The Bridges we Burn

Chapter Five: Abandonment

Bobby could hear Jaime and Jack's voices down the hall from his room, even though his bedroom door was shut. He couldn't make out the actual words spoken, but every now and again the two of them would break out in laughter and Bobby would wish he could make out what they were saying. Bobby took in a deep breath and tried to rub away the headache that was coming on. He always got bad headaches when he was conflicted- which of course, was not very often.

Sabrina was staying in Evelyn's bedroom, which was still exactly the way Evelyn had it before she died. Bobby had reminded Sabrina time and again that she wasn't to move or mess with any of his mother's things. Sabrina had just given him her 'fuck off' look and told him to "go to hell". That was one of the things he liked most about Sabrina, that she never tried to hide her feelings and emotions. Most of the time, what she wanted to say was written clearly on her face or in her body movements. Even so, the chick could be so damn confusing sometimes.

Like that night, before they left to their rooms, she had seemed so much older and more…human for lack of a better word. With her confident demeanor set aside, Sabrina had lightly touched his upper arm before telling him how much she appreciated this. Letting her and Jaime stay. Even if he didn't realize how much Jaime and him were alike. How much they needed each other. And then she had turned away, making sure to say that his cooking was even worse than she remembered.

But the way she ad looked at him before shutting the door contradicted the malevolent comment. She had looked guilty. Almost as if she were apologizing to him with her eyes. And then the door had closed and she was gone. And Bobby was once again thinking how there was something very wrong- or odd to say the least. Something that just didn't make sense.

But Bobby couldn't figure it out. He had seriously considered giving Jerry or Angel a call and getting a second opinion, but Bobby knew they had their own lives to deal with. They didn't need his problems to add more drama to their lives. So even when Angel had called after dinner, which he did almost every night, Bobby hadn't told him anything. Not even about Jaime.

Speaking of which, Bobby hated to admit that he almost, sort of liked the kid. Just a little, but enough to scare him. Bobby didn't typically like people in general, so the fact that he liked the kid so quickly was unnerving. He didn't like it one bit. Not to be confused; Bobby still didn't think the kid was his. Because the kid was definitely not his. But he didn't want to kill him or beat the shit out of him, which coming from Bobby, was a big deal.

Bobby looked at his clock, noted it was half-past one in the morning, and closed his eyes. He was tired of thinking and just wanted to sleep. After all, Bobby Mercer was not one to think. He listened to Jack and Jaime's laughter again. Tomorrow he would figure everything out. He would figure out just how Jack and his ex-girlfriend knew each other if it was the last thing he did.

--

Bobby was wrong. Oh so very wrong. Actually, he probably had never been more wrong in his entire life. Sabrina was not human. She was the devil. A lying, fake-

"Son of a bitch!" Bobby yelled, slamming Evelyn's bedroom door shut. He had come upstairs to wake up Sabrina and tell her breakfast was ready. He had been determined to figure out Sabrina and Jack's relationship before the boys woke up. Of course, nothing in Bobby Mercer's life was that simple. No, after he hadn't received an answer when he knocked on his mother's bedroom door, he had barged in to discover a made bed and no suitcase.

He should have known this would happen. How could he have been so stupid? Thinking the woman might have one ounce of decency in her body. Bobby took the stairs two at a time, racing past the kitchen, to the garage. Yep, his car was gone.

"Goddamn it," Bobby muttered. "Just wait till I get my hands on that fucker, I won't care that she is a woman-" Bobby stopped in the middle of his rant when he noticed the letter on the kitchen table. The same place Sabrina had placed Jaime's picture just yesterday.

Bobby,

I couldn't stay. Too many bad memories. Take care of Jack and Jaime.

Sabrina

P.S. Your car can be found in the parking lot of the Detroit Metro Airport. Section A12.

Bobby cursed again, crumbling the paper up in a ball. Too many bad memories? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Bad memories for her? What about for him? She was the one the left him the last time. And now she had done it again. Bobby froze suddenly, flattened out the paper, and stared at the third sentence.

Take care of Jack and Jaime.

and Jaime.

She had left him! She had left her son! Bobby raced up the stairs and stood in front of Jack's bedroom door. God, he couldn't do this. Please let it be a mistake, Bobby chanted to himself. He couldn't take care of a kid. There was no way. Bobby slowly reached for the door knob and twisted it open. His eyes immediately scanned the bed where he found only one sleeping body. It was a Jaime.

Then he noticed Jack, sitting in the sill of his window, strumming his guitar.

"She left didn't she?" Jack stated more than asked, not bothering to turn to look at him. Only when Bobby didn't answer did Jack flick his eyes towards him. Bobby instantly noticed how defeated Jack looked. How sad and weak he seemed. Like every time Bobby would leave when he was younger, not returning for a few weeks or even months. Bobby inwardly winced as a wave of guilt passed through him. How many times had Bobby did to Jack what Sabrina had done to him? Walked out without saying a word?

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Bobby answered with his own question. Jack cracked a forced smile.

"With you cussing like you were, I'm sure the whole world knows," Jack replied, setting his guitar down at his feet. Bobby shook his head.

"I just can't believe she would up and leave…again. I mean, what are we going to tell the kid?" Bobby said, his eyes falling once again to the sleeping form in Jack's bed. What Bobby really wanted to know was what were the going to do with the kid? Of course, he wasn't going to ask that out loud. Jack shrugged.

"He expected it. He's used to it. At least she left him with us this time," The youngest Mercer answered lackadaisically. Bobby stared at his little brother. Something about the way he said "this time" made Bobby wonder who she had left him with before? And how many times had she done so?

"You cook breakfast?" Jack asked before Bobby could voice any of these questions. Bobby nodded emotionlessly. Oh yeah, that was what he come up here for in the first place. Well, it was probably cold now.

"Good, I'm starving," Jack said and Bobby couldn't help but laugh.

"When are you ever not hungry?" Bobby asked. Jack got an amused glint in his eyes that Bobby didn't realize how much he missed.

"When are you ever not a narcissistic asshole?" Jack shot back, finally making an attempt to stand up. Bobby raised his eyebrows, then shrugged.

"Good point," Bobby answered, "But I can't help that I'm good-looking." Jack snorted cynically and made his way over to the kid in the bed. Bobby was about to leave, when he turned around again and asked,

"How did you really know she had left?"

Jack stared at him blankly, then looked down at Jaime with a fond expression.

"Because she promised she was going to stay this time."