Title: Strays 12/?
Author: veiledndarkness
Pairing: Bobby/Jack
Rating: R
Summary: What's it all worth when you're alone?
Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made and no harm intended.
Notes: AU, the brothers were not raised together by Evelyn.
X
"You sure you don't want my company?" Jack sat, sprawled actually, over the chair in front of Bobby's desk, a cigarette hanging between two fingers; hair rumpled and mussed, the very picture of relaxed and carefree contentment. "I can keep you entertained; maybe even juggle for quarters, whatever."
Bobby shook his head, amused and distracted by the tempting drape of Jack's long legs over the arm of the chair. "If I bring you, I can almost guarantee I ain't gettin' work done, kiddo." He tore his gaze away from Jack and looked down at the messages from one of his informants'. He rested his head to one hand, more than eager to have the day done with.
Jack grinned and took a long drag from his cigarette. He exhaled, the smoke curling up and over his head, his smirk growing. "I'm a great distraction, Mr. Mercer."
"Didn't I tell you not to call me that?"
He shrugged, "Maybe."
Bobby sighed. "You're a real brat sometimes, Jackie. And yeah, you are a distraction, all the more reason why I need you to stay here. I've got three separate meetings and a business lunch."
Jack made a face and leaned back on the chair, smoking intently. Finally he flicked the cigarette near the ashtray on the floor. "What about background music? I bet I could play somethin' to keep all you guys in damn good moods."
"Jack..."
He chuckled dryly and stared up at the ceiling. "Fine, I'll stay here and wait like a good puppy boy."
Bobby's amusement faded and Jack felt a slight shiver curl up his spine. "I...Fuck...I'm kiddin', Bobby."
Silence met him. Jack turned his head, shifting to face Bobby. The moment of silence stretched on in the room. Jack flicked his cigarette again and licked his dry lips, his heart skipping a beat. There were times that it was easy to forget who Bobby was and what Jack stood to lose by pissing him off. He stubbed the cigarette out, fingers shaking.
"You think that's how I see you?"
Jack flinched, his shoulders hunching. "No..."
"Liar," Bobby's tone was ice cold, deep lines of annoyance and anger creasing his forehead.
"What do you care what I think? I can think whatever the hell I want," Jack snapped, cursing himself even as the words left his mouth.
Bobby stared back at him levelly, his eyes dark. Jack thought for a brief moment that he could almost see the tightening at the corner of Bobby's eyes, a prelude to one of his migraines. "Yeah, you're right," he said on a near whisper. "You think whatever the hell you wanna, Jack." He lifted the papers from his desk and stood, his broad shoulders tensed. "I'll just be out an' about gettin' a leash for you."
Jack bit back the urge to apologize. "So if I ain't a stray, then what am I? A fucking pet?"
Bobby walked past him and opened the door. He held it open, his face blank. "Go on, I got work to do."
With as much dignity as he could muster, Jack slipped off the chair and stalked past Bobby, his throat burning up with unvoiced rage and frustrated tears. He resisted the urge to stomp his feet though, preferring a silent exit. Bobby closed the door behind him with a muted thud.
X
Angel frowned and shrugged his coat on, watching Bobby closely. His attitude had nosedived since that morning and that in itself had made him suspicious. Lots of things made him suspicious, he reasoned, his eyes scanning the area around Bobby as they walked into the warehouse with a practiced ease. People, things they said or did, body movements, or lack of them. Or pretty white boys that wormed their way into Bobby's defences, he gritted his teeth and forced the thought back.
Bobby walked a step ahead of him, almost swaggering, his angry stride radiating for all to see. Angel flicked his glance up along the walls of the warehouse, checking for cameras or weapons. You couldn't be too careful, not really.
He let a blank expression slip over his face, his years of service kicking in as Bobby approached the waiting man, wary neutral greetings heard all round. Bobby's phone chirped several times, shrill and annoying. He slipped it out of his pocket, spared the quickest of glances at it and tossed the phone to Angel. "Ignore it."
Angel caught the phone with one hand. J. W flashed on the screen.
Jerry.
Angel ran his gloved thumb over the side button, switching it to ignore with only a minor pang of guilt. Bobby's partnership with Jerry, however complicated it was, really wasn't his business. He let out a huff of breath. Em had made sure that he'd understood that concept. The phone chirped again and Bobby glared at him over his shoulder.
He flipped the phone open and took two steps back. "Don't bother, man," he whispered into it.
"Angel! Angel, Jesus Christ, tell Bobby that Victor's on the-"
"Don't call, Jerry," he mumbled, lowering his voice. "Boss don't wanna hear it."
"You-you don't understand! He's comin' for him...for J-..."
Angel closed the phone and slipped the button down to vibrate, ignoring the frenzied buzzing in his pocket a moment later.
X
"G'on boy, ya stop with the poutin' an' help Miss Lucy wit' all them baskets, yeah?" Em patted Jack's shoulder. "Tuck in ya lip 'fore you trip."
"I am not poutin'," Jack growled and moved away from her. He got up off the couch. "He's so...ah fuck it!"
Em reached up fast, tapping his ear with two fingers. "Ah! Jackie boy, I know ya know betta than that! None of that foul mouth or Lord knows I will wash that tongue, boy!"
Jack winced and dodged her hand again. "Sorry, Sorry, Em…"
She gave him a dirty look. "Swearin' an' poutin'...honest," she clucked her tongue at him, "Cute boy, not so cute when ya actin' like a wee boy. Help Miss Lucy wit' the laundry, them sheets, Boss man wants on the line outside."
"Why? So they can freeze? Isn't he like, allergic to the cold?" Jack snapped under his breath.
"Notcha place t' ask, boy, 'sides, they warm nice inside 'fore he sleeps on 'em. Getcha self goin', boy, or I'll give ya somethin' t' pout over."
Jack grumbled but did so, putting his jacket and boots on to combat the deep snow. Angel had shovelled out the path to the back of the house where the lines of laundry were hung, creating a safe pathway for them. Jack grabbed one of the wicker baskets and hiked it up to his hip, carrying it out to where Lucy was standing, her hair swaying in the light breeze. Jack shivered, feeling the cold seep into his exposed skin.
"Lucy..." he said softly, not wanting to frighten her, as he often did by accident.
She tensed but turned at the sound of his voice, her winter coat belted around her waist. She offered him a small smile and ducked her head. "Sheets...We hang them," she said slowly.
"You got it." He dropped the basket beside them and grabbed the first damp sheet, lifting it up and tossing it over the sturdy line. He took the peg from Lucy and pinned the sheet in place, humming under his breath.
Lucy paused and licked her lower lip, a nervous habit of hers. "Jack...you sing...for me?"
He smiled, feeling his bad mood lifting. "Yeah, sure Lucy, no prob. Whatcha wanna hear?"
"The music...you sang Em...on a day..." she stuttered out, stumbling over the words.
"Ahh, the Beatles, y' mean? From the other day?"
Lucy smiled more and nodded her head, "Si...She like...I like too."
Jack plucked another peg up and secured the sheets. Em had a deep love of the Beatles and she would warble along to the tracks on the stereo in the kitchen that Bobby had installed for her. He grinned. He picked up the second sheet and pushed it over the line.
He paused for a moment, searching for the right song and then began singing in a low voice.
"When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom. Let it be.
And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom. Let it be."
He sang on, keeping the tone soothing and pleasant, listening to Lucy's whisper quiet giggles of delight. He continued with each sheet, singing snatches of songs, old songs that he knew would keep her happy. Jack nudged her after a moment when there was no peg waiting in her hand.
"Lucy...Lucy? Hey, c'mon girl, I need a peg, please."
She stared off into the distance, her dark brown eyes wide with unbridled fear. "Jack...See them..."
"Huh?" Jack blinked and looked around the stretch of snow covered ground. "See what?"
She lifted one trembling arm and pointed to the side of the house, beyond the fencing. "See...los hombres..." she whispered, slipping back into Spanish. She dropped the small basket of wooden pegs.
"What…what the hell...men?" Jack squinted, looking where she did. "Damn it...why didn't I finish that languages class," he muttered. "Lucy, I don't see anything."
Lucy took a step back, then another, moving behind Jack. Her lips moved in silent prayer. Jack glanced back at her, straining his ears. "Lucy...oh Jesus, don't freak out, he'll kill me for sure. Lucy, c'mon look at me, it's ok, I swear."
She let out a strangled shriek and ran back from him, running towards the house. Jack whipped back around to see two men, dressed in black, complete with knit ski masks on, running outside the fence. His breath caught in his throat and he let out a tiny noise of alarm. His throat working convulsively, Jack took a step back. The men looked at him and then ran off, towards the front of the fence.
Jack patted his coat pocket, feeling the familiar weight of his blade in it. He smiled grimly and jogged over the snow, running to the front of the house. The men joined two others, one examining the security box at the front gate. One pointed to him, muffled noises reaching his ears.
"You picked the wrong house, guys," Jack called out, putting his hand into his pocket. He gripped the knife, holding it tight.
"Mercer ain't here, Jack," one pressed up closer to the fence. "We know he ain't. Do ya self a favour and open the fence. Don't make us do this the hard way."
Jack rolled his eyes as he approached the fence, a bit unnerved by the fact they knew his name. He stopped right in front of it and gave them a cocky sneer, one born to infuriate. "Uh huh, I'm fucking terrified. And yeah....the answer's no. Go pick some other house to rob, ok?"
"Open the fence!" the man shouted. "Now, or I'll blow your fucking head off!"
"Do I look like I fell off the turnip truck yesterday? Beside, I don't even know the code to let you in anyways."
A gun appeared in between the small slits of the fencing, the audible click of the safety release horribly loud right then. Jack swallowed, his heart stuttering to a stop for a moment. "Go ahead, shoot me, still won't get you in here, boyos. Mercer has this place locked down tight."
The man smiled, his crooked teeth gleaming. "Don't want the house. We want you."
His arm came through the slot and grabbed a fistful of Jack's coat, yanking him forward. "Now open the fuck up."
X
Lucy ran in a blind panic, her feet tripping her up. She tumbled down, landing in the icy snow. "E-E-Em!" she screamed, raking up fistfuls of snow that stung and bit at her unprotected fingers, "E-Em!"
"Lucy girl, whatcha screamin' for? Where's Jackie?" Em's large frame filled the doorway of the side door, her eyes wide.
"Los hombres, they...they come!" she fumbled to stand, running towards the safety of the house. "Diablo..."
She collapsed in Em's arms, babbling frantically in Spanish to her, only one word coming through clearly.
"Jack..."
Em froze, holding Lucy on instinct. "Inside, Lucy girl...inside, ya pick up that phone an' call t' police, you hear?"
Lucy yanked herself lose from Em's grip and pushed past the door. She stared through the kitchen window as Jack was yanked towards the fence, several men shouting and struggling to climb the fence. "Jack..." She reached over and grabbed a knife from the safety block on the counter.
"Lucy! Lucy girl, don't ya dare!" Em shouted as Lucy ran out the kitchen, a look of murderous fury on Lucy's face that stunned her for a long moment.
X
Jack struggled in the iron grip that held him. He brought his hand out, flashing his knife. "Back off!"
"Open the fuck up now or I'm shovin' this gun up your faggot ass!" the man growled. "I said now!"
"I don't know the fucking code!" Jack shouted back at him, his knife moving fast.
The man hissed furiously, the knife slicing neatly through his gloves. "You fucking cunt!"
Jack stumbled back, released from the grip. He laughed, wild and unrestrained, unable to believe this was happening. "You guys...you signed a fucking death warrant just now. You wait...Mercer's gonna..."
A scream echoed behind him and Jack felt his blood run cold. Lucy...
He turned to see her running towards them, a knife in her hand, screaming and swearing fluidly, her face contorted with rage. "No...Lucy, don't!" Jack reached for her, the blast of a gun going off around them.
Lucy reached the fence and swung with her arm, stabbing the knife into the arm of the man reaching for Jack. He screamed and wheeled back from the fence, blood seeping out from his coat and glove immediately. "Kill her, shoot her, the fuck you waitin' for?!"
Jack snaked his arm around Lucy, yanking her back. She stiffened in his arms, the silent bullet smacking into her chest with a whispered thud. She let out a small moan, her eyes fluttering for a second. "Jack...no hurt, Jack, Diablo..." she choked, blood pooling in her mouth.
"No..." Jack stared at her, tears flooding his eyes. "No, no, no, oh my god, no..."
Lucy coughed, her fingers touching his cheek as she twitched and jerked. Jack dimly heard the sound of feet landing next to him, dimly felt the sudden rush of pain flood the back of his head as a gun was slammed down on his skull and as he was dragged away from Lucy, her blood dripping over the snow in garish ribbons of red, he let out a sob.
"Bobby..."
X
