Disclaimer: Still don't own anything from Four Brothers, only Christina aka Chris.
'I can't believe she's gone.' I thought 'She's always been there, for all my 26 years, and now she's gone, just like that.'
It was the day of Evelyn Mercer's funeral; she was a saint. She let me live with her after my mom left on my 16th birthday, and she's always been like a mom to me. She helped me through my darkest times after everyone left, but I stayed, and I know she was grateful for that.
It was hard enough for me when Bobby left, he was my best friend; but then Angel and Jerry left, Jerry returning a few years later with a pregnant fiancé. But when Jackie left, that was real hard, the two of us shared a special brother-sister bond, sure we had our fights, but when he first came to live with the Mercer clan, I was the first that he opened up to, like an instant trust kind of thing.
"Ready to go Chris?" Jerry asked.
I nodded, and followed him to his car.
"Have you heard from Bobby, Jack an' Angel yet Jer?" I asked him.
"Yeah, Bobby's flight got in really early this morning, he's meeting us there. I'm not sure when Jack's flight came in, but he called last night, and I haven't heard from Angel."
I nodded and went back to quietly staring out the window. "Hey, Chris? Listen to me, it's gonna be okay."
"I don't know Jer, I haven't seen or heard from Bobby in 6 years."
"You still got feeling's for him… don't you?"
"I don't know anymore Jer-bear. Bobby Mercer has flings, never once has he had a girlfriend for more than two weeks."
"Yeah, well you've known him for a long time."
"Jerry, I know for a fact that I always have and always will be the friend, nothing more. Besides, I doubt he'll even remember me, but thanks for trying to cheer me up." I said smiling weakly.
He nodded in understanding and the rest of the drive was silent. When we arrived at the cemetery it was literally a sea of black. I assumed that nearly half the population of Detroit was there; Evelyn was very popular.
Shortly after the funeral, there were only a few people left in cemetery. I noticed a head of messy hair near Evelyn's final resting place. I walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, he jumped and quickly spun around.
"Jackie?" I said, my eyes watering.
"Chris?" I nodded, and he engulfed me in a hug.
I started crying into his shoulder, and believe me when I say this. I have never had a breakdown, especially not in front of any of the Mercer boys. Jack rubbed my back to comfort me, and it worked, I slowly stopped crying.
"I guess it's a good thing I didn't wear make-up today huh Jackie?" I said laughing quietly.
"Yeah." He said looking at the ground.
"What's this? The little fairy's got himself a girl?" An all too familiar voice said.
I broke away from Jack's embrace and turned around to meet the eyes of Bobby Mercer.
"Nah, I'm too old for him Bobby." I said smirking, placing my hands in my coat pockets.
"Chris?" Bobby asked, his eye's lighting up. I was quickly engulfed in another bear hug.
I returned the hug, "It's been so long." He said.
"I know, maybe if you'd call more often, or even wrote letters or something…"
"Yeah, I know… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
"I know you are Bobby."
"I hate to break you two up, but it's freezing, let's go to my place, everyone's meeting up there." Jerry said.
The car ride to Jerry's was a quiet one, when we got there I was greeted by Camille.
"Hey Chris." She said hugging me.
"Hi Camille," I said returning the hug. "How're you doing?"
"We're doing good, how about you? I haven't heard from you in nearly a week."
"I'm doing fine." I smiled at her, Camille and I had gotten to be close friends since Jerry came back to Detroit with her. She even asked me to be her maid of honor the day that we met; the friendship grew from there.
"Auntie Chris! Auntie Chris!"
I turned to see two little girls all bundled up in their winter clothing running towards me. I kneeled down to their level and they attacked me with a hug, knocking me to the ground.
"Hey you two, have you girls been good for your mommy and daddy?"
They both nodded smiling; I noticed Bobby and Jack walk up to us.
"Hey girls; Auntie Chris wants you to meet somebody."
"Okay." Amelia said enthusiastically.
"Who is it?" Daniela asked.
I pointed towards Bobby and Jack, and the two girls turned around, they both kneeled down to the girls' height.
"You must be Daniela." Jack said to her.
"And you must be Amelia," He said petting the costumed dog she was holding. "I like your dress."
"I'm Amelia!" She giggled.
"I know. You probably don't remember us, but I'm your Uncle Bobby," He said pointing at himself. "And this is Cracker Jack."
"Man, don't teach them that." Jack muttered to Bobby.
"You can't be our uncles, you're white." Daniela said.
"Grandma Eva's white."
Bobby went on to explain about how Evie had adopted them all, when Lt. Green and his partner Detective Fowler showed up.
"You're a police man." Amelia said pointing towards them.
"That's right and you're all under arrest, so don't nobody move!" Green said jokingly.
The two girls ran into the house laughing. "Hey where y'all going?" He laughed.
"Hey Green, am I under arrest to?" Bobby asked.
"Depends, you been keepin' straight?"
"Straight-ish."
"Hey Green." I said walking up to him.
"How you holding up Chris?"
"I'm doing okay."
"You clean?" Fowler asked.
"Have been for the past two years thanks to Evelyn Mercer." I said glaring at him.
For some reason I just didn't trust Fowler, I always got this feeling that he was up to no good, despite the fact that he is a cop.
"What does he mean by clean?" Bobby asked me on the way to the Mercer house.
"He means nothing Bobby, I don't want to talk about it."
"You will open up eventually Chris, you always do."
"Yeah, well maybe not this time." I muttered.
"What?" He said.
"Nothing." I answered.
"Nice to be home." Bobby said while we walked up to the front door.
"So, shit, Bobby, what've you been up to?" Jack asked.
"I'm a freaking college professor, Jack. What do you think I've been doing?" Bobby answered.
"I doubt that." Jack laughed.
"Same old Bobby." I said laughing.
"What about you Jack, still sucking a little cock left and right, or what?"
"Fucker." Muttered Jack.
"Y'all ain't right leaving me out here in the cold like this."
We all turned to see Angel standing by the front door.
"Yo, little brother! You asshole!" Bobby said.
"I missed my flight man."
"You missed our mother's funeral too, jarhead."
"Shaved off the afro huh Angel?"
"Chris! How you been?" He said hugging me. 'Man I've hugged a lot of people today'
"I've been better."
"Did you get your teeth whitened?"
"Man, shut up Jack."
"Come on, let's get our asses inside before they freeze to death." I said shivering.
A/N: Next chapter should either be up tomorrow, or the day after. Review please? Any suggestions are welcome.