A clue, Bobby's mad. You have been warned ;) I don't own four brothers.

With Bobby's eyes boring into his own Angel found it hard not to break their stare. He wanted to look away, because Bobby wouldn't give up now that he obviously knew he was onto something, and he didn't want to see his big brothers gaze when he told him everything that had happened since that day he got shot. He also didn't want to put Jack on the spot. His little brother was hurting and he didn't want to add to the mix by spilling the beans to their overprotective brother, but he didn't know what else to do. He knew that Bobby would be pissed, and he foresaw a severe ass kicking in his own future, but he also knew that Jack needed Bobby right now. Still, telling Bobby was like walking in to the policestation carrying a machine gun. A very, very bad idea.

"Cat got your tongue?" Bobby interrupted his thinking, a serious look on his face despite the somewhat playful words. Angel knew there was nothing funny about this.

He took a deep breath and broke away from his brothers hard stare, opting to stare down at the floor instead. It was a cowardly move he knew, but he couldn't handle looking into Bobby's eyes as he told him how he had let him down. He had known it was stupid to let Jack roam around and do whatever he wanted but Bobby was right, the kid was stubborn as hell. But despite his stubborn nature Jack had always been the one Mercer easiest to handle, the one who hated violence and didn't start anything with anyone and only fought back if someone was pushing him, or if someone threathened his brothers, the calmest one. So how could he tell Bobby that all that had suddenly changed when he got shot. How would he tell me him he'd seen his little brother stare into the soulless eyes of Victor Sweet and pull the trigger without so much as a flinch?

There was no easy way to start this conversation, and Angel had always known it would come. They'd only been able to keep it from him because of those damned painkillers that didn't even work. He was taking those back first thing tomorrow, useless shit. He could see his brother wincing as he pushed himself to a sitting position and he reached forward to help him arrange the pillows but Bobby slapped his hands away with a glare and did it himself stubborn bastard that he was. He let out a sigh and wondered where he would start.

"Speak up Angel" Bobby demanded.

Angel raised his eyes from the floor to meet Bobby's eyes. He owed him that much. "When you got shot Jack blamed himself..."

Bobby's eyes darkened and his lips pressed tightly together. "I know that".

Angel nodded. "He lost it at the hospital, thought they were going to make him leave, and then went into this catathonic state".

Bobby swallowed. Oh he remembered those days in the past when Jack would lay silently, without seeing for hours at a time. In Angel's eyes he could see the sadness and the fear this reaction had brought out.

"The Doc wanted to have him moved to the looney bin but we refused, so instead we put him in your room, so we could keep an eye on both of you at the same time, should Sweet's guy's return to finish the job. We talked to him, talked to you, hoped and begged that you'd both wake up soon. We didn't know what to do" Angel looked away, out the window. "and then Jack came back. He was still Jack, still moody and a pain in the ass" Angel smiled a little at that, thinking about the headache his little brother had given him "but something was different. He was different. Bobby he was so angry, so hurt".

Bobby's mind was spinning. A part of him already knew what Angel would tell him, already knew what had happened, why Jack was different, but he didn't want to believe it, couldn't believe it.

"And we needed to deal with Sweet. We knew he wouldn't stop until we were all dead and we couldn't leave you unprotected in case they came to the hospital, so Jack came up with a plan, to make it seem like you were in danger, and you were, so that the hospital would keep a close eye on you and have extra security around the room while we met with Sweet. It wasn't that hard for them to believe, you and Jack had just been shot".

"And then you met with Sweet?" Bobby asked.

Angel shook his head slowly, remembering how he'd looked up and seen Fowler stand in the doorway glaring at them. "Nah. Fowler was smarter than we thought, or not, since he came here by himself".

"Right" Bobby nodded again. He remembered that, they'd told him Fowler came to the house before the meet. "And Jerry killed him?"

Now it was Angel's turn to nod, altough a bit hesitantly. It was true that Jerry had been the one who killed Fowler, but if he hadn't Jack would have. Jack had been prepared to kill him and even if he hadn't Fowler would probably still have died from bloodloss, judging by the look of him when he came down to the basement.

Bobby saw his brother hesitate and instantly knew there was more to this story than what he'd been told. He pressed down the rage at being tricked about this too and instead fixed Angel with a steady glare that made most men turn and walk the other way. "What are you not telling me?"

Angel shook his head and sighed again. "Maybe you should..."

Bobby almost growled, his temper finally flaring "Stop bullshitting and tell me what the fuck happpened".

"Jack happened"

Bobby blinked. But they said Jerry had been the one to kill him. Angel must have seen the confusion on his face because he continued reluctantly.

"Jack wanted to know if Sweet suspected anything. I tried to get him to talk but he didn't budge. We had tied him up down in the basement then. And then Jack yelled saying Sofi was on the phone threatening to come over if I didn't talk to her. She was raving about some other girl that she claimed had been here. While I was talking to her Jack went down to the basement and went ripper on Fowler's ass".

"Jack hit Fowler?" Bobby asked despite the sneaking suspicion that this was more complicated than a few punches being thrown.

"That too. He shoved a knife in his leg and burned him with cigarettes" he let Bobby process this before he continued. "it worked. He said Sweet didn't suspect and since we're all still here he was telling the truth".

A cold hard fist was squeezing Bobby's heart for all it was worth. He felt once again like he couldn't breathe. In his mind memories of Jack mixed with pictures of him doing all those things Angel had just told him. His mind flashed back to one of Jack's many scars, the one from a cigarette. He took a shuddering breath and leaned his head forward, closing his eyes, like it was too heavy to keep upright anymore. Oh Jack...

Angel stared at him with sympathetic eyes. He knew Bobby would take this like a personal failure, just like he himself did, but Bobby had always been Jack's number one protector, and not just physically.

"So the phonecall" Bobby started, his voice unusually subdued "that was Jack's doing right?"

Angel hesitated, not wanting to sell Jack out like that, but he could see that Bobby already knew. "Yeah, bought himself some time alone with Fowler".

Bobby nodded. He knew it from the first mention of the call. He knew how devious Jack could be, he'd just never seen it like this before. A flash of pain raked through his body and he winced, seems like the lack of painkillers were making itself known. He adjusted himself with a groan, Angel's concerned eyes following his every move.

"I'm sorry" Angel said without taking his eyes from Bobby's face. "I tried"

Bobby sighed and looked away. He was angry, at Angel, at Jerry, at Jack, and most of all himself. He wanted to throw something and scream and rage. The need to destroy something was lighting his nerve endings on fire but he tried to control himself. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"I tried" Angel said again "and I know you don't want to hear this, but he needed this, at that time he did".

"It's Jack, Angel" Bobby's voice raised a little in volume, showing some of the fire that was brewing underneath his stoic mask "the last fucking thing he needs is this".

"You think I wanted this? You think any of us did? I would have done anything to keep him from this, but it wasn't like I could chain him up somewhere". Bobby's face said that was exactly what he should have done. "There was no stopping him. He was set on making him pay".

"Fowler?" Bobby asked, suddenly wondering who he was talking about. Something lingered in the back of his mind but before he could grasp the thought they heard the backdoor open and close. Angel's eyes snapped up to his and he got up, tension suddenly thick in the air.

"You expecting someone?" Bobby asked, his voice low.

"Sofi never uses the backdoor" Angel answered and walked silently towards the backdoor, ignoring Bobby's harsh whispers demanding that he'd wait for him while struggling to get up. When he arrived the door was closed and no one was in sight. He turned to look at his oldest brother leaning against the doorway, both of them wondering what was up. Bobby's eyes suddenly widened and looked towards the stairs.

"Jack"

Angel took off for the stairs without another word. Taking them three at a time he soon arrived at Jack's closed bedroom door and without hesitation opened it. He was greeted by the sight of an empty room. Spotting something on the windowsill he went over and picked up the bag of weed. Everything looked like it always did, clothes on the floor, guitar leaning against the bed. Ashtray sitting on the nightstand. Sensing a presence behind him he turned to see Bobby standing in the doorway holding his chest. Bobby spotted the bag in Angel's hand and went over, ignoring the the sharp pain each step caused.

"Did you know he was smoking again?" He asked, taking the bag from Angel's hand.

Angel shook his head, the guilt once again settling in. He like Bobby, wondered what else their youngest brother had been up to lately. "think he heard us talking and took off?" He asked Bobby quietly.

"Why would he run?" Bobby asked. His head was spinning trying to figure out what Jack was thinking.

"He's probably afraid of how you'll react" Bobby looked up at him "We all were".

"I'm fucking mad, cause ya'll kept this from me Angel, I'm furious, but he didn't need to run, he knows i'd never hurt him". Bobby scoffed.

"It's not about that Bobby" Angel shook his head sadly. "it's not you being mad that he's worried about".

Bobby straightened up and glared at Angel with eyes hard as stone. "What the fuck are you on about now, how about you tell me the fucking truth Angel, cause it sure as hell seem like your not telling me everything. So he stabbed Fowler, it's not like I'll blow a casket over it" Bobby spat out, ignoring the fact that he'd been about to do just that a few minutes ago. Angel averted his eyes and alarm bells went off in Bobby's head as he looked at his brother. When he spoke his voice was low and cold enough for all hell to freeze over and the tempature in the room dropped several degrees. "I know your all not stupid enough to let what I'm thinking about, happen, Angel" He took the few steps seperating them and grabbed his arm in a viselike grip. "Tell me I'm wrong goddamnit!"

"What the hell are ya'll doing?" Bobby and Angel both spun around to look at a bewildered Jerry standing in the doorway. "Where's Jack?"

Bobby shoved Angel away from him with a snarl and turned to Jerry whose eyes widened seeing the look in Bobby's eyes. "Why the fuck have you kept this from me?" he took a step forward only to wobble a little, the pain in his chest making him dizzy. Angel and Jerry both reached out to steady him but he pushed their hands away, glaring at them, silently daring them to try it again. "Fucking answer me!"

"Bobby just calm down" Jerry held his hands up, his voice steady despite the panic spreading through his body.

"Don't fucking tell me to calm down Jerry! Just tell me the fucking truth!"

"It's not our place to tell" Jerry answered, the guilt plain as day on his face.

"Bullshit!" Bobby spat, pointing his finger at them. "You all decided to keep this from me then you can fucking tell me now"

"Bobby" Angel tried to cut in but Bobby took a few steps closer and ended up in front of him, boring a hole through his skull with his furious eyes.

"Don't fucking push me Angel, if the next words out of your mouth isn't a damned good explaination then so help me god I will wipe the floor with your ass, gunshot wounds or not".

Angel didn't doubt his words and shot a look over at Jerry, hovering behind Bobby, but not close enough to piss him off even more.

"Look we can all talk later, right now we need to find Jack" Jerry tried to reason, having come to the conclusion that his youngest brother must have taken off for some reason, probably because of what was going on right now.

Bobby's shoulders sagged and he turned to look at Jerry, looking like all the air had left him. His brown eyes looked dull and hopeless and Jerry swallowed hard. This was not the brother he was used to seeing. Not this empty shell.

"I don't know where he'd go" he spoke softly, the fire in his body gone for the moment, being replaced with fear for his brother. Who knew what he was doing right now. Knowing Jack it was nothing good. Bobby cursed himself, how could he have been so stupid. Of course Jack would be scared if he overheard them.

Angel and Jerry was silent too, all of them realizing that while before they would have known exactly which places Jack would visit when he was in a mood, they now had no idea.

Seems like some people have gotten on Bobby's shitlist today, I sure as hell wouldn't want to be there ;) and where is Jack?