A/N: Sorry for the wait, but life got in the way. Enough excuses, here's the next couple of chapters. Enjoy and let us know what you think. :)

Chapter 13

"They did what?" Bobby yelled.

"Shh," Jeremiah whispered to his brother. "Lower your voice. We don't want to wake ma."

Bobby shook his head. "Fuck no!" he whispered harshly. It was three in the morning and he had just come back home after last call. it was the first time since he'd been home that he had actually had time to catch up with a few of his old friends. It had been a goodnight, at least until he got home.

"What the hell were they thinking?" Bobby continued.

Jerry shrugged. "A better question was who the hell was the guy that carried Jo into the house."

Angel walked into the kitchen shaking his head an annoyed look on his face. He walked past Bobby to the refrigerator and grabbed himself a beer before sitting down at the table.

"How's Jack?" Jerry asked.

Angel took a sip of his drink. "Good and drunk. Jackie's safely passed out in his own bed."

Jerry nodded.

Bobby said, "What about Jo?"

Jerry crossed his arms and looked at Angel glaring daggers at his younger brother.

"What?" Bobby asked. "Is Jo drunk too?"

"Tell him," Jerry ordered.

Angel shrugged trying to downplay the seriousness of the situation. he swallowed another gulp of beer. "Nah, Joey doesn't drink Bobby."

"Then what?"

"She's using." Jeremiah informed him. "Heroin, according to Angel. She's passed out on the couch now."

Bobby slammed his fist down on the table. "Shit! I knew I should have said something to ma when I saw those track marks on her arm this morning." Bobby turned to look at Angel. "Wait, you knew."

Angel stood up and backed away from the table where Bobby was advancing on him. "Started up a couple months after you left. I caught her coming home high a few times. But she quit after I found out, or at least I thought she did. I would have said something if I thought she was still using."

Bobby shook his head. "Fuck Angel!" You didn't think this was something that you should have told someone? Me, or hell even ma? Damn-it, you run that big mouth of yours any other time."

"Sorry, Bobby. I thought she quit. Honest."

Bobby shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The clock on the oven told him it was almost four in the morning. he was exhausted and he couldn't think straight right now.

He took a deep breath, exhaling loudly. "The damage is already done right? No point in crying over spilled milk now." Bobby told his brother's tiredly. "I'm going to bed. I'll talk to ma in the morning and kick Jackie and Jo's asses then." He looked at Angel, who took a few more steps back, and just shook his head.

He would handle Angel tomorrow too.

Bobby woke to a quiet house. A rare occurrance in the Mercer home, especially on Saturday. The smell of chocolate chip pancakes lingered in the air, encouraging him out of his bed. Chocolate chip pancakes meant both Camille and Ma were cooking.

He looked at the clock. Almost 9:30. He would have to hurry if he wanted to catch ma before she went to work.

He had a slight headache and the light shining through the window hurt his eyes. He closed the blinds.

Going downstairs, he realized the house wasn't as quiet as he thought.

"Hey Bobby," Camille said smiling.

"Morning." he mumbled in response.

Five hours of sleep was not enough. He should have realized, Jerry spending the night meant that Camille would be coming over the next morning. He had nothing against his brother's wife, it was his crying niece that was grating on his hung-over nerves.

Jerry was rocking a crying Daniella to sleep. He looked just as tired as Bobby.

"Morning ma." Bobby said grabbing a plate and stacking it with three pancakes.

Evelyn smiled and shook her head. Bobby noticed she seemed to be in a rush.

"Good morning dear. Jerry was just telling me you boys had a late night."

Bobby groaned.

"Are the wonder twins still asleep?" Jerry asked.

Bobby peeked into the living. Jo was gone.

"Nope," Angel answered helping himself to another serving of pancakes. "Cracker Jack's still knocked out, but Joey's up and hogging the bathroom."

Camille placed a fresh pancake onto the stack before returning to the stove and making another.

Evelyn sighed. "I'm in a rush, but I will have to have a talk with both of them when I get back." She turned to Camille. "Camille dear, I would love for you and Jerry to stay for dinner tonight. It's nice to have you around and I miss seeing that granddaughter of mine."

Camille flashed the woman a smile. "Of course, Ms. Evelyn. We'd loved to."

Evelyn blew a kiss to her children goodbye and left for work.

"Hey Bobby," Jerry started. "You and Angel still helping Anthony move today?"

Bobby's head flew back in frustration. "Crap, I completely forgot. All this shit with Jack and Jo..."

"What's going on with them anyway?" Camille interjected."

Bobby raised an eyebrow. "Jerry didn't tell you?"

Jerry shook his head. "Ma was in such a rush this morning, I didn't get the chance to fill either one of them in on the details."

Camille looked at her husband. "So..."

The brothers filled her in over breakfast.

"Wow," muttered Camille when they had finished. "Well that at least explains why Jo called me yesterday."

Jerry turned to look at his wife. "Jo called you?"

Camille nodded. "Yeah, but I was at work so she left a voicemail."

"What did she say?"

"Nothing really. Just that it was important and she needed to talk to me."

The brothers grew quiet.

"We should get going." Angel said after a few minutes.

Bobby agreed. It was only ten thirty. Jack and Jo probably wouldn't be up until later that afternoon. He could deal with them then.

Jo awoke with a start. Her eyes shot open and she inhaled sharply struggling for air. Her hand shot out, touching something cold. She was lying on something cold and hard. She forced herself upright into a sitting position and clutched the porcelain in front of her.

Her head was swimming and the room began to spin. The experience was nauseating. Not a moment later she was on her knees, bent over the toilet, vomit protruding from her mouth burning her throat on the way up. Jo emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She hadn't eaten much the day before and the dry heaves felt like kicks to her stomach.

"It's okay, Jo Jo." came the soft voice of a woman. "I've got you girl."

The speaker quickly pulled Jo's hair up and out of her face and waited on her to finish before speaking again.

Jo reached a shaky hand out to flush the toilet then wiped the back of her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You okay?"

Jo looked up at the woman. It was Camille, Jerry's wife.

Realization dawned on her and Jo's stomach twisted into a knot again, threatening to have her repeatedly knelt back over in her previous condition. She was in the bathroom, which meant at some point during her high she had stumbled in here. Probably looking for somewhere cool to lie down. It wasn't the first time.

Jo tentatively crawled back away from the toilet, leaned against the bathtub, and nodded slowly.

Camille held a soft smile and stood up grabbing a washcloth and wet it with warm water before handing it to Jo.

Jo took it and wiped her mouth and the back of her hand.

"What time is it?" The young girl asked, her voice dry and tired.

"Almost eleven AM."

Jo nodded.

Camille stood. "Why don't you shower and dress, then come on downstairs so we can talk while you eat? Okay?"

Camille didn't wait for a response before leaving. It was a good thing that Jerry suggested she check on Jo. He had remembered Angel saying she was in the bathroom but they hadn't seen her come downstairs. Something was up with Jo and she wanted to help.