Disclaimer- I do not claim Four Brothers, obviously.

Author's Note: HOLY HELL I UPDATED!... It's been, what, almost a year? I'm beg your forgiveness and I hope this chapter is satisfactory even though I'm a little disappointed with it...

I love to look into your big brown eyes
They talk to me and seem to hypnotize
They say the things nobody dares to say
And I'm not about to let you fly away

My lover with no jet lag
We're staying up all night in my sleeping bag
You got a heart beatin' rhythm from the subterranean
I really love you little girl
I don't need to explain

Ah, like deja vu I feel like I've been here
Or somewhere else but you've been always near
It's you that's in my dreams I'm begging for
But I woke up when someone slammed the door

So hard I fell outta bed
Screamin' mama's little baby loves shortnin' bread
And the moral of the story I can testify
I get stoned on you girl
That's the best reason why

From: Deuces are Wild by Aerosmith

Jack was leaning against the door when Cal finally drove in Sunday afternoon. Before he let her walk through the door he kissed her. She tensed up and he knew she was thinking about being watched. "Relax Chick, she's not that scary."

"Yeah, to you… you live with her, you're use to it."

He smiled but got the girl to come inside. "Did I mention she's not home at the moment?"

Immediately Cal spun around. "What? Really?"

He responded with another kiss and tried to press her up against the wall but she pushed him back.

"Nuh-uh. Nice try, but I'm not talented enough to sweet talk my way out of THAT."

Sighing, Jack kissed her again but then took her hand and led her to the living room. He'd already set up the Playstation he'd borrowed from her so he tapped the power button with his foot as he walked by and plopped down on the floor, pulling his girlfriend down on his lap.

"So what are we playing?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well no, I'll probably kick your ass no matter what," she smiled as the insult hit its mark. Jack shoved her to the floor and snatched up his paddle prepared to prove her wrong.

But after a few rounds of battle the young man gave up, but his girlfriend was still having fun kicking asses. Laying back he let her continue. His eye was caught again by the tattoo on her back. She was wearing a poncho that mostly covered the part of her back left bare by her shirt while she was sitting, but he brushed it away to stare. He had his lips pressed against it a few minutes later when the kitchen door slammed shut.

Immediately he jerked away and shot to his feet. Cal joined, switching off the Playstation and tossing away the paddle. They both strolled into the kitchen to help the older woman with the grocery bags she was lugging inside.

As soon as Evelyn's arms were free she wrapped them around Cal. "I'm so glad you decided to come. I haven't seen you in so long…" she now held the girl at arms length to look her over. "My goodness, you look so grown up." She them mumbled something along the lines of "Who'd have thought my sons would bring home college girls…" and though they weren't supposed to hear, Jack and Cal smiled at each other.

"You need help with dinner Mom?"

"Oh, just a few little things I think. The tossed salad, pasta salad, and maybe the breads."

Jack laughed at the growing list. "So just how many people are gonna show up this year?"

"Jerry and Camille are probably on their way right now with their girl. Of course she won't eat very much and we'll have left-over food for weeks, but what's the fun of celebrating a holiday if you don't get to stuff yourself silly? Right Cal?"

Cal shrugged and nodded… not that she'd ever really had an Easter dinner. But watching the excited Evelyn was making her smile and get into the spirit of things. The old lady was hyper, probably because of the long list of chores to get done running through her head. Feeling a little guilty the younger woman moved up to the counter to help get things ready. Already Evelyn was spreading flour out on her working area, and Cal suddenly remembered to take off her poncho. Wadding it up into a ball she tossed it into Jack's face. He tossed it into a dining room chair and pulled up his sleeves to help too.

"Jack, you do the pasta since you already know how. Cal, we'll let you have the easy job." A cutting board, knife and variety of vegetables were placed in front of the girl.

"Hey, she trusts you with sharp objects! That's a good sign!"

Cal had to bite back a laugh, especially when Evelyn shooed her son to the other side of the kitchen.

"Oh Jack, behave yourself."

"Yes Mom."

"So Cal," The woman's voice had changed tone a little, and when Jack started being really quiet with his work Cal got worried. "You went to church this morning?"

"Yeah, my dad makes me go every Sunday."

"Which church?"

"The catholic one near our place."

"Catholic?"

"Not my choice. Way too many rules for my taste."

"Yes, I thought I remembered you being a bit of a troublemaker."

Cal didn't like where this conversation was headed. She decided not to reply to the comment.

"So I take it you don't confess regularly?"

At this the girl actually laughed. "I haven't been to confession since I was 10 or 11 years old."

"Oh dear… and your father still makes you go with him?"

She nodded. "He's convinced I'll change my mind someday."

"Not likely?" Evelyn judged by the girl's tone.

"Like I said, too many rules."

"Like the one about birth control?"

Jack nearly flipped out. "Jesus Mom she hasn't even been here for an hour yet!"

"You knew I was going to mention it sooner or later Jackie, you should be glad I'm getting it over with so it won't be weighing on your mind all evening."

Cal just continued chopping at a tomato, her face becoming nearly the same color as the vegetable.

"I'm sorry if I seem nosy," Evelyn resorted to her mind-boggling powers of persuasion. "But I was your age once too and I wouldn't want my boy making the same gamble some of my past beaus did. You understand don't you?"

The girl tried to speak but her voice cracked and she was forced to clear her throat first. "Yes," she finally mustered up the courage to say what had to be said. "Yes I understand, but you have nothing to worry about Miss Evelyn, I've been on the pill for years."

"Alright… that's good to know. Jack, watch those noodles, they're about to boil over."

Rolling his eyes the young man turned down the stove. "I swear to God Mom you have the worst case of ADHD I've ever seen."

"I am quite capable of remaining focused on whatever I need to focus on!" She defended herself.

"Then you're really good at PRETENDING you have ADHD."

Cal felt herself start to relax now that the attention was off of her. This evening was either going to be very nerve-racking or very entertaining… at this point it could go either way.

………………………………………………………………………………………

Jerry and Camille showed up around 2:30, the former dragging along his 2 and a half year old daughter while it was all his wife could do to lug her swollen (and overdue) belly up into the house. Evelyn did a lot of swooning over her granddaughter and then her daughter in law before she remembered to introduce Cal.

The married couple both mentioned how good it was to finally meet her face to face before everyone settled in to helping get things ready.

Dinner was uneventful. Everyone was talking and joking. Almost everyone at the table had their turn nearly choking on their food during a laugh.

Afterwards, since Evelyn had forbidden all but her little granddaughter from helping to do the dishes, everyone else moved in to the living room. Since Bobby wasn't around they weren't confined to watching hockey, although even if he had been there Camille might have beaten him into submission and taken control of the tv anyway. She was pregnant and hormonal, the mood swings, while she tried to keep them quiet, were still pretty obvious. She leaned up against Jerry as they flopped onto the couch.

Jack, on the other hand, sank down into the comfy chair in the corner. Cal threatened with a smile to leap on top of him, but chose to gently sit in his lap instead. She adjusted herself until she was practically in a fetal position, and pressed as close to him as she possibly could be. "Ugh, careful, I might puke on you," he said, only half joking. She laughed quietly, and then, when he'd relaxed, she jabbed him in the side with her finger just to torture him. "Ow! What the hell!"

"What?" she played innocent.

"Watch it Chick. Payback's a bitch you know."

Cal covered he mouth in fake-shock at his words. "Jack Mercer, does your mother know you talk like that?"

After sending her a playful glare, he suddenly reached down and started to tickle her.

"AH! Ok, stop... hehe, no Jack seriously, haha stop!" She nearly fell to the floor trying to wriggle away from him, but he caught her, pulled her back up and adjusted her back to the way she wanted to be. She snuggled back against him and got caught up in whatever sappy movie Camille had turned on. It didn't take long for her eyes to get heavy and shut.

The next thing Jack knew his mother was quietly calling for his attention. "Jackie, she might be more comfortable upstairs."

The young man leaned a little to look down at his girlfriends oh-so relaxed face. Wrapping his arms beneath her he scooted forward and then, with a deep breath, managed to both stand and lift her up at the same time.

"Come right back down," his mother warned him.

Slightly embarrassed, he nodded and continued walking quietly up the stairs to put his girl to bed.

She groaned a little as he put her down, and she rolled over to bury her face in his pillow. He couldn't help but kiss the back of her head before he backed out the door and headed downstairs. He didn't want his mother to worry about what they were doing up there all alone... not that she didn't already know what they were doing every other night anyway...

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Cal woke with a start, realizing one: she was in a strange place, and two: it was dark outside. She checked her watch and realized it wasn't all that late, but it was still a little later than she'd planned to stay, and later than she'd told her father she'd be home. She hurried down the stairs and found all the lights out. Only the tv flashed away in the living room, illuminating drowsy face of her boyfriend. She wondered if she could sneak out without bothering him, but as soon as she reached for her jacket she heard him move.

"Hey, you're awake."

She rubbed her face as she turned to face him, "Well, kinda."

"You can stay here," it was almost more of a command than a suggestion.

"No, Jack. Dad's gonna be pissed that I'm still here anyway..."

"So call him and tell him you're spending the night," the young man shrugged. But she was putting on her jacket and ignoring him. Quickly he snatched her car keys out of her hands and tossed them into a dark corner full of stuff.

"Jack, what are you doing!"

But he had already grabbed her cell phone too, and fought her off as he called her father.

"Mr. Tanning? This is Jack Mercer... Yeah, Cal kinda fell asleep, and we figured we'd just let her sleep on the couch and send her home in the morning... Yes sir..." He closed the phone as the old bastard hung up on him. Then he put the phone back in Cal's coat pocket, peeled the jacket off of her and went to hang it back up.

She was still ignoring him however, and began searching for her keys. She heard him sigh when he came back into the room, and then squealed a little in shock as his arm wrapped around her waist. He picked her up like that and, carrying her over to the couch, flopped down with her beside him. He had her locked in place, and kissing the back of her neck he whispered, "Shut up and go to sleep."

After a few moments her body did relax against his, though he was too close to being asleep to notice.

"Jack," she suddenly whispered.

"Hm?" He didn't move, just mumbled.

"I love your family."

At that he gave a small laugh. "Good, 'cause they love you too, and they'll probably start stalking you now."

"So that's where Bobby gets if from huh?"

Another laugh. "Yeah something like that."

"Hey Jack?"

"Yeah.."

"You tired?" She laughed at her own torture methods.

"Shut up and go to sleep, I'd hate to have to kill the woman of my dreams for depriving me of sleep."