Strength and Weakness

Part II

Danielle keep her head stuck in the book but couldn't keep the smile off her lips as she listened to her Ma in the kitchen getting the Thanksgiving food ready - Jerry, Camille and the kids would be coming over, Danielle also knew that Evelyn was hoping for her three other sons to come home too. In Danielle's opinion, she would say that 'hope' was far-fetched because like every other year, they never showed up. Her hope disintegrate each year and she wasn't about to put herself in that position again.

"Danielle," Evelyn appeared at her bedroom doorway. "I forgot to buy a turkey, I'm just going to pop out and get one, would you like to come?"

"I've gotten into a really good part of my book." The passage was begging for her to read on and not put it down.

"That's fine dear, just asking." Evelyn smiled knowingly at her daughter – once the woman picked up a novel it was hard for her to put it down. "I'll be back in a short while."

That 'sort while' turned to hours, Danielle didn't even notice the time until the doorbell rang downstairs. Instead of hearing the mutters of voices downstairs when her Ma usually opened the door to visitors, the doorbell rang loudly once again making Danielle put her novel down on the bed and finally glance at the bedside clock, it was nearing eleven o'clock.

When Danielle reached the bottom of the stairs, sticking her head into the kitchen, she was slightly dazed at not seeing her Ma there. Opening the door, her heart went into overdrive and her thoughts automatically went to her brothers –what have they done now?

"Miss Mercer?" The middle aged police offer said, his hat against his stomach.

"That would be me." Danielle said, hoping to not get news that Bobby had been put in jail.

"I'm sorry to inform you that your mother has passed." The officer said the words but they didn't quite register in her mind because it seemed to shut down at his sentence.

"How?" Her voice came out harsh, like she hadn't had any water for days.

"A robbery at the corner store." The police officers partner said. The two officers stood there on the porch, the darkness of the night surrounding them, watching her, looking for some kind of response that she didn't know how to give.

Finally, Danielle said something. "Thanks." She waited for the officers to nod their heads before shutting the door quietly behind them as if the slightest sound would make her break.

She didn't move away from the door, simply stared at the handle for quite some time. When she did move, her feet took her to the kitchen. She looked for any signs of life that the officers were lying to her. All she found was the kitchen bench covered with cutting broads and knives, a chocolate cake waiting for its icing. Her Ma was preparing for her brothers – Angel and Jack loved their mud cakes.

She wasn't sure what to do with the scene in front of her. Her eyes caught sight of the home phone hanging on the wall – Jerry. She knew his number off by heart and called him, repeating the words the officers had said to her before hanging up when Jerry said he would be over in a moment.

Wanting some normalcy, Danielle walked around the kitchen bench in the middle and jumped up on the counter in the corner near the sink. She simply watched, waiting for something to happen – maybe her Ma was just in the bathroom? Though the voice in her head told her that she would be able to hear the water running down the pipes. All she heard was the fridge a few feet from her buzzing. The silence was eating at her, making it harder to fight down the tears that wanted to escape her and the heavy feelings compressing on her chest.

Jerry found Danielle in that exact spot, staring at the chocolate mud cake with watery eyes.

...

She never really gave much thought about what would happen if Evelyn was the one to leave her? She never thought about the old lady passing away and leaving her alone. She felt numb once the cops had come to the door that night informing her of what happen to her Ma. On autopilot, she had called Jerry and informed him about the news and from there on out, her older brother took care of everything.

Jerry told their brothers about their Ma, she was glad he hadn't asked her to talk to her brothers'. She almost felt angry at them, more or less at Bobby and Angel because they were meant to protect them. She had learnt over the years that she needed to look after herself and they weren't always going to be there but this was their Ma. A woman who was the Mercer, the kindest soul on earth and yet she was given such a ruthless death. Danielle knew it wasn't her brothers' fault but she needed someone to aim the boiling hot volcano inside of her and her brothers seemed the easier option with them not been here.

As Jerry organized the funeral plans, Danielle continued to work at the bar like nothing had changed and ignored the howling loneliness when she returned home from a shift.

And when she got the offer she was tempted to take it that night. Just a simple taste, it might ease the numbness running through her body. "Hey Mercer," Eric Carton followed her out of the bar, keeping in step with her. The man wasn't impolite like some around Detroit but Danielle knew that he did a lot of illegal business in the area – he was someone Bobby told her to stay clear of, a warning given many times when Eric had asked her out in secondary school. "Heard about your Ma. You know, if you need a little something to break away, I could get it for you." Danielle hesitated in her step, her mind swirling around with ideas.

"Thanks for the offer Eric, I'll think about it." The words left her mouth with little thought.

When she was at Jerry's for dinner a couple of night's later, sitting opposite her two nieces with Camille and older brother on either end of the table. They were laughing, telling stories about their day, much like her and Ma use to do. Now, Danielle felt disconnected, an empty space.

Dinner finished, she could feel Jerry's eyes on her as she stood up suddenly. "Thanks for the meal Jer and Camille." She moved around the table, planting a kiss on Camille's cheek before moving to the girls. "I'll see you later." Danielle said, making her way to the front door with Jerry behind her.

"You alright Danny?" She simply nodded her head in answer. "You know, you can give me a call at any timeand-"

"Jer, I'm fine." She cut him off, slipping on her coat. "See you in a couple pf days." She saw Jerry about to speak again but she slipped through the doorway before he would utter another word.

Driving home, Danielle tried to not think about the fact that in a "couple of days" she would be lying her Ma in the ground – it would be real and she wasn't sure if she was ready for the goodbyes.

Instead of turning right for her Ma's house, she went straight ahead to the basketball courts. It was nearing eight o'clock but she had seen the guys playing there much later. Danielle pulled onto the side of the road, slipping her coat back on before leaving the car to walk towards the men. She could see six of them running up and down the court though her sights focused on the familiar face that stole most of her thoughts for the last couple of days.

She watched at the edge of the court, catching Eric's eye as he ran past. Once someone scored the ball through the hoops, Eric came over breathing hard. "What's up Danny?"

Danielle felt her throat close up, her mind screaming at her for been there while the rest of her wanted a taste. "Have you got anything on you?" She whispered, hands nervously in her pockets.

Eric seemed caught off guard before making his way to the parked cars. "I may have something." He said, unlocking the car and pulling back a piece of carpet in the front passenger seat to reveal some clear pouches with white substance in them.

"How much?" Her hands already fingering the money in her coat pocket.

"How much you got?" Eric asked. She pulled out the small bundle of money. "You want just one or two?" She held up two of her fingers unsure if her voice would come out strong enough again. Eric took a couple of bills and handed over two packets. "You didn't get it from me." He closed the car door, leaving her standing there as he went back to the game like their exchange hadn't happened.

As Danielle started back to her car, the doubts started to set in. Her Ma would no doubt be disappointed in her. She didn't want to think how her brothers would react to her getting involved with drugs. On the other hand, she knew each of them had experience with illegal substances.

It wasn't until she got home after work on Wednesday night that it got too much for her. She thought about calling Jerry but she hated being the weak link, a problem to him so she stayed slumped into the old couch, the small pot hole that Angel's ass had made throughout the years. The silence in the house started next, the buzzing of the fridge going in the background as her eyes darted to all the photo frames in the lounge- Jack, Bobby, Angel, Jerry, Ma, Bobby, Jack, Jerry, Angel and Ma. It was just a constant reminder of the people who had left her at some point in her life. There was always the slight chance that her brothers could have come back…her Ma, Evelyn was always her rock in every stage of her life from finishing secondary school to helping her to cook. The idea of Evelyn leaving wasn't part of her plan.

Instead everything had been pulled out from underneath her – she felt like she was drowning.

Getting up from the couch, Danielle slowly made her way upstairs and into her bedroom – over the years, the room became crowded with more of her belongings and less of Bobby's. Pulling open her sock draw, she pulled out one of the packets from the pair of white socks. Rubbing the packet of substance between her hands, undecided before finally taking a seat on her bed and making room on her bedside table. Emptying the containments onto the surface and grabbing a credit card to smooth out the powder, she leaned forward and took the first sniff.

When she woke up next, it was late afternoon and someone was knocking on the door loudly. Her head was swimming, eyes focusing on the light traces of white powder covering the surface of the table until her mind caught up with the events of last night – she had downed the whole packed of cocaine.

The loud knocking focused her attention to the front door, Danielle quickly and painfully got out of bed and walked into the bathroom to splash water onto her face and patted it dry before going down stair to answer the door.

Jerry looked frantic, yet she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for giving him a scare. "What have you been doing?"

"Sleeping, late shift at the bar last night." She answered slowly.

"You know the funeral is tomorrow right?" Jerry glanced the length of her – his eyes going to the large pupils.

"I'll be ready, two o'clock at the church."

"You want me to pick you up?" Jerry asked.

She thought about declining the offer though Danielle knew getting out of the house would be an issue. "That would be great thanks."

"Make sure you're cleaned up and ready." Jerry warned, making her realize her brother knew exactly what she had been doing. What was stranger, Jerry didn't yell at her. She waited for some kind of response but never received one as Jerry said he needed to take the girls to dance class, leaving her once again alone in the house.

With a hazy mind, she made her way upstairs to the bathroom. Once she got out, dried herself off, she went to get changed into fresh clothes. She only paused at the socks draw, hesitating on the white pair of socks before reaching for the blue pair next to them.

With the blue socks on, Danielle slowly made her way back downstairs with caution, going first to the kitchen and staring at the empty space near the oven where Evelyn usually spent her afternoons. Without stepping any further from the dining room table, she turned around and sat down on the couch, flicking the TV on. She landed on a hockey game and placed the remote down next to her.

Her mind going back to several times Bobby and Angel had been watching the hockey game, shouting out moves or insults. Ma always commenting or reminding her brothers' about their language. The look on Evelyn's face whenever Jack decided to play something for her, the peaceful smile and kind words of encouragement. None of that would ever happen again – the woman was dead.

It was the afternoon, Danielle had made the effect of wearing heels and a skirt along with a dark blue shirt – items her Ma liked her to wear at outings. She sat stiffly, other people in the cemetery showing their respects for Evelyn though Danielle could only stare at the coffin getting ready to be put in the ground. She knew Jerry was speaking, the priest was speaking but their voices were simply a buzz in her mind along with the staring eyes of Bobby and Jack. Angel hadn't turned up – fueling the anger she felt towards her brothers'. They had tried to speak to her beforehand but Danielle didn't want to hear any of it, she didn't want to discuss it – she wanted to forget.

She only stood up to put her Ma in the ground when Jerry grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her up from the chair and towards the hole. She stood there between Jerry and Bobby, watching the coffin get lowered into the ground, people already getting up and leaving from the service.

When the coffin hit the ground, Danielle didn't stay around for much longer and started for Jerry's car to go back to his place. Really, she just wanted to skip the whole thing and head back to the house or even see if the bar needed some extra staff.

The car pulled into the drive way, she didn't bother stopping like Jerry to talk to the woman out front. She kept her head down and followed Camille into the house. She leaned against the arch way, giving her the view of the backyard – the strangers that knew her mother. "Do you need any help?" She asked as Camille put some plates on the dining table for the guest.

"I can handle it." Camille answered back politely.

"Camille." Danielle's tone made the other woman stop and actually look at her. "Let me do something."

The dark skinned woman nodded her head. "You can grab the platter out of the fridge and see if the girls' are hungry."

They were simply tasks but they kept Danielle busy. She placed the food on the table and went outside to find the girls', she came to a halt at the corner of the house as her two brothers' spoke to their nieces'. It wasn't until Amelia pointed to her left that Danielle saw Green and his partner come into the backyard, the girls' squealing at Green's playful manner. She couldn't hear what the men were talking about, but she could read their body language and catch sight of the compressed smile on Jack's face. She missed the easy smile, something she saw a lot when they were in their teens. She watched Bobby turn away from the cops, Jack behind him coming towards the house. He didn't go in like she wanted, he came to her side simply watching her – it set her teeth on edge. "What?"

"Is that the way you respond to your brother?" Bobby comment back jokingly.

"When I haven't seen you for ten years, yes." She replied back with a snap and turned to make her way into the house.

The two brothers' shared a knowing glance before following their sister into the house - it seemed their presence had been sorely missed and they were going to pay for it.

...

She shivered as the cold spray of water washed over her body, she was going to kill her older brothers' for using all the hot shower. It reminded her when the whole house use to be full of them, everyday would be a gift if one was lucky enough to have a hot shower, not to mention one without someone intruding or banging on the bathroom door.

It was the third day since the funeral, everyone seemed too slid back into their roles. Angel did turn up, they found him on the veranda when they got back that night freezing his ass off and muttering about missing his plane. Bobby had taken charge, shouting at everyone to where they were sleeping. Danielle half expected Bobby to tell her she was having Ma's room and kicking her out of his previous room but he did no such thing – Bobby took Ma's room. The respect she always held for her older brother rose the slightest bit at that action because she wouldn't have the strength to sleep in that room. She spent most of her time away from there, walking past it like there was nothing out of the ordinary.

It was strange having the family back home. Bobby, Angel and Jerry sitting down watching a match while Jack cooked the turkey. She had only stood in the doorway of the kitchen, not having the nerve to step in because usually it would be her Ma cooking the turkey – the damn turkey was the reason this had all happened. Angel and Jerry had already kicked it off, Bobby shouting the calls whether "Nitro" or "Midnight" was winning the wrestling match. Danielle just sat on the stairs, listening to the commotion. Bobby and Angel had already been at each other's throats about "La Vida Loca", Angel's Spanish girlfriend turned up to their house the other night.

"You need to eat." Jack threw a bag of Angel's potato chips into her lap and took a seat on the step below.

"I can handle myself Jack, have been for quite some time." She bit out, dumping the chips onto the step beside him.

Jack ignored the dig at him – he understood that she was angry, they all were though this was Danielle's way of dealing with it. "From where I'm sitting, you don't have much meat on those bones."

"Jack." Danielle said in warning, ready to snap at him again.

"Don't think I'm not the only one to notice. And you know Bobby, he'll make it his business." She didn't say anything because she knew that Jack's words were the truth. Bobby wouldn't have any problem stuffing her mouth with food.

Without further word, Danielle picked up the chips and slowly started to eat. Neither saying anything until Jack glanced at his watch, it was time to check the oven. "You want to help cook?" He offered and received a negative response, so he tried again. "I got some potatoes that need peeling, could use an extra hand." His sister simply kept her eyes on the bag, not responding or eating again. Jack couldn't help the sign that left him as he made his way to the kitchen without Danielle.

"Danny," She freeze up at hearing Bobby, she had no doubt he heard their conversation. "Go help Cracker Jack." She simply glanced up at her older brother, trying to decide if she could win this fight but the hard gaze in Bobby's eyes and the tension in his muscles told her it was a losing match. She got up to follow Jack into the kitchen when Bobby spoke again. "And make yourself a damn sandwich while you're in there."

Jack was pointing a dinner knife into the turkey when she stepped into the kitchen, she opened the bag of potatoes on the kitchen counter and grabbed a peeler. She was thankful that Jack didn't make any smart remark about her presence – that's one thing she liked about her younger brother, they usually saw eye to eye.

Once Jack had finished with the turkey, he started to cut the already peeled potatoes and put them on a tray to roast. "How's work going?"

"Good." Her answer short and to the point instead of talking about funny encounters that happened to her like she usually would. "How's the band?"

"We've been playing at a few bars, think we might actually get signed on soon."

"So you'll be going back to the big smoke?" Danielle questioned with a hint of venom in her tone – she wasn't one for large cities, Detroit was big enough for her.

"Life doesn't stop." Was Jack's reply, watching his sister from the corner of his eye to judge her reaction.

Danielle knew that, though she doubted she could handle living in this house by herself again after having her brother's return. Yes, she was acting harsh towards them but at the moment they were the only thing stopping her from falling over the edge. "I...you guys seem to swing back into this life." She whispered the next words but Jack still heard. "It's like you never left."

"Let's get the pumpkin done and throw these babies into the oven." Jack shifted the direction of the conversation because truthfully, he had no idea what to say to make his sister feel better.

"Come on man, let's eat! Bring out the bird!" Bobby's voice entered the dining room as Jack and Danielle set the food down. Jerry putting the cutlery down on the table and Angel getting the glasses. Jack put the turkey down on the table, taking his seat beside Jerry with Bobby at the head of the table. Hesitantly, Danielle stood behind her seat next to Angel feeling nervous as she hadn't sat down at the table since the passing of her Ma. Angel grabbed her hand and Jack took her left, bowing their heads as Bobby blessed their food. Though Danielle wasn't really paying attention to his words, her eyes were on the empty seat between Jack and herself. Mucking around with Jack in the kitchen, she had almost forgotten the reason why her four brothers were with her but reality crashed down as she took her seat.

"Get some greens on your plate girl." Angel said, handing Danielle the bowl of salad taking her eyes from Ma's chair while she put a small spoon full on her plate.

Next she put some turkey onto her plate, hearing the silent shuffles of her brothers in the room. She made the mistake of looking back up at her Ma's seat, her heart beating in her chest at the sight of Evelyn sitting there. "You'll be alright now Danielle, your brothers are here now." Danielle almost snorted at her Ma's words, there was no guarantee they were staying here. "And you won't be needing any more of that nasty stuff in your bedroom." She couldn't help be surprised at Ma knowing about the drugs, she felt like her hand was caught in the cookie jar.

"To hell with this man, let's play some ball." Bobby suddenly stood up from the table talking about playing a hockey game down at the ice rank.

"Think I'm going to stay back." She replied at her brothers got up from the table with complaints about getting their assess cold.

"Danny, get your fucking gear." Bobby stated. "We're all playing, even Jerry here." He patted his brother's shoulder before going to the hallway doors to get their hockey sticks.

"Where the hell you think you're going?" Angel asked when Danielle came down the stairs, nearing the front door.

"Work." Danielle said, making Bobby turn his eyes from the TV at his sister's dress code.

"You get fired at the bar or something, you look like a hooker." She looked down at her usual tight blue jeans and circle neck line on her shirt – she didn't know what Bobby was seeing because she sure as hell couldn't see a problem.

"The jeans give me more tips." She stated.

"I hope they give you double when you bend over and flash them your tits." She clenched her jaw, trying to hold herself back from striking Bobby.

"We're seeing the solicitor about Ma's belongings." Jerry stepped forward to break the tension between the two siblings. "Tell Johnny you'll be there a little late."

"I'll give Johnny a call because you asked so nicely Jer." Danielle said, stressing out 'nicely' as she glared at her older brother.

She sat next to Angel, her arms crossed as the old man came over with a safety- deposit box with her Ma's contents. Truthfully, Danielle didn't really care what was in the box – it was clear what Jack was after when he bluntly asked about the money and received a hand across the head from Bobby. "I'll leave you to go through the box." The man left, leaving the siblings to the contentment's which Bobby started going through. Handing out birth and adopting certificates to Jack and Jerry. Next was the money, Bobby handed out money to every one of them except Jack. Handing him a piece of Ma's jewelry when he complained.

When they exit the building going to their cars, Danielle pulled back and stepped in pace with Jack. "Swap ya." She handed him the money and took the necklace, putting the simply gold necklace around her neck.

"Thanks."

"No problem Jackie." She started towards her own car. "Catch you guys later." She called out to her brothers.

"Where you going?" Angel asked.

She rolled her eyes – hadn't they already had this conversation. "Some of us actually have to work to earn money." She replied before getting into her car and driving to the bar.

Danielle dare say it was a couple of hours after that her brothers walked into the joint, lining themselves up at the bar and ordering shots for themselves from Johnny. "Throw an extra one in for Danny." Bobby said before raising his glass. "For Evelyn." Bobby said a few words for their Ma but like always her mind started to wander to at the mention of the lovely woman. She was the last one to drown her shot before getting back to serving the customers. A few more shots went down the throats of her brothers' until they finally moved away from the bar and took some seats for the four of them.

Her attention was directed at them when her three older brothers started yelling, "Jack drink Jack" but what held her attention next was Jerry leaving with a tense jaw and watching Johnny take a seat with her brothers. The groups attitude changing as the bartender spoke to them intensity. It didn't take long for them to get back up and start walking to the door. Johnny leaned in to Bobby before he left and their eyes went straight to her, making a chill run through her.

She knew her brothers were up to no good when she returned home at nine thirty, the lounge and kitchen was empty reminding her to much of the nights spent alone. The sound of feet coming down the stairs caught her attention, she was almost disappointed at not seeing one of her brothers' there. "Hey Sofia."

"How you holding up Danielle?" Sofia asked. No matter what shit Bobby laid on the Spanish woman, she wasn't that bad – she cared about others and that was something people lacked around her.

"As expected." She didn't go to the kitchen to find something to eat, instead she made her way past Sofia and headed straight for her bedroom.

Still in her work clothes, she slowly opened her eyes letting her sleepy mind catch up at the feeling of someone brushing the strands of hair from her face. "How you going Danny?" Bobby whispered – this side of his completely different from the one she had experience earlier today.

"I'm tired." She replied, knowing that it was probably the most simply way to explain how she felt physically and mentally.

"Remember you can come to me for anything." Bobby said, making her feel like a small child again when she had accidently broken Ma's vase.

"You haven't been around."

"I am now, we all are." He replied without missing a beat. Making Danielle remember her Ma's words at the dinner table - You'll be alright now Danielle, your brothers are here now.

"Are you guys trying to…" She tried to find the right words. "find some justice for Ma?"

"We're trying to find out who did it, help the cops out." Danielle knew the last part wasn't true, she knew his thoughts about the law and Bobby was most likely to handle the situation himself.

"Try not to get hurt like Ma."

"Same goes for you kiddo." Bobby walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

When Danielle woke up the next morning, she wasn't sure if the conversation she had with Bobby had been real or imagined. She could remember times when she was younger and he would come into her room and simply let her talk. Bobby was multiple things to her – a brother, a friend and that father figure she never had – though she never dared expressed her thoughts of him because she didn't know how he would react, which is why it hurt slightly more when her three older brothers had left the house those years ago and she had taken Bobby's room.

Danielle didn't know where her brothers were at, Sofia was in the kitchen making dinner for herself and Angel though Danielle's second eldest brother wasn't nowhere around the house. She didn't stay in the kitchen to chat, she didn't feel like it – what she wanted was for her brothers' to be home. She had finished work and came straight home, she was desiring another hit to help, and it had been a week since the last time. She thought coming home to her adventurous brothers' would keep her occupied until she was tired enough to sleep but it seemed that plan back fired. Her thoughts going to her Ma's words – See Ma, they're nowhere to be seen.

Giving one last look down the hallway to make sure Sofia was busy, Danielle took the stairs two at a time to her bedroom before going to her sock draw and pulling the white pair.

When her three brothers' came home, Sofia was waiting for them. Her Spanish origins kicking in when she started to tell them off for the state they were in. Angel seemed in fine condition, Jack shaken up from seeing his two brothers' kill those men and Bobby was bleeding. Sofia tried to get Bobby to seat down so she may clean his wound but he shrugged it off muttering about doing it tomorrow morning before heading up stairs quietly aware that his sister was probably sleeping, he hadn't missed the dark lines under her eyes the last few days.

It wasn't until mid-morning, Sofia had managed to get Bobby to sit down long enough to clean his wound. Jack was seating on the couch, the TV playing some cartoons that he wasn't really following. "Have you seen Danny yet?" Jack questioned, looking between Bobby and Angel.

Angel let out a deep sign. "I'll go see if the princess is up." He started for the stairs, reminding him of the multiple times when Danielle and Jack use to go to school and the girl was constantly sleeping in – Ma always getting him to wake the banshee up. "Hey Danny! You up?!" He knocked on her bedroom door and didn't hear a word, trying a second time he got frustrated when there was no response. He pushed the door open, the sight in front of him sending a chill through his body as he spotted the cocaine spread across the bedside table and his little sister passed out on the bed. "Oh shit, Danny!?" He reached forward trying to shake her awake but got no response. "Jesus Christ girl, you can't be leaving us!" He pressed his fingers to her neck but couldn't tell whether it was beating or not because of his own heart thumping in his ears.

He did the next best thing, he put an arm under her knees and another under her shoulders, carrying her towards the bathroom with hurried steps. "Bobby! Jack!" He yelled at the top of his lungs before muttering under his breath about how stupid the woman in his arms were.

As his brothers' came up the stairs with Sofia behind them, he managed to safely get his sister in the bath tub and turned the shower head on, cold water splashing down on his still sister. "What the hell happened?!" Bobby shouted, getting on his knees next to Angel to try and feel a heart rate.

"I couldn't find a beat." Angel whispered, afraid that he could be right, that he would be losing another part of his family. Not too lightly, his hand continued to slap the side of Danielle's face, trying to get some reaction. "I...think she might have overdosed." Angel quickly took his eyes off Danielle for a second, seeing Jack with his arms tightly around himself and eyes intensely on his sister's face.

"Found it!" Bobby yelled, feeling the slight flutter underneath his fingertips. "Danielle Mercer, you open your eyes right now or I swear to God I'll bring you back and kill ya myself!"

Angel went to slap her again when he saw the flicker of her eye lids. "You see that?" He said to Bobby, catching his older brother nodding his head to confirm. "Come on Danny, open those beautiful green eyes for us?" Angel wasn't quite sure what happened, maybe she did hear his words or their Ma had kicked some sense into her from the other side because her eyes snapped open in surprise, breathing heavily – something Danielle wasn't doing a moment ago. "Hey ya princess." Angel said, reaching above her to turn the cold water off.

"Nice to see your back in the living." Bobby said harshly, he didn't yell but his words held enough anger in them as he got up from the floor and left the bathroom.

Danielle could only stare at Bobby, watching as he left the bathroom until she felt Angel beside her pulling her up from the bath tub. She was shaking, she could feel the shivers vibrating through her body but the rest of her felt numb and Danielle was having trouble remembering what had happened.

Angel didn't take Danielle to her bed, he went straight to Jack's and wrapped a towel around her body before hugging her tightly to him – ravishing the sound of her labored breathing. "Jackie, stay with your sister."

Jack had followed Angel's every move once he left the bathroom, terrified to let Danielle out of his sight after seeing her skin so pale moments ago. He had felt his heart in his throat, the sinking feeling that Jack was going to lose yet another person special to him. "Will do." At Jack's words, Angel took one more glance at his two younger siblings before going downstairs.

"Jack, what happened?" Danielle asked, almost regretting the question at the expression he was giving her. He stepped towards his draws, pulling out a pair of boxers and a band shirt before handing them to her. He closed the door and turned his back, allowing Danielle to get changed out of the wet clothes.

"You...you al-most died." Jack stumbled the words out, staring intensely at the back of his bedroom door.

Danielle froze at his words, having trouble processing the meaning. She couldn't believe she had done that, yet the empty feeling lingering in her body confirmed it. Without further word, she changed slowly and climbed under the blankets of Jack's bed. She simply stared at her brother's back- he hadn't moved. "Jackie, will you stay with me?" Like Bobby had done, she was expecting her youngest brother to leave the room in disappointment.

"I'll always be here for you Danny." Jack turned around giving her a smile, it wasn't his usual wide and bright one but it was enough to make her choke up with emotions at the realization that she nearly died. Without words of encouragement, Jack climbed onto the bed behind his sister and pulled her into his arms, giving her the comfort she needed for a long time.

Angel paced the length of the house, going from the hallway back to the dining room where Sofia was finishing the job on Bobby. "Man, how did this happen? Fucking cocaine."

"Johnny had mentioned it earlier, didn't think she'd go for it though." Bobby stared at his blooded hand, guilt slicing into him for not taking care of his family but eager to catch the killer.

"We can't lose her too." Angel stated, his mind going back to when he first saw her lying their lifeless.

"We won't." Bobby said with confidence.

Angel nodded his head, trying to clear it before looking outside and seeing Green pull up. "Police in the house." His words making Bobby get into action, Sofia found him a dressing gown to cover his wounds and he casually sat down on the couch.

Jack came down the stairs at hearing Angels warning. "Angel?"

"Close Danny's door and keep her out of sight." Bobby said before Angel could get a word in. Jack quickly raced up stairs, pausing at his sister's bedroom at the mess on her bedside table before closing the door and making his way back to his room.

Green and Fowler was greeted at the door by Angel before stepping into the lounge. Green couldn't help notice a couple of bodies missing around the house. "Danielle and Jack not in?" Green asked, looking around for any sign of them.

"Went to catch a movie together, you know how kids are these days." Bobby said jokingly, his eyes never leaving the detectives.

"I'll take your word on that." Green caught sight of Jack's jacket on the arm chair – he knew better to believe what the eldest Mercer said.

Bobby and Angel were watching her like hawks, she hadn't been let out of their sight after Bobby searched her room and damned the name of her supplier. She had been left home with Sofia, three of her four brothers had returned home with blooded fists and she knew she'd be lucky to ever see Eric Carton again.

At the moment she sat on the stairs, head resting on her arms as Bobby and Angel were arguing with Jerry. Her stomach felt sick at the thought that Jerry had been responsible for their mother's death – using Ma's large insurance check to build himself up.

She was thankful when the doorbell rang, Danielle started to get up from the stairs when Jack bet her, throwing her a smile that had her relaxing back into the stairs. "Your mother's a whore." She quickly looked up at harsh comment towards her Ma, the hooded figure walking away from the house across the street.

"Hey! You'll pay for that!" Jack said, quickly stepping outside and scoping up a snow ball before matching over to the hooded man.

Danielle was close to following Jack, making her way down the stairs when the sound of a shot run the air stilling her to her place as she watch Jack jerk back at the bullet in his shoulder. She went to ran after him, anger coursing through her when suddenly Bobby was in front of her yelling out Jack's name with two vans pulling into the street and shots firing.

She choked on a scream when multiple bullets were sent into Jack's body, making him fall into the snow on the side of the street yelling in pain. "Danny, get your ass inside." Bobby pushed her towards the door way and pulled out his gun to shoot. He managed to get a few shots in before the guns were pointed in their direction, making Bobby run into the house and dive behind the brick wall with Danielle beside him.

"Bobby," Her brother quickly looked at her pale face, seeing no signs of harm. "Jack." They needed to get to Jack, his screams filling the air with the gun shoots, calling out for their Ma.

"Take cover, go!" Bobby leaned around the brick wall, taking some shots to give Danielle a clear pass to the kitchen.

Danielle ran to the kitchen, taking a spot next to Sofia and watching Angel pop some shots at the men outside. "Kill them Angel!" For the first time, Danielle wished she had taken Angel up on his offer to teach her how to shoot. She was a Mercer, she knew how to handle herself but with her fists, not guns.

"Oh Christ, I've got a family! Wife and kids!" Jerry was pacing the small space in the kitchen, muttering to himself before he suddenly left them.

"Jerry! Get your ass back here!" Danielle shouted – what if she lost two brothers? No, she wasn't going to lose any, she said to herself watching Angel take the stairs with the gun in hand.

Danielle leaned her head on her knees, trying to hear Jack over the shooting – she needed to make sure he was still alive – the sound of his yells brought some relief.

When the shooting stopped, she chanced a look over around the kitchen and caught sight of Bobby punching a guy, Angel quickly coming down the stairs joined him in the snow to finish off another guy. Not waiting a second longer, Danielle left the safety of the house and ran through the front door to Jack's figure in the ground. "Jack!" She didn't worried about anything happening behind her – she didn't see her brother Jerry take out the van ready to run over her two other brothers, she was focused on the one bleeding out in front of her. "Stay alive Jackie!" She tried to stop the bleeding, putting pressure on the bullet holes but there was too many.

Bobby was soon in front of Jack, checking him over and swearing under his breath before damning that someone ring an ambulance. Sofia was the one to dial but it was too late. Danielle watched the light leave Jack's eyes, his chest come to a stop with his empty gaze. She didn't know what to do now. She didn't curse or yell like her brothers, Danielle stayed on her knees stroking the strands of hair from his forehead with silent tears, much like she use to do when they were younger and one of them woke up to nightmares. That's what this was, a nightmare. Danielle would soon wake up to Thanks Giving Day, find her Ma in the kitchen and her brothers' laughter trailing through the house.

The police had been, got their statements on the incident and cleared up the bodies – taking Jack away from her. The hardest part was realizing that it was reality as they planned yet another funeral and buried Jack next to Evelyn. Though unlike Evelyn's funeral, there was only the four siblings that stood over his coffin to say goodbye.

Her three brothers and Sofia were in the lounge and dining, the house silent like it used to be when Danielle was told the news about her Ma. "I don't know what to do anymore." Bobby said from the dining room chair. His words hit her, if anyone knew what to do it was Bobby. "I've already lost one brother, your all I got." Danielle couldn't help it, she grabbed the lounge cushion hugging it to her chest like she use to when she was twelve. "Never should have come back."

"No." Danielle said, trying to keep her tone stern. "I need you guys." Her voice cracked at the end and Jerry pulled her into an embrace. "We need to get rid of Victor Sweet." Danielle wasn't ready to let the man walk away, he had murdered her Ma and Jack.

"I have a plan." Jerry suddenly got up from the couch, briefing telling them of his plan before leaving the three other siblings dazed. Danielle just hoped that like her Ma always said, Jerry was a thinking man because they needed to catch this Sweet bastard by surprise.

An hour later, Jerry came back into the house a smile gracing his lips. "4 o'clock."

"Today?" Danielle questioned getting a nod from Jerry.

"I thought we said to give us a couple of hours." Angel stated, clearly not happy about the time frame.

"Remember we have a dirty cop to get rid off." Bobby said. Everyone thinking about Fowler, the man that killed Green. They didn't have proof but the Mercer gut was to be trusted.

"Won't be easy getting away with killing a cop, even a dirty one at that." Jerry took a seat on the couch.

"Let me handle him." Angel said, his white teeth shinning at his smirk.

"I want in." Danielle stood up straight, looking her brothers' in the eyes because she knew they would fight to keep her out of the way.

"No fucking way! We almost lost you once this week, we don't need another Mercer in the ground." Bobby raised his voice slightly.

Danielle put her hands on her hips, her older brother's tone not sitting well with her. "Exactly, I'm a Mercer. I ain't letting some fucker get away with killing my family."

"No, your not-" Bobby was cut off by Angel, causing him to get a dangerous look from Bobby.

"She can come with me." Angel stared at Bobby, trying to get his brother to think. He knew that they could keep her locked away in a house but Danielle was a Mercer and if she wanted to do something, she'd find a way to get involved. Angel would rather have his sister in his sights than running off with her own half ass plan.

Bobby finally looked away from his brother, taking in his sister stand. "Fine." He didn't miss the way her eyes flashed with excitement. "But you stay on Angel's ass." He pointed a warning finger at her before getting the gun from out of his waist band. "We better teach you how to use one of these." Bobby stated, handing her the gun.

Danielle reached forward without hesitation, the cold metal fitting into her palm with ease. Victor Sweet and Fowler better watch out – the Mercers were loaded and this time it wouldn't be them hurting.