Disclaimer: I don't own Four Brothers, but the plot and original characters are mine.


Chapter 11:

4 Years Later

"Meg, stop it," Lexie said in annoyance as we sat down to eat brunch. It was the day before my birthday and Lexie was trying to get me into a better mood before my party.

"I don't wanna," I said half-heartedly.

"It's been four years since you left Detroit. You have got to stop torturing yourself," Lexie insisted. I knew that I had to stop hurting myself by dwelling on my time in Detroit, but I couldn't. When I got back from Detroit, for months I was depressed. My dad and my friends all worked hard to get me where I was today, but I still had my moments.

"I just hate birthdays when they're not with Bobby," I said sadly. Every year before my time in Detroit those four years ago, Bobby would come to New York for my birthday. He would take me out and we would go crazy. That hadn't happened since I left Detroit. Hell, I hadn't seen or heard anything from Bobby or any of them since I left Detroit. It wasn't because I didn't want to see them; it was because my mother had cut me off. The minute I got home my mother got me a new cell phone number and made me change my e-mail address. She intercepted all the mail they sent me and wouldn't let them see me when they visited. Hell, she straight out pulled me out of school when they were around so she could keep an eye on me. I was only able to send one or two letters a year to Anna and the Mercers through my dad to tell them I was okay.

God, I loved my dad so much for all his help. He knew I was miserable when I got back. He understood because he hated my mother to. He couldn't divorce her though. Trust me, I know, I begged him a million times. He said it would kill his mother and of course, there was the matter of propriety. He did everything he could to make it better for me. The best was when my dad was able to get the letters from Anna and the Mercers before my mother found them in the mail.

"I know you do. Hey, didn't your dad say he would get another letter through to them tonight?" Lexie asked trying to cheer me up. I wasn't sure if the letter made things better or worse. I mean, when I wrote them and when I received something from them, my heart ached to be with them even more then usual, but the knowledge of being in contact with them made up for it a little bit.

"Yeah, daddy said if I can sneak into his office at 11:30 tonight with the letter then he'll get it done," I said with a sad smile. My mother was usually drunk, or at least tipsy, and asleep by 11. We waited the extra half and hour just in case.

"So you should write it now, just so you don't get caught later," Lexie said pulling a notebook out of her messenger bag as I pulled out my favorite pen.

"Thanks," I said with a small smile as I quickly scribbled a note saying I was okay, I missed them and I loved them all so much. My notes never said much more then that. What else was I supposed to say? Should I tell them about school? That was too menial. Should I tell them how depressed I am? Yeah, right, make them worry about me. They can't do anything about it so it would only make things worse for all of us. I kept it short and sweet because I knew they knew how I felt about all of this.

"I can't understand why you just don't visit them. I mean, as of tomorrow, you're 18 years old. You're legal. There's nothing your mom can do to stop you, Meg. Just up and leave. I know you want to go, so go. You're dad will help you. Instead of a letter, just show up," Lexie urged. She had a point.

"I just can't," I whispered. She might have had a point, but I couldn't bring myself to go. I was too scared of the bad things that could happen because of my leaving. And not only that, but I'm also scared of what would happen when I got there. I'm scared of how they would react. What if they didn't want me there anymore? Not to mention when I had to leave. That would be awful. I don't think I would be able to deal with that. Instead of telling Lexie this, I hid my true reason behind a few fake ones. "I can't leave my job at the JCC right now, they need me. As it they're short on staff. Daniel and I are two out of four who work in the art room everyday and we watch and help up to 40 kids on any given day.

"Also, I can't leave my dad with those heathens. I'm his little girl. If I went missing all of the sudden, I don't want to know what would happen. And Bree, I couldn't bring her with and my mother would kill her if I went missing. Plus I still have school with all that work and college applications. I just have too much to do and too much to take care of," I said, rambling on. I would have continued if Lexie hadn't stopped me by holding up her hand.

"Alright, alright," Lexie said, shaking her head. I think she might have known the real reasons, but I wasn't about to ask her if she did. That conversation would be long, in depth and way too scary for me.

"Alright, look, I'm gonna go home so I can shower and change before I needa get to the JCC. Thanks for taking me out, hun. I promise to not be such a downer tomorrow," I said with a small smile as we each threw down a few bills to pay for our food.

"Don't make a promise you're not sure you can keep. Just try you're hardest, alright?" she asked as we walked out of the bakery. It was my favorite bakery. Lexie knew a pastry or two from there could make me feel better in a flash on a regular day, so on a day like today, it might help at least a little.

"I will," I said with my first real smile of the day. Lexie knew me all too well.

"Later babe. Tell Dan and Gryff I say hi," Lexie said. Gryff was Daniel's best friend as well as our friend as well. Daniel had been dragging Gryff to the JCC for the past few days but I knew it wouldn't last. Gryff wasn't much of a painter or a lover of kids. He was more of a percussionist. He spent most of his time with his drums. Daniel made Gryff join us because the other two teens that worked with us, Betty and Allie, were on a trip with their school for another week or so. I can't understand how anyone could hate the kind of thing I did at the JCC. I loved the kids and the painting. In fact, in my free time, when I wasn't running, I went there to paint my own stuff. It was my little niche, my place to get away from it all and blow of some steam, just me, my iPod, and the smell of wet paint.

When I got home, I quickly hopped in the shower. After drying myself off, I walked to my room singing as show tune softly under my breath. It took me only a few minutes to throw on a v-neck white Hanes shirt over an orange camisole and my favorite dark-wash jeans. They were just as paint splattered as my white slide on Keds that were so reminiscent of the shoes I had decorate with Jack all those years ago. I put on my regular jewelry and a little bit of make up before slipping on my coat, picking up my messenger bag and running out of the house so I wouldn't be late. In fact, I wanted to be early so I could do a little of my own painting before the class got there.

It took me twenty minutes to get from 82nd and Park to 77th and Amsterdam. I listened to my iPod the whole way through. I don't know what I would do without my glorified music player. I mean, I would use a CD player, only, but just having one CD isn't enough, even if it's all I'll listen to. I like the security of having anything I could ever want with me, just in case. I figure that with all the insecurities I have, I should have at least one small, simple thing, like music security, to ease my mind at least a little bit.

I entered the JCC and waved to the security guard who sported a broad smile on his face. "Hey Benny," I said cheerfully. There was something about the overweight African-American 50-something year-old man that just made me feel a lot safer and better about everything.

"Hey there Meg," he said returning and greetings.

"Are Daniel and Gryff here yet?" I asked, pausing by the metal detector. Benny would let me go past without checking my bag, except I liked following protocol. I liked Benny knowing that I was clean and all that, even though he already trusted me.

"They just walked in a few minutes ago," He said as he took my bag, checking it quickly as I passed through the metal detector. Sure I liked following protocol but I also loved metal detectors. Weird, I know, but I always thought they were so cool. I also liked x-ray machines. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to know I like the airport. That's a good thing to, seeing as though every break from school I have my mother ships me on some other trip. Sometimes it's to Florida, sometimes to California. Occasionally it's Bermuda or Jamaica. A few times it was Puerto Rico so I could practice my Spanish. I was really surprised when she sent me to Vermont and even more so when I was sent to Canada. She never liked sending me up north as it brought me closer to Detroit and those people. Her words not mine. I would never call them those people. They're so much more then that.

"Thanks Benny," I said cheerfully.

"Anytime," Benny replied as I walked towards the stairs with a little hop in my step. By the time I got to the fourth floor, I wasn't winded or panting at all as I knew other people would have been. Four years on track will do that to you. I joined track after getting home, needing something to relax me and blow off steam. Needless to say I didn't have the JCC back then. I only started here a year earlier. Yet, even though I found the JCC, I still kept track. The JCC wasn't open around the clock the way the park was. I usually went jogging early in the morning before school to avoid my crazy mother who was up at dawn planning something or another, somehow not hung over even the littlest bit.

"Hey guys," I said, my broad smile fading into something a little smaller as I dropped my messenger bag on the radiator and shed my coat, putting it on top of my bag. Gryff was sitting on one of the tables that had been pushed off to make room for the many art easels. Daniel had laid out a large piece of paper on the limited empty floor space. He had put on his paint-covered shoes and was dragging his feet across the paper in a nonsensical pattern, his jeans dragging along a little bit as he went.

"Hey Meggy," Daniel said distantly as he focused on his piece. Gryff smiled his typical cocky smile and waved. I rolled my eyes discretely. Sometimes I couldn't stand Gryff and his ego. It's a little nauseating. Daniel wasn't as bad as him. If you actually had something in common with Daniel, like I did, conversation came easily and it was very comfortable. It was just that Daniel was very one-mind-set when it came to his art. He couldn't start up a conversation if he was concentrating on his piece.

"Daniel, the kids'll be here in fifteen, you better wrap up whatever you were working on," I said as I walked over to my easel in the back of the room, uncovering it to reveal the drawing I had finished the week before, just as the kids had finished their drawings. I had started to paint but I wasn't as far along as the kids in the class seeing as though I had to walk around and help them. I knew telling Daniel to pack up while I was just revealing my project was a bit hypocritical but I could still work on mine when the kids got here and he couldn't. Daniel's art attracted too much attention and because of that we had decided it would be best if he didn't work on it during the class.

"Alright. By the way, when can I see yours?" Daniel asked curiously as he took off his paint shoes and set them on the radiator to dry a bit. He was busy setting his piece on the drying rack and putting on his real shoes when I mustered up what I thought to be a good enough answer for Daniel.

"Well, when it's finished, I suppose. It's kinda special," I said as I looked at the picture again. "It's for an old friend of mine," I added. I knew Ma would love it when I was finished. She always loved all the artwork that her foster kids and adopted kids gave her. Not that Bobby or Angel did much drawing, but Jerry did a little, seeing as though he went into construction and architecture and Jack had some amazing sketches he used to show me. I'm sure he's shown Evelyn some of his work.

"Oh, all right," Daniel said with a shrug. That's another reason why I liked Daniel. He didn't ask so many questions. If I said I didn't want him seeing it until it was done, he would accept it without another word. It was hard to find someone like that.

Daniel and Gryff sat talking for a bit as I painted, only stopping when the first girl, Nina, walked in. She had been coming to art class for as long as I had been a teacher and came almost every day. Not many kids stayed in the class that long. They usually grew too old, moved onto something more professional or quit.

"Hey Nina," I said as the brunette walked in and dropped her things next to mine. She walked over to me and peered over my shoulder. She was the only one I allowed to see my painting. Gryff and Daniel ignored that and continued to talk. Well, Gryff hadn't seen. I knew if he had he would have asked a lot of annoying questions. I knew Daniel saw but he knew Nina and I were close. It wasn't only because she was such a smart and talented 13 year old. In fact, it was more because of her childish and innocent nature that was tinted with strife. She reminded me so much of Jack when I first met her that I took her under my wing, taking care of her as I would have taken care of Jack if I had been allowed to stay with him. I suppose I was taken from him just so I could be here to help Nina.

"It looks good Meg," Nina said as she pushed her dark hair out of her naturally tanned face and unusual, almond shaped sea green eyes.

"Thanks," I whispered. Her opinion meant a lot to me, just like mine meant a lot to her. She padded over to her easel, tied up her hair and quickly got to work. I knew her piece almost as well as I knew my own. As more kids started to enter the classroom, I copied Nina and put up my hair as well. Daniel and Gryff hopped off the table they were sitting on and started their rounds, helping kids get started.

It wasn't long before the class was over. The time spent in that class flew by so fast for me. I watched all the kids file out of the room, chatting about their projects and numerous other topics. "Meg, you wanna come catch a movie with me and Dan?" Gryff asked.

"Naw, I'm gonna go home. I have some work I gotta do and I gotta finish Dorian Gray," I said as I slid on my coat and slung my bag over my shoulder.

"You sure? We're going to see V for Vendetta," Daniel added, knowing how badly I wanted to see that one.

"I'm sure," I said after a little bit of hesitation. My rational side won out. Damn that rational side. I would have loved to go with them. "I'll see it later with Lexie or something," I said with a shrug. The three of us walked out of the room discussing other comic books and movies, only stopping as we got to the lobby and heard Benny having a rather loud argument with someone.

We turned the corner to see Benny was fighting with a petite brunette. "Just let me in!" she exclaimed in annoyance. I frowned. That voice was awfully familiar.

"You don't need to go in, she's right there," Benny said jabbing his hand in my direction. The girl turned around and looked in my direction.

"Anna?" I asked in surprise.

"Megan!" Anna cried in relief as she ran up to me and hugged me tightly while Daniel and Gryff shot me looks of confusion. I returned Anna's hug with as much intensity as I could considering my own uncertainty. I knew the boys must find this odd, but I found it odder.

"Anna, what are you doing here?" I asked as I pulled away from her. I could see the strain on her face, but even if I didn't, I knew it had to have been something big if she had come all the way here from Detroit. I mean, maybe sending letters wasn't the most efficient way and she couldn't call, but if she had taken the time to make this trip, it must be something important.

"Megan, Jack's in trouble," Anna whispered as fear filled her eyes causing a ominous tremor to run down my spine.


A/N: Dun dun dun…

Love and Luck,

Gaby