And this chapter is especially for my sister so that she won't feel the need to flip out and interrupt me eating Taco Bell to tell me how I have to finish this story.

And review bitch, or I'll dump your ass in the pool!

Warning: Semi-graphic m/m pairing.

So yes, on with the story. Tension and intrigue are yet to come, woohoo!

Disclaimer: do I really have to put one of these in every chapter? Fine, I don't own Four Brothers, but I do own a green pencil that blows bubbles. Teehee.

Enjoy!

"And Amelia introduced me to the hockey coach," Evy said. "At first he was just going to blow us off, used that 'I've already got a full roster and the season's nearly over, I'm sure you're real good, but-' and Amelia kept pushing until he finally agreed to watch. I'm first string, center forward. I can't wait for Monday. School's gonna be so awesome here."

Bobby smiled. Evy had been chattering enthusiastically since they'd left the school. She was behaving like a normal kid now, not someone who'd been through hell and back. His smiled widened as he thought about the fact that the only bruises she'd have from now on would come from hockey and not a parent's hand.

"I should probably tell you that there was . . . a little trouble," Evy said delicately, jerking Bobby from his happy reverie. Leaning forward over his empty plate, Bobby glared across the table at his niece.

"What sort of trouble?" he asked.

Evy played with her food. "Just a little trouble," she muttered. "Nothing I can't handle."

Angel burst out laughing, causing everyone at the table to look sharply at him. "Damn, she's a Mercer alright," he crowed. "Not even in class yet and already startin' shit."

Bobby glared at his brother. "Speak," he snapped at Evy.

"These girls tried to start something with Amelia and me when we were walking around," Evy said with a shrug. "The leader tried to jump me and I kicked her back against the lockers and told her to leave us alone."

"And the rest?" Bobby prompted.

"What makes you think there was more than that?" Evy asked, her eyes widening innocently. Bobby glared at her and Evy rolled her eyes. "Alright, I got a little more graphic with her than that."

Sofi stood up. "Homework Jake," she said as she started to gather up the dishes.

"Aw, Mo-om," Jake whined.

"Now," Sofi said sternly.

"You guys always make me leave right when things are getting interesting." He moped out of the room, stomping hard up the stairs and slamming his bedroom door.

"Let's hear the worst," Angel said resignedly.

Evy gave a sheepish smile. "I held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her if she ever came near me again."

Bobby's eyes almost jumped out of his skull and Angel let out a low whistle. "Are you out of your fucking mind?" Bobby snapped.

"Hey," Evy flared. "I know what kind of girls they were, I got to know plenty of them in juvy and I'll be damned if I'll let someone make me their bitch after I finally got away from Kevin."

She glared angrily at her uncles, her chest heaving and her knuckles white as she clenched her fists. "Besides," she said, forcing her voice to become controlled again. "The teacher that came out basically told them that they could tell whoever they wanted and no one would believe them. He didn't even bother to search me for a knife. Nice guy. Oakley, Oaken, something like that."

Bobby's head snapped up. "Olken?"

"Yeah," Evy said, smiling at him. "Olken, that was his name. Said he used to know you guys when you were kids."

"Did he now," Bobby said between clenched teeth.

Evy bit her lip and mumbled something about a shower before hurrying out of the room. She didn't know what she'd done, but Bobby had looked pissed.

- - - -

Pissed wasn't the word. Furious didn't even cover it. Rage might come close, but fell just a little shy of his true feelings.

How dare he? Bobby fumed, smoking his fourth cigarette in the last ten minutes. How fucking dare that man come near Jack's daughter? How dare he talk to her? How dare he even look at her?

"Damnit," Bobby swore, punching a tree as hard as he could and dislodging several clumps of snow.

"You need to relax." Bobby whirled around at the sound of Angel's voice.

"Go back to bed," Bobby snarled at his brother.

Angel shook his head wearily. "It was a long time ago, Bobby," he said. "They were sixteen, sixteen Bobby. That was nearly twenty years ago."

"It doesn't make it right," Bobby snapped.

Angel sat on the picnic table. "You thought it was wrong because you loved Jack and you knew what he'd been through. At that time you couldn't see the difference between a man raping Jack and Jack being intimate with a man. You didn't really think it was wrong as he got older. You were uncomfortable with it, but Jack was your brother and you cared too much about him to let sex drive him away."

Bobby rubbed a hand over his face. "I couldn't deal with it," he mumbled. "And now it still bothers me. We knew that Jackie was a little flamer, but Mick was a total surprise. The guy had slept at our house, in the same tent at hockey camp, he changed in the same locker rooms. It just seemed different to me."

Angel nodded. "It was hard for us all," he said quietly. "But you have to understand that getting close to Mick was the way that Jack dealt with what had happened to him. He wanted to prove to himself that it wasn't always wrong, always dirty. I mean, shit Bobby, obviously he wasn't totally gay. His kid is sleeping in the house for fuck's sake."

Bobby closed his eyes tightly, remembering the night that he'd found Mick and Jack together.

He'd come home from practice to a dark house. Evelyn was out with some friends. His brothers all had dates. He'd gotten a beer and was going to watch some TV when he'd heard noises coming from upstairs. He'd walked quietly, wondering what he was going to find. The noises were coming from Jack's room, soft moans Bobby could tell now. Jackie and his date were obviously having some fun. As the moaning got louder, Bobby decided to tell them to quiet down. He opened the door and wished for the rest of his life that he hadn't.

Jack had been on his back, Mick between his legs. Jack's black fingernails were digging into the other guy's back and throaty moans filled the room. Suddenly Jack opened his eyes. "Bobby," he whispered, fear filling his eyes as he saw his older brother standing there.

Mick had rolled off Jack, grabbing for his clothes. When he turned to look at Bobby, the older boy punched Mick hard in the face. "You sick fucking perv," Bobby had snarled. "You disgusting fucking pervert!" He had grabbed Mick and started beating the shit out of him, ignoring Jack's panicked screams.

Finally Jack shoved himself between Mick and Bobby's fist. "Stop it Bobby, stop it!" he'd screamed. "You'll kill him! Stop!"

Bobby had tried to push Jack away, but the smaller boy had reached back and grabbed onto Mick's clothes, gripping them so tightly that his fingers turned white. Bobby had glared at his brother for a few seconds before letting Mick go and stepping back as the boy fell to the ground.

"Get that fucker out of this house," he had said before walking downstairs and out to the backyard so that he didn't have to hear Jack's soothing voice talking to Mick. After Mick had left, Jack had come outside and raged at Bobby, screaming at his brother until his voice was hoarse.

"This was my choice Bobby," he'd shouted, pounding his fists on Bobby's chest. "He wasn't raping me, this wasn't wrong! It was what I wanted and I won't let you turn it into something bad!"

That night after everyone got home and went to bed, Bobby had gone to Jack's room and watched his brother sleep. He'd pushed sandy hair off Jack's forehead, wishing that there was some way that Jack would forgive him.

"Jack . . . " he'd whispered. That one word had been all the apology Bobby could manage. Everything he was feeling had been put into that word. Jack had rolled over and reached out, his fingers brushing Bobby's on the thick blanket. "S'okay," Jack had whispered.

Angel watched Bobby's face sadly, knowing what he was reliving. Jack had explained to them all that night when they'd gotten home and had made them swear that they wouldn't say anything to Bobby. "It has to be between us," Jack had insisted. "He has to understand me and what I wanted. You guys can't interfere this time."

"He forgave you, Bobby," Angel said quietly. "He always forgave you."

"See, but that's the problem," Bobby said, his voice breaking with sadness. "I don't think I ever really forgave myself."

- - - -

Evy closed the backdoor quietly and dropped into one of the chairs around the kitchen table. So Olken had been Jack's lover, his first one from the sounds of it. "My God," Evy muttered, burying her face in her hands. "Am I going to meet anyone in this fucking town who doesn't have some kind of baggage with my father?"

So, whatcha think? Good, bad, depressing and cheesy?

I don't care, just review and tell me!

New chapter coming soon!