The two groups had worked quietly for about an hour when they heard a car pull into the driveway beside John's jeep. Robin, Little John, and Much exchanged a look and stood up. The rest of the group stood up as well, exchanging their own set of – confused – looks when the original three began picking up their stuff. Robin noticed their confusion and began to explain as he continued to pick things up.

"Dad's home. He doesn't like a mess anywhere on the main floor when he gets home, even though this room has the most space. We're just going to the entry area of the second story."

As the ten people walked up the stairs, the jocks couldn't help but be impressed at the house. The downstairs had a living room that could pass for a four-car garage in size, a kitchen half that size, a dining room the same size as the kitchen, and the master bedroom, along with areas that looked like bedrooms-turned-hallways. Up the sweeping staircase they saw a landing-type area the same size as the kitchen and dining room, as well as four doors and a second, smaller set of stairs.

"Those stairs lead up to the attic. It doubles as a kind of computer room and library," John told them.

"I thought your great-grandfather built this place…" Will wondered out loud.

"He did," Much answered. "Then Jon's dad decided to remodel and renovate a bit."

"He's your grandfather, too," Robin pointed out. Much shrugged and grinned. The teens heard a door slam downstairs as they spread their supplies all over the landing area. They worked in silence for a little while longer. Then, John coughed slightly and sat up.

"You might as well ask," he told Meg. She looked up at him, confused. "I'm not as stupid as you think. You want to ask me a question. Ask it."

"I know you're not a dumb as you act," Meg told him. "You're work on this project so far proves that. I just… why did you repeat third grade?"

"For Robin," he answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Huh?"

"People were already picking on Robin, and Much still wasn't exactly a big guy. I was. They only picked on him when I wasn't around. When I figured that out, I stopped doing any work in any of my classes. I knew that eventually I'd go to middle school, while he was still in sixth grade. Then he'd have no help all day."

"And what am I? Chopped liver?"

"If you remember right, your parents were planning on moving to another state. Your dad only stayed because he couldn't leave the area Julie grew up in after she was gone."

"So you purposely stayed behind?"

"Yeah. In case you hadn't guessed, I'm a little over-protective." The conversation would have gone farther, but a voice from downstairs called to Robin to get down there. As he left, Alan asked Much who they had been talking about earlier.

"You didn't really put his father in the hospital, did you?"

"Why would I do a thing like that?"

"You said…"

"Different guy. Robin got in a fight with one of our second cousins, and I got the job of playing ref. The idiot called Rob a name that I don't want to repeat, so I hit him."

"Repeatedly," John added.

"He deserved it."

"I don't know why I still put up with you!" a voice boomed from down the stairs. All nine teens looked towards the staircase. "You can't even pull C grades, Robert! John manages straight A's, and you're not even trying!"

"Would you quit comparing me to him? I'M NOT JOHN!"

"I can see that! John wouldn't pull this kind of crap!"

"That's not what you said ten years ago." The nine teens looked at each other in shock. The jocks had no idea what was going on, and Much and Little John couldn't believe that those two would go at it while there was company. Then, Jonathan Loxley, Sr. went too far.

"That was your fault, too!"

"Why, because I'm not perfect? Face it, you're not either! If you were I wouldn't be here!"

"How I wish that was the case!"

"Is that really what you want?"

"Of course! I was happy with one child! I was happy with my wife! Then you came along!"

"Don't try to blame this on me! I'm not the one who told you to sleep with a woman you had never met! I'm not the one who then repeatedly slept with her until he learned she was pregnant! And I sure as H am NOT the one who told you to keep the child!" The people upstairs heard a loud smack, and then a whimper of pain.

"You will NOT take that tone with me, Robert! You don't know what was happening!"

"Then tell me! Come on! Tell me why I'm worth less than scum to you! Tell me why everything is my fault! Tell me WHY YOU DECIDED TO KEEP ME IF YOU DIDN'T EVEN WANT ME!"

"I kept you because I cared for your mother and Dina! Olivia was dying, and her only request was that I take you in and give you my name, since you were mine! You're right. I never wanted you! The only reason I agreed to take you is because Dina wanted me to. She thought that it would be good for John to have a brother."

"I guess she was wrong then, wasn't she?" Robin asked, his voice thick with tears.

"Yes. She was," Mr. Loxley agreed stonily.

The teens all sat silently as Robin walked back up the stairs to them. The entire right side of his face was red, and already beginning to bruise. He managed to keep his tears in check, and he didn't say a word to any of them. He sat down where he had been before he was called downstairs about his grades and began working on the project again. After working in silence for a few minutes, he looked up, into Will's eyes.

"The name I was called by my cousin? The one that pisses Much off so badly every time he even thinks about it? I was called a worthless bastard and waste of space." John walked over to Robin and pulled the smaller boy into a hug. Then, when Robin had calmed down a bit, he stood up and walked down the stairs.

As his head dropped out of sight, Much hissed, "Round two. Fight."

"How DARE you say that to him!" Little John bellowed at his father.

"He deserved it! He has never been anything but a waste of space and a drain on this household!"

"He has not! If anything, he has helped us! I've talked to Mom about it! She said the two of you were close to a divorce when Robin was born! You think I don't know the story? Don't give me that crap about Robin ruining your perfect little family! I was almost a year old when Robin was born! You wanted the thrill of a life outside your wife and kid! That's the real reason you started sleeping with Ms. Huntingdon! And believe it or not, you DID love him when he was little! There is a tape in the attic that will prove it to you!"

"Don't stick up for him, John. That puts you just as at fault as he is."

"At fault for what? For being alive! For existing! When will you get it together and realize that you're killing him! You loved him once! You said so on the tape! You were holding him, and you swore to always love him! What happened to that?"

"That is ENOUGH, Jonathan!"

"Fine! But if he ever does something drastic, I swear I will come after you. If I EVER hear of him hurting himself, I will kill you with my bare hands. Do you understand that, Dad?" Without giving his father a chance to answer, Little John turned on his heel and marched back up the stairs. He looked around the room at the people gathered together.

"I think we'd better call it a day. Maybe we can get together again some other night?" Little John suggested. The others nodded. "Why don't you lad them back to the school, Much? Or, better yet, take my keys. If the girls sit in the guys' laps they'll all fit."

Much nodded and preceded the others out of the room. Right before she could take the first step down the stairs, Marion turned back to look at the brothers. Robin was still sitting in the same spot he had been, with his head hanging low and his arms held tightly against his body. As she watched, Little John walked over to him and sat down. He put his hand on Robin's back and pulled the smaller boy into an embrace. Marion walked down the stairs to the sound of Robin crying.

oxoxoxoxo

A/N: Most of the other chapters have really good endings, so I decided to do something different with this one. But before I get yelled at, this fight was what the rest of the story was developed around. I'm serious; this was my first idea for this fic. So please review and let me know. Please note that images can be found at in the scraps section of yoru-magi. Here's the site, with spaces between every letter/number/etc.

h t t p / y o r u – m a g i . d e v i a n t a r t . c o m / g a l l e r y /

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cowgirlnm-1: So it did work for you? Have you ever tried an upside-downcaramel macchiato? Very much of the good... I think they're realizing it about now... Took them long enough, huh? I know it was another fast chapter, but I couldn't help it. My fingers start their little race around the keyboard and the next thing I know twenty minutes and another chapter have passed me by... Thanks for the review... And if you check out the art, bear in mind that it's kinda crappy... I drew it with a mouse...

Heather: I'm updating as soon as my back can handle this position... I have no real chair for my computer... More like my bed sitting a foot and a half away... That's part of the reason it takes so long. Sorry and I hope you like this chapter! Thanks for the reviews!

bla: It's kewl... I'm just glad you're here now. I can never get too many reviews! Thanks, BTW!