Disclaimer: I still in no way shape or form own anything of the Four Brothers. This is just venting based on the movie, please don't sue me, I appreciate it, thanks...

Author's note: Brain flow plus time equals HUZZAH I WROTE STUFF... this is a really long chappie, hope you enjoy, and I still hope to have another one done soon, possibly by the end of the weekend... We'll see...

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Cal was hovering over a textbook when the boys all burst into the bar around 10 Friday night. She thought she had herself mentally prepared to deal with Alex, but when he sidled up to the bar she began having second thoughts. Every time he was around she lost her nerve about everything. Damn him. He'd had complete control over her for so long that even two years later she hadn't completely broken free. But it was Jack that got the seat directly across from her and she found herself sighing a bit with relief. Maybe he was the cure she'd been looking for… the antidote to Alex Hemer.

"What do you want?" she asked them all collectively. They rambled off orders, except Jack. But after she'd given out all the others she knew what to pour into the last glass.

After a little bit of average teasing Alex and most of the others dispersed. Cal moved to go back to her homework, knowing full well, she would get little done with Jack sitting across the counter. He watched his bandmates for a while, allowing her to finish up a question and close her book.

"You actually do homework?"

"Only when it's necessary," she grabbed herself a beer and played with the cap a little as she glanced around the bar. It wasn't at all busy considering it was a Friday night. There were a few other people, mostly the regulars. She could get them refills blindfolded they came in so much.

And then she found herself again watching Alex's every move. He was basically molesting some poor girl who'd dressed really slutty. Big mistake on her part. Cal almost felt bad for her, but as long as she was keeping Alex away from her she selfishly didn't mind letting things happen.

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"Nice bruise," his words snapped her out of her stupor.

"What?"

"You're arm."

She glanced down, remembering the mark, and shrugged. Jack could see a simmering anger behind her half smile when he mentioned the bruise. She wouldn't look him as she explained simply, "I was late to work yesterday."

They both took drinks in the uncomfortable silence. Jack wanted so badly to tell her to get out, but he knew she wouldn't listen. Who was he to tell her how to live her life? Just some guy she met at a bar and went to lunch with a few times. He should just drop the subject and leave her alone… but he couldn't. "Why are you sticking around next year?"

"Because he pays for everything." She stood to refill some other guy's glass and didn't sit back down.

"Alright, I'm sorry. I'll stop asking questions now." He tried to get her to calm down. It might have worked had Alex not come back for another couple of drinks and opened his fucking mouth.

"Callie, my bitch," he slapped the counter to add to the insulting nature of his presence. Jack watched closely as she handed over the two beers. Alex reached for them, but grabbed her wrists instead. "When you gonna let me back in, baby?"

Her breathing quickened and she stared hard at the grain of the counter. "Leave her alone, Alex." The other boy glared over at his bandmate, but the girl didn't budge. "She obviously doesn't want to be touched by you. We established that the last time we were here. Let her go, and you go play with that whore you were with."

She didn't thank him this time when the bastard walked away. She just stood there trying to collect herself. Jack leaned over and put her beer in front of her. At this she smiled a little and allowed herself to look up as she drank. For the first time she seemed to actually be the kid he'd been trying to convince himself she was. She withdrawn into herself for protection, and she was trying to bring out her strong front again. Jack noticed it immediately only because he had kind of been expecting it. It was almost exactly what he'd seen in the mirror all those years ago.

With a deep breath she was almost back to her normal self again. She sat down and set her hand on her textbook, debating for a moment whether or not to open it up. She decided against it and took another chug of beer.

"So much for that doing homework idea." Jack said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"It's Friday, I don't have to have it done until Monday…or later, depending on what happens."

"Subtle, Chick, real subtle." She smiled broadly with false innocence, making him laugh into his nearly empty glass. "Now you're just plain disturbing."

She chuckled as she took down her hair to play with. But the thick dark waves had to wait a minute as another customer walked over. He commented on her look, saying she should wear her hair down more often. She blushed and served him quickly in order to return to her seat and ignore the advice.

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Cal had just finished her braid and picked up her drink when the front door opened for the first time in about half an hour. She tried desperately not to spit her beer across the counter, wiping what dribbled with the back of her hand. Jack had looked over in curiosity and turned back to fully face the bar now.

"Holy shit."

"They're gonna sit right next to you too, I guarantee it." Cal smiled as she turned to grab a couple of glasses.

"Can't you kick them out or something?"

She laughed. "Trust me, I would if I could."

The two cops did indeed sit next to Jack, who moved as far to the opposite edge of his barstool as possible while still keeping his balance. They accepted their beers and continued talking to one another. Both young people tried to listen in, but they stopped soon after and turned to talk to Cal instead.

"So does your father know what you were up to the other day?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "I was at school, where I always am on weekdays when I'm not here doing homework and running the bar."

The way she bluffed irked them to no end. "That Mercer kid's having a bad influence on you."

"You do realize 'that Mercer kid' is sitting next to you."

Jack, who had been trying to hide his presence, gave the girl a death glare. But she poured him another drink and shook her head. He didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but he drank and looked over at the cops. They had been stunned to find themselves in the same place as the troublemaker they'd been talking about. Now they decided to move to a table across the bar, away from the potentially dangerous boy who had probably been listening to their conversations.

"I still say you should kick them out," he said, though he was obviously relieved that they were away from him.

"You know, this conversation is starting to sound an awful lot like another one I remember. Except I think I was the one making the suggestions that got ignored."

"Are you fucking kidding me? You're letting them stay to get back at me for letting Alex come?"

"Payback's a bitch huh?" she finished off her beer and tossed the bottle away.

"You're ruthless, you know that? Remind me not to ever really piss you off, I value my life too much."

"I wouldn't kill anyone for pissing me off," she claimed. "Castrate or maim maybe, but not kill." Her words made the man shudder and she laughed at him. "I'm kidding, Jack."

"Yeah, well it definitely wasn't funny."

"Sorry," she said, still laughing.

"Just change the subject already."

"What do you wanna do next week."

He rolled his eyes. This topic wasn't much better than the first apparently. "You're gonna get us both in trouble, you know that right?"

"I don't think you need my help getting into trouble, my friend."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can handle it for yourself as well. All the more reason I shouldn't let you skip classes anymore."

"I'm gonna skip classes whether it's with you or just laying around in the locker room," she admitted. "I may pass my classes but that doesn't mean that I go to them."

As he nodded Cal knew she'd just won the debate.

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The brothers had congregated around the dining room table. They'd been talking for a good three hours. Jack ignored the ringing phone like he always did when all his brothers were around. Someone else would get it. None of his "friends" called him anyway. But when his mother stood between the kitchen and the dining room and said the phone was for him he let his head fall back and muttered, "Shit."

He grabbed the phone from his mother, having to rip at it to protect if from Bobby. "I'm sorry," was the first thing he said, instantaneously flipping off his brother as they laughed.

"It's alright, I heard the others in the background, I understand."

Angel suddenly piped up, having figured out who was calling, "Aww, that sweet Jackie, ditching your girlfriend for us."

"Woah, wait, what?" Bobby hated being out of the loop.

"Yeah, you should see her Bobby. She's a cute little private school girl."

"You're shittin' me! Jackie does she know about you and your… feelings?" the eldest brother joked.

Covering the receiver Jack sternly stated, "She's not my girlfriend and I'm not gay, fuck off Bobby."

"So there really is a girl on the phone?"

Jack got up to leave the room but Bobby grabbed his brother's arm and yanked the phone away. Covering the mouthpiece again he asked. "What's her name Jackie?" The youngest brother lunged for the phone, but the oldest spun out of his chair to back away.

"Her name's Cal," Angel yelled after them. Jack glared over at him, but continued chasing after Bobby who was quickly moving between rooms.

"Hey Cal?" Jack snarled as he heard his brother spoke, but as he prepared to yell for Bobby to knock it off he heard Cal laugh. Bobby had put the receiver on speakerphone apparently.

"I'm going to have to guess that you're Bobby," he heard her say.

"Oh a smart kid… Where the hell did you meet my loser of a little brother anyway?"

Evelyn yelled for her eldest son to watch his mouth around the young woman. He smiled sheepishly and apologized, but had to turn the corner to avoid Jack again.

"I met him at my dad's bar. I was working, his band was playing."

"How long ago was that?"

"A few weeks."

"So why are you calling him now?"

"We had plans, but I'll take a rain-check to you, you're much higher up on his priority list."

"No, that's no excuse, he should have called you," Bobby smiled as Jack called him an ass hole.

"Absolutely, but I'm not his girlfriend so I can't really hold it against him."

"You're calling him, but you're not his girlfriend? Are you fucking him at least?"

His two middle brothers were laughing their asses off, Jack lunged for the phone again (still missed), and Evelyn sternly yelled her oldest boy's name. And yet through all of this Bobby could hear the girl chuckle.

Jack spoke up, "Bobby, don't you have something better to do than bother the girl? Give me the phone."

"No," he stated adamantly, pulling away again. "Now I want an answer to the question I just got in trouble for!"

But Cal had realized she was on speakerphone and half-shouted. "It's alright Jack, it's probably just been a while since he's heard a female voice that doesn't belong to his mother."

Shocked silence took over for a second before almost everyone started laughing. Even Evelyn couldn't help but smile, though she covered it with her hand. Angel laughed so hard he fell out of his chair, Jerry leaned his arm on his fallen brother's shoulder and they continued laughing together. Bobby took a minute to calm himself.

"That was pretty smooth, girly." He stepped away from the laughing so it would be easier to hear. "But I still want an answer to my question."

"I should lie to you, but since I know I'm on speakerphone, and I assume your mother is nearby, I'll be a good girl and admit no, I have not fucked your brother."

"Not for lack of trying, I assume."

"Shut the fuck up, Bobby," Jack's frustration had reemerged.

"Nah, he want's me, he just can't have me."

Now the youngest boy was staring in confusion at the phone. WTF!

Bobby was laughing, "Oh yeah, and why's that."

"Well mostly because I'm only 17."

Angel and Jerry "Oohoo"ed the statement and Bobby shook his head with a sly smile. "17, Jackie?" he wagged his finger in a mock scolding. "Tsk tsk."

But Cal interrupted again. "Listen, Bobby, it's been fun talking to you and all, but I'm gonna be late for work and I still have to talk to you brother, so could you do me a favor and hand over the phone?"

"I suppose I could," he offered, "But don't expect me to be so lenient if I'm around the next time you call."

"That's not a bad threat. Too bad I'm not scared by it."

"Watch yourself, girly."

"Yeah, I'm still not afraid of you. Now hand over the phone."

Biting his cheek Bobby relented and passed the receiver to his little brother. Immediately the speakerphone was turned off and the boy walked into the other room and headed up the stairs. He could hear the other two goading Bobby about being dissed by a kid and a girl. It made him smile a little. "I'm sorry about him," he told her as he reached the top step.

"Not a problem, I've dealt with worse guys."

"Yeah, but that whole thing…"

"I'm not worried about it Jack. Listen, I've got a lot of work to get done between now and Wednesday, and I figure you wanna spend time with your brother. But Thursday I've got nothing."

"The band practices 'till 3 on Thursdays," he admitted. Why, he had no idea. He should have been discouraging her, but no he was just stating weak excuses.

"Where, at Alex's place?"

"Yeah."

"I can pick you up?" She offered. It was more of a question. He should say no. He should tell her to stop hanging out with him.

"That seems kinda stupid."

"Not for someone who's bored."

He thought for another few seconds. He really shouldn't do this. But again, he had nothing better to do with his time. "Yeah, alright."

"Ok then. Hey I'm sorry if any of the stuff from before gets you into trouble."

"I'll deal with it."

"Still."

"It's alright, Chick. You better get to work, I'll see you Thursday."

"Yeah, see ya." She hung up first.

Jack leaned his arm on the wall and rubbed his forehead with his thumb. He was gonna be in deep shit with his mother, and he wasn't ever gonna live this down with his brothers. Spinning the phone in his hand he took a deep breath and headed down the stairs.

The other three brothers were still laughing and joking at the table. Jack walked past them into the kitchen ignoring the start of the taunting. He put the phone back on its charger and was about to go face the barrage when Evelyn quietly said his name. Dammit. That sweet, innocent, old woman voice would make him turn and face her and she'd look up at him and he'd lose every ounce of resolve he'd built up. He'd been hoping to face his brothers first, he needed the resolve for that. Apparently it just wasn't his lucky day.

"Yeah Ma…" he turned around reluctantly and walked back to lean against the counter. This was probably going to take a while.

"Who exactly is this girl?"

"She's a friend, Ma." He saw her disbelief and sighed. "Mom, I'm telling you I'm not dating her, I'm not sleeping with her, we just hang out sometimes."

"You had better not be lying to me Jack Mercer."

"Trust me Mom, I'd admit to doing something with her, even if just to get those guys off my back." He motioned toward the dining room and Evelyn nodded.

"Alright Jackie, just be careful. Don't do anything stupid."

Too late, he thought as he sighed and walked into the other room for his second interrogation. He knew getting it over with was better then hiding in his room and waiting. It would only get worse with the wait. But he was still nervous, so he grabbed an apple off the counter to play with. Flopping down into a chair he tossed the fruit between his hands and waited. The other boys smiled at each other and then collectively at him.

"So did her heart break when you told her you were gay?" The apple went flying at the oldest boy's head, and though he successfully batted it away he shook his stinging hand afterwards. Score 1 Jack….at least in his own mind… but Bobby wasn't done. He turned to the others. "Ooh, he didn't tell her yet."

"So when are you meetin' her again?" Angel was getting sick of the gay jokes anyway so he changed the subject.

"None of your business." Jack had crossed his arms and was tipping the chair back on two legs.

"So you are seeing her again?"

The youngest brother rolled his eyes and turned an exasperated look toward Jerry. Leave it to him to ask the stupid question. "Yes, I'm seeing her again. If I stopped hanging out with friends every time you guys talked to them I'd be the loneliest bastard on Earth."

"So Jackie," Bobby leaned forward in order to talk a bit quieter. "When's her birthday?"

"April," he was trying to stop reacting to them. It was working for now.

"So she'll be 18 in two months? Well, that's not so bad."

"Shut up," he mumbled, glancing up to see which of the other two was next.

Angel noticed and held up his hands in defeat. "Hey, I'm not gonna discourage you man, she seemed like a cool kid."

"Wait, you've met her?" Bobby was confused.

"Yeah, I tried to teach Sophie to play hockey last week 'cause it was the only way she'd let me go to the rink. I wanted Jack to come, you know, so I could actually do something besides have my girlfriend shoot pucks at me, and he brought Cal along."

Evelyn kept glancing over at Jack and it was making him nervous. What was she thinking about now? Was she realizing he'd been helping Cal skip school? If she figured that out he was gonna get reamed out like there was no tomorrow…

"Was she any good?" As soon as hockey came up in the conversation Bobby got all serious.

"She wasn't bad. She was really quick on her skates, and not afraid to take a hit."

"Angel Mercer did you hit that girl?"

The brother cringed. "I knocked into her a few times Ma, she didn't complain about it."

The woman was shaking her head, but went about her business in the kitchen.

"So she's a tough girl huh?"

Jack shrugged, "she tries to be."

The other three all chuckled. But then Jerry asked, "So when do the rest of us get to see her?"

Though he was tempted to say never he blurted out, "technically you already have, Jer."

"What?"

"Last Monday do you remember a girl dumping her tray all over that little sandwich place on the other side of town?"

"Yeah…" it took a minute for him to get it. "Oh shit, was that her? Were you there? Where were you?"

"She did that so that I could get out of there without you noticing me."

"What the fuck were you hiding from Jerry for?" Bobby seemed a little offended.

"Because the little shit was the one that told Mom about Camille. He was afraid I'd turn the tables on him."

Jack looked over at his oldest brother to confirm the story. Bobby rolled his eyes and shook his head, but had not reply yet.

Jerry thought back to the day and tried to remember what the girl had looked like. He nodded his head, "Yeah she wasn't bad looking at all if I remember right."

"So wait," Bobby's one track mind had locked in on hockey… "Who won the game."

"We did," Jack blurted out.

"You and your girly?" when he receive a confirming nod he looked across the table at the other brother involved. "Ang, you let a girl and Jackie beat you?"

"Well, we kind of outnumbered him. Sophie can't skate worth shit." Angel gave his little brother a grateful look.

"Well that figures. When you gonna get rid of that bitch anyway?"

"Don't even start, Bobby."

"Right, we were talking about Jackie's girl anyway."

"She's not my girl, Bobby."

"Whatever, so how did this whole thing between you two get started?"

"She told you, the band played at her dad's bar."

"And then…"

"And then she stuck her cell phone number in my guitar case, I got bored last Monday and met up with her."

"Where'd you go?"

"Already said that part too, the deli."

"And after you evaded Jerry?"

He should lie and said he came home… but then he wouldn't be able to stun them all with the truth. "Laser tag."

"What? How the hell did you play laser tag?"

"She's got a car, and a shit load of spending money."

He heard Angel mutter "nice!" But again Bobby had something to ask. "Who won?"

"We tied," he'd started off with the truth, why not stick with it.

"Did you let her tie?"

"No, she's pretty good. I actually had to try to win."

"Geez Jackie she sounds an awful lot like a man to me."

Heaving a sigh Jack slammed the front two feet of his chair down and stood to leave the room. Bobby tried to call after him, but this was their ritual. When Jack had had enough of the gay jokes he went off to fume about it, that's just how it worked. Unfortunately Bobby never seemed satisfied that he'd pestered his brother enough.

As he walked into the kitchen Evelyn told him to make a salad. He obeyed. Chopping things up was sounding pretty relieving to him. But he should have known she had an ulterior motive for keeping him in the room.

"Is she still in school?"

His slice in the cucumber suddenly slanted drastically to the left and he hung his head. "Yeah Ma she's still in school."

"Then she's been skipping to do things with you?"

"A little." He knew a flat out lie wouldn't work, but he figured a little something couldn't hurt.

"Jackie," he could feel her eyes boring into him already and he knew she was gonna say it, "Look at me."

Dammit woman! Bracing himself on the counter he turned to look over his shoulder. That's all she was going to get out of him.

"You are not to let her skip school any more, do you understand me?" She was scolding her 20 year old son… and it was working. She didn't yell, or glare, she just gently stated a fact while staring him in the eye.

"She skipped classes before she met me, Mom. And anyway, she won't listen to me if I tell her not to. She's stubborn, and doesn't like rules."

"Obviously."

Jack had gone back to chopping, but he laughed to himself and switched back to the same stance he'd taken before. "I'll do what I can, Ma."

"Thank you."

"No problem," he muttered sarcastically.

"So when are you meeting her again."

"Jesus Mom, now I know where they get it from." He had pointed to the dining room with the knife as he moved another veggie onto the cutting board.

"Watch your mouth, and don't swing that thing around." It was quiet for a minute as he obeyed and then sighed.

"Thursday, she's picking me up from practice."

"When is she supposed to get out of classes?"

"I don't know, Mom, I'll ask her Thursday."

"Alright." She left it at that, changing her tone to, "You almost done with that salad?"

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3 am. Cal cringed as she flexed her shoulder. Damn that hurt. She put her back to the mirror and looked over to see how bad it really was. The ugly blotch was so dark it was almost black. Slowly, tenderly she put on her pajamas. Laying down was going to hurt like a bitch. She tried to be gently, bending slowly, but she lost her balance like she always did when she was actually trying not to. She caught herself and the mattress absorbed most of the blow, but she still hissed. She was going to have to be more careful about this whole staying in town deal. The thought never crossed her mind to not meet up with Jack. It wasn't an option. He was way too much fun, and he liked her. His silence over the phone when she'd said that had made her smile and blush. She hadn't meant it when she said it, but apparently it was true. Jack wasn't one to stop defending himself, she was sure of it. She'd totally caught him off guard, and if he'd had to think about it, chances were it was true.

It really did suck that she was "only 17" for another two months….

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