A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for reading and reviewing my last chapter! I'm glad you all liked it! And so I have some news-next chapter will be the last! Yup, I know, pretty crazy! So, read this chapter and stay tuned! Oh and yeah, I know I suck at proofreading and I have a lot of shitty errors. Mostly because I put my faith in spell check and leave it at that. I'm too lazy to proofread but I shall try and be better at it! Anyway, go, read!

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Chapter 11:

…

The drive from the Mercer house to the Henry Ford Hospital was usually between ten to fifteen minutes on a good day. That day, after Evelyn called the house, Bobby made it to the hospital in five minutes flat. He wasn't shy about speeding-who the fuck would stop him anyway? Detroit cops were good for nothing most of the time. Angel and Jerry were both tightly buckled in their seats, pressing themselves against the seats. Bobby was a bad driver to begin with and speeding certainly didn't improve it. Bobby skidded to stop in the nearest parking spot he could find and was out of the car and walking to the entrance before his brothers unbuckled their seatbelts. They followed him quickly. There was, after all, a reason to rush.

Jack was awake.

Evelyn was outside of the room speaking with the doctor when Bobby Angel and Jerry came out of the elevator. She smiled and waved at them to come over. She was beaming and her eyes shone with tears of joy. Dr. Solomon greeted the men with a nod and the continued his explanation.

"Jack seems to be doing really well," he said with a smile. "You did get him here in time and we were able to save him before the drugs could do any permanent damage."

"I'm so glad, doctor," Evelyn said. "Is there anything we should worry about?"

Dr. Solomon shook his head and looked over Jack's chart for a few seconds. "No, nothing I can see. Jack will be sore for a few days due to the cuts and contusions he received but other than that he's fine!"

Bobby tensed when the doctor mentioned Jack's cuts. He balled up his hands into fists at his sides. He was gonna find Chester, the scumbag, and break his neck with his bare hands.

Evelyn smiled at the doctor. "Thank you so much, doctor!"

"Hey doc," Jerry said from behind his mother. "About the way Jack was brought in..."

"Oh don't worry," Dr. Solomon said with a shake of his head. "I don't ask any questions, Mr. Mercer, I just do my job." Jerry nodded in silence and the doctor continued, "While Jack is awake and fine, I think overwhelming him might not be the best idea."

"Wait," Bobby said, shaking his head. "Can't we even see him? We're his brothers!"

"Certainly!" Dr. Solomon replied. "I just want to keep it to one visitor at a time today."

"We will," Evelyn said. She grabbed his hand and held it in hers for a few moments. "Thank you...again."

Dr. Solomon nodded in response and left, turning into the room two down from Jack. Evelyn turned to look at her sons. With a happy sigh she hugged all of them. All of the worry and fear in them disappeared in her disappeared and was replaced by relief.

"Who's going in first?" Angel asked. "To see Jack?"

"Bobby," Evelyn said and he looked up. "You go, honey."

Bobby shrugged. "Nah, it's okay, one of you guys go."

"You go, Bobby," Evelyn said again. "I was with him already."

"Yeah man, go," Angel said and Jerry nodded in agreement.

Bobby took a breath. "Okay."

He walked towards Jack's room and when he reached the door he hesitated. After another breath, he put his hand on the doorknob and pushed the door open.

...

Jack had been staring at the same spot on the white wall for a long time before he finally blinked and looked away. He was still trying to figure out how he was alive and how he ended up in the hospital. The last thing he remembered was Chester shoving the needle into his arm. He shuddered at the memory. So many questions burned in his brain-did his brothers save him? Did Chester dump him somewhere where someone found him? Were Chester and Mark alive? They flew through his mind at rapid speed like caged birds. He wanted answers.

When he woke up, his mother was sitting next to his bed. He had opened his eyes, confused and frightened. His throat was dry and he couldn't seem to get any words out. He saw Evelyn asleep in her chair and he reached out and touched her arm. She was ecstatic and she began fluttering around him; giving him water, calling for the nurses and his doctor. He asked what was going on and how he got there but she just told him to rest. She stayed with him and hugged him and kissed him until the doctor asked to speak with her.

That's when the nervousness finally set in. He didn't particularly like hospitals; in fact, they creeped him out. He lay there alone in the stark white room, the machines humming, for a full two minutes before he decided he couldn't take it anymore. He sat up quickly and was light-headed for a few moments. He ignored the pain from the various wounds Chester had given him and tried to get off the bed. He was pulled back by the IV in his hand and he hissed in pain. He began to pull at the tape that held it in place.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

The voice made him jump and he looked up. Bobby was just coming through the door. A bunch of emotions flooded through Jack in a split second. Relief and happiness of seeing him again, slight anger that he didn't find him, sadness at all the trouble he caused his older brother. He wanted to hug him or burst into tears but he settled on a simple greeting instead.

"Hi."

"You tryin' to skip out already?" Bobby asked, shaking his head. He ruffled Jack's hair. "You've been awake less than a fuckin' hour, kid!"

Jack shrugged and slowly eased himself back into the pillows. He was already feeling tired. "I don't like hospitals."

"No shit!" Bobby was silent for a few moments. He sat in the chair by the bed.

"I want to go home," Jack said, his jaw set in determination. "I don't want to stay here." He gave Bobby a pleading look. "Don't make me stay here!"

"Relax," Bobby replied, leaning back in the chair. "You just fucking woke up! Give yourself sometime to recover."

Jack crossed his arms and mumbled something under his breath. Bobby held back a laugh, masking it with a cough. After a few moments, he spoke again and his tone was serious.

"Jackie-are you all right?"

Jack turned to look at his brother. Bobby had guilt written all over his face. It made Jack's stomach turn and he felt horrible for a moment. Did Bobby really blame himself?

"It's not your fault," he said.

Bobby scoffed. "I'm sure Chester told you all about what I did. That's why he fucking kidnapped you!"

"I know," Jack said quietly. He fiddled with the IV tube in his hand. "Still Bobby..."

"Still what?" Bobby snapped and Jack jumped slightly. He sighed. "I'm sorry. Look, none of that shit matters okay? You're alive."

Again, silence fell between them. Jack saw an opportunity to get his answers. He nervously pulled at the tube in his hand, not hard enough to pull it out but just enough to keep his nervous hands busy.

"What happened?" he asked, still looking at his hands. "How am I still alive?"

"You don't remember?"

Jack looked up then. He shook his head. "Only thing I remember is..." He paused. He didn't want to make Bobby feel worse than he already did. Bobby nodded at him to go on. "The last thing I remember is Chester giving me the drugs."

Bobby tensed and gripped the edges of the chair, his knuckles turning white from the effort. Every time he thought of that bastard touching his brother he got angrier. Bobby couldn't wait to rip his fucking throat out.

"That motherfucker," Bobby began, his body still tense and anger-filled, "brought you home. He dumped you on the doorstep and left you there."

Jack's eyes went wide and the thought made him feel sick. His voice was a whisper. "He left me there? To die?"

"To die," Bobby repeated. He swallowed down the anger inside him. It wasn't time for that yet. "But we got you to the hospital in time. You've been unconscious for a few days."

Jack was quiet. It was a lot to take in for someone who had just woken from a sort of coma. He could already feel his eyelids drooping. All the movement and talking made him tired. Bobby saw that he was going to fall asleep any second.

"You should get some rest," Bobby said. "We can talk later."

"No wait!" Jack said, forcing his eyes to stay open."What are you gonna do? About...about Chester?"

"I'm gonna kill him," Bobby replied, his voice set and determined. "Angel and Jerry'll come with me. He came here because he wanted me. And that's exactly what he's gonna get!"

Alarm and panic went off inside Jack. "But-Chester is evil. He'll...kill you."

"Don't worry about me, kid," Bobby said, chuckling softly to himself. "I'll be all right. You focus on getting better."

"But-"

"Just relax, Jackie," Bobby said, cutting him off. "It'll be okay."

"O...kay..."

Within seconds Jack was asleep again, the medication taking its effect on him. Bobby stood, covered his brother with the thin blanket and headed for the door. Before he left, he made Jack a silent promise. He was never going to let anyone hurt his brother ever again.

…

Mark took a few deep breaths before walking into his house. He had been outside, walking up and down the pathway, up and down the stairs and back and forth on the porch for nearly fifteen minutes. The news he had—the one Chester asked him for—was only going to upset his brother and he wasn't looking forward to delivering it. He thought that maybe if he stayed outside and avoiding going on, he'd be able to figure something out. But no amount of hesitation was going to help him. Chester was waiting for him and if he didn't go inside soon, he would know something was up. He had to go inside.

The house was quiet and dark and for a moment Mark thought that maybe his brother wasn't home. His hopes were dashed when Chester rounded the corner from the living room and stepped into the hallway. His eyes were dark and he had a dangerous look in them. He grabbed Mark by the arm and pulled him into the living room. He pushed him into the nearest chair and stood over him.

"Well?"

"I—uh—" Mark stuttered, unsure of what to say. He couldn't hold off any longer. Chester was going to get angry no matter what and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "They were talking about him at school today."

Chester still wanted Mark to go to school, even after everything with Jack went down. Chester wanted him to keep up appearances so that no one would suspect anything. The last thing they needed was the "fucking police to get involved" or so his brother had said.

Chester nodded and said, "And?"

Mark swallowed and avoided his brother's gaze. "Jack…is alive."

Chester was angry to say the least. His eyes widened and his face flushed with the intense anger that flooded through his entire being. His already dark eyes looked almost pure black and his face was white with anger. He was gripping the sides of the chair Mark was sitting in tight enough to snap the wood. Mark, though he wouldn't admit it to Chester, was relieved that Jack didn't die. He didn't think he could live with that kind of guilt.

Mark didn't know what to say. "Chester-"

"No," Chester said, shaking his head, his body tense. "We didn't do this for only to have that little fucker live! This is fucking ridiculous!"

He screamed in anger and he pushed away from the chair, kicking the coffee table and turning it over. He grabbed things off of the mantle and threw them to the ground. The sounds of screaming and shattering filled the room as Mark sat still; terrified at seeing his brother so angry.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him!" Chester screamed as he smashed things with his bare fists. "That stupid motherfucker should have died! I'm gonna kill him and make Bobby Mercer watch before I slit his fucking throat!"

A glass vase sailed through the air and collided with the wall over Mark's head. Mark ducked low in the chair, his hands up in an attempt to protect himself from the falling shards of glass. Chester stopped then, leaning against the wall on his hands and breathing heavily. They remained that way for a few seconds longer before Chester spun around suddenly.

"We're not gonna do a fucking thing," he said, walking over to Mark. He grabbed his arm once again and pulled him into a standing position. "Are we, Mark?"

Mark didn't answer. He was more afraid of his brother than he ever had been before. He waited for Chester to continue.

"We're gonna wait for Bobby to come to us," he said, pulling Mark with him as he walked. "He's going to come after me. And when he does, I'll be ready for him. I'll be ready to kill him."

Mark's breath hitched in his throat and he felt his stomach turn with disgust as Chester's laugh rang throughout the house. Chester pushed him into the kitchen when they walked past it, his face serious again.

"Now make me some fuckin' food."

…

Two days later-and with Jack's constant complaining it was a long two days-the doctor finally gave Jack's release the green light. Jack was ecstatic to get out of there and when the time came to go, he was already sitting at the edge of the bed, dressed and ready to leave. Bobby plopped himself into the chair after packing Jack's few belongings. Jack looked at him with disdain.

"Why the hell are you sitting down? I wanna go home!"

"Easy, Jackie," Bobby said with a small chuckle. "Ma's signin' your release forms."

Jack narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips but didn't say anything. He was tired and a bit cranky and all he wanted was to throw himself onto his own bed. He wanted to close the blinds,
lie down and blast his music through his earphones. Jack was getting antsy and Bobby's smirks and chuckles weren't helping any.

"Do I get to walk out of here?" Jack asked, playing with the edge of the blanket.

"No," Bobby said, sarcasm coating his voice heavily. "They're gonna carry you down like the fuckin' princess you are!"

"Fuck off, man!" Jack said, his face flushing a light shade of red. "You know what I mean. Are they gonna wheel me down or something?"

Bobby shook his head. "Nah. They figured you'd wanna run out of here."

"I would."

"You tried."

"Once."

"Yeah," Bobby said with a scoff. "The day you wake up, I catch you trying to pull out your IV!"

Jack just shrugged at that and Bobby chuckled again. It was quiet for a few moments. Jack watched the hands of the clock on the wall slowly tick the time away. He looked towards the closed door-did it really take that long to sign a few forms? He looked at his brother, taking a moment to study his troubled face. Bobby blamed himself still, Jack knew that, but he was doing a good job of hiding it now. And there was something else in his eyes that scared Jack a little; the thirst for revenge.

"You're gonna go after him?" Jack asked quietly.

"What?" Bobby said, shaking his away his thoughts. "Oh-Chester?" He nodded. "Of course I'm gonna go after him, Jack. After all he did try to fucking kill you did he not?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know but..."

"But what?" Bobby cut him off, leaning forward. "You think I'm just gonna let him go?"

"No, I-"

"He doesn't want me to let him go," Bobby continued. "Chester wants me to come after him so he can kill me. So I'm fucking going to! Except I'm gonna kill that rat motherfucker first."

Jack was silent and he grimaced inwardly. Bobby noticed Jack's expression and he softened.

"Jack," Bobby said, locking eyes with his brother. "I told you not to worry didn't I?"

Jack nodded silently.

"Then don't, all right?" He waited and when Jack didn't answer right away he said again, "All right?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

The door opened then, cancelling out any opportunity for more conversation. Evelyn walked in, a big smile on her face, and Dr. Solomon wasn't far behind.

"Feel better?" he asked Jack.

Jack nodded. "100% better."

So it wasn't entirely the truth. He was tired and he was still in pain. He just wanted to go home.

"Glad to hear it!" the doctor said with a smile. "Rest up at home, don't do anything strenuous. School can wait for a week or two. Take aspirin should you feel pain. Other than that, you are free to go!"

"Thanks," Jack said quietly. He eased himself off of the bed and was out the door before anything else could be said.

Evelyn, Bobby and Dr. Solomon chuckled together.

"He must want to get out of here," Dr. Solomon said.

"He does," Bobby replied. "I'll go make sure he doesn't get lost. Thank, doc!"

Bobby disappeared from the room quickly, figuring Jack was already halfway to the entrance. Evelyn smiled warmly at Dr. Solomon and shook his hand.

"Thank you for everything," she said. "I appreciate it greatly."

"You take care of yourself and your family, Ms. Mercer!"

"I will."

And with that, Evelyn left to catch up with her sons, finally feeling like everything was going to be all right.

...

"Are you sure about this dude?"

Angel looked at the perspiring can of beer he held in his hand. He didn't honestly know what to say. This whole "showdown" was Bobby's thing and he and Jerry were only coming along for the ride. It seemed like he was doing that most of life-following his big brother whenever he was needed. But right now? To tell the truth, he was more sure of marrying Sofi.

"Angel?"

Angel broke from his thoughts, giving Julian a sheepish half-grin. "Sorry, bra. Alot of shit on my mind."

"I can tell," Julian said. He slid the gun he just took from his vault and slid it across the table to Angel. "That enough?"

Angel took the gun and passed it back and forth between his hands. "I guess." he shrugged and tucked the gun into his pants. "Bobby wanted me to get one. God knows why-he has his own."

"You sure you're all right?" Julian asked, studying his face.

"Yeah," Angel said with a sigh. "I'm just tired. This whole fucking thing has been crazy." He was quiet for a moment then said, "I'm joining the Marines."

Julian looked at him with a mixture of surprise and appreciation. Angel smiled at him. He felt a little better every time he said it; he had to get used to saying it. Saying it made it feel like his dream was becoming less a dream and more of a reality. It was a good feeling and he was looking forward to going.

"Good for you, man!" Julian said, clapping him on the back. "Did Bobby kill you?"

Angel chuckled and chugged half his beer. "Nah. He makes fun of me for it already."

"Typical Bobby Mercer," Julian said, a hint of disdain in his voice.

The loud ring of Angel's cell phone filled the small kitchen and he pulled it out of his pocket quickly. He smirked when he saw the call display.

"Speak of the devil." He flipped open the phone and put it to his ear. "Yeah? Yeah I got the gun. No I'm still here. Yeah because-okay. Okay, Bobby."

"Your master calling you home?" Julian asked dryly.

Angel scoffed and chugged the last of his beer. He stood. "I'll see you later."

"Hey wait," Julian said. He stood and walked Angel to the door. He handed him a small bag. "Take this."

"What's in it?"

"Knives, a chain, a few other things," Julian said with a shrug. "In case you need them, you know?"

"Yeah. Thanks, man," Angel said, shaking hands with him.

He slung the bag over his shoulder, tightened his jacket around himself and walked towards home. He didn't want to say it out loud but he had a feeling that the coming fight between Bobby and Chester was going to end only in death.

He just didn't know which one of them would be left standing.

...

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"That's your brilliant plan?"

"Pretty much."

"You're fucking crazy!"

Bobby narrowed his eyes at his brothers, his expression a mix of confusion, pride and anger. He had just finished telling Angel and Jerry his plan of going after Chester. And it was a damn good plan too-if he did say so himself. But his brothers stared at him like he just told them he was half robot or something. They pretty much told him that he was crazy.

"It could fucking work," Bobby said, staring across the coffee table at his brothers.

"Do you remember my tree house?"

"Oh get the fuck over it, Jer!" Bobby exclaimed, throwing his hands up for emphasis. He settled back into the couch and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's a quick and effective way," he said, half to himself.

Jerry blew out an exasperated breath. "We're not setting his house on fire!"

"It's gonna cause too much attention!" Angel said, finally breaking into the conversation. "Besides, Bobby, I thought you wanted to beat the shit out of him! And you had me go get guns and shit from Julian."

"I do," Bobby said evenly. "I was just thinking-in case this blows up in our fucking faces!"

"Well we're not starting a fire!" Jerry said with a shake of his head. "This is why you suck at planning."

"Fine!" Bobby said, rolling his eyes. "We'll just fucking wing it then!"

Before Jerry could respond, a quiet voice broke through, coming from the living room doorway.

"What are you guys talking about?"

The three brothers looked at Jack, who looked tired and was lean against the doorframe. He looked like he just woke up-he went to his room the minute he came home from the hospital and passed out for the rest of the day. Evelyn saved dinner for him to eat later; she didn't want to disturb his sleep. Jack stared at his brothers, eyes slightly droopy and eyebrows raised, and waited for an answer.

"Your 'brilliant' brother was just telling us his 'brilliant' plan," Jerry said, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"It was brilliant," Bobby mumbled under
his breath. He turned to look at Jack. "It's nothing for you to worry about anyway. We'll take care of it."

"You're going after him," Jack said. It was a statement of fact more than a question.

Bobby nodded without looking at him. "Tonight."

"Tonight?" Jack repeated. He walked further into the room and held onto the arm of the couch for support. "I wanna come."

Angel and Jerry chuckled out right. That was absolutely ridiculous! Jack was hurt-where the fuck did he think he was going? Bobby, who had been fixated on the bag Julian had given Angel, looked up. His eyes had darkened ever so slightly.

"I don't fucking think so!" he said, fixing Jack with a steely gaze.

"Why the hell not?" Jack asked stubbornly.

"Look at you!" Bobby said, standing up. "You can barely fucking stand! And I'm not going to be responsible for putting you danger." Again, he silently added.

"What about them?" Jack asked, nodding towards Angel and Jerry. They sat in silence.

Bobby shrugged. "They can take care of themselves."

"Oh and I can't?"

"No," Bobby said. "You fucking can't!" it was silent for a few moments. Jack looked determined and pissed off. Bobby took a breath. "We will take care of Chester. I can't afford to worry about you when I'm trying to kick his head in. Okay?"

Jack didn't answer but just stared silently.

"Okay?" Bobby asked again, this time with a little force.

"Okay," Jack mumbled quietly. He sat on the couch and pulled a pillow onto his lap. He sat quietly and hugged the pillow.

"Good." Bobby nodded at Angel and Jerry and they got to their feet.

Jack watched as his brothers left the room and disappeared up the stairs. He watched until they were gone and then he looked down at the pillow on his lap. There was no way in hell he was just going to sit this one out. He didn't care that he was hurt and still recovering and that he probably should get some rest. This was his fight as much as it was Bobby's. Chester physically caused him pain and tried to kill him. What kind of person would he be if he didn't even try to get him back? This time he wasn't going to let his big brother push him around. This time he had a plan.

...

Jack stood at his bedroom window, watching. The room was pitch black and he had already slipped into his hoodie. He felt a little woozy and his cuts hurt but he ignored them. He wasn't about to give up before he even began. For ten minutes he stood at his window; ever since he heard his brothers pound down the stairs. They were getting ready to go and he was just waiting for the right moment.

Part of him felt guilty. He knew he should be resting and trying to get his full strength back. If anything did happen to him, Bobby would surely blame himself for the rest of his life. He also felt bad about telling his mother he was going to bed. She believed him-why shouldn't she? But this was something he had to do and his stubborn determination won out over his guilt. So he stuffed pillows under his blanket to make it look like he was under there and waited by the window.

After another five minutes, his waiting paid off. He saw his brothers leave the house and get into Bobby's car. Jerry sat in the passenger seat and he had a
black bag slung over his right shoulder. When Bobby drove off, he sprung into action. He slowly raised the window, being as quiet as he could. After looking behind him once, he stuck his head out into the cold night air. Was he really going to do this? Before he could hesitate, he took a deep breath, climbed out onto the rooftop and was on his way.

...

A/N: All righty, there you have it! What did you all think? Be kind, review. lol. Until next chapter! -Addie