Chapter 20

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"Hey, Joey." He replied without empathy.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Joey asked, angry.

"Nice to see you too, bro." Jack said with an accomplished grin.

"Well I can't say the same for you."

"Don't be like that mate -"

He couldn't continue as Joey cut across him. "You're not my mate. You haven't been here for years and then you turn up with a smile on your face."

"Who is he?" Sam whispered in Joey's ear.

Joey turned to Sam, "he's my brother." He started to explain. "Unfortunately," he added.

Sam nodded. "Joey?" He looked at her and nodded slightly. "How many brothers do you have?"

"Um, well." Joey stuttered. "There's technically Harvey and Mike. Then the four brothers you know. And then him," he pointed at Jack, "and Ajit." Joey turned to Sam, who was, understandably, stunned.

"Whoa, okay."

Joey turned his attention back to Jack, remembering what he just said. "So, do you know where Aj is?"

"I was going to meet him after I came here." Jack's once unbothered status now covered with a stutter.

"And why didn't he come here with you?"

"He doesn't know that I came here." Jack tried to defend his brother.

"He wouldn't have came anyway," Joey mumbled under his breath. "Where are you meeting him?"

"Down the cafe on the corner - near the park."

"Right. I'll come too. Sam, are you coming? You can go home if you want."

"There's no point going home. I'll come."

The three made their way out of the graveyard and down to the reasonably busy streets of Holby.

They walked for around ten minutes - before they came to the small cafe Jack had led them to.

Jack walked in first, and Ajit, who immediately saw him, was surprised to say the least when he noticed the two behind Jack - one he did and one he didn't know.

"Hey Joey." Ajit said, slightly ashamed as he knew the verbal beating he was about to get.

"Oh shut up." Joey started. "I'm astounded that you didn't start with a sorry - you should have. What's it been? Three plus years now? Seems legit. No call or anything - your way. Nothing when Benny died from either of you. Nothing!" Joey exasperated in a short whisper as to not disturb the surrounding people.

"Joey! Calm down!" Jack shouted at his brother in the same whisper.

"Fine. I'm sorry!" Ajit shouted, this time without a whisper, so it pulled attention to the group.

Sam quickly apologised to the public and turned her attention to the other three. "How dare you? Keep your voice down! I don't know two of you, but sort this out somewhere else. Come back to our place and talk this out." Sam emphasised the last three words, and returned the conversation to its whisper.

The three grunted some sort of agreement and followed as Sam walked out of the cafe.

They arrived back in a quicker time than expected - mostly due to the fact they were all angered, causing their feet to pick a higher pace.

As Sam opened the door there was pushing and shoving to get through - a characteristic suited to small children.

Sam started with aggression, "look, I don't know two of you, but sort this out. You are now in my partner's and mine home, so keep it civil."

"I understand now," Jack began. "It's you and Tom, then Joey lives with you guys. Correct?"

"Yes," Sam said simply, slightly surprised at the spot on guess. "Now talk."

The three brothers were suddenly silent – for a change. Now given the chance, they had nothing to say.

Sam stood there stunned. "Are you guys going to say anything?"

They all stuttered and mumbled incoherent words.

"What are you two doing here?" Joey asked after a deep intake of breath.

"I've been working solidly in London for the past eighteen months or so. I thought about coming over - really. Then Jack asked, and I came," Ajit said, trying to overdramatize words.

Joey stared at his brother with a look of hate, that soften when he remembered what a mess this all was - and that he was as much to blame as any other involved.

"You know where I've been, Joey." Jack started. "Here, in Holby. University. Ring any bells?"

"Then why didn't you visit?"

"I was too busy with uni."

"Hardly a reasonable excuse. You could have found time to see us." Joey retaliated.

"But why? So you could get dad to see me? Just no. He made it completely clear that he did not want to see me ever again!" Jack shouted, starting to get angry.

Ajit stood there, looking a little frightened of his brother's rage. True things had been difficult for them, but he saw no need to shout like that.

Sam walked back into the room - the three of them hadn't noticed her leaving. She walked in looking frustrated.

"What the hell is all the shouting about?"

"It's only Jack. Don't worry." Joey said while Ajit stayed quite, and only nodded.

"Why was he shouting then?" Sam retorted.

"About dad not wanting to see him ever again - his words." Joey replied.

"And why would that be?" Sam asked, intrigued.

"Because they had an argument." Joey let out a long sigh.

"About?"

"Some random crap." Joey stated, with another nod of agreement from Ajit.

"It was not." Jack shouted, again. "He was not a dad to me - ever! I don't see why you guys defend him, when you know what he's like!"

"What did he do?" Sam asked.

"He discriminated me. Saying I was not part of the family, because me and him were nothing alike - and he was not satisfied with that." Jack blurted.

"But, you must have done something in the first place for him to say that. And what about Tom? They don't get on, however, Tom is trying to get along with your dad with help from Joey."

"Is he now? Well, we're nothing alike either. He heard what happened and took dad's side. Yeah, shocking. After all he had done as well." Jack replied harshly.

"What did you do?" Sam persisted.

"I accidentally set fire to a building." Jack mumbled.

"How can you do that accidentally?" Sam asked, astonished.

"I was drunk! Dad wouldn't accept that! He told me I was stupid, that he was disgusted I was his son, and that I was a disgrace to the family. All because I had to get involved on the wrong side of the law." Jack shouted desperately.

"Don't forget you did something else." Ajit piped up.

"What was that?" Sam asked.

Jack looked at his two brothers with a look in his eye which said, "no."

But, Joey still spoke. "That's not the reason why dad said those things. Yes, Jack set fire to a building, but when he did that, dad was only angry. When they were arguing, Jack took a swing at him. It turned into a full blown fist fight. Dad was in hospital for four months afterwards."

"Dad forgave him, but he wouldn't accept." Ajit continued.

"Why was that?" Sam asked.

"Because of what he said! You really think I was happy with him after that?" Jack shouted once again.

"Tom's working on his relationship with dad! Why can't you?" Joey spat.

"I'm not Tom! I'm not as gullible as that asshole!" Jack shout, anger getting the better of him.

"Don't call him that! If anything, you're the asshole! He was - still is - there for me when I need him!" Joey shouted.

"Calm down!" Ajit and Sam shouted together.

Joey and Jack both stood with their arms hanging by their sides, fists clenched, breathing heavily to relieve their rage. They stayed like this for a minute or two, before Sam spoke.

"Jack," she began, "I think you need to say sorry to your dad and Joey, then hope they say sorry too. You can't hold a grudge against them for too long, otherwise they won't be there if you ever need them. And Joey. You need to say sorry to Jack. Just the one word, then you can do whatever."

"Sorry, bro." Joey mumbled.

"Louder." Sam said, taking the role of a mother.

"I'm sorry Jack." Joey said with a little more effort than earlier.

Every other stared at Jack expectantly, while he stared at the carpet.

But it wasn't him that spoke next. Ajit succumbed, "I'm sorry Joey - for not being here. And I'm sorry to you, Sam, for making such a disturbance to your household."

Joey nodded a thanks when Ajit apologised to him, however he laughed for the reason of apology to Sam.

"Trust Aj to be the one with a posh excuse." Joey spluttered.

"Oi!" Ajit said while squatting his brother lightly over the head. "Just trying to amend the situation."

Joey raised and lowered his eyebrows in an 'of course' way.

Jack took the light-heartedness badly. He couldn't stand it. He walked out of the home with no look back and a berated expression.

"Okay." The two brothers said at the same time, hanging on to the last syllable.

"Have I missed something?" Sam asked, getting a confused look from the other two. "Jack. Why did he storm out?"

"Ah," Ajit began, "that's just Jack. He makes a big deal of things, then if you say it was your fault – whatever the situation – he will leave in a 'strop'."

"Bit odd." Sam concluded.

"Anyway," Joey broke the thoughts, "Aj, do you want to stay here and eat with us? And maybe stay the night if you have no where else to go? If that's okay with you, Sam?"

"Yeah, sure." Sam said.

"I'd love to mate. When will Tom be back?"

"I don't know. About three hours or so yet." Joey raised his shoulders.

"So, what are you guys going to do now?" Sam questioned.

"Again, I do not know." Joey admitted. "Whatever Aj wants – I guess."

"It'd be great to catch up with Joey, and maybe get to know Sam." Ajit answered politely.

"Would you stop with the posh talk? Your twenty-five and you sound like a stuck up eleven year old." Joey put in.

Ajit laughed and jokingly apologised, "I'm sorry bro. I didn't know it annoyed you so much."

Joey groaned and walked over to the couch and sat down.

The rest of the afternoon, they sat talking. On and off the subjects of what was proposed.

When Tom parked his car, he had no idea who had returned, or the days event in his home. He walked up the stairs to the door and placed the keys in the lock.

"That'll be Tom. I'll just go and tell him you're here." Sam directed at Ajit.

"Don't worry – he'll walk in soon." Ajit commented.

"That's not all she wants to say to him." Joey whispered loudly to his brother. He earned a surprised laugh from Ajit and a pillow thrown in the face from Sam.

Again, thanks for reviews and follows – it'd be great to get a few more too, I guess :)