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Bobby sighed as he pulled into the driveway, and shut the car off. One of these days (or so he told himself almost every day, year after year) he was gonna have to get a real, legit job, instead of this smuggling/money collection job. He was surprised Evelyn hadn't caught on yet.
The only problem with a 'real' job was the money, which was what he always came back to. A normal job just wouldn't pay the bills. And Bobby had no real 'working' skills to talk about, so he'd be stuck working at one of the factories or some dead end minimum wage job. Evelyn's retirement fund just didn't pay enough to keep the house, pay the bills, and take care of three boys. Jerry and Angel both worked legal jobs, but Jerry had career skills (the only one of the three to finish high school, and go to community college) and he still couldn't find anything other than construction, and Angel was content working at the car repair shop, more than happy to accept minimum wage in order to hang out with his friends, and occasionally fix up his own car for free. So the job of paying for most everything fell (voluntarily, though, it wasn't like Evelyn forced him to pay) to him.
He sighed again as he locked the car, and headed inside.
"Ma? I'm home!" He called out as he peeled off his jacket, hanging it up in the coat closet. "Ma?"
"In the wash room, Bobby!"
"Where's the elf?" He asked, making his way into the kitchen, stopping just long enough to grab a pork chop from the fridge.
"Upstairs in his room. I'm pretty sure he locked himself in," Evelyn said with a smile.
Bobby rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. I ain't climbin' up the ladder to get him," He said warningly, although he was already trying to remember where he had left the ladder.
Evelyn laughed. "Oh, I doubt you'll need to. He seemed to like you this morning. Just go upstairs and knock, see if he'll come out. I just have to find my jacket and shoes, and we can head to the store."
Bobby nodded. "Ok. I suppose it could be worse… he couldda locked himself in the bathroom," He said with a cheeky grin.
Evelyn laughed again as Bobby headed up the stairs. He knocked loudly on the kid's door.
"Yo, elf, you in there?" He called out. "Come on, we gotta go to the store."
Bobby waited a moment, then he heard footsteps, and the sound of the lock being undone. He saw just the tips of the kid's blond hair and his blue eyes staring around the door.
"Come on, I don't got all day. Ma's ready, we gotta get goin'," Bobby said impatiently. "Grab your jacket; I think your shoes are still downstairs. You got five minutes, then I want to see you waitin' down there."
Jack nodded, something that might almost have been a smile on his face.
Bobby rolled his eyes, and headed downstairs. Damn it all if he knew why the kid liked him. It wasn't like he was Mr. Softie. But most of the kids who'd walked through Evelyn's door seemed to attach themselves to him. More than a few had slept in the room now claimed by the elf. Bobby had eventually lost track, forgotten names, as years went by and most of them moved on, or into new homes. But almost everyone of them under the age of ten had clung to him like a life preserver. The ones older than that seemed to idolize him.
He scoffed to himself. Stupid kids. Of all people to pick for a role model, they'd pick him.
Bobby scowled slightly as he listened to his mother prattling on. It wasn't so much that she was going on and on, but what she was going on and on about.
"Ma, Angel's gotta make his own mistakes; let the kid screw up. It'll teach him a lesson," He said exasperatedly. "You need to quit babyin' the kid."
Evelyn frowned. "That's a harsh outlook on things, Bobby."
"But it's true. Nothin' you or me has said to the little… screw-up," Bobby said, catching himself in time to watch his language, "has changed his mind. He's bound, set, and determined to screw his life up."
"Bobby, keep your eyes on the road!" Evelyn warned quickly. Bobby glanced back to the road just in time to keep from hitting a tractor trailer. "Lord, Bobby, you need to pay attention!"
Bobby grumbled under his breath the rest of the way to the store.
Once inside, Bobby gave Jack a stern warning not to stray too far from him or Evelyn. The elf had nodded timidly, his wide eyes taking in everything in the store.
"Watch were your goin', kid, you get in front of this cart one more time, I'm gonna run you over," Bobby said good-naturedly as Jack stumbled over the cart once again. "Crush your little elf ears back to normal."
Jack gave him something that would have passed as a smile for any other kid. Bobby gave him a smile in return.
"Look, ma said you can pick out one bear or somethin' if you want it. So… There you go," He said, stopping in front of the toy aisle. "Eat your heart out."
Jack looked up at him in amazement, then back at the shelves. Then back at Bobby.
Bobby nodded impatiently. "Yeah, go on. Any one you want. Just hurry it up."
Jack tentatively started down the aisle, his wide eyes taking in everything. Bobby watched as he stopped hesitantly in front of a shaggy haired stuffed dog, almost as big as he was. The elf waited a moment, then grabbed it, and ran back towards Bobby.
Bobby rolled his eyes as Jack looked to him for approval.
"It's your toy, Elf, not mine. You like it?"
Jack nodded, a far away look in his bright blue eyes as he petted the dog on the head.
Bobby waited a few moments, but Jack didn't move. He whistled loudly, startling the elf. Jack jumped, and looked around fearfully.
"Just me, kid. Wanna make sure you weren't joinin' the trekkies up there," He said with a smile. When Jack gave him a quizzical stare, Bobby groaned. "Great, just aged myself twenty years. You wanna carry that, or stick it in the cart? You gonna carry it? Ok, let's go find Ma then."
They were heading towards the front of the store, when a voice stopped them both.
"Jack? Jack, what're you doing out?!"
Bobby spun around at the unfamiliar voice. Jack on the other hand apparently knew who the voice belonged to all too well. He gave a little yelp, and hid behind Bobby's legs, staring around fearfully.
A tall, lanky man came striding up to them. As soon as he got within five feet, the smell radiating off him hit Bobby, making him want to throw up. The man totally ignored Bobby, instead focusing his attention entirely on Jack.
"You little shit-head, you know you're not fucking supposed to be outside. Your mother's gonna kick your scrawny ass from here to fuckin' California when she finds out."
Bobby instantly stiffened. "Excuse me, but just who the fuck are you?" He asked, his voice dangerously low.
The man apparently realized that he had made some sort of mistake, although he looked confused as to what. "Hey man, who the fuck are you? Amanda's gonna throw a fit when she finds out you let the little fuck-up outta the closet."
Bobby forced himself to look down at Jack. "Jack, I want you to go find Ma, ok? Tell her I'll be right out. Take your dog with you."
Jack glanced up, petrified, but slowly did as Bobby ordered, glancing behind him every so often.
"So you Amanda's new man? I never knew she was into short guys. Always thought she liked 'em tall and thin. You ain't been around real long if you expect the little shit to talk to anybody, let alone his mama. She ain't gonna be happy when she finds out you took the little bastard out."
Bobby moved quicker than the eye could follow, pinning the man by the throat against the shelves.
"You know how I am, you mother fuckin' prick?" He asked, his voice low yet unmistakably pissed.
The man shook his head nervously, before taking a closer look. His eyes widened. "Holy shit, you're fuckin' Bobby Mercer. Hey man, I didn't mean anything about the short comments, I was ju-"
"You listen to me, you fuckin' pathetic excuse for humanity. Jack lives with me now. I'm takin' care of him. If I ever so much as see a fuckin' hair of you within ten miles of him, I'll fuckin' kill you without a second thought."
Bobby released the man roughly, before heading towards the check out lanes. Evelyn was waiting, her face worried looking.
"Bobby, is everything all right?"
Bobby was trying to force his breathing back to normal when he answered. "Let's just get the stuff and get outta here," He said roughly.
Jack still looked scared shitless, clutching his new toy for all it was worth. He hesitantly stepped towards Bobby. His eyes moved toward the direction Bobby had come from, and then back to Bobby.
Bobby shook his head. "He ain't gonna bother you, Elf. I took care of him. He won't ever come near you again. Promise."
Jack's eyes filled with tears, and he rushed Bobby, throwing his little arms around his neck tightly.
Evelyn stared for a moment, before moving up to a check outline. Bobby ruffled the kid's hair for a second, before picking him up, and carrying him over towards Evelyn.
"Ma, I'm gonna take Jackie out to the car. You gonna be alright?"
Evelyn nodded. "Of course. Just give me the tag to his stuffed animal to ring up."