AN: Thanks again for your reviews! I wasn't going to post this chapter until after the holidays, but I thought I'd leave you all with an early Christmas present, since I probably won't get around to posting another chapter until after Christmas. Here comes the chapter you've been waiting for, your first hints towards Jack and Bobby's crazy relationship that I've created. And by the way, I really enjoyed all your reactions to Chad! They were very accurate, you'll see why in a chapter or two! Thanks again, enjoy!

"Is someone gonna get over here and give me a damn hug?"

Bobby and Jeremiah stood side by side, gaping at Angel as Jack got out of the car. No one moved towards Angel until Jack slammed the door, feet scraping against the rock surface, the noise shaking them out of their momentary stupor.

"You're supposed to be in Iraq," Jerry stated dumbly, although he was grinning from ear to ear. Angel laughed, dropping his bag to the ground.

"Does this look like Iraq to you, asshole? Because it's a hell of a lot colder here."

Jerry laughed as well, moving forward to envelop Angel in a tight hug. "It's good to see you, man."

"Good to see you too, definitely good to be home," Angel responded, pulling out of the hug and looking over at Bobby. "I see my brother's finally got the strong, silent thing down."

"Shut the hell up, Jarhead." Bobby walked forward, pulling Angel into an equally crushing hug. "Have we forgotten how to use a phone in our little time overseas? Or was calling your brother and telling him you're comin' home a huge inconvenience?"

"Man, it's called a surprise," Angel said, giving Bobby a playful shove. "You shoulda seen the looks on your faces." He paused, looking at Jack, confused. "Who's the new kid? I thought Mom wasn't takin' any more in."

"Oh." Bobby grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him forward. Jack stood awkwardly in front of Angel, looking increasingly more uncomfortable under the other man's gaze. "Angel, this is Jack. Jack, this is my brother, Angel."

Jack extended his hand, mumbling a hello, and Angel shook it, still looking at him quizzically. "Where did Bobby say you came from?"

"He didn't," Jack replied, sounding more annoyed than he'd intended. Something about the way Angel was looking at him made him feel on edge. He didn't really like to think about where he came from, and certainly didn't want to tell a complete stranger. "I mean...I really don't have..."

"He's just a friend of mine," Bobby continued, looking warily back at Jack, who showed his relief at Bobby's interruption. "We were gonna play a little hockey before your black ass showed up."

"Well, don't mind me," Angel said, picking up his bag and smirking. "I'll just be on my way..."

"Christ, Angel, don't be so damn obvious," Bobby chuckled. "You are not goin' to see that girl."

"Who said anything about a girl, Bobby?" Angel asked, trying to sound offended. "I can't even believe you would think that. I was just gonna let you play your hockey game."

"We're not gonna play a damn hockey game now. Dinner and drinks on me, on behalf of Angel not getting' his ass blown up in Iraq!"

Jack's heart sank at those words. Not playing the hockey game? He'd been looking forward to it all day. It was his first real chance to hang out with Bobby, to try and prove himself as one of the guys. When would he get the chance now?

Suddenly a snowball hit Bobby on the side of the face, and he spun around to see Angel gracing him with a rare smile, arms crossed and leaning on the side of the car next to Jerry, who was trying to stifle giggles. Bobby pointed at them, giving a look of warning.

"Don't start something you can't finish, boys," he cautioned, and Jerry laughed even harder. Jack just stood there, hands stuffed in his pockets, eyes focused on the ground below him. As soon as Angel had arrived, he'd suddenly felt unbearably out of place. Bobby and Angel were so obviously brothers by the way they acted, and Jeremiah was just as close...Jack now realized he was only a random stranger who'd come across Bobby in a bar and felt something remotely familiar. They didn't have anything like the chemistry he was witnessing now.

"Jackie boy," Bobby was saying, and Jack looked up, noticing that everyone was around the car, staring at him. "You comin'?"

"Oh," Jack mumbled, shuffling his feet, not moving towards the car. "You mean to dinner?"

"Yeah," Bobby said, and Angel suddenly looked at him, annoyed. "Why not?"

Jack immediately noticed the look on Angel's face, and shook his head. "No, you guys go ahead."

"What?" Bobby asked, looking over at Jerry, who shrugged, and then to Angel, whose jaw was clenched but unmoving. "You guys don't mind, right?"

Before Jerry or Angel could answer, Jack shook his head. "No, Bobby. Go celebrate. I'll catch up later."

"What? Jack, come on," Bobby continued, and Jack cursed his stubbornness. He wanted so badly to go, but he didn't know if he could bear more of the awkwardness that Angel had created upon his arrival. Now, more than ever, Jack felt incredibly lonely. Bobby's not my family. I have no family.

"Bobby, listen to the kid," Angel argued coolly, opening the passenger side door and leaning against the top of the car. "He don't wanna go, don't make him."

"Yeah," Jack agreed, feeding off of Angel's words, even though the true meaning behind them rang loud and clear. I don't want you there. I want to be with my family. "I was gonna go to the library tonight, anyway. It's fine, really. Go ahead."

"Whatever," Bobby sounded more than a little angry, though his frustration seemed out of place for the situation. "We're takin' you to the library, though."

"Bobby..."

"Get in the damn car, Jack!" The tone and the volume of Bobby's voice startled everyone, and Jack hurried to the car, sliding into the back seat without saying a word. Bobby's sudden anger made him nervous, and he started biting at his thumbnail as the rest of the guys slipped into the car as well.

The ride to the library was spent mostly in silence, with Bobby refusing to meet anyone's gaze as he gripped the wheel with unexpected strength. Angel glanced at him a couple of times, flicking his eyes momentarily to Jack before returning to stare straight ahead. Jerry stared idly out the window, drumming his fingers against the armrest.

"Why are you going to the library?" Bobby grumbled, surprising Jack after the seemingly never ending silence. "You don't go to school, do you?"

Jack's mood fell further at Bobby's comment, feeling inferiority pile on top of the loneliness and annoyance that plagued him. He hated the fact that he wasn't going to school anymore, and he hated even more the way people thought of him because he lived on the street. It was instantly assumed, because he was homeless, that Jack was stupid, had obviously been kicked out of school, and preferred to use books as firewood than to actually read them. In reality, Jack loved to read, and would frequently visit the library, sitting in the aisles and reading until the librarian would come yell at him to check out or leave. Jack, much to his chagrin, couldn't check out. He didn't have a membership, mostly because he refused to give anyone his last name.

As for school, Jack had simply dropped out for protection. After he'd run away, Jack had gone to great lengths to ensure that John Davis wouldn't find him. He'd even left the city for a while, hitchhiking his way across Michigan, before finally returning to Detroit a month later when lack of money drove him to Chad's. He couldn't go back to school, though; it would have been way too easy for John to find him there.

"Hey," Bobby snapped, looking back at Jack through the rear view mirror. His eyes were different than Jack had seen them. There was anger there, but not at him...anger directed at a situation, more than a person. "I asked a question."

"No, I don't," Jack spat. Two can play this game. "Is that a problem?"

"You don't seem like the reading type," Bobby continued, looking back at the road.

Jack didn't respond to that. He knew that if he opened his mouth, he'd say something he'd regret. Something like well, maybe I am the reading type. Maybe I am the musical, reading, loner type, and maybe you'd know that if you took the time to look. Maybe if you cared enough, you'd see that I'm so much fuckin' more than a homeless kid you met at a bar. Maybe, but it's alright, I don't expect you to, because I'm not your family, I'm not Angel, your brother, I'm not Jeremiah, your best friend...

"There," Bobby said, and Jack snapped out of his mental tirade, noticing that his hands were shaking and his neck was warm. He was once again grateful for the lack of light; he was sure that his face was blazing red. The car was parked outside of the library, and Jack looked up. Bobby was staring at him through the mirror, while Angel was looking pointedly out the front window. Jack looked over at Jeremiah, who smiled, almost reassuringly.

"Thanks," Jack mumbled, grabbing his backpack and exiting the car, slamming the door on the way out. He walked quickly towards the front of the library, keeping his head down and waiting for the sound of the car pulling away.

"Jack!"

Jack stopped, letting his head fall back with a frustrated sigh. He turned around, looking back at Bobby, who was leaning out the car window. "What?"

"Stop by later," Bobby yelled, voice still hard and annoyed. "I wanna talk to you."

"Fine." Jack tried to sound equally annoyed. He whirled around again, shuffling back towards the front doors. He listened to the car finally pull away and pushed the library doors open with unnecessary strength.

The warmth of the library felt wonderful to his chilled ears and nose, and the dim lighting comforted him and soothed his frazzled nerves. He took a deep breath, looking around. He hadn't actually intended on going to the library tonight, but now that he was here, it seemed like a surprisingly good idea.

Jack walked around idly for a while, looking through the shelves for something that interested him. He ran his fingers along fiction books, non-fiction, travel...he almost stopped at travel, but figured that pictures of a different country, somewhere he could, yet couldn't, escape to, would only upset him further.

After a couple of minutes, Jack looked up to find himself in the science fiction section. It usually wasn't a section he visited; he liked to read more about the here and now, the real, or at least a world in which he could picture himself. Now, however, the science fiction section appealed to him, and scanned the titles half-heartedly, not really looking for anything specific.

Suddenly, the title of a book jumped out at him. Parallel Universes and Alternate Realities. He picked it up on a whim, interested and intrigued by its odd title. He'd never heard of a parallel universe before, and although it was something that he normally wouldn't be the least bit interested in, he scanned the pages anyway. He stopped at the fifth chapter, reading quietly to himself.

"Parallel Universes," he began, reading the chapter's title. "How the decisions you make and don't make affect the world around you and the worlds of others."

Jack suddenly felt a tug in the pit of his stomach, and an image of Bobby flashed into his mind. He read on.

"A parallel universe is a self-contained, alternate reality that coexists with our own." He was mumbling quickly to himself now, his mind racing. He scanned ahead, murmuring unintelligibly until he reached a sentence that set off another mental alarm. The same kind of mental alarm that had gone off when he'd met Bobby. He took a deep breath, and read a little slower, a little louder. "One kind of alternate universe is created by speculating that each decision a person makes, each event in which more than one outcome is possible, creates a number of new universes and alternate realities. The decisions that are not made create universes in which the alternate choices are carried out, creating a completely different world than the one the person inhabits."

Jack stopped there, suddenly feeling exhausted at the information overload. His breathing was quick, and his heart rate was accelerated. At any other time, Jack would laugh this off, considering it to be the creation of someone's overactive imagination. However, after last night, all Jack could think about was Bobby...all the things he knew about Bobby, all the things Bobby knew about him...the way he felt like he was part of Bobby's family, and the way Bobby treated him like family...the way he felt like Bobby's...

"Brother," Jack breathed, shutting the book quickly. This is ridiculous, he thought to himself, shutting his eyes. Alternate realities and parallel universes? It's not possible. It's not real. Absolutely ridiculous.

But the more Jack tried to dismiss it, the more it intrigued him. He couldn't explain the spark, and he couldn't explain what he knew, what Bobby knew...maybe he'd been drawn to this book for a reason...

This felt too important to pass up. He hurried to the counter, shoving the book at the librarian. "I'd like to get a membership card and check this book out."

"Name?"

He took a deep breath. If this answered his questions, it'd be worth it. "Jack Davis."

"So, how did the war treat my baby brother?" Bobby asked, taking a long drink of his beer after they had ordered their food. Following a brief stop home, where Evelyn had thrown herself at Angel, fussing over him until Bobby insisted they had to leave, they'd decided to eat at the bar where Bobby worked.

Angel shrugged, copying Bobby's actions and wiping his mouth. "Do we gotta talk about that shit now, Bobby?" hel asked, leaning back in his chair. "I just got back. Let's talk about something else. Somethin' you guys have been doing. We all know what I've been doing."

Bobby shrugged. "Whatever you want. You're the guest of honor."

Angel raised an eyebrow. "I'm a guest now? What, I leave for a couple of months, and..."

"Whoa, whoa," Jerry cut in, leaning closer to Angel's side of the table. "He didn't mean it like that, Angel. No need to be so edgy, man."

"Yeah, well, welcome to the life of a soldier." Angel took another swig of his beer. He put it firmly back onto the table, looking over at Bobby. "So, how are things? How's Mom?"

"Ma's good," Bobby said, leaning on the back two legs of his chair. "She's been real happy about somethin' lately, I'm not sure what. Anyway, she missed you. We all did, you know that, right?"

Jerry nodded at Angel. "Yeah, we all did. It's been pretty boring around these parts without your smart ass here to shake things up."

Angel chuckled. "I'm sure it ain't that bad. It is Detroit, after all. Not a day goes by where you boys don't get into some kind of trouble. Any arrests, Bobby?"

"Watch it, Angel, before I put you back on a plane to Iraq," Bobby smiled, crossing his arms across his chest. "I've been keeping straight...ish."

Angled laughed. "I'm impressed that your ass wasn't in jail when I got here. You been keepin' him clean, Jer?"

Jeremiah opened his mouth to answer, but it was Bobby who spoke up first. "Actually, Angel, you'll be surprised to know that it's been the other way around."

"What?" Angel asked, looking curiously at Jerry who was shaking his head, glaring at Bobby.

"Are you gonna bring this up every time we're in the same room together?" Jerry sounded angrier than he'd been in a long time. Even when he was furious, Jerry usually kept his cool. His eyes were the only thing that betrayed his anger.

"Maybe." Bobby stayed composed, taking a drink of his own beer. "Why don't you tell Angel about your little business project?"

"Because it's not a big deal."

"Then why won't you tell him?"

"Because..."

"Hey, hey," Angel said, placing his hands between Jerry and Bobby across the table. He looked at Bobby, warily. "Its okay, Bobby. We don't gotta talk about this right now. Me and Jerry will talk about it later. Right?" He looked over at Jerry, who visibly relaxed and nodded. "Okay. I don't need you guys starting shit right now. I'm just happy to be home."

"We're all happy you're home," Jerry said, clapping Angel on the shoulder. "It's just been...tense around here lately."

"No shit," Bobby mumbled.

"Yeah, I figured that much out," Angel said, finishing his beer. They sat in silence for a moment, drinking thoughtfully, when Angel spoke again. "What's with that Jack kid, anyway?"

"What about him?" Bobby's chair was suddenly back down on all four legs and he was leaning forward on the table. Angel shook his head.

"Man, he seems a little off, don't you think?" he asked, chuckling. Bobby didn't laugh.

"No, I don't, actually," Bobby said, his tone challenging. "I think he's okay."

"Whatever," Angel said, shrugging. "Foster home?"

"Kind of," Bobby's tone was calmer now, believing that Angel wasn't going to verbally attack Jack. "He ran away. I think some bad shit went on at his last home. I got a weird feeling about his foster father. He was ditched from a home, too. Kid's been through the works."

Angel nodded, eyes narrowing. "Uh huh. And how do you know this?'

"I asked."

"And why do you care?"

Bobby looked taken aback. "What?"

"You've never been mister charity case, Bobby," Angel stated. "It's not like you to start takin' interest in random street kids. It's not really like you to take interest in kids at all. How old is he anyway?"

"Sixteen," Bobby's voice was suddenly low. "And why the hell do you care who I take interest in? It's not like you've been around for him to bother."

"Right, I've been fightin' in Iraq, which obviously makes me not a part of our family's concerns anymore."

"Angel, stop it," Jerry cut in before the argument escalated further. "No one's trying to exclude you. Bobby's just..." He glanced over at Bobby, who wasn't looking at either of them directly, "...a little irritable lately."

"I'm not irritable," Bobby argued. Angel laughed, and Bobby glared at him. "You're the one who's flippin' out because I'm not telling you every little detail of my life since you've been gone."

"I'm not askin' for every detail of your life." Angel's laugher was gone, and his voice was low and warning. "I just think it's a little off that you're goin' around befriending sixteen year olds you don't even know."

"I do know him."

"Right," Angel snapped sarcastically. "What's his last name?"

"Stop it," Jerry raised his voice now, and his palms were flat against the table, his face serious and tense. "Both of you, this is ridiculous. Angel just got home, and you two are already at each other's throats. Can we please just talk about something that's not gonna make anyone angry?"

There was a long pause, where the two brothers glared at each other. Then, Angel looked back at Jerry. "I proposed to Sofi."

Jerry was about to congratulate him, when a loud snort from the other side of the table caught their attention. Bobby was doubled over in his chair, looking to be caught up in a bout of uncontrollable laughter.

"What's so goddamn funny about that?" Angel growled. Jerry rested his forehead in his hand. Bad choice, Angel. Bobby continued to laugh.

"Ah, fuck, Angel, that's hilarious," he gasped, wiping moisture from his eyes. "Really, that's great. I can just hear it now. 'Si, si Angel! Mi amor, muy bien!' That must have been a really good reunion fuck for you to propose."

"Shut up, Bobby," Jerry snarled, but Bobby ignored him. Angel looked about ready to jump across the table.

"So you did go see La Vida Loca before your own brother," Bobby continued, the laughter dying and replaced with biting sarcasm. "I see how it is, now. 'Oh Bobby, you're excluding me. Oh Bobby, you don't tell me anything.' Maybe it's because you've been..."

"Bobby, stop it!" Jerry's voice kept rising with everyone else's, but no one paid attention.

"I went home to look for you and you weren't there," Angel shot back, leaning forward, his eyes shining dangerously. "You were too busy hangin' out with your new friend..."

"Angel! Please, you two!"

"Oh, and I'm just supposed to guess when you're comin' home? I'm supposed to sit by the door waiting for you to walk through it? Thanks, Angel, but I have better things to do with my time!"

"Bobby..."

"I see you were concerned while I was over fighting a war..."

"Ang..."

"Oh, that's great, Angel, just use that to..."

"ENOUGH!" Jerry's furious voice rang throughout the room, bouncing off the walls and drawing everyone's attention over to their table. He stood up, grabbing his coat from the back of the chair and putting it on. "I've had it with you two! You guys obviously have some family issues to work out, so I'm gonna let you work them out. Let me know when you figure out whatever's up your asses, and I'll come back around."

"What about the food?" Bobby asked as Jerry turned to leave.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Jerry retorted, continuing to walk out the door.

"Jerry, wait," Angel said, at the same time Bobby yelled, "Jer, come on!"

The door slammed in their faces as Jerry exited the bar, leaving Angel and Bobby sitting at the table together, refusing to look at each other. They remained silent for a few moments, both looking at their hands, the table, their drinks, anything but each other.

"You hungry?" Angel asked finally, resting his hands on the table.

"Nope," Bobby shook his head. "Wanna go home?"

"Yeah."

When Angel and Bobby arrived back at the Mercer home, after a long and silent car ride, Jack was sitting on the front porch next to his backpack, holding a book in his arms and shivering. He was tracing patterns in the snow with his foot, but when he saw Bobby, shot up and hurried towards him.

"Hey, Jack," Bobby mumbled, his voice weary and exhausted. "Listen, I know I said we needed to talk..."

"I've got something I need to talk about, now," Jack said, wrapping his arms tighter around the book. He opened his mouth to continue, but Angel pushed past them, making a noise in the back of his throat as he bumped Jack's shoulder. Jack looked back at him, then up at Bobby curiously. "Something wrong?"

"It's nothing," Bobby said, his hands buried in his pockets. "We had a little argument. I'm really tired right now..."

"I just have something to show you." Jack didn't let that deter his excitement. He opened the book in his arms, his hands shaking from the cold, and searched for the page he wanted. "Just real quick..."

"Jack," Bobby began, shaking his head. "I'm not gonna lie, I'm not in the mood right now, okay? Just...whatever you have to show me...can it wait until tomorrow?"

"Oh." Jack's face fell. He shut the book, wrapping it back up in his arms. "Oh, yeah, sure. That's fine."

"Okay. Thanks, bud," he said, starting to walk past Jack and into the house. He stopped, looking more closely at the younger man. "You're shivering."

"I'm fine."

"It's cold."

"Not really."

Bobby sighed. "Get in the house. It's supposed to snow tonight." He turned around, walking back towards the house, and Jack followed reluctantly, grabbing his backpack on the way. Whatever problems Bobby and Angel were having, he didn't want to make it worse. He knew Bobby wouldn't let him sleep in the street, though.

When they entered the house, Bobby didn't say a word to Evelyn, who was knitting at the kitchen table. He went straight to his room, shutting the door behind him. Evelyn looked up at Jack, who was standing in the doorway, not knowing what to do in the Mercer home when Bobby wasn't around.

"Well, hello, Jack," Evelyn greeted, standing up from the kitchen table and walking over to him. "How are you, dear?"

"Oh, I'm okay," Jack said, smiling at Evelyn. "I'm just tired. Really tired. Bobby said...he said that I could, um...stay here, again?"

"Of course, sweetheart!" Evelyn exclaimed, and Jack exhaled in relief. "You're always welcome here. You remember where Matt's old room is?"

"Yes, thank you," Jack said politely. "I think I'm just gonna go to bed."

"That's fine," she said, smiling warmly. "Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight," he replied, exiting the kitchen and making his way up the stairs and towards the room he'd slept in the previous night. When he pushed open the door, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and jumped. Turning around, he found Angel standing behind him, frowning.

"What are you doin' here?" Angel asked, skepticism unmasked in his voice.

"Um, Bobby said I could stay," Jack mumbled, not looking Angel in the eye. "Is that okay?"

Angel shrugged. "Whatever. Bobby's word is law. Apparently he likes you, I guess I'm supposed to like you, too."

Jack stayed silent, not knowing how to respond. Angel continued.

"Just, do me a favor, okay kid?"

"Okay." Jack tried to sound confident.

"Don't get too close to Bobby," Angel said. "He's not the great guy you probably think he is. He gets himself into trouble, and he ain't around a whole lot. I see the way you look at him, like he's you're damn idol or somethin'. And that's great...until he leaves. Or until he loses interest. Just...watch out for that, okay?"

"Okay." Jack didn't seem to be able to say anything else. He was shocked by Angel's words, and even angry at what they were implying. Saying that about his own brother...

"Okay." Angel turned around, going down the stairs. "Night."

Jack didn't bother to respond. He closed the door and tossed the book and the backpack down on the floor, sinking into the bed. He didn't fall asleep immediately, like last time. Instead, he stayed awake, thinking. Thinking about the book, about Angel's words...

Don't get too close, he'd said. Jack winced.

Too late.

Rogue21493: Yay! I'm glad you liked it. I love writing the brothers teasing each other. I always wanted brothers...never got any. Oh well. Updates soon!

Ebz: I know Maria was in Friday Night Lights, also, although I'm not too sure about Anna...Maria was the girl with Garrett Hedlund's character, correct? Lucky girl...To answer your question, in my story, Bobby and Angel are brothers, both adopted by Evelyn, and Jerry is Bobby's best friend from high school. Next chapter coming soon!

Eva Deanna: Maybe they could go at it for a whole hour...there are two of them...maybe :) (shrug). Yay for brotherly (or in this case, best friend-ly) banter. And I agree, Mark Wahlberg has a wonderful ass. Good luck on finals, glad you liked it, and more updates soon!

Sparks Diamond: Thank you, glad you liked it! More updates to come!

Ophelia Hyde: Oh, please, don't apologize! I just love the fact that I get reviews in the first place, I couldn't care less when they come! And I do love your crazy reviews, they keep me smiling :) . I'm glad you think the interaction was realistic, and as for the trippy alternate universe thing, you got your first hints this chapter! Ah, Chad, such a character I've created...Chad is, indeed supposed to be a little...off. You'll see why later. I'm glad you liked it! And stop calling your work rubbish, because it is not, and I will stop answering your reviews if you keep saying that (okay, so I won't, but you understand the threat!) Updating soon!