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Still don't own, still make no money.

Chapter 27: That Damn Rabbit

Jack stood in front of the television, the remote control in his hand. He turned as soon as the door opened and gave the remote a toss onto the empty bed, abandoning program he'd been watching. "What happened?" He asked.

Bobby followed Angel into the room, leaving Jeremiah to close and lock the door. "What's changed Angel? What do we have to work around?" He ignored Jack's question and watched as Angel put the plastic bag down on the bed next to the television remote. "You got a uniform in that bag?"

"Yeah, I got a uniform." Angel nodded his head, but there was hesitation in his voice.

Jack picked up the bag and pulled out the red uniform, though from a glance it didn't look like a full uniform, just a shirt. "This is a maintenance uniform?" He looked confused as he unfolded the small blouse and then the skirt.

"Not exactly," Angel spoke quickly, reaching for the uniform, trying to snatch it up before Jack could hold it up.

Jack stepped back and held the skirt up. "Hell no," He looked at Angel.

"I couldn't get the maintenance uniform. I had to snatch the only thing I could." Angel reached again, grabbing the uniform and giving it a yank.

Jack let go of the red blouse and skirt. "So you plan or wearing that?" He asked quickly. "Because no matter how much Bobby jokes around I am not gay."

"No, I'm not planning on wearing it; it wouldn't fit me, or you." Angel cried out. "But it should fit Sofi…" He started to reason.

Bobby didn't give him a chance to finish. "I already said no to Sofi being involved with this Angel. Don't you listen to shit?" He felt irritated. Now was not the time to be arguing with his brother about his woman.

"We ain't got a choice Bobby. I already called her and she's on her way. I figure this way no one goes into that room alone. She can go in with Jack, they can watch out for each other." Angel turned to face Bobby. "I couldn't get anything else, man, I tried."

Bobby groaned inwardly. "Hell no," He closed his eyes and tried to breath. "So you're gonna bring her down here and put her ass right in the line of fire with the rest of us?" He dropped down on the bed and tried to absorb the information.

Angel sat down next to him. "You're worried about her." He seemed surprised.

"I'm not worried about her. I just can't deal with that crazy bitch right now. I got too much to deal with. We all have too much to deal with." Bobby opened his eyes and looked at Angel, who was smiling back at him.

"You are, you're worried about her bein' here and getting hurt." Angel looked pleased. "Man, that's cool. I know how you feel. I worry too, but she can take care of herself. She can do this, I swear she can."

Bobby felt his nerves snapping like one of Jack's guitar strings pulled too tight. "The only thing I'm worried about is her mouth running nonstop and driving me fucking crazy." He argued. His brothers were not going to catch him showing any valid concern for Sofi's safety; that shit wasn't going to happen, not now.

Angel just held the grin steady on his face, stood and tossed the uniform onto the bed. "She can handle it Bobby. Trust me, there's shit you don't know about Sofi. She can handle this, easy."

Bobby felt as if he was pounding his head against a brick wall. He wasn't going to win this one and it was getting pretty irritating just how many of his decisions had been vetoed recently. He turned to Jack. "You sure you want to do this?" He asked quietly, leaving Angel to mumble his gloating to the air.

Jack drew in a deep breath. "I'm not going to look much like a maintenance man." He held his arms up to display his black t-shirt, ripped jeans and leather coat.

"You got some keys?" Bobby asked quickly, pulling off his own jacket.

"Yeah, but…" Jack watched as Bobby grabbed his sweat shirt and pealed it over his head. He stared at the blue mechanic's uniform shirt Bobby had picked up at the thrift store a few years before. It was one of Bobby's favorite shirts, with the name 'Raul' displayed proudly on the right side. Bobby didn't know who the hell Raul was, but his shirt had helped him screw around with a lot of people's heads.

Bobby started to unbutton the shirt and looked at Jack. "You keep the t-shirt on, and put this on over it. Not exactly maintenance, but its working class. People like Winston usually can't tell the fucking difference." He looked at the canvas bag Jerry had hauled up from the car so that Craig had some clothes to change into. "You got anything else in there?" He turned to Jerry.

Jeremiah nodded his head. "Socks, a spare pair of boots; I don't know what all Camille put in there." He frowned as he spoke his wife's name. "Shit, I need to call Camille." He grabbed for his phone in his pocket and turned away from his brothers.

Bobby dug though the bag, pulling out a pair of work gloves, a baseball cap, a screwdriver and a hammer. He couldn't help but laugh at the collection inside the bag. "Shit, looks like something a handy man would wear." He held the hammer up for Jack to see. "Come here princess, let's get you dressed." He grinned.

With in minutes Jack had stripped out of his coat and was wearing Bobby's shirt, though it wasn't quite long enough to reach the waist of his jeans. His hair was stuffed under the hat and he had the gloves hung out of one back pocket, the screwdriver poked up out of the other. Bobby clipped his and Angel's keys together and hooked them on one of Jack's belt loops. With the hammer in his hand he almost looked like he could go to work on one of Jeremiah's crews.

"Okay, Angel, you need to go to the house and look around for a rabbit." Bobby turned and looked at Angel.

Angle was trying to hide a grin, but it wasn't working. "No way man, I'm staying here. If there's any trouble I'm going to do more for you than Jerry." He cocked a thumb towards Jeremiah who was 'cooing' into his phone, obviously attempting to keep Camille from exploding on the other end of the line.

Bobby sighed and nodded his head. "Okay, Jerry, you go look for the rabbit." He spoke a little louder.

Jeremiah turned and looked at Bobby. "Okay, Camille, baby, I'm gonna have to call you back." He spoke quietly and turned away again. "I do love you Baby, but now is not a good time to try to talk about this. I know. I'm sorry. I'm the one to blame, I know. It's all, my fault." There was a pause in his words, but only briefly, "Okay, it's all Bobby's fault." He looked defeated. "I love you Camille, but if we are going to have a chance to work this out I gotta go." He hung up the phone quickly and looked as if he'd been kicked hard in the gut.

"You gonna be okay?" Jack asked Jeremiah before anything else could be said.

"Yeah, man, I'm fine. I told her it was Bobby's fault." Jeremiah looked at Bobby. "That usually buys me a little time."

Bobby bit back at any remarks. He could take the blame for the time being. He blamed himself anyway, and if it helped get Jeremiah out of the doghouse with his wife he was willing to make the sacrifice. He'd get Jerry back later, when he really needed something. It was a guilt trip stored for later use. He decided to get on with their business. "You need to go to the house and look for a fucking rabbit." He spoke quickly while Jeremiah was still looking his way.

"Why do I have to look? I don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to be looking for." Jeremiah cried out.

Craig stirred slightly in the bed on the other side of the room.

Jack glanced back at Craig before voicing his confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" He turned back to his older brothers.

Bobby and Jeremiah quickly filled Jack in on what little Winston had told them. All four of them somehow found themselves sitting on the bed, lined up in a neat row, leaning in towards each other and instinctively keeping their voices down to whispers.

"A rabbit," Jack muttered when it seemed Bobby and Jeremiah had finished talking. "What, a figurine, a picture of a rabbit, what are we looking for?"

"I don't know Jack. If we knew do you think we'd be sitting here debating the fucking rabbit?" Bobby snapped the words, his voice short and gruff.

Jeremiah's head nodded in Craig's direction. "It had to be something that Craig knows about." He commented. "We do know that much."

"He's asleep." Bobby muttered, but he looked over towards the boy. "And he didn't know shit before, what makes you think he'll know anything now?"

"We didn't know about any fucking rabbit before. We need to wake his ass up and ask him." Angel looked at Bobby.

"He's barely been asleep an hour." Jack muttered.

Bobby kept his gaze on the bed. "He didn't have any idea of what Winston was looking for. He doesn't know shit about what's going on." He was talking more to himself than his brothers. He was trying to convince himself that he was right. Twelve hours earlier he had busted the kid lying to him and sneaking around behind his back. What if Craig did know more and was lying to them? He didn't want to believe that but right then he just wasn't sure. Maybe he didn't know the kid as well as he thought he did. He found himself struggling with his own instincts towards the kid. Hell, for seven years he'd kept a wall up between him and the boy and now, just as he was getting to know him he found himself questioning what he was feeling.

"Bobby, Winston was convinced that Macks could get something from Craig. He must know about a rabbit. It can't hurt to ask him." Jack spoke quietly. "I'll bet he doesn't even realize he knows."

Bobby could feel his brain aching from the effort it took him to process all of the information that had been slung at him from every direction the entire day. Facts clicked off mentally while he stared at Craig. Winston was after some kind of key that he was sure Craig had. It had been hidden in a rabbit. Winston was sure Macks had gotten whatever information he could from Craig. He'd let Harris scare the shit out of his brother to get his hands on the key. Craig insisted he didn't know what Winston was after and that Macks hadn't said anything or tried to get anything from him when he'd been trapped with the man.

Either he was too tired to put the pieces together or there wasn't enough information to make everything fit into place. He wasn't sure which. He stood and stepped to the bed where Craig slept. He could see his brothers leaning towards him as he sat down and rested a hand on each side of Craig's sleeping form. He sucked in a deep breath and lowered his face closer to the boy's. "Hey there sleeping beauty, wake up for me." He spoke normally. "Come on; open your eyes, just for a minute." He used his hands to shake the mattress up and down.

Craig moaned quietly and started to roll away from Bobby.

"Craig, come on, I know you're tired, but I need to ask you a question." Bobby let his voice rise in volume, hoping that would bring the kid out of his sleep.

Craig's feet kicked as if he were frustrated while a frown embedded deeply around his eyes and mouth. "What?" He sounded like a small child.

Bobby knew his brother wasn't all of the way awake, and grasped the opportunity. "Where's the rabbit Craig?"

There was a long silence and then Craig's eyes opened slowly, "In my room." He looked up to meet Bobby's gaze. "Why?" He asked.

Bobby felt his heart stop for a count of two, "What, in your room; where in your room?" He tried to mask the excitement that was trying to build. In his sleep muddled mind Craig had responded with the most honest answer he could and it had taken Bobby Mercer by surprise.

Craig blinked his eyes. "It's mine." He muttered.

Bobby now struggled to keep his heart from racing out of his chest. "Craig, listen to me. We need the rabbit. I'll give it back when we're done with it. I swear you'll get it back."

Craig's eyes seemed to cloud over with doubt and confusion. "It's in my room. Mom gave it to me, it's mine."

Bobby could see confusion starting to etch into the boy's features. "Mom gave it to you?" He remembered not so long ago, when Craig had locked himself away in his room. The small, blue and white stuffed animal he'd been clinging to in his sleep when his brothers had opened the door, it had to be the rabbit Winston was talking about. It was the only animal of any kind Bobby could remember the kid having, ever. He'd come from St. Vincent's with it and had carried it around everywhere he went for a long time. Bobby hadn't been able to find it when Sweet snatched the kid. He'd tried. He hadn't remembered exactly what it was or what it looked like, but Bobby had been sure the kid could use it when they got him back. "Where is it Craig? I'll give it back, I promise, but right now we need it."

Craig seemed to wake up a little more. "But, why do you need it?" He looked worried.

Bobby glanced back at his brothers seated on the other bed before looking at Craig again. He tried to think of a good lie to feed the kid, to keep him from worrying, but nothing popped into his head, an unusual turn since on a normal day lying came easier to him than being truthful. "We think Winston hid something in the rabbit." The truth slid out before he could stop it.

"But, how did he do that?" Craig looked even more confused.]

"I don't know Craig, but he did. Or at least we think he did. We need to check it out. Where is your rabbit?" Bobby pushed, his patience starting to wear thin as his mind seemed cling to the hope that their plan could actually play out in their favor after all.

Craig reached up with his hands and rubbed at his eyes. "In my room," He repeated.

"Where is it in your room?" Bobby grabbed the boy's hands and pulled them away from his face. "Look at me."

Craig looked at Bobby. "Under my mattress or under my floor, I don't remember." He kept his voice quiet.

Bobby looked over at Jeremiah. "You hear that?" He asked.

Jeremiah stood and headed for the door. "I'll call you when I get there." He called without looking back.

Bobby looked back down at Craig. "Okay, you can go back to sleep now." He moved to stand, but Craig grabbed hold of his arm. He eyed the hand for a second before looking at the worry in Craig's eyes. "What?"

"You aren't going to hurt him are you?" Craig asked quietly.

Angel snickered quietly and stood. "Damn thing has a name I'll bet." His amusement evident in his words, "'Fluffy' maybe," He walked into the restroom and pushed the door closed behind him.

Craig's eyes followed Angel's path and waited until the door had closed before speaking quietly. "It's not funny." He sounded hurt and angry at the same time. "It's important."

Bobby sighed. "We ain't gonna hurt it." He pulled his arm free of Craig's grasp. "Now go back to sleep." He stood and walked back to the other bed.

"You promise." Craig demanded.

Bobby turned to look at the teen as he reached the other bed and was surprised to find him struggling to sit up. "I said to go back to sleep." He pointed towards the pillow Craig was lifting away from. How the hell could he make a promise he couldn't keep, and why was Craig so worried about one little stuffed animal?

"Promise you won't hurt him." Craig seemed to be struggling against tears and it occurred to Bobby that this rabbit thing was more than just a stuffed animal to him. He was about to give the boy the empty promise, just to keep him happy for the time being, but Jack stood before he had a chance to speak.

"Craig, we need to look inside of him, but we'll be careful." Jack walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. "We have to see if what Winston is looking for is inside of him."

"You're gonna cut him open?" Craig looked horrified, "You can't do that." He was starting to sound more like a five year old than a teenager and it fueled concern as well as irritation deep inside Bobby's chest.

"Look, it's pretty simple, either that damn rabbit is cut open or your family will be split up and ripped apart. What's more important to you?" Bobby knew his words sounded harsh, but if Jack wanted to go the honest route with the kid he was going to take the whole path, not just part of it. "The fucking rabbit can be sewed back together, we can't."

Craig seemed to flinch inside and let his body ease back down into the sheets and blankets he'd been resting so peacefully in just minutes before. He didn't look at Bobby, but it was obvious the words had stung him harder than any smack could have. His eyes were heavy with the sleep he still needed, red and teary; the look on his face was more than familiar. It was one that came and went daily when he hadn't had his pills, the look of a lost child ready to curl into himself to hide from the world. It was the same look Bobby had been struggling to free the kid from, to free his self from, for weeks now. Bobby looked at Jack, as if his younger brother could help him fix the damage he'd apparently caused by that one harsh statement.

Jack seemed to be holding his breath, scowling at Bobby as he looked his way. "Craig," He turned back to the boy who had moved to rest on his right side with his back to them both, "Look, Bobby's right, we can sew the rabbit back up, I promise. I'm pretty good with a needle and thread."

Bobby couldn't stop himself. "That figures."

Jack ingored the dig, at least for the moment. "He'll be as good as new; you won't ever know we've done surgery on him." He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "Come on, it's gonna be okay, I promise; and nothing is going to happen to any of us either, Bobby's just over reacting, you know how he is."

"Like I'd believe you," Craig muttered without looking at either man.

Jack looked back over to Bobby, looking even more pissed than before and maybe a little hurt by Craig's words. The recent events in their lives had put a wall up between Craig and Jack, and they hadn't really had the chance to work through any of the important shit they needed to. There had been police interviews and the insurance business that they all seemed caught up in. There was too much that had been left hanging after Macks' death, things that they'd all thought could be dealt with in time. Other things seemed more important than sitting down and talking about the stuff that should have been priority; like Craig trusting Jack again.

Bobby knew Jack was waiting for him to say something helpful, but he was at a loss. He'd told the kid the truth, but he'd told him wrong, he knew that. Things weren't like before, when their mother was still alive; he couldn't say shit like that and then just forget it. He really was the parent now and he had to stop acting like a big brother when times were stressful. Craig wasn't like his other brothers; he couldn't handle it half of the time. He stood and walked over to the bed about the time the bathroom door opened. He reached down and grabbed hold of Craig, pulling him half way into his lap as he sat down on the bed. "Okay, I'm sorry." He choked the words out. "I didn't say that right." He forced his voice to mimic Jack's calm tone, though his insides were dancing around nervously. "We ain't gonna hurt the rabbit Craig. I can tell it means a lot to you, and we won't do anything that is going to hurt you, I promise."

Craig felt stiff under Bobby's hold. Bobby would have slapped himself in the back of the head at that moment if he could. He was sure he should have tasted shoe leather in his mouth at that moment. He hadn't really talked to Craig about what had happened in the past twenty twelve hours, there hadn't been time. The kid was just as screwed up as the rest of them as far as his emotions and his nerves. There had been a lot of changes in his life recently, and now his brothers were talking about ripping apart a stuffed animal that his mother had given to him, hell, he probably felt as if he was losing his last hold on Evelyn Mercer. Bobby could understand how it could feel like that. His own need to keep his family together mirrored those emotions. Without his family he would lose his only connection to his mother.

"You know, I know how you feel, I really do." Bobby leaned closer to Craig, speaking quietly. "I don't mean to sound pissed at you, I'm not. I'm pissed at all the shit that keeps happening to us."

Craig didn't relax, but his head turned slightly towards Bobby, as if he were paying attention.

"I know how hard it is to give up something that special. When did Mom give you the rabbit?" He really did want to know. Maybe if he knew the story he would understand the attachment better. A voice in the back of his head also added that if he knew the story, maybe he'd be able to figure out how Winston had gotten a key inside his little brother's toy.

"My birthday," Craig's voice came out weak, sounding small.

"Really, she gave it to you for your birthday? Must have been when you turned eight?" He dug deeper, prodding the kid to talk.

Craig's head shook from left to right. "Seven." He answered.

"You turned seven at St. Vincent's." Jack spoke up from where he was still seated next to them on the bed. "Did Mom give you the rabbit at St. Vincent's?"

Craig nodded his head but didn't look at Jack. He didn't seem to be looking at anything.

"Your first birthday," Jack muttered.

Bobby wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, but he didn't interrupt, Jack seemed to have knowledge he didn't. He'd find out later what that comment was about.

Craig turned towards Jack, as if he was as surprised by the remark as Bobby. "Yeah," He muttered.

"I remember what you told me about that birthday. I remember everything you told me Craig." Jack seemed to feel the need to explain to the boy. "You had never had a birthday before that. Mom brought you the rabbit then?"

Craig nodded his head. "It wasn't new or anything. I think I'd had one before, one that was a lot like it. My Dad didn't like for me to have toys, so my rabbit was important." He seemed to be thinking about his words as he spoke, and Bobby was sure that he looked as if he were in pain; as if a memory was running through his mind that caused him to wince slightly.

"You had a rabbit before? Did you have it when you got to St. Vincent's?" Jack looked confused. "Did they take it away from you when you got there?" His words reminded Bobby of the unfair rules that were enforced at the children's home. No one got to keep their own clothes or toys if they had any. It all became community property.

"Yeah," Craig spoke weakly, answering Jack's question. "My Mom gave me the rabbit; they didn't have any right to take it."

Angle made a small noise from the other side of the room. He was standing next to the door, looking out the peep hole as if he was waiting for someone; Sofi, obviously, but he was listening to the conversation. "Stupid fucking rule," He muttered.

Bobby looked in Angel's direction, but Jack and Craig seemed locked in their own little world, and didn't seem to notice.

Jack nodded his head. "Do you think that maybe Mom got your first rabbit back for you to make you feel better?"

Craig looked confused by the question. "What?" He asked.

Jack's lips cracked a weak smile. "You were raising hell with everyone, right? You were fighting them all? You had been hurt and you were scared, and I'll bet Mom got your rabbit back for you. Maybe that's why it's so important? It was from your birth mother, and from Mom. That's pretty special, huh?"

Craig never actually answered the question, but he looked as if the idea was rolling around in his thoughts. Bobby felt his own mind falter with the direction Jack was taking the conversation. "Ma gave him the rabbit." He muttered, trying to figure out how Jack had come up with the crazy theory he was presenting.

Jack shook his head slowly and looked at Bobby. "No, Bobby, Craig had the rabbit before. Winston had his hands on it before Craig ever came home with Mom. How else could he have gotten something inside of it?" His voice was quiet. "Think about it. It makes sense."

Bobby shook his head. "You're guessing."

Angel cleared his throat loudly from his post at the door. He glanced back at Bobby and Jack for a split second before pulling the door open. Sofi stepped into the room, her pink coat blinding Bobby before he had a chance to look at the pissy expression she was flashing in his direction. Her mouth opened and the words she'd prepared were spill out, but Angel grabbed hold of her and planted a sloppy kiss over her lips before she could speak. Great, this was just what Bobby Mercer needed to round out his night.