I'm back folks, and I'm sorry I left you all hanging for a couple months... hopefully I've still got some fans out there, excited for a new chapter... a long chapter for a change.

Thank you all for the support in your reviews... I love them! You guys are awesome and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

Notes: Mild violence in this chapter, and the grammar mistakes are indeed my fault but they are never intentional.

Thanks guys, Enjoy:

"Are you coming Jackie?" Jeremiah asked as Bobby's car lurched to a stop right outside Bracher Park.

Jack looked up at his brother from his spot and shrugged around his tightly folded arms. He looked out at the muted surroundings, the dimness coming from the cloudy mid-November weather patterns.

Bobby didn't bother to turn around and yell at Jack, he just opened his door, got out and went around to Jack's door. He smiled crookedly at the look of panic that crossed Jack's face when he stood outside the black door.

"Come on," Bobby ordered once he pulled the door open. He watched as his baby brother worked his jaw muscles, obviously weighing the options he had. "I'm not asking you again Jack."

Jack sighed and begrudgingly got out of the car, cursing his older brother while he tugged down on his leather jacket. "Fine, but I'm playing hockey with you fucking retards."

Angel snorted. "We don't want your punk ass to play on our team anyway. You'd be the reason we would shame the family name…"

"Angel," Bobby warned softly. He didn't need anything else going wrong and that included Jack running off because Angel couldn't keep his mouth shut. "Not now."

Angel put his hands out in a peaceful gesture. "Fine, I'm just saying I've had enough of his bitching."

Jack glared at his older brother who was grinning at him with his pearly white teeth. "Just let me wait in the car," Jack pleaded with his oldest brother. He wasn't in the mood to watch another hockey game go south… and for his brothers to beat some guys to a bloody pulp even though most days he enjoyed the recreation.

"So you can smoke some pot and stink up my car? I think not Jackie," Bobby ignored. The young man went around to his trunk and pulled out their hockey gear. "But you can be our cheerleader from the sidelines since you don't wanna play with the big dogs."

Jack gave Bobby the one-fingered salute and fell into step behind his three brothers as they walked across the damp grass and over to the ice rink.

When they finally got to the slick surfaced ice, another team met them, ready for action.

"Mercer," the captain of the other team greeted seriously and with a hint of cockiness in his tone. "And we thought you up and croaked, I guess you can't win all the time."

"Boonter," Bobby shot back with a gleam in his eye. "You ready to suit up?"

"And kick your ass," Boonter informed with a grin. "First to five?"

Bobby snorted and looked back at Jeremiah and Angel who wore identical grins. "Sure. If you think you can handle the little old Mercers."

Boonter was about to take the challenge when he looked over Bobby's shoulder and saw Jack take a seat on the deserted bleachers. "The baby's not playing today?"

Bobby turned his head and gave Jack a glance. "He's not feeling well," Bobby growled as he turned back.

"I guess I'll have one of my guys sit out so the teams are even," Boonter replied.

Bobby held up his hand and smiled. "No need," Bobby began. "I could kick all of your boy's asses even if it was just me out here on the ice."

"How 'bout you stop running your mouth and lace up?"

Bobby chuckled and walked over to the bleachers and sat down next to Jack. He began taking off his shoes so he could put on his skates. "You carry that thing around in your jacket?" Bobby nodded toward the beaten up book Jack was reading.

No answer.

Bobby tried again, "You sure you don't want to come out and get some action? These dip-shits think they can take on the Mercer's."

Jack looked up from his book and looked out on the ice. "Boonter's pretty tough."

Bobby snorted and glanced up at his little brother. "You go to school with him? Isn't he a little old to still be in school."

Jack laughed despite his current anger with Bobby. "He's been a senior for three years."

"Jesus… so he's academically experienced," Bobby told Jack as finished lacing up his skates. "Guess we'll need to knock some sense into him huh?"

Jack's eyes went back to his novel. "Whatever," he replied disinterestedly.

The oldest Mercer fought the urge to not reach out and slap Jack on the back of the head. "Stay here and out of trouble princess."

"Fuck you," Jack retorted.

"You would," Bobby shot back with a smirk.

The younger Mercer scowled and turned his attention back to the novel as his brothers moved smoothly onto the bumpy ice.

Jack willed himself to get lost in his current book, and for a time he did. But sometimes when he entered his book, his mind wandered to his problems… to Damien. He looked up from his book quickly, his eyes found his family immediately. Bobby had some guy in a head lock.

"Not again," he muttered to himself. He smiled when he remembered the last time he'd played a game with his brother's… before Bobby disappeared and his brother had another guy in a similar position.

"Mercer," a familiar voice entered the teen's thoughts.

Jack snapped his head to the side to see Zack walking up the bleachers towards him. "What's up man?"

The two boy's bumped fists and Zack settled down beside him. "Look, about last night…"

"I don't want to hear it man," Jack told him seriously.

"Damien's pissed," Zack stated. "Like, won't sell me marijuana, pissed."

Jack frowned.

"And what kind of drug dealer would pass up and opportunity to make a little money?" Zack stared at Jack for a moment before looking out towards the players on the ice.

"I kicked him in the nads," Jack confessed.

Zack's eyes widened. "And he didn't kill you?"

Jack tensed. "He tried something with me…"

Zack rolled his eyes. "Duh, he's been chasing you for weeks now man. Why do you think he's been inviting us up to his pad?"

Jack looked at Zack seriously. "And you knew this?"

Zack nodded and swallowed hard. "I though you did too. I mean you two were getting really cuddly last night… I just thought that…"

"That I was a fairy?" Jack shouted in disbelief.

"Maybe," Zack admitted uneasily. He rubbed his forehead and looked at his distraught friend. "Maybe if you apologize…"

"Are you shitting me Zack?" Jack got up and walked down to the concrete where he began pacing. "That's not going to happen, he'd eat me alive."

"Look, no one is going to give us any drugs without his consent, and I don't know how long I can handle myself without them okay?" Zack said as he grabbed Jack by the collar. "He's hanging down by the pier tonight… distributing his shit… maybe we could go down there and talk it out."

Jack nodded absent mindedly. "Maybe…"

"Look," Zack took Jack by the forearm. "I'll come by your house at around two, so don't go to sleep."

Jack nodded again. "Everyone should be asleep by then."

"Now you're thinking straight," Zack approved.

Jack didn't speak again as he felt the familiar sting of an oncoming migraine. "Just lay low until tonight. My brother Bobby is fixing to have a little chat with you."

Zack's eyes widened in fear. "Bobby? What did I do?"

Jack smiled at his friend's reaction. "I wasn't home before the clock struck midnight," he joked.

The tension left Zack's shoulders and he chuckled. "What? Were you gonna turn into a fucking pumpkin or something."

"Or something," Jack amended. "I'll see you later man."

Jack and Zack bumped fists one more time before the dark haired teen walked off in the direction of the parking lot.

Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead. He didn't want to see Damien, let alone apologize to the perve who wants to get in his pants.

"Who was that?" Jeremiah asked as he skated off the ice and walked on his blades until he was beside his younger brother.

"A friend," Jack told him cryptically.

"Friend or boyfriend?" Angel asked with a boisterous laugh.

Jack was about to respond with a rude retort and a curse when Bobby skated off the ice and came to stand with his brothers.

"What's going on?"

"Oh nothing, Jack was just talking to his boyfriend while we were kicking those guy's butts," Angel supplied for the group.

"Boyfriend?" Bobby asked with raised eyebrows.

"Fuck you Angel," Jack seethed as he turned to Bobby. "Give me your keys so I can sit in the car."

"You'll wait here," Bobby told him with narrowed eyes. "Who was just here with you Jack?"

Jack remained silent.

"I've got all day Jack," he said as he sat down on the bleachers.

Jack mumbled something unintelligible.

"What?"

"It was Zack," Jack spoke clearly. He watched Bobby's jaw tighten and he knew his brother wasn't pleased to hear that he didn't get a chance to talk to his brother's friend.

"Let's go."

And they did, and car ride home was just as quiet as it was earlier.
Dinner had been blissfully silent. Evelyn only asked if they'd had fun, and the rest had just fallen silent.

Now he just lay tensely in his bed, waiting for the dreaded two a.m. wakeup call from Zack. Jack knew internally that this was a horrible mistake but he had talked himself into going despite the impending danger.

He glanced over at his clock and realized it was seven past two. It wasn't a lot but it had Jack hoping Zack had stood him up… that is until there was soft knocks at his window.

Jack got up from his bed and stalked to the window. He looked down on the lawn and saw Zack standing under his window.

"Throwing pebbles at my window? Isn't that a little cliché?"

Zack narrowed his eyes. "Quit being and asshole and get the hell down here before one of your brothers comes out and kills me."

Jack rolled his eyes at Zack's little melodramatic words and pulled his backpack over his shoulder and hopped out of the window. He let out an 'oomph' as he hit the snow covered ground, and Zack helped him back up to his feet.

"Let's get this over with so we can have some real fun." Zack grinned as they walked down the street a ways until they got to Zack's car.

"Little bitch think you're so cool cause you've got a permit?"

"It's more than what you've got Fairy," Zack cooed smartly.

"Don't call me that," Jack growled when he was settled in the passenger seat.

The two talked about meaningless things as they drove down to the pier, the traffic was light seeing as it was nearing 2:30 in the morning. But they eventually arrived.

"We're here," Zack announced as he pulled into an empty parking space.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea Zack." Jack was feeling antsy and he wasn't sure he could face Damien. The guy was skinny, but the older man could totally kick his ass and he knew that without his brothers having his back… he was screwed.

Zack looked at him and frowned. "We're already here, let's just see how it goes and if it goes south, we'll leave."

Jack found himself agreeing again. "Fine, let's make it quick. Someone might actually be checking on me and if I'm not there… I'll be in deep shit."

"He should be down by the wharf," Zack informed him as they walked past some guys who were stuffing small plastic bags in their pants.

Jack started sucking in air more deeply as they moved closer. When Damien came into focus at the end of the lake docks Jack stopped in his tracks.

"Jack," Zack mumbled when he realized his friend wasn't standing beside him. "We're almost there, don't chicken out on me now dude."

Jack somehow found the strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other. He closed his eyes when he came close enough to see a snarky smirk on Damien's face.

"That you Jacky-boy?" Damien hollered out into the night.

Jack kept walking until he was standing just a few feet away from Damien and his groupies.

"He came to tell you something," Zack put in for Jack. He ignored the blazing glare Jack gave him for making him look like he actually wanted to apologize… he just really wanted something to take the edge off.

"I'm waiting," Damien smirked. He walked closer to Jack and smiled angelically at him. The older boy leaned forward and grabbed Jack by the back of the neck. "Did you miss me?" he whispered cockily into Jack's ear.

The head from Damien's breath made Jack's skin crawl and he fought hard not to push Damien away from him.

When Jack didn't answer him, Damien pulled back and looked into Jack's beautiful eyes. "So what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Jack gritted his teeth and looked down at his feet.

"Cat got your tongue?" Damien cooed. When Jack didn't answer him again he turned to one of his guys and nodded.

The guy brought forward a beat up old briefcase and opened it. An array of many unusual colored pills in different packages lay inside. "Interested?" Damien asked Zack and Jack.

"Maybe," Zack put in for both of them. He reached forward as if to touch a package inside the case when the lid slammed into his fingers. "Ouch!"

"So, Jack? What were you going to tell me?"

Jack gritted his teeth and saw the desperate look crossing Zack's face. "I'm sorry about the other night," he mumbled softly.

Damien considered this. "Are you now? You know you hurt my feelings when you kicked me and then ran away like a little girl."

Jack swallowed hard and tried to ignore the laughs and snickers that came from Damien's friends. "I'm sorry," he tried again, becoming uneasy towards the third degree.

Damien laughed and ran his fingers through Jack's hair.

The young man pulled away quickly and looked out over the dark water before turning to Zack. "We should get going now."

There was a chuckle and Damien placed himself between Jack and the exit down the dock. "Not so fast Jacky-boy."

"Get out of my way sicko," Jack snarled.

Damien's expression darkened immediately. "I'm disappointed in you Jacky; I thought this time around you'd be a little more willing."

Jack tensed as he was grabbed by both forearms and pulled forward by Damien.

The Mercer stood his ground as Damien tried pulling him away from his only exit. Damien's groupies were standing up and taking up a defensive end by Zack. "Look, I wasn't trying to cause trouble… Zack just needed something to tide him over…"

"How do you think I got him to bring you down here Jacky?"

Jack's heart flew up into his throat and eyes went to slits as he realized the betrayal. "You son of a bitch!" he shouted at Zack who shrank away at Jack's voice.

Damien laughed darkly and turned to his friends. "Get the kid his drugs."

Jack used the chance given to him when Damien was turned and clearly distracted. He lashed out, catching the older boy in the chin with his fist. The Mercer made a clean run for it.

Jack could hear the angry yells, and then there were rapid footsteps behind him. He was being chased, and that scared the shit out him. He prayed that by some miracle Bobby would be waiting around the corning, worried and mad as hell to get him out of this mess.

The young man kept his pace up, and his legs pumped furiously. His heart lightened when he saw an open gas station in front of him and he made a beeline to get there.

But Jack's victory was short lived when he was suddenly pummeled into from behind. Jack let out a cry when he hit the hard asphalt. He was about to cry out when an arm snaked around his face and a hand clapped over his mouth.

"Don't move," a breathless voice ordered.

Jack willed his body to go lax in hopes that whoever was on top of him would ease up. No such luck as he was flipped over onto his back and held down by four different guys. He struggled, but the guys were too damn strong for him to fight off. He knew it was over and he was screwed.

Jack whimpered pathetically when Damien ran into view.

"Good work Jason," Damien complimented as he set desire filled eyed on Jack. "That wasn't smart Jacky. You're making this way harder than it has to be. You see, I always get what I want… you just happen to fall in that category."

Jack's stomach did flip-flops as he fought against the guys holding him down.

Damien walked closer and got down on his knees next to Jack's ailing body. "Always be prepared Jack. It's the boy-scout marching song." The older boy laughed and pulled syringe from his pocket. "I remember telling you that I'd make you so high you'd never want to come down. Lucky for you this is just the beginning."

Jack's whimpering picked up a notch as he was forced still. He was grabbed by his hair and his head was forced to the side.

"Just a little sting, and then you'll be fine," Damien promised in a forceful voice.

Jack let out a hoarse scream as the sharp needle entered his neck. His mind was screaming at him to break free and run like hell but his body started showing sign of being drugged.

The young Mercer could feel his body giving in to the mystery drug, his legs and arms were leaden and his head was heavy.

"You can let him go guys. He won't be going anywhere."

Jack's vision swam as Damien came closer to his face. "Sweet dreams Jacky."

His eyes rolled up into his head and everything went dark.

TBC...