled into his chest.

"The hell I can't," Bobby touched Jack's chin with two fingers. "Look at me, now. This shit stops, alright? You have any idea how upset Ma's gonna be when she finds out? Or if the school finds out? You need another suspension like you need more holes in your head."

"You an' Angel fight all the time! An'...and we're not officially on school grounds. They can't do shit to either of us!"

Bobby let out a quiet chuckle. "Not like that we don't. I'm not tryin' to hurt him. And he ain't tryin' to hurt me. You though....you were tryin' to hurt Billy. That's not ok, not by a long shot."

Jack sniffed and looked away. "Fine."

Bobby tugged him into a hug, his arms holding Jack tightly. Jack pressed his cheek to the worn coat, breathing in the comforting, familiar scent of Bobby. He held on until the ringing of the morning bell went off.

"Go on, you're gonna be late."

He let go of Bobby reluctantly and grabbed his forgotten lunch bag and back pack. "Bye," he whispered, jogging up the path.

Bobby ran a tired hand over his head, sighing as he watched Jack enter the building.

XX

"He what?"

Jack cringed. Evelyn's stunned reply made him feel queasy. He looked to Billy, who was sitting with him on the top of the staircase, his face flushed. "God, she sounds so pissed."

"Nah, probably shocked more n' anythin'," Billy said. He took a bite of his cookie, licking the crumbs from his lips. "Relax, man. She ain't gonna beatcha or nothin'. Lectures more like it. Ya get off easy here."

Jack nodded morosely. "She's gonna be all disappointed in me. I hate that. What if...what if she gets tired of dealin' with all my shit? I try so hard to be good..."

Billy shrugged. "I dunno. She puts up with Bobby, don't she? An' he's worse than I am." He held out another cookie to Jack. "Cheer up. I ain't mad anymore 'bout you hittin' me."

He took the cookie from him. "I don't get you, y' know that?"

"What's t' get?"

"I...you! You don't make much sense. First you hate me, then you're like...neutral, then I beat on you an' you're sharin' cookies. The hell kinda behavior is that?"

Billy grinned and took a large bite from the homemade cookie in his hand. "My behavior," he said, his voice mimicking Jack's. "Nobody ever called me consistent. An' besides, o' course I hated you in the beginnin'. You're the...the baby, the cute one an' everybody loves the cute one. It's a threat."

"So...So now you don't?"

Billy sighed and shook his head. "Can't ya jus' accept it? Do you hafta figure it all out? 'Sides, it's in my best interest to be nice. Bobby'll drop kick me in the river," he added with a playful smirk.

Jack nudged him. "You're a real asshole."

"Yeah, well you're a sissy, fairy boy," he nudged him back. "Eat the cookie or I will."

Jack took a bite. "Mm, think she'll still let me have cookies after the lecture?"

"Sure, all you hafta do is give her some good puppy eyes an' she'll melt. She's a 'mom' type; they can't resist all sad puppy boy eyes."

Jack snickered into his hand, muffling the sound. "You're bad."

"Bad t' the bone," Billy drawled, the pair of them laughing quietly. "B-B-B-addddd..."

"Billy? Are you doing your letters and writing?" Evelyn's voice carried up the stairs easily.

Billy froze. "How the fuck does she do that?" he whispered.

Jack nodded solemnly. "Bionic hearing."

"Uhh, yeah Evelyn...I am. Stopped t' grab a snack is all," he called back.

"That's fine, but back to it. I'll be checking on your progress before your shower, so hop to it."

"Yes'm," he stood up, dusting the crumbs off. He squeezed Jack's shoulder. "Good luck, Jackie. Remember what I said, puppy eyes all the way an' a few tears never hurt neither."

"Bad to the bone," Jack muttered, shaking his head. "Go, 'fore you get in trouble."

Billy chuckled as he walked down the hallway, one hand touching his bruised face gently.

XX

Bobby stretched out on his bed, yawning. He turned over onto his side, drowsing under the blankets. A timid knock on his door alerted him and he sighed. "C'mon in."

Jack entered the room, his face pale as he crossed the room. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I said we were gonna talk, didn't I?"

"Yeah..." Jack sat on the edge of the bed. "Mom grounded me for a week."

Bobby tugged on the blankets and sat up. "You got off pretty damn easy."

Jack nodded. He sat back more, his legs pressed up to his chest. He rested his head to his arms, sighing. "Bobby...I-I know you're pissed at me..."

"Pissed? Gee, Jack, what would I be pissed about, huh?" Bobby's eyes gleamed in the dark room. "The fact that you fucking attacked Billy at school? Or the fact that you're startin' fights in school? Or how about the way you ignore everyone here, sulkin' in your room like some depressed wanna be?"

"Stop," Jack whispered. He swallowed over the lump in his throat. "Shut up."

"No. You're gonna hear me, an' hear me good. This violent shit isn't cool. The hell made you think it's ok to hit on Billy? He never hits you, an' he never will."

Jack flinched. "Why? Why do you like him better?" The words slipped out before he could stop them. "What's so damned great about him?"

Bobby stared at him. "Jack...Are you jealous? Is that what all this is about? You're jealous?"

"You like him better. You do, don't lie," Jack whispered bitterly. "He's like you, in every way. I'm too much of a girlie boy. That's why you wanna be around him all the time."

"Who said that?"

"Nobody did. Nobody has to. I'm not stupid, Bobby!"

Bobby groaned. "You are jealous. Jesus, Jackie, there's nothin' to be jealous about. He's not replacin' you."

"Stop sayin' I'm jealous!" Jack shouted.

"If you aren't, how come you're gettin' so upset?"

"Because!" Jack turned to face him, angry tears escaping. "You don't care about me, it's always Billy now! We used to read together, an' I'd work on your car with you. Now, I never get to be with you. It's him, always fucking him!"

Bobby leaned forward, tugging Jack over to his side. Jack shuddered, fighting the grip. "No...No, let me go!" he pleaded.

"Shh, calm down," he murmured, holding him to his chest. "Shh, that's it, settle down."

Jack's shudders faded as he gradually calmed down. "Bobby," he whispered thickly. "Am I not good enough? I try so hard to be. But I'm not Billy...I can't be like him."

"Jackie," Bobby rubbed his hand over Jack's back, massaging the tensed muscles. "I don't want you to be like him. I want you to be you. I want you to be Jack."

"I don't like me though," Jack whispered. "I'm not good enough."

Bobby hugged him closer. "You stop that shit right now. You're plenty good, there's nothin' wrong with you. You can't believe that foster shit from before."

Jack sniffled, wiping at his eyes. "What's so good about him?"

Bobby sighed. "He's...I see so much of myself in him, Jack. He's like a young me. Jack...if you only knew what kinda life he's been through...I'm surprised you don't got more sympathy for him."

"He's not exactly the nicest kid, y' know?" Jack snapped at him. "He scared the shit outta me when he first came here."

"I know he did. He gets jealous too. I can't say it enough, you guys don't need to fight over who's more important. Me an' Ma, Jerry, Angel even, we all love you guys. No competition, no who's better crap."

Jack closed his eyes. "I can't help it. I'm nothin' like him."

"Be you. We don't need another Billy, but we sure need you, we need Jackie. I need my Jack again. An' yeah…I guess I slacked off on spendin' time with you. I'm sorry, Jack. I never meant to hurt you, honest."

"I…I know." Jack tucked his head under Bobby's chin, "M' sorry…for fighting and all that shit."

Bobby hugged him. "It's gonna be ok. No more fightin' though. We're brothers; we don't hurt each other, clear?"

"Clear," Jack whispered. "Read with me tonight?"

Bobby chuckled quietly. "Sure. You go pick the book, but none of that sappy shit either. Sappy shit gives me nightmares."

XX