I LIVE! Sorry for whatever fans stayed with this, a lot of things happening all at once kept me from you. Ya know what, I blame Leverage for taking up too much room in my mind.

Darn you Christain Kane and your awsomeness! He's almost as awsome as Bobby.

Evelyn slid out of her car, her dark dress swishing silently against her legs. She was able to pull off a fresh appearance, one that did not actually exist beyond a bit of makeup and some stiff coffee. It had been a rough night in the Mercer household. An emergency call had kept Evelyn out till almost two in the morning. Upon arriving home to an empty house, Evelyn spent another hour tracking down Jerry and Bobby, both of whom were being held at the police station for a rather nasty fight. Bobby had a dislocated shoulder while Jerry was sporting a bloody nose and a loose tooth.

But they were both fine, and now the only thing that mattered was the boy who waited inside the quaint house before her. The house was cleaner and sharper then her own house, everything was as close to perfection that Evelyn had ever seen. After ringing the bell, an older woman opened the door. Her dark face was pinched with strain, though she still pulled off a dignified air that matched the strictly kept home.

When she entered the house, Evelyn clasped the older woman's hand, "Mrs. Hark, what can I do for you?"

"I have had it with that boy. He is impossible," Mrs. Hark muttered as she stood perfectly erect. From her stance, Evelyn felt her stomach drop a notch.

Evelyn could not help but think that this would not be easy, "I realize that Angel is a little difficult, but he's a good boy once you get to know him. He simply needs to feel safe enough to form a bond with you and your family."

"He lies; he cheats kids out of their stuff. And the way he talks, I don't want him around my daughter," there was no sign of regret in the woman's words. Evelyn did not sigh, though she was tempted. It was a conversation that she had heard from many foster parents who did not want to be bothered by the troubled kids.

Never the less, Evelyn tried her best to change Mrs. Hark's mind. She pointed out the wonderful qualities that the boy possessed, ones which a nurturing hand could bring out with patience and love. Gently reminding the woman that a boy who had been found wondering the streets at a young age like Angel had would have to find ways to ensure survival, even in a good home. But it was in vain, the woman was set on removing the boy. It broke Evelyn's heart when a placement did not work. These children needed to know that they were not expendable. And each time they were removed the idea that they were worthless grew inside like a gaping hole until it swallowed their futures and in many cases, their lives.

"May I speak to him? Perhaps I can see what we can do to make the situation easier," Evelyn offered. But it was not meant to be, the blank stare she received was enough to assure Evelyn of that.

Moving into the living room, Evelyn saw the boy scrawled across a chair. The boy lived up to his name in appearance. To look at him one would not see anything but a cute boy, too innocent to be any trouble. Which was part of the problem of placing him, families took him in with a false impression. When he started the con work, the families could not get rid of him fast enough.

And the boy knew it too; he already had his things packed into a dingy duffle bag, "Hey lady," the boy called with a lazy wave.

"Hello Angel," Evelyn smiled as the boy got up. She had only been handling the boy's case for a year now, after his former social worker retired. But it was hard to see this bright young man be passed around when all he needed was a steady home.

Bobby was not sulking, and if Jerry said he was again the kid was going to see what Bobby could do with one arm. Glaring at the television, the boy slouched into the cushions. The damn sling was tossed on the back of the couch, were it would stay until Evelyn came back. Jerry dropped onto the chair next to Bobby, flaunting the sandwich and can of soda he had refused to get for the older boy.

Bobby smirked at the other boy. A great thing about having a younger boy around was having someone to torment, "Jer, go grab me a beer upstairs."

"Screw you, get it yourself," Jerry ignored him, studying his sandwich before taking a bite.

Bobby kicked Jerry's knee, "Go get me a beer."

Jerry moved out of Bobby's reach, "And I said screw you."

"I realize I'm damn sexy, but maybe you should find yourself a nice boyfriend. Course, we'll have to make an honest woman of ya . . ." Bobby mused.

The younger boy growled. Grabbing a coaster, Jerry threw it at Bobby, "Prick. If you didn't have that shoulder, I'd kick your ass."

"You'd try," a smug look crossed the older boy's face. The sound of the lock turning kept the two from going for the other's throat.

"Boys, I'm home," Evelyn called as she stepped into the house. Jerry had the gull to give the other boy a triumphant look. Sliding down the armrest, Bobby delivered another kick to the abused knee. With a grunt, Jerry hauled himself and his snack to the seat next to the television.

Bobby smirked before pulling the sling on with a groan before Evelyn saw he was ignoring the doctor's order, "Hey Ma."

Glancing at the boys on her way to the kitchen, Evelyn asked, "What did the doctor say about keeping that sling on?"

Bobby grunted, readjusting the strap on the sling, "I've had bad shoulders before,"

"I know," was all Evelyn offered. There was no accusation in the woman's voice, just a hint of humor that made Bobby smirk.

Jerry noticed the groceries Evelyn was carrying, "Need help?" he offered, abandoning his food.

"Such a good daughter," Bobby cackled as he reached across the table, grabbing the sandwich.

Evelyn read through the file again, trying to find an answer that would be in Angel's best interest. The boy had been found wandering the streets when he was six years old. He would not say anything more than his name; no address, no last name, no parents. When no missing person report was filed, the boy had fallen into the system's cracks. In many ways, the boy had never left the streets.

He knew how to use his charming looks, which Evelyn was sure, would always serve him in his lies. But there was also a rage to the boy that his quiet personality hid well. She had seen it in his eyes, as she had seen it in Bobby the first time they had met. But Angel had more control then Bobby had, before her eldest had come to her.

All Angel needed was a positive figure to help him, Evelyn mused as she went through the file's pages. Someone to be looked up to, an older brother maybe.

Evelyn smiled, closing the file. It had worked before, why not now?

Angel strolled down the street, hands thrust deep into his jacket pockets. It did not matter to him that he was not intimidating, having only started on a growth spurt. His appearance was a weapon, making his work easier. No one saw it coming, that a kid like him would be a threat in a fight or to whatever valuables Angel was after.

In fact, Angel already had food he had swiped from a few stores in his pocket. These small foodstuffs were nestled among gold chains and watches he had conned from a few of the posers around the neighborhood. He would eat the food eventually, while the bling would end up in a pawn shop.

"You think you can get away with that shit pretty boy?" Angel turned instinctively, expecting one of the rich kids he had tricked out of something. Instead, the boy saw a group of older kids gather outside of the high school a few buildings down.

The crowd was gathered in front of one of the yellow school buses that haunted the schools during sport events. The teens were gathered into a ring around two boys. One was a lanky Hispanic boy dressed in a jersey, taunting the other. Angel watched the other boy, a white kid on the short side who was dressed in a hoodie and faded jeans, and looked like he was favoring one shoulder.

It was that one that caught Angel's attention. From years on the streets, Angel could tell when someone was full of themselves, and when they could be a real threat. It was a good sense to have, though he did not always listen to it. And he could tell that the hoodie teen was going to win this fight, even with a messed up shoulder. From the jeers of the crowd, they did not see the danger in the shorter boy.

And what sort of self respecting grifter would he be if Angel passed up on an opportunity like this?

Putting on an almost innocent look, with enough mischief into his look to make his plan work, Angel walked over to the group. The crowd was charged with anticipation for the fight. Most of the kids in the group wore the same colors as the taller teen. A few kids in different colors were leaning against the bus; they would not get involved unless the fight turned into a free for all.

Angel waited until the short teen looked ready to throw a punch before he started, "Wow, I bet that guy's gonna take the stick."

This drew the attention of the teens standing around him. This was the fun part for Angel, playing the saps for what they were worth, "Andy is the best fighter in school, kid."

"Bet ya twenty bucks," Angel knew exactly how smug he could act without getting his ass kicked. The older boys rose to the occasion, sure of some easy money.

Angel's face was passive as the bets were set down. The others almost missed the short boy throw a solid punch to the tall boy's jaw. The sound of flesh hitting flesh drew the boys' attention back to the fighters.

The show was done fast. Angel had been right to guess that the shorter boy was out of other's league. The two rushed forward, fists swinging. The taller boy landed a lucky shot on the others bad shoulder. The boy went down for a moment, allowing the taller boy to land a few solid hits. This only made the other boy angrier. The moment he regained his footing, he came back with a savage rage. A few powerful hits insured that the taller boy stayed down.

Shock rippled through the ring of spectators. Angel jumped forward, collecting his winnings while the shock kept the others from denying the win. The money was safely in the boy's pocket and he was fifteen steps away when the yelling began. Just as he had seen who would win, Angel knew that the all out brawl would be coming next, once the shock wore off.

"You little shit," one of the guys grabbed Angel, "You think ya can con me?"

Angel gave a dazzling smile before he wrenched away from the grasp. The smile disappeared as Angel dropped low, landing a punch to the soft midsection. When the older kid doubled over, Angel moved forward, dragging the guy's head down to meet Angel's knee.

Ignoring the adrenalin singing in his veins, Angel moved away from the fight. As much as he wanted to join, he had places to be.

Evelyn entered the group home at the same time Angel arrived. The boy looked slightly flustered before he replaced the look with an unconcerned glance. His social worker had to marvel at the boy's acting skills.

"Angel, wonderful timing," Evelyn smiled as she pulled the door open. She allowed the child to walk in before her, "How about we sit down and talk?"

The two walked into the dingy building, side by side. A few places had new paint in spots were some graffiti had been covered. Despite the effort, more spray paint materialized only inches away from each attempted removal. It was not long before they reached the uncomfortable little meeting room that most service personnel used. But Evelyn kept walking toward the recreation room.

"I think this will be better than that crusty room."

"Whatever," Angel shrugged, but Evelyn saw that he preferred the new arrangement. "So, what's gonna happen here?"

"Right now? I thought we'd talk a little bit, maybe get some sandwiches from the cafeteria."

A shadow of a smile crossed Angel's face. The boy suppressed the gesture while he asked, "Am I stayin', goin'?"

"What do you want?" Evelyn asked, glancing at the boy. When Angel shrugged, the woman had to smile. She could just imagine how much trouble this boy could cause when he met her force of nature son.

"I have an idea for you." Evelyn's smile transformed, coming close to being a knowing smirk. The boy before her looked unsure of what to make of this change.

"Boys, I have someone for you to meet"

Angel watched as two boys entered the room. The first was a lanky, dark skinned boy who walked down the stairs. The other made Angel pause. The white teen stepping out of the kitchen, a sling on his arm, was the one from the fight earlier that day.

"This is Angel," Evelyn placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "He'll be staying with us for a while. This is Jeremiah," she motioned with her other hand toward the boy.

"Hey man," Jerry nodded.

Evelyn gave Jerry an appreciated look, "An this," Angel noted the fondness in the woman's voice rose when she turned toward the fighter, "is Bobby. You'll be staying with us for a while."

Bobby stared hard at the younger boy before snorting, "Another stray."

"Bobby," the fondness did not leave her voice, even with the disapproval in her tone. "I'll leave you boys to talk while I whip something up for dinner."

Angel watched as Bobby moved out of the woman's way. The teen turned toward Angel, "There's a few rules ya should know."

Jerry chuckled as he shook his head, "There he goes with the bullshit."

Bobby glared before he turned back to the newest resident of the Mercer home, "First, you do anything to hurt her and I will make you feel it."

Angel glared into Bobby's stony eyes, trying to gage how he could take him down if it ever came to them fighting. Bobby seemed to know what was going through his mind because the guy smirked, cockiness practically oozing out of his face.

"Second; no drugs in the house. I don't giva shit about outside but not under this roof."

Jerry made a choking noise from behind Angel. Glancing back, Angel saw him fighting down a laugh. He could swear he heard Jerry mutter, "Yeah right."

Bobby did not glance back at Jerry, "And third," Angel found when the young man put out his palm up hand, "If you bet on me, I get half."

So, yeah. Sorry for the wait again. Blame that dastardly villains called writers block and bad luck. I may put out a one shot chapter for Jack, since I know a lot of people want him bad. . . That sounds real dirty.

If you want it, mention it and you shall receive. It is pretty much written so if I do, it will be up quick. Rock on my people, rock on.