Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm poor. Don't sue.

I do this because it gets rid of stress and keeps my mind off of things I'd rather ignore.

I woke up the next morning wincing. It didn't have a hangover I just happened to remember what happened last night. I fell backwards in my bed looking around. Rob had been gone two years. My mom had been gone longer than that. We didn't grow up with a father. I don't really think about it, it wasn't a major impact on my life. Around here a lot of people didn't have fathers. After mom died it was just me and Rob. He was my big brother. He always watched out for me. When he turned eighteen he stayed in Detroit for two reasons. It was familiar and he could get a job anywhere, I had been the other reason. My mom had died just two months after Rob's eighteenth birthday. Instead of getting sent to Connecticut where we had family I could stay home since Rob was there. Evelyn had even offered to take me in. She had told Rob if he planned to go away to find work like Bobby and Angel had done she'd look after me. Jack was still at home with her and since we went to school together and I Rob and I practically lived at Evelyn's it wouldn't be a problem. But Rob had been Rob. Too proud to take help even though he could have used it. He could have gotten out of here and he'd still be alive. He was killed two years ago while getting out of work. No one knows if it was a targeted hit or he was just a victim of a drive by. I didn't know and I didn't care. Someone killed my brother. The reason why he died wouldn't bring him back. I had my theories but I knew better to investigate. When I got a chance and things had calmed down I'd search. But between my brother getting killed and Evelyn there wasn't going to be anyway to find anything out. There would be extra lock down on underground words. Everyone knew the Mercer boys were back in town and looking for revenge. It you were smart you made yourself scarce and stayed out of the way.

I heard my doorbell ring and huffed. I flung the covers off me as I heard the doorbell continuing. Whoever was at the door was very impatient. I checked the peephole and opened the door. Bobby leaned off the doorbell and pushed pass me closely followed by Angel and Jack. Jack handed me a small chocolate milkshake slowing drinking from his own. I saw both Angel and Bobby had them as well.

"Aww does someone have a widdle hangover?" I laughed in my baby voice.

Angel snorted into his drink. "We were drinking before we got into the bar. Should know better than to keep mixing drinks." He stretched. "Getting too old for this shit."

Bobby shook his head. "We're not too old for anything. Don't forget we're the same age Angel. I just think my head hurts from listening to you and La Vida fucking Loca last night."

Jack snorted. "I think you mean listing to him fucking La Vida Loca."

Angel flipped his brothers up. "Jealous."

I laughed and closed the door. "Sofi's back I see?"

Angel glanced at me. "How'd you know?"

I shrugged. "I know all. I keep and ear to the ground I hear shit. Although I'm glad to say I didn't hear anything last night." I laughed. "Plus Sofi is the only one of your girls ever referred to as La Vida Loca."

"So we wake you up?" Bobby said, pointing to me.

I looked down. Boxers with little shot glasses on them and a tank top. It could be below twenty and I would still sleep in boxers and a tank. I shrugged then noticed Jack looking at my boxers and smiling. "What?"

"I recognize those." His smile grew bigger.

I looked back down at the boxers and cursed. I had stolen these from Jack one night after he decided to throw me in the snow while I was in my pajamas. My retaliation included knocking him into a snow bank, sending the others after him and stealing clothes to sleep in. I wasn't going to let that bother me; I had stolen those boxers fair and square. "Want them back?"

Jack sat on the couch and shook his head. "Nah they look better on you."

"If you two girls are done with your fashion consulting we have business." Bobby motioned for me to sit. I had two choices. Sit next to Jack or in an armchair. I took the latter and leaned back into the plush back. "What do you need?"

Angel leaned forward. "You just staid you usually keep an ear to the ground. How closely is it there?"

I knew what they were getting at. "Guys you know if I had heard I whisper I would have found you. No one would have ever expected it. From what I've seen from the bar and heard around nothing big has been going on. No new gang or hot shot trying to get into power. Things still run by the same guy, insurance goes through him for protection, same shit as always."

Bobby looked up at me. "Got a name or face?"

I nodded. "Not too sure on the face but I got a name. Victor Sweet."

Angel spoke up. "Any relation to Malcolm Sweet?"

Bobby beat me to the punch. "Malcolm is Victor's uncle. Kid used to go do 'deliveries' for Malcolm. Sent out firebombs and beatings. Plus Malcolm used to love humiliating his little nephew."

I crossed my arms. "Correction. Malcolm was Victor's uncle. Victor sunk Malcolm in the river far as anyone can tell. He owns the streets now."

Jack let out a low whistle. "Damn. Anything else we should know about Sweet?"

I shrugged. "Covered loans for businesses. Your business fell through you paid him back. You didn't pay him back quickly something happens. You know how it goes."

We were all silent for a moment staring at the ground and glancing at each other. They had come to me for help and this was all I could give them. I'd keep my ears open but everything was going to be in lockdown. No whispers were going to surface. Plus what would Sweet have to do with this? Evelyn wouldn't get caught up in that. Plus she was always trying to force money on people who looked like they needed it. She was comfortable enough to get the hell out of here if she had really wanted. But not Evelyn. She had to make sure the fuckups of Detroit were looked after. I mean after all three of the four most hopeless cases sat around me.

I looked back up trying to think of a way to break the silence. "So what should I make for dinner?"

Three blank faces looked back at me. Jack was the first to comprehend. "Oh. Thanksgiving."

Bobby shook his head. "Don't worry about anything. People have been stopping by with so much fucking food we'll all die. All we have to do is cook the bird. And that's after the game this morning."

I rolled my eyes. "I should have known. The Mercer boys on ice."

"It'll end up scarlet." I turned and saw Jerry close my door behind him.

I threw up my hands. "I don't think I've ever felt so fucking popular."

Jerry pointed next door. "No one was home. It's too early for the bar; they would have taken the sticks and called me for the game so that just left here."

I stood up to stretch. "Well I'd kick you out but you'll just force the door open. So if you give me a second to get changed I can make breakfast."

Angel looked up at me. "Food?"

I laughed. "Yes that's what they're calling it now. And don't try making any jokes I think I was the one forced into the kitchen for you guys because Rob nearly set the kitchen on fire if he tried to make popcorn."

Bobby pointed to the stairs. "Get changed woman we're hungry. The most I can manage is coffee."

I slowly inched my way towards the stair case before I felt arms lift me up and I was thrown over Jack's shoulder. "Fuck it! Jack put me down."

He laughed as he ran up the stairs and into my room. He plopped me onto the bed and peered into my closet. "Let's see if you have anymore of my clothes in here. Not that I mind, it's just nice to know what has gone to good use." He shifted through a few things as a watched him. He was dressed like a remembered. A tee-shirt covered by a zip up and topped off with a beat up leather jacket. His jeans were dark, tight at the top and looser below, held up by and old black belt that had silver writing around it. We had gotten a silver pen one day and had written all over it. It was cute how he had never gotten rid of it.

He turned around with a short black dress in his hands. He seemed to be looking more at the dress than trying to show me. It was a lace covered halter dress that ended just below my knees. I hadn't worn it in a long time and completely forgot it was in there. I stood up and took the dress from Jack placing it back in my closet. My hand ran down the fabric feeling its softness. I grabbed a thin sweater and a pair of jeans for my closet and threw them onto my bed. "Jack you should probably go downstairs." My voice was soft and I could feel him watching me.

Jack leaned over to me and kissed my forehead. He looked like he had something else to say but just walked out. He paused at the doorway a hand on the door post. I noticed he still hand his rings. On his thumb, index finger and his ring finger on his right hand. On his left he had a ring on his thumb and middle finger. I don't know why I noticed them or why I was looking at them so closely. I think it was anything to not look at him. He waited another moment and walked out shutting the door softly behind him.

I shut the closet door and quickly got changed. I'd worn that dress twice in front of Jack. Once for prom that we'd gone to together. It had been an amazing night. I shivered as I slipped into my jeans. Jack and I had staggered back into my house later that night and had an amazing night. It was my first time and I could still feel every place he had touched me.

Get your mind off it girl.

I slipped my boots back on trying to focus on them. They had the appearance of tying up to the knee but there was a zipper on the side of each boot. Surprisingly these heeled style boots were amazing in the snow. I could walk out of snow and straight into work without having to change my shoes. I grabbed my jacket and slid it on. A soft leather jacket that remained me of summer for some reason. I never figured out the connection, it was just always there. I searched my pockets for keys before remembering I had worn a different jacket the other night. I opened the closet and rummaged though the pockets until I pulled out the keys. I remembered I was still supposed to make breakfast for the guys and slid my jacket off again. My eyes fell on the dress again remembering the second and last time I'd worn the dress. It had been the night after graduation. We'd gone out for dinner with a bunch of friends and Jack told me later that night he was leaving for New York. I don't remember protesting or what else had happened that night. But I do remember the next day that he was gone. I also distinctly remember setting fire to the little graduation bear he had gotten me.

That's how I deal with my life. I set things on fire and I felt a million times better.

Yeah that's normal.

I took a deep breath and ran down the stairs to where the guys were waiting for food. I lived to serve. I made more eggs than I think I had in years and toasted up a loaf of bread. I stuck to a cup of tea and a muffin. As much food as I made I doubted there would have been a chance for me to grab some of the eggs without my arm being chewed off. I smiled as I watched them devourer what was in front of them. I noticed Jack looking up at me a few times but I ignored it. I'd talk to him later on. Right now I wanted to focus on breakfast and how many injuries I was going to have to mend after they were done with hockey.

A/N: I love reviews that make me feel a million times better while I'm writing a bunch of papers for school.

Special thanks:

XNegAttentionX: thanks a lot. I'm glad you like it and yes, sexy drunk guys are very amusing to write about.

Writer By Nature: Thank you. I'll do my best onthe updating.

Sadvirtue: Thank you so much. And see if all guys were like that we wouldn't frustrated authors like myself writing about this to pass the time. So we should be thanksful. :)

Yes I am very sorry that this is short but I didn't have a lot of time today. I had another paper to write and I have wonderful SAT preps tomorrow. But hey it's better to get up a bunch of chapters than to keep you in suspense, right?

R&R I like reviews that make me smile while everyone around me is trying to drive me insane. Including slightly delusional exes.