Separation

The Mercers are not mine. Only Hailey is. This chapter will switch to Hailey's POV.

Chapter Eleven

As the days turned into weeks and weeks to months, the odd out of place family living in the Mercer house became more of a family than anyone could ever hope to have. Hailey got bigger everyday, and more mouthier too. Her and Angel got in disagreement quite frequently, though none of it ever meant anything and afterward they'd end up watching a movie together on the couch or eating a bowl of ice cream. Jack had backed off a bit with being so protective, though its was after she had been there about 4 years.

Hailey loved all of her brothers, but she did have favorites, Bobby and of course Jack. She continued to take guitar lessons from Jack and was getting really good, better as her hands grew and she could reach around the neck of the instrument. Bobby would make fun of her when she did something and it sounded horrible, but only when she got to be around 12 and he thought she'd know he was kidding.

She didn't hang out with Angel too much, or Jerry. Both of them were always out, Angel doing god knows what and Jerry with the current girlfriend. Evelyn was the sweetest woman Hailey had ever met, and right away she got comfortable with here, calling her mommy within her first month at the house.

Jack would be forever grateful for what Evelyn had done, any doubts he had about her left when he saw his baby sister hiding behind her. Shortly after Hailey came, he called Evelyn 'Ma' like his other brothers, trusting her more than he ever thought he could trust anyone. He had a new respect for his brothers too. They acted so naturally around her, accepting her as their sister right away, especially Bobby.

Bobby saw the look on Jack's face when he noticed the little girl behind Evelyn. He had never seen his face light up like that. Jack had been a Mercer for a couple of years prior to Hailey being brought in, and had never really got comfortable. Bobby had instantly felt like it was his job to watch over Jack when Evelyn had brought the scrawny, frightened, pale, and bruised ten year old home. There was something about him that just made Bobby step up and fill the big brother shoes. Maybe it was because he was older when Jack came, he could never figure it out. Then when Hailey came he had the same feeling about her, like it was his duty to keep her from getting hurt in anyway. The first time he met the two of them, he loved them and didn't care if they were only his siblings on paper. That didn't matter and it never really did, not with Jerry and not with Angel. None of this was ever told to anyone because…Well he's Bobby fucking Mercer. He wasn't the kind of guy to sit down for some sharing and caring.

----------Hailey's POV----------

There was loud pounding at my door, glancing at the clock that sat on my bedside table I saw that is was 8:38 AM. Why the hell is someone waking me up at 8:30 in the god damn morning?! Fuck!

"HAILEY! OPEN UP!" Sang Jack from the other side of the door.

I just sat up, knowing he'd never let me go back to sleep. "What the hell do you want? I was sleeping Jack!"

I sat on the bed, that was formerly Bobby's, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I got Bobby's room about two years ago when he left for New York. I sat on the edge of the bed begging him not to go. Yeah. I cried, whatever.

"Come on open the door! You can't sleep all day, even if it is your birthday!"

My head shot to the door. Shit, how could I forget my own birthday?! Jumping out of bed, I pulled on an old hockey jersey, that Bobby had given me, over my red tank top and run to the door yanking it open. Jack stood, leaning against the door frame of the bathroom, which was right outside my room, with a huge grin on his face.

"Morning sunshine! You already seem like you're happier." He let out a small laugh, pushing himself off the door frame and taking one step to me wrapping his arms around my waist, hugging me tightly. He did it every year, a huge grin and a massively tight huge that prevented me from breathing. I think he still could believe I was back with him where I should have been. "Happy Birthday, sis." He let me go, throwing his arm around my shoulder, kissing the top of my head, leading us downstairs. "So how's it feel to be 18?"

I laughed at him, putting my arm around him. "No different the 17." I almost fell as we reached the bottom landing, walking down the stairs like we had been was surprisingly difficult. Jack caught me, pulling me back to my feet before I actually fell.

He let out a loud, deep laugh. "Can you just go 10 minutes with out falling or bumping into something?"

I shoved his chest hard making him stumble a little and look at me slightly shocked by the strength he didn't know I had. "Shut up, it was your fault. I stepped right but you stepped left!" I walked off to the kitchen, giving mom a kiss on the cheek. "Morning ma."

"Happy Birthday sweetie." She smiled at me warmly. I love this woman. She was so fun to be around to. She's like 61 or 62 years old and it's like she still 18 or something. She's amazing.

"Morning." Jack kissed just as I had done. "Hails what you just said doesn't even make any sense." He took a seat across from me, like he always did.

"It doesn't have to, it's my birthday!" I stuck my tongue out at him. Mom came over and put down a plate with a mound of French toast on it, shaking her head and smiling at the two of us.

Jack raised up one eyebrow, looking at me with a serious face. "You you sure you're 18?" I kicked him under the table. "OW! You little brat!" He laughed so loud I almost missed the phone ringing.

Mom had gotten up, still smiling, to answer it. I jumped up just as she picked it up. "That's gotta be Bobby!" I squealed, hopping up and down as mom talked to the person on the phone.

"What if, this year he forgot?" Jack teased with a big grin, I just turned glaring at him.

Bobby had missed my last two birthdays, but called to wish me a happy birthday and ask if I got his presents. He said he'd call every year as long as he wasn't home, well New York was his home now I guess. Sometimes I think Jack is jealous of how excited I get when he call, but that's only because Jack is here and Bobby is not. I can go and see Jack or talk to him when ever I want to, he's just down the hall. If he wasn't here I be freaking out ever time he called to. I did the same thing when Angel called, but I wasn't usually as excited to talk to him as I was Bobby.

Mom laughed at something that was said. She nodded her head. "Yeah, she's right here. Of course. The phone rang and she practically knocked me down trying to get to it before I did….No she was to busy beating up Jackie to hear it, other wise she would have answered it herself I'm sure….Yup, here she is. Talk to you soon." Smiling, she does that a lot, she handed me the phone. "Guess who?"

I jumped again, skipping to the phone, taking it from mom. "Hello?" I said, the smile could be heard in my voice.

"You're ridiculous." Jack said, smiling, from the table.

"Shut up Jackie!"

"That's right Hails! Don't take his shit! Smack him around a bit for me, would you?" I laughed at what Bobby said. "Happy Birthday baby girl!" My grin got wide, hear the nickname only Bobby used for me.

I turned my back to Jack, who was making faces at me. "Thanks. So, um where's my present?" I asked excitedly. Last year he sent me up a brand new Gibson acoustic guitar with an amp and the year before that he sent me up this amazing brown aviator style jacket.

I her his deep laugh. "Well, you getting greedy now aren't you? Go and check outside, maybe it was dropped off this morning."

I frowned, UPS and FedEx didn't come until after 2:30 sometime. I didn't know why he was having me walk outside to check. I shrugged my shoulder, maybe they dropped it off last night. "Okay, hold on a sec." I placed the phone on the counter and ran to the front door.

I made my way through the living room and to the first door that opened up to our covered porch, looking around, thinking that mom might have brought it in, I saw no boxes so I moved the second door. Opening it, I had my head down looking on the steps and near them.

I heard a laugh coming from the curb, but didn't pay much attention to. I was too focused on finding Bobby's present to me.

"You sure as hell ain't gonna find it all the way over there baby girl." I heard Bobby say, clearly grinning.

"Well, if you just-" I started to speak, think the phone was still to my ear but stopped when I realized that we didn't even have a cordless phone. Slowly I lifted my head to look in the direction the comment and laugh came from. My mouth dropped and my eyes opened wide. "BOBBY!" I leapt off the steps and ran to him as soon as my feet hit the ground, bare foot. "OH MY GOD!" I jumped on him, throwing my arms around his neck. "I can't believe you're here!"

His arms wrapped around my waist as he picked me off the ground. "Now how could I not come and see my baby sister on her 18th birthday?" He left out a small laugh, as he put me down. He looked down at my bare feet then back at me with a questioning look. "Where the hell are your shoe?"

I heard laughing coming from behind me, turning I saw Jack and my mom standing in the doorway both sporting huge smiles. I just glad at them, Jack in particular who was holding my shoes in his hand. "Well," I turned back to Bobby who also had a large grin on his face. "I wasn't expecting to come running halfway into the street. Jackie's got them." Glancing back at the house, I noticed that both my brother and my mother looked guilt of something. I glared back at Bobby who was now giving me his best innocent look. "They both knew you were coming. Didn't they?"

He just shrugged his shoulders as he made his way to the house. "I don't know what you are talking about. I just decided to drop by."

My mouth opened again, he was so lying to me. I ran after him, jumping on his back, forcing him to give me a piggy back ride. "That's just not right."

He laugh, holding onto my legs, so I wouldn't fall. "If they told you then the surprise would be ruined. Jerry and Angel knew too."

I gasped, as if I was shocked. "Angel's not even here and he knew?! He's in Nevada!"

My family that was present at the moment laughed at my expression. Bobby let me slide off of his back once we were inside and walked over to mom giving her a kiss on the cheek then giving Jack a brief hug. Then we all went into the kitchen and eat breakfast. It was like the last two years never happened and Bobby never left. Everything went back to the way it was. Just the four of us, like it had been for a while before Bobby had left. I didn't realize how much I missed it until Bobby sat at the head of the table across from mom again.

TBC

A/N: So um. Yeah, the beginning of the chapter was kind of like a recap going back to what a few of them were thinking. I don't know. I think it could have been better. I just got the idea for Bobby to pop by on Hailey's birthday and thought it'd be cute. Hope you like it. Let me know if you like it in Hailey's POV and if I should continue to do the story in her POV. Okay? Thanks. :D

~Jenna