Jerry stared out the window as he sat in the passenger's seat of Nikki's Porsche; he found it funny that the girls still knew how to find the house. Apparently Nikki was talking to Kira, or maybe even him at the moment, but he was too busy thinking about other things to even partly listen. They both looked so damn different, they both had grown into these beautiful young women, women he had never in his life pictured them to be. Kira, he hadn't thought she'd turn out to be so slender, definitely tall but not slender, her body structure looked just like all the other little black girls, who now had swollen up from either pregnancy or simply age. They were what the youth these days called 'thick' and that's how he had expected Kira to look, never Nikki though. Neither of them came out the way he had imagined. One the look of a Victoria's Secret model and the other a tougher Halle Berry, he could almost laugh out loud at how things seem to take a turn for the unexpected.

As they pulled into the Mercer driveway he jumped out of the car to let Kira out of the back, her outfit consisting of a pair of camel colored cargos, black Jordan's and a white beater. This definitely wasn't the outfit he had pictured her ever wearing, it was more of a Nikki outfit. Nikki on the other hand wore a pair of skinny jeans, peep-toed black and white striped heels and a green blouse. It was like they had completely switched wardrobes for the day. He only shook his head and smile, tilting his woolen hat to Nikki as she went ahead of him into the house.

"Man, fuck you Bobby! You can kiss my black ass!"

"Aw, you're breaking mi corazon, Angel. Breaking mi corazon."

"I don't know why I even asked you…"
"I don't know either, aint no way I'm going to tell you yes to letting La Vida Loca stay in this damn house. Her Mercer house pass is expired."

"Who the hell made you the owner of the house!? We live here too!"

"You can take your ass back to the army and your little yappin' Chihuahua with you," he laughed as he looked over to the standing Angel. Bobby was sitting on the couch with Jack on the other side, the youngest of the Mercer boys laughing as he listened to his older brothers argue. "It's bad enough we have one girl in this house, and luckily she doesn't bleed."

"Screw you Bobby," Jack grumbled, no longer finding the conversation funny. He found himself smiling again though as he heard the front door swing open.
"Well…sounds like ol' Jerry has made it back from the family grocery shopping!" Bobby chuckled but abruptly stopped when not Jerry but a young woman walked into the living room with a bright smile.

"Hey guys!"

The room was quiet, the only sound being that of Jerry and Kira coming into the house to stand behind Nikki.

"Don't just stare like idiots. You guys seriously don't recognize these faces?" Jerry laughed walking over to the couch to sit between Bobby and Jack.

"Hell…naw…" Angel said quietly, stepping back to get a better look at the girls, apparently it wasn't supposed to be this hard to remember them and then it hit him, good and hard. "Kira and Nikki!!"

Bobby only shook his head and smiled, not truly knowing what to say about it, Jack still sitting a little confused, the names having not yet registered with him.

"That took you guys way too damn long!" Laughter filled the house as hugs were passed around along with playful punches.

"Wow…you two have changed so much," Angel grinned, across from the TV in what was considered Jerry's Chair.

"Yeah, you guys too…well not really," Kira smirked, she sat on the floor while Nikki leaned against the bookshelf, both of them smiling as they looked at there old friends. It was after all hard not to smile, they were so happy, feeling once again…at home. "So tell us what you all have been up to. I know everything about what Jerry's doing and he told us that Angel went to join the Navy! Oh man what was that like jungle boy?"

They laughed.

"Just got here and you're already pulling out the jokes eh scarecrow?"

"You know it Angel. My undying love for you."

"What have you two been up to? Letters have been sent to you guys but none of us other than maybe Jerry know about the new Kira and Nikki," Jack said quietly receiving a suspicious look from Bobby and Jerry.

"Well I work on cars, and uh…yeah, that nice little number out there in the driveway…it belongs to me," Nikki grinned, arms crossed over her chest as she stood there with pride, no one really responding until Jack shot up and turned to look out the window, Angel and Bobby quickly following suite.

"Aw shit! Really!?"
"Now that right there…that's nice."

"I want one."

Kira laughed before looking over to Jerry as he began to speak to them, "So where are you guys staying? In a hotel or…with someone?"

Nikki shrugged, "Well we're staying in a hotel, we just got in contact with Joshua…you remember Kira's brother right?" he nodded and she continued," Well he said we're welcome to come stay with him, he owns a diner now downtown."

Kira looked up to Nikki slightly saddened, "Yeah but he said that there may not be enough room, since the place he's staying in around the corner only has two bed—"

"You guys can stay here," Jerry interrupted as the guys finally settled down, " They could use a little feminine help around the house as you can see."

There were papers everywhere. The kitchen was full of dirty dishes, half eaten food and even more junk. Books were all over the living room floor; a cover lay across the couch and the muddy shoes of the guys lie at the front door. The girls didn't want to know what awaited them upstairs…probably rats.

"Whoa whoa whoa…they can stay here…. but Sofi can't?"

"Who's Sofi?" Kira piped up curiously though was only ignored.

"Sofi isn't family Angel, end of discussion."

"Fuck that Bobby, end of discussion when it's actually over. You know that's not fair. You can't do that, she's family to me."

"You just like to fuck her," Jack snickered and quickly got up to disappear upstairs still catching Angel's two-cents of 'Shut the fuck up.'

Nikki sighed heavily and took her shoes off before tossing them over to the front door, "Look if it's a problem, us staying here then that's alright. We do have somewhere to stay after all and we're very comfortable there. Whoever this Sofi chick is…we don't want to just…barge in on your lives and all."

"Hey…where's Ms. Evelyn?"

The room grew awkwardly quiet at Kira's question, causing her to shift and suddenly feel a bit guilty about her question. The silence made Nikki squirm too, it lasting a little too long. She began to grow irritated with the wary glances the boys were suddenly exchanging. "Well? Is anyone going to answer her question? Or are you three just going to sit there all pitiful?"

Bobby cleared his throat as if to speak but only Jerry parted his lips, "Ma is dead. She was shot…but…but we took care of it," he replied quietly, his eyes no longer on the girls but the carpeted floor, as if it was a way out of the conversation he wanted no part in.

The girls simply stared at them in disbelief, Kira almost frantic as she looked between all the boys, searching for a slight smile, a chuckle or laugh. Some sign that he was joking, a sign of a lie! Nothing came though…nothing but a heavy, choking sadness, a dark cloak that instantly fell over the room when he mentioned the word dead. It made her throat burn and her eyes water, it caused her to shake and her stomach to become sick. She looked up helplessly as Nikki left out the front door, her shoes still sitting abandoned on the floor. This after all had not been accepted, nor did they want to hear it. It shook both girls to the very core just as it had done the boys after finding out. The sweet woman who was nothing less than a saint to all children and people, a saint to all those in need. Someone had not accidentally shot her but…killed her. And they…took care of it? Kira wasn't sure of what that meant…or maybe, just maybe she didn't want to know. She wasn't sure of what exactly she should do now, Nikki had left her, of course she'd be back but…how long would that take?

"I'm uh…going to go take a shower," Angel stood up and headed upstairs, Jerry leaving to the kitchen to use the phone leaving Kira and Bobby to awkwardly sit in the silence. Bobby wasn't exactly sure what to say to her, he hadn't spoken to her in so long. Though it didn't sound like her personality had changed much, you never know. Would she take his joking seriously now and really be offended? Or would she act offended like she used to and fake cry? Maybe she'd have something smart to say back like she did at times. He had nothing right now though; she seemed so pale, though it was odd to think of because of her dark skin. She looked so confused, hurt…if only to sum her emotions up she was in utter shock. He watched as she slowly blinked, and then shook her head, a smile appearing on her face, small…and so very sad. The smile pleaded for the happiness to return, it was weak and almost emotionless.

"I…I'm afraid I don't…don't know what to do," she whispered, the words burning her throat as they tried to make there way up. She didn't want to cry, not in front of Bobby like she had done so many times before in the past. Things were different now, she was a big girl and crying wasn't necessary…not at all. Shakily she brought herself to her feet, and as she faltered, Bobby rushed to her side.
"Hey…hey, it's all right doll. You can cry little doll," he whispered soothingly as he held her against him. He wasn't surprised that she broke into tears instantly, she had only changed in appearance, grown and matured, became beautiful, just like Nikki. He didn't know if Nikki was crying though, had never seen her cry. He didn't think he ever would.