I have to admit I'm pretty nervous about this chapter. I feel like I don't have any ground to stand on while I try to portray Jack, as he is going to be different now, in a way that we never got to see in the movie. He's still Jack, but maybe more determined? More angry and desperate? Bobby's warming the bench on this one, who will lead the team? And what will Angel and Jerry say? Jack is their little brother too afterall.. Are they okay with his plans for revenge? Because let me tell you, he wants revenge. Badly. I this story goes the way I want it to, then a darker Jack was standing by Bobby's bed last chapter. Well then, shall we? As usual I don't own four brothers, but oh how I wish I did...
As Jack turned he met his brothers eyes silently.
Jerry almost flinched at the dark look in his little brothers eyes. He felt Angel tense beside him and he knew that whatever Jack was thinking, it wasn't good.
"Jack..." Jerry trailed off
"He's not getting away with this"
They all knew who Jack was talking about. The words hung in the air as each of them took in their meaning. The look in Jack's eyes worried Angel. It was a look he had seen too often during his time in the army. The look of someone to lost in the dark thoughts of revenge. He had seen people rush out of their hiding spots when their comrades had been killed, and the look in their eyes had shaken him then and it scared him now. Because he knew the end to those stories. He was shaking his head before his thoughts had come to an end. He saw Jack shift his eyes to focus on him, and he looked into those eyes who used to be blue, weren't they now? No, they seemed darker somehow.
"You want this too Angel. I know you do"
He couldn't argue with that, but the certanity in his brothers voice scared him, made the doubts creep along his spine. But above that a voice in his head, or was it his heart? Told him what he already knew. That Bobby would have wanted revenge, but not at the cost of Jack. Not at the cost of Jack's life, and not at the cost of his soul. He never would have wanted his brothers to put themselves in harms way for him, this much Angel knew. But he also knew that he would anyway, because this was his family too. But Jack, he wasn't prepared to let Jack take part in what was going to happen, what had to happen. He had thought that Jack could stay at the hospital and watch over Bobby while he and Jerry dealt with this, but it seemed his little brother had other plans. He glanced away from Jack's eyes to focus on his oldest brother in the hospital bed. Bobby had spent a lot of time making sure that Jack never had to do the things they had done. Of course he had been along for most of the rides, but Bobby had been unflappable in his belief that Jack shouldn't ever have to know the darkness that came when you had taken a life. And Angel agreed. Like Bobby had said one night a few years ago, kid's seen to much shit already. And he had. Which was why Angel agreed, and had promised his oldest brother that he would do anything to protect Jack, from everything. And he had promised himself. Because when he looked into those scared blue eyes he knew he would do anything to keep him safe, and he knew Jerry felt the same.
"Bobby wouldn't have wanted this"
He shifted his eyes from Bobby to look into Jack's eyes.
"He wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger"
"I'm already in danger, we all are. You know that"
Angel swore softly to himself and broke the staredown with his little brother and faced the wall. He had been expecting Jack to get angry, not this calm statement of facts. It was unsettling, this quiet calm that couldn't hide the fire in his eyes.
"Jack think about this, what are we gonna do?"
Jerry tried to reason with him but he already knew it was a lost cause, the stubborn tilt of his brothers face was all to familiar.
"We can't just sit here and wait for him to kill us!"
"Don't give me that Jack, don't think your fooling us" He sighed when Jack turned his head away "I know you want revenge, I can see it in your eyes, and if you don't think about this your going to get yourself killed, is that what you want?"
The silence that followed said more than words ever could. Jerry tried to calm himself, yelling would get him no where with Jack. His eyes teared up and he took the few steps seperating him from his youngest brother and put his hand on his neck. Jack looked at him.
"It's not your fault" he whispered
Jack's eyes shifted and for a second Jerry saw that hurt little boy again, the one that only wanted to be loved, or at least, not to be hurt again. It hurt. He pulled Jack to him and wrapped him up in a hug, holding him close.
"It's not. I know what your doing and I'm telling you right now to stop. You didn't know"
"I should have"
The words whispered against his shoulder made him shake his head. He pulled back to meet his eyes again and was shocked to see not the broken look he was expecting, but that cold fire. He tried again.
"It's not just Sweet, it's Fowler too. He killed Green"
Jack processed this new information. That made it harder no doubt. He listened as Jerry told him about his business, Evelyn contacting the police about Sweet and about how Fowler gave that information to Sweet. As he looked into his brothers eyes he saw something he felt himself. Guilt. He lifted his hand and laid it on Jerry's shoulder, just resting it there, letting him know that he was there. His thoughts turned to Fowler, that lying piece of shit.
"He too then"
"Are you crazy? We can't kill a cop?"
"I don't care!" For the first time since his promise to Bobby Jack's voice cracked. Goddamnit it hurt to even breathe right now. He wished he could stop "I don't care".
Jerry let him go and went to stare out the window, the ordinary life passing through.
"He's going to kill us all, if we don't do something" Jack's somber words echoed. He was right. And he knew they knew that.
Jerry sighed and closed his eyes, wishing with all his might that Jack was wrong, but he knew he wasn't. Sweet would keep coming.
"He's not going to stop until we're all dead" Jack finished.
Jerry looked at Bobby, silently willing him to wake up and tell them what to do.
"He's right"
Angel had been silently staring at the wall. Now he turned to meet Jack's eyes.
"He's going to keep sending people to kill us. We need to take him down. More than that, we owe it to Bobby. He's our brother, and he's in here because of Sweet, and he shot you, tried to kill you" he gestured to Jack his eyes hard "and he had Ma killed. He's not walking away from this"
Angel walked over to Bobby's bed, Jack following behind him. Jerry came closer and without thinking about it they formed a protective circle around the bed.
As Jerry stared at his older brother he knew they were right. And if he was honest with himself he wanted revenge as well. For Evelyn, for Bobby, for Jack, who he could see was changing right in front of his eyes. He wondered where this would lead his little brother. He had a feeling it wasn't anywhere good, but he was right. They were out of options.
Angel also knew that Jack was right. He had known that all along, but he wanted to do everything he could to keep his little brother out of the line of fire. He had a feeling he wasn't going to succeed. The look in Jack's eyes was that of someone who wanted blood, a feeling he himself was more than familiar with. But this was Jack, the one they had worked so hard to protect. Bobby would have punched him for simply even thinking about this, but he didn't know what else to do. It made his chest hurt to think that in order to keep them all safe, and get revenge, he had to break a promise he had made so long ago, a promise he had taken to heart.
"How long will you be gone?"
Angel stood in Bobby's doorway, watching as he was packing his bag.
"Two weeks at most I think, should be settled fairly quickly"
Angel nodded as Bobby closed his bag and turned to him.
"I need to ask you to do something"
This was unusual enough for Angel to be curious. But he had a feeling he knew what it was about already.
"Watch over Jackie will ya? I swear that kid attracts trouble like a pole does strippers"
"You know I will"
Angel was serious and he watched Bobby fidget, a rare thing indeed.
"I know, I know. Just promise that you always will right? No matter what"
Angel's alarm bells sounded.
"Where are you going, I can come with..."
"No. Just promise me"
"I promise. You know I already made that promise to myself, and to him"
"I know"
Bobby nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. He didn't need to say it aloud, there was something about Jack that made them all want to protect him, Jerry too.
I'm sorry, Angel thought looking down at Bobby. I don't have a choice...
Jack forced himself to focus his gaze at Bobby's pale face. Ignoring the pain his shoulder caused him he leaned his hand out, Angel and Jerry grabbed it without hesitation and their eyes met over Bobby's bed.
Had Bobby known what they were planning he surely would have yelled, punched and cursed like a mad man. As it was he didn't know, and he was unable to stop it.
So sorry for the short chapter! One of my roomies thought it would be a great time for our landlord to fix our apartment, my room too. Good idea, except she took off for parts unknown and I'm stuck living in the kitchen while they paint my room. Which seems to take forever. Lovely. Have also lost two of my christmas presents for two of my friends somewhere in this mess that is my home. I wanted to put something up for you, as I know, at least I hope, that you are waiting with baited breath for more of Jack and the rest (Yes, Anon I am looking at you lol. Thank you so much for your support. I honestly would not have dared to even think of this story otherwise). Anyway there will be another chapter his weekend, or Monday, a longer one, so just think of this like a preview of things to come. That said I am very insecure about this chapter, please don't bash it, or do, if you like that kind of thing lol. No honestly, just be honest, I can take it.