Lotte- thanks for everything, for dealing with me and my crazy mood swings. I love you my sister -toothpaste-

Chapter 3

From her bed, Kate attempted to listen to the slew of voices coming from the hall, the brothers were locked in some sort of conversation, but she couldn't make out what exactly they were speaking of, nor did she want to go investigate. The last thing she wanted was to see Jack, especially looking as she was sure she did, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

"You're full of shit man. You can smell that ass from down the street huh?" Bobby chuckled, only causing his younger brother Angel glare.

"What are you talkin' about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talkin' about with that la Vida Loca." Jerry stood between his two brothers, chuckling as they shot back and forth, taking the same position of Jack who was sitting on his bed, bobby sitting on the floor beside it and Angel in the hallway.

"Ain't no body going to get any La Vida Loca Nothing!" Angel swore, every one of them knowing he was lying.

"She got a boyfriend." Jerry jumped in, a wide grin on his face, it was just like the old times, he mused, his brothers were home again.

"She got a boyfriend, she got hard dick in her right now, she's screaming somebody else's name, and the last thing she's doing is thinking about your black ass. Leave it alone." Bobby commented.

Bobby always had a way of speaking the truth a little too hardly to his brothers, that is all but Jack, but Jack was special in bobby's eyes, he was the youngest of the brothers of course, but his troubles were not like his other brothers, Angel and Jerry didn't need protecting, Jack did.

Kate was not spared from recognizing Jack's laughter. It rung around the the house, penetrating the walls to invade her senses. She always loved his laugh, even when the brothers would make fun of it, they would tease him about how forced it sounded, how it was too low to belong to a fairy as they called him. It seemed to her she was cursed with him, with Jack's presence. All the things she used to love about him, that she still loves about him, are haunting her, taunting her.

Kate worked silently in the kitchen, attempting to pretend that Jack was not working beside her. He had offered to help cook their thanksgiving meal, not only to give him a chance to speak with her, but to truly help her.

Evelyn used to cook every thanksgiving dinner, Jack thought as he basted the turkey. He used to hang around the the doorway of the kitchen, waiting to help his mother if she asked for it, and hiding from his brothers. He loved them dearly, but at times they were just too much for him.

Kate couldn't refuse his help, she needed someone's help, and no one else would offer. She knew quite well that neither Angel or Jerry could even figure out how to hold a spatula, and Bobby, well, he was Bobby. Kate has her suspicions that Bobby wanted her to speak with Jack, and this being a stunning opportunity.

"What do you think about Angel letting Sofi stay here?" She asked Jack quietly, trying to end the silence that hung about the room, it was worse than talking with him she was sure.

"It's entertaining." He mused, looking off into the living room where Bobby, Angel and Jerry were fooling around. Angel and Jerry were mock wrestling, and Bobby giving commentary. "You don't like her." He looked up at her, attempting to read her expression, but she had her back to him.

"I don't have anything against her Personally, I just don't want to be running a brothel. I have to think of Kerri." Jack closed the door of the oven, and slowly rose to stand as a thought started to grow in his mind.

"You're a good mother, Kate, Mom must have been proud." He slowly approached her. She turned to him, bitting down on her lip as she saw him drawing himself closer. Her back into the counter, as she looked up at him, his body mere inches away.

"She was, she only wished his father could have seen..." She faded off, turning her gaze away from him. She silently cursed herself for letting her guard down, letting the words she dreaded play off her lips, his father. She almost wished she had said you, but she struck that thought away the moment it came, she wouldn't bring that up to him, not after he left her as he did.

She remembered that morning vividly, when she woke up to find his bed empty, his guitar and favorite clothes gone. There was no note explaining his absence, no message. He was simply gone, only existing in a letter or two he sent from long distances, promising to come home. He never did, over four years passed, she recalled, and nothing brought him home, until Evelyn's death.

"Kate-" Jack began, his voice gentle, almost pleading.

"Hey Jack!" Bobby's voice interrupted him, the eldest brother made his way into the kitchen. Hearing his name he jumped back, separating himself from Kate. She almost laughed as his face turned red, it was like they were sixteen again, when his mother nearly walked in on the two of them. Garbing a hand full of silverware, Jack met Bobby in the dinning room, attempting to set the table. "Got a question for you, is dinner almost ready?"

"Almost." He mumbled, knowing Bobby wasn't quite finished yet. Bobby grinned at took a seat at the head of the table, watching his brother

"So... Come out of the closet yet?" Jack sighed as Bobby spoke.

"Don't you think it's about time for a new joke?" Jack answered with aggravation, he wasn't in the mood for his brother's teasing.

"If you're a homosexual do you think I care? You're my brother man and I love you."

"Bobby, I guarantee you I'm banging way more chicks than you are." Kate stood at the door way watching the two of them, her arms crossed over her chest.

"And they're okay with you being gay?" Bobby chuckled as he spoke.

"Leave him alone Bobby." She interrupted, speaking to him like she would to Kerri when he was misbehaving.

"I'm not gay." Jack retorted sharply, glaring at Bobby.

"That sounded pretty gay. If you ain't gay, then how come you have that big thick meat tenderized in your tongue?" Bobby's chuckled only grew as he spoke. Unable to take his brother any longer, Jack walked away fuming, pushing past Kate to get into the Kitchen.

"Your an ass hole Bobby." Kate broke in, speaking not only to the Bobby, but Jack as well. "Jack isn't gay. Fucked me didn't he? I can recall You walked in once." Bobby's face turned red, Jerry and Angel, who had entered the room earlier, laughed at the disgusted, and pained look on his face.

"I don't need to remember that, thanks." He mumbled, attempting to get the image out of his mind.

Triumphant, Kate returned to the kitchen. Jack leaned against the counter, pulling at the ring in his mouth, tears about ready to form in his eyes. Despite her attempts to be mad at him, she couldn't forget how sensitive of a man he truly is, something she fell in love with about him.

"Hey don't listen to them." She spoke softly, wrapping her hand around his to take the ring out. "I liked the tongue ring, fun to play with you know." she whispered into he ear, stopping a moment to kiss his cheek. "Now come on, lets go have a thanksgiving dinner."