Alright guys here it is. The second last chapter. Keep in mind that I hated this decision almost as much as you probably will, oh faithful readers. Shout outs to LC for reading this chapter and basically making my night rock. This chapter is for you LC. I couldn't have done this without you. Thanks a bunch for giving me your feedback and I await your review with bells on.

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME GUYS! IT WAS BEST FOR ALL OF US! Oh and I don't own Four Brothers.

CHAPTER NINE: GONE AWAY

Lauren walked around the upstairs hallway, cradling a fussy Camryn in her arms. She gently bounced the baby, whispering sweet nothings to her. But her efforts were wasted as Camryn continued to cry. The longer she tried to calm the baby, the angrier she became with Jack. Since the funeral, he had spent all his time with Bobby, Angel and Jerry. With Bobby back in his life, Jack was reverting back to his delinquent past and not coming home at night. Finally, Lauren soothed Camryn to sleep and placed her back in her crib. Huffing out an angry sigh, Lauren stomped down the stairs in time to see Jack closing the front door and shaking snow from his hair. She marched up to him and violently shoved him against the heavy oak portal. The impact of his body hitting the entrance filled the entry way with a dull thud. He cried out in both pain and surprise at her vehemence.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?" he demanded, moving to push her aside.

"For not coming home last night, without telling me where you were," she snapped, shoving him back against the door.

"What, you're my parole officer now? I gotta check in?" he growled, rolling his eyes.

"I'm your wife, you son of a bitch and I'd like to know where you are when you're trying to avenge your mother's death. Revenge is a dangerous business. I spent the entire night with the phone, wondering if Lieutenant Green was going to call and tell me you were dead too!" she shouted, blinking tears from her eyes. "So yeah. You gotta check in."

Jack's stiff posture melted away when he saw the fear in her eyes. "I'm sorry. You're right. I wasn't thinking. I-Lauren I just wanna know what happened to my mom."

She rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen. "So let the police find out. It's their job. Fuck, Bobby can get you to do anything can't he?"

"That's not fair at all. He's my brother and we're closer to the truth than Green and Fowler. That guy's a fucking dick, by the way. He's gotta be dirty," he spat.

"I don't care how close you are! The closer you get, the more danger you're in! I don't want to lose you Jack!" she cried, whirling around to face him. "Bobby is going to get you killed."

"Bobby will never let anything happen to me," Jack stated.

She couldn't control her tears any longer. "I'm going to lose you if you don't stop 'investigating' her murder."

He pulled her into his arms. "No you aren't. But if these guys find out about you, I'll lose you and Cammy. I can't have that happen. You two mean the world to me."

"So come home, Jack. She misses her daddy," she pleaded, clutching his shirt. "I miss her daddy."

She pulled him into a kiss, pressing her body tightly against his. He lifted her up, placing her on the edge of the table. Lauren slid his jacket off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Excited fingers fumbled with the buttons on her shirt while her own fingers toyed with the hem of his T-shirt. She grew impatient and lifted it over his head. Jack's own impatience overwhelmed him, allowing him to decide that ripping the shirt open would be faster. Her buttons sailed through the air, finally marking their descent with scattered clicks against the tiled floor and Lauren's ruined shirt soon joined Jack's at his feet. She slid back further on the table, giving him room to join her. He pulled back and broke the kiss, allowing him more precision and patience in the removal of her pants. Once they were off, he seized her around the waist and pulled her against him. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his narrow waist and allowed him to carry her into the living room.

---

It was late in the evening when Jack burst through the front door, shouting Lauren's name. He ran around the entire downstairs calling out to her before running up the stairs. When he still received no answer, he began to panic. Stopping his rampage, he allowed himself three deep breaths to calm down. With a clear mind, he thudded down the hall towards her study. He pushed open the door and found her sitting calmly at her computer, bopping her head to the music pouring from her headphones. A contained sigh of relief escaped his body and he ran his fingers through his shaggy hair. He rushed up to her, yanking the headphones off her head. She glanced up at him, her irritation at being disturbed painted all over her face.

"Jack what in the-" She froze when she saw the look on his face. "Jackie, is everything alright?"

He shook his head. "Jerry might have something to do with ma's death."

Lauren jumped up. "What? How?"

"Angel found out that Jerry's getting like, a two hundred thousand dollar insurance payout for her death," Jack replied, pacing the floor. "Bobby was so mad I thought for sure he was going to charge over to Jerry's and break his neck."

"Just because he's getting that money doesn't mean he involved in her death. You guys are really jumping to conclusions here," Lauren sighed, rolling her eyes.

"We're giving him a chance to explain tomorrow morning, don't worry. Although, something tells me Bobby has more on his mind than talking it over," he stated, dropping onto the sofa.

"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked, crawling into his lap.

He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. "If you want. Leave Cammy with Camille and we'll go out for lunch afterwards. We haven't done something nice in a while Razz."

She smiled, curling against his chest. "You haven't called me Razz since the funeral. I've missed it."

"I'm sorry I haven't been here for you two. I promise when this thing with ma's killer is over, it's only you guys," he whispered into her hair. "I love you Lauren Hannah Mercer."

"I love you too Jack Liam Mercer," she breathed, hugging his waist and closing her eyes. "Don't leave us tonight."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he stated, hooking his arm under her legs. "Come on. Let's get to bed."

He lifted her up and carried her down the hall to their room. Once he placed her on the bed, he pulled his short over his head and tossed it into the hamper. Lauren stood up, removing her shirt as well, and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek on the warm, hairless skin of his back. He rubbed her forearms, catching a glimpse of the silver band around his ring finger, and turned to face her, curving his hands around her ribcage. She smiled and kissed the spot on his chest above his heart.

"I love you so, so much Jack," she murmured against the skin of his chest. "If something happened to you, I'd never be the same again."

"If anything ever happened to you, I would never move on. I'd devote my life to Cammy and die alone," he announced softly. "But you'll never have to worry about losing me. Tomorrow's going to be fine. I promise."

---

The snowball hit him square in the face, irritating his skin with its blistering cold touch. A man in a smoke gray sweater had thrown it, casually stating Evelyn was a whore and flipping him the bird. Rational thought forgotten, Jack ran from the house, bending low to a snowbank to scoop up a handful of snow. Nobody insulted Evelyn Mercer around her sons and got away with it. As Jack neared his assailant, snowball in hand, his rational side forced itself back into control and he suddenly realized his mistake. But it was too late to turn and run. Hoodie man turned, a hockey mask on his face and a menacing nine millimetre in his right hand. The quiet air around the two exploded with the shout of the gunshot and through the eruption of blinding hot pain in his torso, he heard both Bobby and Lauren scream his name.

---

Lauren approached the Mercer household, bobbing her head along with the radio, having dropped Camryn off with Camille and the girls. She slowed the car to a stop a few feet away when she saw Jack in the middle of the road, poised to throw a snowball at a guy in a hooded sweatshirt. Her confusion immediately turned to horror when she watched the man turn and point his gun at Jack. Before she could blink, she was out of the car to call out to him, the same time Bobby appeared in the doorway.

"JACK!" brother and sister-in-law cried out in unison a split second after the gun shot.

Jack dropped to his knees, looking up at the shooter as he took aim at his head. He was instantly picked off by Bobby. From there, Lauren could do nothing but watch as a shoot out erupted around the Mercer house. She kept her focus on Jack the entire time, tears rolling down her cold, wind bitten cheeks. She watched Jack struggle to his feet and call out for Bobby, only to be pelted with a shower of bullets shot from two more men with automatics. He stumbled in the snow and fell against a telephone pole, hugging it as he cried out in pain. Lauren choked on a stifled sob, finally turning away from the carnage. But her ears wouldn't let her block out his cries. She reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. It was the only way she could think to help him and the operator didn't need to be told twice as the sounds of war filtered through Lauren's words into the phone. Once she hung up, she became aware of the sudden silence around them. Braving a glance back, she saw that all but two of the gun men had been killed. She also saw Jack, laying face up in the snow, still crying out in agony. The two remaining shooters were approaching the house, giving her one chance to run behind them to her wounded husband. And that's what she did, ignoring the risks. Luck was on her side, as the attackers were too pre-occupied with the eldest Mercer brother. She dropped to her knees beside him, scanning his body for more life-threatening wounds. Tears rolled down her cheeks in a solid stream as she gripped his hand and looked into his eyes.

"Jack Mercer don't you dare die on me," she cried, unable to ignore the blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

He looked at her, his own tears slipping from his eyes. There was fear in the wide blue orbs; fear of losing her and breaking his promise to protect them and be there for them. She shook her head, dismissing his worry and pressed her hand over the original gunshot wound to quell the bleeding. But they both knew it was in vain. The sparkle of mischief in his eyes was fading too quickly. He was unable to speak, unable to grasp enough breath to fight for the life he loved. So he did what he could to let her know how sorry he was. Lauren closed her eyes and choked out more sobs once he mouthed his apologies and undying love for her. She lay her head on his chest, desperate to be as close to him as she could. His heart beat was slow and ragged, fading as quickly as the life in his eyes. He used every ounce of strength he had to lift his arm up and wrap it around her quaking shoulders. Lauren grabbed a fistful of his blood soaked shirt and wiped her eyes. Bobby was at the duo now, barely able to contain his sorrow as he looked down at them. She looked up and the look in her eyes broke his heart.

"I'm going to lose him," she whispered.

Bobby dropped into the snow and grabbed Jack's other hand. "Don't you die on me you fucking fairy. Breathe, do you hear me? You gotta breathe."

Jack opened his mouth to say something and Lauren felt his body tense. She rose her head, seeing the crimson stain of his teeth. Bobby lifted Jack's head from the snow, willing all his strength into his little brother. Lauren sat erect now, clutching at Jack as Bobby urged him to live. Angel, Sofi and Jerry had joined them moments prior, all watching in horrified silence now as Jack died in Bobby and Lauren's arms. They heard nothing but Lauren's anguished cries as the wind picked them up in its cold grip and swirled them high in the air. She lay her head back down on Jack's now unmoving chest and buried her face in his soiled shirt. Bobby wiped his eyes and stood up.

"Get her out of here Jerry," he whispered, looking down at his widowed sister in law.

Jerry nodded, shuffling over to Lauren. "Come on Lauren. Let Jack go."

"No," came her muffled response as she clutched his body tighter.

"You need to get inside and let them take him when they get here," he quietly urged.

"I can't leave him here Jerry," she said, looking up at him.

He winced at the cold smears of blood on her face. "He's gone, Lauren."

She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "No. Leave me alone. I want to be alone with Jack."

Bobby returned to the small group, dropping a gun in the snow at his feet. "That's not Jack. The minute his heart stopped beating, he stopped being Jack. So get up, and let him go Lauren."

"Fuck off Bobby," she snapped, resting her head back on Jack's lifeless chest.

He seized her around the waist, hauling her away from his brother's body, kicking and wailing. "Let him go Lauren! He's dead! And no amount of you holding him and weeping into his bloody fucking T-shirt is going to bring him back!"

She struggled against him, beating her fists off his chest and trying to break his hold on her. Once she realized it was useless to fight him, she collapsed against him and allowed him to hold her as she filled the neighbourhood with her painful moans and sobs. The sirens of the ambulance were close, around the corner from them, but no one heard it. Bobby could feel Lauren's warm tears soaking through his heavy sweater and it pushed him over his emotional edge. The tears came slowly, rolling sporadically down his cheeks. But when he found himself in the same position the next day, watching Jack's body forever vanish into the frozen ground, he let out days of anger, frustration, sadness and crippling grief. And just like that, Jack Liam Mercer was gone.