Four Brothers
Jun. 23rd, 2009 08:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
veiledndarknessTitle: Another Life 14/14
Author: veiledndarkness
Rating: R
Pairing: None
Summary: You can change your name, but you can't change who you are.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no harm intended, no profit made.
Four Brothers/Death Sentence Cross-over
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
XX
Billy stumbled along with Jack on the empty road, his footsteps slow and pained. His back was on fire, each breath hurt and yet, the very idea of stopping to rest was unbearable. He blinked slowly and leaned more on Jack, listening to him ramble.
"...We're gonna have to get offa this road soon, cause they might be headin' back this way an' I don't wanna take a chance," Jack peered over his shoulder, then looked forward, shaking his head. "Coast is clear so far."
"S' Bobby pissed at me?" Billy mumbled.
Jack cocked his head to the side. "Nah, why would he be?"
"Brought trouble home an' I said I wouldn't...he's gonna be some kinda pissed."
"Billy, this isn't your fault. He musta known that this could happen. That's Bobby for you. He never plans stuff, but he comes outta things in the end, all ruffled but still ok. He says he 'wings' it," Jack chuckled nervously. Billy was looking far too pale and unsteady for his liking.
Billy nodded and shivered in the cold breeze. "Like them Wings team he likes?"
"That's the one he played for," Jack said proudly. "He's real good. He'll teach ya to play if you want; well not that he'll give you much of an option. It's important to him."
Billy's lips curved up, a ghost of a smile. "Yeah, I noticed."
Jack looked back over his shoulder again, his eyes widening with fear. "Shit..." he breathed, "Billy, over here," he tugged him over to the side of the road, the high beams in the distance sending a chill down his back.
He followed him blindly, the two of them crouching behind a crooked road sign, one that had fallen or been ripped down years before, and now hung down to the frozen ground. Jack knelt down beside Billy, his breath puffing out in small clouds. "Sign's pretty big, think we can wait out the car here," he whispered.
Billy pulled his legs up to his chest, shivering hard. "U-Uh-huh," he managed, his teeth chattering. "J...Jackie, c'mere."
Jack scooted closer to him, holding on tight. The two boys huddled as close as possible. "Think...think it's gettin' colder," he said. "Shoulda brought gloves or somethin'."
"I-I been colder," Billy murmured, hunching his neck, his messy hair hanging around his face. "We don't got no heatin' back home. Ya sleep with them jus’t’ keep from freezin'."
Jack winced. "We're g-gonna be warm soon enough. An' when we get back, Ma's gonna have some of her hot chocolate waiting for us. She makes it with marshmallows y'know? An' whipped cream sometimes." He held Billy's chilled fingers with his own. "Best stuff you'll ever drink."
Billy shook hard, his breath fogging out in front of him. "S-Sounds real fuckin' good."
"We'll be drinkin' it soon enough," Jack promised. He edged away from Billy and poked his head to the side of the sign, watching the car come closer. He licked his dry lips, his heart pounding. The car sped heedlessly through the intersection, roaring past them.
"I think we're good to go," Jack looked back at Billy, "Wasn't Bones or nothing. Billy? Billy...c'mon, let's go," he touched Billy's shoulder.
Billy made a soft sound, his lips tinged blue, "S'fine...s'fine here."
"Oh fuck..." Jack stood up, ignoring the pain in his legs from crouching. "Billy! C'mon, get up, you're gonna freeze, we both are...c'mon!"
Billy shivered violently, his eyes mostly closed, "Jackie...shh, s' ok."
Jack leaned down and yanked Billy up from the ground, groaning under the weight. "Jesus, for a skinny punk, you sure are heavy." He draped Billy's arm around his shoulder and tugged him forward. "We gotta keep movin'. We can't stay put."
He half dragged, half carried Billy back out to the road, panting from the effort. "We're not freezin' to death out here!" he shouted. Jack forced them forward, one step after another in the bitterly cold night.
Billy stumbled along as best he could, tears gathering in his eyes. "Jack...Jackie, I can't. I gotta sit down," he whispered after a few minutes of uneven walking, "S'too cold."
"No!" Jack gripped him harder, furious tears of his own stinging his eyes. "God damn it, no! We're not lettin' this happen. You listen to me, Billy! You are not a fucking Darley any more, you're a fucking Mercer and we never give up, you hear me?"
Billy sniffed and looked down at him, his blue eyes so dull. "Mercer...S'what I wanted...deep down," he mumbled. "T' be like ya, t' be a Mercer. Family n' love n' someone t' give a shit."
"And you have that, but only if you make it back home with me!" Jack hugged him and then pushed him again. "Damn you, Billy, I'm not givin' up an' neither are you."
Billy held on as Jack propelled them forward, the two of them walking as far as they could, stumbling and shivering.
He only dimly saw the vehicle approaching them. He drifted with Jack and sighed when he was pushed into the backseat, a blast of warm air hitting his frozen skin. He looked up at the familiar backseat, smelled the familiar scents and smiled, shuddering.
"I swear to God, Jack, you give me gray hair you know that?"
Jack curled around Billy, the heavy blanket covering them both. "Yeah, Bobby, I know."
X
Billy tugged at the i.v. line that was running into his hand, swearing under his breath when the tube refused to budge. He grunted and tugged again.
"Drop it, Billy," Bobby said as he entered the room, a small bag clutched in one hand.
He felt heat flame up his face and he nodded, dropping the tube. "Uh, I wasn't doin' nothin'."
"Mhm," Bobby shook his head. "Sure, nothin' at all." He set the bag on the bedside table. "Not with that guilty look on your face. Lay back, Billy, you need to heal up so you can come home."
"Where's Jack? He's ok still?" Billy shifted slowly, his back giving off a dulled throb.
Bobby nodded. "He's fine. He’s got mild hypothermia from his dumb ass takin' off with no proper gear on. Stupid kid..."
Billy darted a glance at him, smirking a little. "Y' ain't mad at him though, are ya?"
"Don't you be smirkin' at me," Bobby opened the bag up and took several items out, setting them along the movable table. "An' yeah, I'm kinda proud. He saved you, didn't he? He found you even before I did."
Bobby unscrewed the lid of a large thermos. "Here," he said, pouring some of the piping hot soup into the top container lid. "Ma's cookin' is better for you than any shit the hospital gives you."
Billy sniffed the air, his stomach rumbling loudly. "Fuck that does smell good."
"Yeah, I figured." Bobby moved the table closer to Billy. "Eat."
Billy grabbed the spoon by the thermos and leaned in eagerly, gulping down mouthfuls of the hot, flavored soup. "S' he been taken 'ome yet?" he mumbled between swallows.
"He's gonna be discharged this afternoon actually. They were only keepin' him to be sure he was ok, an' cause of the mild hypothermia," Bobby sat down next to the bed, stretching out.
"What 'bout me?"
Bobby watched him wolf the food down, a sad twist to his lips. "Slow down, Billy, there's plenty more."
Billy blushed faintly and licked his lips. "Sorry...force a' habit. So, they gonna let me go too?"
"Soon."
Billy looked away from him, his spoon drooping in one hand. "She's makin' me leave, ain't she?"
"No," Bobby frowned. "Why?"
"Cause a' Bones, cause I fucked up an' they hurt her, an'...an' he's gonna come lookin' for me again..." Billy trailed off, his chest hitching. Tears gleamed in his eyes, the blue of them shadowed by the fear he was trying to hold back.
"No, he ain't comin' back for ya, he ain't never coming back, Billy," Bobby dropped his voice to a low whisper. "I made sure."
Billy shivered then, his skin prickling. "Did ya..." He couldn't say it, couldn't even hope.
"Oh yeah, I showed him the best spot in all of Detroit," Bobby smiled, no warmth in his face, "The river."
Billy exhaled and looked to Bobby, pleading silently, "A-An' Eddie?" he asked.
"I sent him packin'. He's goin' back to Boston."
Billy dropped the spoon and turned away as best he could, his lip trembling.
"Hey...hey, c'mon," Bobby sat on the edge of the bed, his rough fingers catching Billy's chin. He turned his head gently to face him, "Nothin' to be upset over. I didn't take Eddie out, I swear."
Billy made a tiny sound in his throat, a strangled whimper. "P-promise…?"
"I swear."
"He never hurt me, never did nothin' t' me like the others," Billy whispered. He buried his face in Bobby's neck, the tears clogging his throat. "He was good an', an' I told 'im I hated 'im for not helpin' me. He never...n-never did nothin' bad...and he thinks I hate him..."
"Shh, he's not mad at you, Billy," Bobby hugged the thin body, feeling him tremble. He looked down over Billy's shoulder, a snarl forming at the sight of the colorful bruises that lined Billy's pale back. "He ain't mad. He's jus' as upset as you."
Billy gripped fistfuls of Bobby's coat, the tears escaping then. He cried nearly silently, his shoulders shaking. "N-Never t-thought I'd get aw-away from B-Bones," he wept. "An' now..."
"Now he's gone, he ain't gonna hurt you ever again, I fucking promise that," Bobby whispered. "Eddie has to go back, you know that."
"I...I know," Billy choked out. He closed his eyes and rested against Bobby, letting his tears and grief and rage flow in the torrent of tears.
Finally, when the tears tapered off, Billy sniffled and wiped at his blotchy face. "Sorry..."
"Shh, nothin' to be sorry over," Bobby grabbed some tissues from the bedside table and wiped them over Billy's face, smoothing the wetness away. "You're gonna be ok, Billy. You got a whole new life with us, an' we ain't lettin' you go."
"Swear it?"
Bobby nodded and brushed a chaste kiss over Billy's damp forehead. "I swear it. Now finish eatin' huh? Ma'll bust my ass if you don't eat everything."
"She will not," Billy protested, a smile forming despite himself.
"Oh she will, cause she's one tough broad."
x
One year later
X
Billy sat at the kitchen table, his long legs swinging aimlessly while he watched Evelyn instructing Jack beside the oven. He rested his head to one hand, a smile curving his lips.
"Remember, you don't want to burn the pineapple rings, just lightly brown them," she said, handing Jack the pan.
He nodded once and jotted the instructions down in the little notebook by his side. He slipped the pan into the oven and closed the door, double checking the heat dial.
Evelyn patted his shoulder, "Very good. Soon I won't even need to stand with you, Jackie. You're doing so well."
"Thanks Ma," Jack grinned. He rinsed his hands off and dried them on the dishtowel. "I got some recipes an' stuff from the teacher. She said she'd loan 'em to me till I get them copied out to try."
"Jack's got the highest grade an' the teacher jus' loves him," Billy snickered.
"I'm sure she's not proud of the fights though," Evelyn took her cup of tea with her to the table and sat across from Billy. "The pair of you...I swear, and I thought Bobby was a troublemaker in school."
"Hey, Jackie didn't start shit! Them guys had it comin'!"
Evelyn frowned and pursed her lips in disapproval. "Billy, language, please…"
Jack tugged his apron off. "It's true, Mom. I was sittin' there, doing the write-ups and they started it! Billy was tryin' to help me out."
"Yes, but another week of detentions?" she arched an eyebrow at Billy.
Billy sat up straighter, his eyes dark. "Damn right. They won't be comin' near Jack any time soon," he whispered, fiercely proud that he'd protected Jack from the bullies.
Jack slipped into the chair near Billy and grabbed his pen, his books and binders spread out in front of him. "I don't care about all them, but they never leave me alone. Billy was only tryin' to get them to back off."
Evelyn shook her head and sipped her tea. "Less violence, hm? I want you both to finish junior high on time."
"Uh huh, we will," Billy dropped his gaze to the page of equations. He made a face. He still hated doing homework.
In the course of the past year, Billy had relentlessly pushed himself to finish the remedial courses in order to be transferred into a regular program. He scribbled on the paper, working out the answer slowly.
Jack had been officially skipped up a grade that past fall, and now, the two had classes together, though the sight of them still caused the teachers to be wary. The Mercer name was far too well known in their school.
"When's Bobby gonna get here?" Billy asked hopefully, his thumbnail straying near his mouth out of habit.
"Soon, I imagine," Evelyn glanced at the clock. "He promised to make it back for your birthday dinner."
"Don't like it when he's gone s' damn long," Billy muttered.
"Me either," Jack nodded. "But he promised an' he won't miss your birthday. I know he won't."
x
Evelyn waited until the gifts had been unwrapped and the slices of carefully prepared cake had been eaten before sitting next to Billy, two envelopes in her hands.
Billy rubbed his thumb along his chin, wrapped comfortably in Bobby's old sweater, the one that Jack had given him. He yawned a little, worn out from celebrating with all of them and glanced at her curiously.
She smiled. "I have another gift for you, Billy."
"What? But...Mo-Uh...Evelyn, y' already got me stuff..." Billy looked down at the gifts on the chair nearby. "S' too much..."
"There's no quota on gift giving," she laughed a little, the sound warm and comforting. "First, this one," she pressed an envelope to his hands.
Billy stared at the wrinkled envelope, his heart skipping a beat. He read the scribbly writing and then ripped open the top flap. "Eddie...He wrote to me?"
"Mhm," she nodded. "I've been sending him updates. I know you were close to him and I wanted him to be able to see that you're ok with us."
Billy blinked rapidly, his chest hitching. He scanned the letter, reading the messy words. "God...I gotta write 'im, that's ok, right?" he looked to her, his eyes wide and beseeching.
"Of course," she said, patting his arm. "That's very fine. And Billy, there's something more. I wanted to tell you sooner but I wanted everything finalized first."
"W-What?" Billy dropped the letter, his body tensed. "Tell me what?"
"I took the steps to have you legally adopted," Evelyn murmured as she handed him the larger envelope. "You're officially Billy Mercer, now."
He took the envelope, his fingers numb. Billy stared at her, tears prickling his eyes. "I..."
"You're one of my boys, as much as Bobby or Angel or Jack or Jerry is, all of you, my boys."
He swallowed over the lump in his throat. "Are...Are ya sure..."
Evelyn smiled. "Absolutely,” She leaned in and hugged him, the light scent of lilacs washing over him. Billy let out a small sound and hugged her back, his hands shaking.
"Thank you...Mom..."
x
Billy sat on the rooftop partition, a smuggled cigarette behind his ear. He stretched out on the roofing, relaxing in the warm, early summer's night. He closed his eyes for a moment. A real birthday, they'd celebrated and bought him things and treated him like he was a family member. Billy smiled. God, he loved that feeling.
He slipped the lighter from his pocket and shook it, cursing quietly when the flame only sparked. "Damn it..."
"Sneaky boy," the window behind him slid up higher, Bobby's head appearing in the darkness. "Out here smokin', that's bad for your health you know."
Billy snorted. "Pfft, this ain't even half of what I done t' myself in the past. Y' got a light?"
Bobby sat down next to him and fished his lighter out of his pocket. "Always got one,” he said. “Sorry I got here so damned late. Traffic was all fucked up halfway home."
Billy lit the cigarette and shrugged. "Yeah, but y' got here in time for cake," he grinned at Bobby. "An' I got a gift, so I ain't complainin'."
"C'mere, birthday boy," Bobby tugged him closer. He stole Billy's cigarette, ignoring his squawk of protest, and took a puff of it before handing it back. "Was it a good birthday?"
"Uh huh, best I ever had," Billy murmured. He leaned against Bobby, relaxing. "She...she went an' did it, Bobby. She made me one of you."
"I know," Bobby hugged him. "Yeah, I knew she would. Didn't Jackie tell ya that you was one of us?"
"Hearin' it an' feelin' it ain't the same." Billy flicked the cigarette idly.
"You feel like you belong yet?" Bobby whispered.
Billy closed his eyes again, a year and a bit's worth of memories and fear and love and learning flooding him all at once. He smiled a pure, beatific smile and nodded.
"Yeah...Yeah, I belong here."
XX
Author: veiledndarkness
Rating: R
Pairing: None
Summary: You can change your name, but you can't change who you are.
Disclaimer: Not mine, no harm intended, no profit made.
Four Brothers/Death Sentence Cross-over
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
XX
Billy stumbled along with Jack on the empty road, his footsteps slow and pained. His back was on fire, each breath hurt and yet, the very idea of stopping to rest was unbearable. He blinked slowly and leaned more on Jack, listening to him ramble.
"...We're gonna have to get offa this road soon, cause they might be headin' back this way an' I don't wanna take a chance," Jack peered over his shoulder, then looked forward, shaking his head. "Coast is clear so far."
"S' Bobby pissed at me?" Billy mumbled.
Jack cocked his head to the side. "Nah, why would he be?"
"Brought trouble home an' I said I wouldn't...he's gonna be some kinda pissed."
"Billy, this isn't your fault. He musta known that this could happen. That's Bobby for you. He never plans stuff, but he comes outta things in the end, all ruffled but still ok. He says he 'wings' it," Jack chuckled nervously. Billy was looking far too pale and unsteady for his liking.
Billy nodded and shivered in the cold breeze. "Like them Wings team he likes?"
"That's the one he played for," Jack said proudly. "He's real good. He'll teach ya to play if you want; well not that he'll give you much of an option. It's important to him."
Billy's lips curved up, a ghost of a smile. "Yeah, I noticed."
Jack looked back over his shoulder again, his eyes widening with fear. "Shit..." he breathed, "Billy, over here," he tugged him over to the side of the road, the high beams in the distance sending a chill down his back.
He followed him blindly, the two of them crouching behind a crooked road sign, one that had fallen or been ripped down years before, and now hung down to the frozen ground. Jack knelt down beside Billy, his breath puffing out in small clouds. "Sign's pretty big, think we can wait out the car here," he whispered.
Billy pulled his legs up to his chest, shivering hard. "U-Uh-huh," he managed, his teeth chattering. "J...Jackie, c'mere."
Jack scooted closer to him, holding on tight. The two boys huddled as close as possible. "Think...think it's gettin' colder," he said. "Shoulda brought gloves or somethin'."
"I-I been colder," Billy murmured, hunching his neck, his messy hair hanging around his face. "We don't got no heatin' back home. Ya sleep with them jus’t’ keep from freezin'."
Jack winced. "We're g-gonna be warm soon enough. An' when we get back, Ma's gonna have some of her hot chocolate waiting for us. She makes it with marshmallows y'know? An' whipped cream sometimes." He held Billy's chilled fingers with his own. "Best stuff you'll ever drink."
Billy shook hard, his breath fogging out in front of him. "S-Sounds real fuckin' good."
"We'll be drinkin' it soon enough," Jack promised. He edged away from Billy and poked his head to the side of the sign, watching the car come closer. He licked his dry lips, his heart pounding. The car sped heedlessly through the intersection, roaring past them.
"I think we're good to go," Jack looked back at Billy, "Wasn't Bones or nothing. Billy? Billy...c'mon, let's go," he touched Billy's shoulder.
Billy made a soft sound, his lips tinged blue, "S'fine...s'fine here."
"Oh fuck..." Jack stood up, ignoring the pain in his legs from crouching. "Billy! C'mon, get up, you're gonna freeze, we both are...c'mon!"
Billy shivered violently, his eyes mostly closed, "Jackie...shh, s' ok."
Jack leaned down and yanked Billy up from the ground, groaning under the weight. "Jesus, for a skinny punk, you sure are heavy." He draped Billy's arm around his shoulder and tugged him forward. "We gotta keep movin'. We can't stay put."
He half dragged, half carried Billy back out to the road, panting from the effort. "We're not freezin' to death out here!" he shouted. Jack forced them forward, one step after another in the bitterly cold night.
Billy stumbled along as best he could, tears gathering in his eyes. "Jack...Jackie, I can't. I gotta sit down," he whispered after a few minutes of uneven walking, "S'too cold."
"No!" Jack gripped him harder, furious tears of his own stinging his eyes. "God damn it, no! We're not lettin' this happen. You listen to me, Billy! You are not a fucking Darley any more, you're a fucking Mercer and we never give up, you hear me?"
Billy sniffed and looked down at him, his blue eyes so dull. "Mercer...S'what I wanted...deep down," he mumbled. "T' be like ya, t' be a Mercer. Family n' love n' someone t' give a shit."
"And you have that, but only if you make it back home with me!" Jack hugged him and then pushed him again. "Damn you, Billy, I'm not givin' up an' neither are you."
Billy held on as Jack propelled them forward, the two of them walking as far as they could, stumbling and shivering.
He only dimly saw the vehicle approaching them. He drifted with Jack and sighed when he was pushed into the backseat, a blast of warm air hitting his frozen skin. He looked up at the familiar backseat, smelled the familiar scents and smiled, shuddering.
"I swear to God, Jack, you give me gray hair you know that?"
Jack curled around Billy, the heavy blanket covering them both. "Yeah, Bobby, I know."
X
Billy tugged at the i.v. line that was running into his hand, swearing under his breath when the tube refused to budge. He grunted and tugged again.
"Drop it, Billy," Bobby said as he entered the room, a small bag clutched in one hand.
He felt heat flame up his face and he nodded, dropping the tube. "Uh, I wasn't doin' nothin'."
"Mhm," Bobby shook his head. "Sure, nothin' at all." He set the bag on the bedside table. "Not with that guilty look on your face. Lay back, Billy, you need to heal up so you can come home."
"Where's Jack? He's ok still?" Billy shifted slowly, his back giving off a dulled throb.
Bobby nodded. "He's fine. He’s got mild hypothermia from his dumb ass takin' off with no proper gear on. Stupid kid..."
Billy darted a glance at him, smirking a little. "Y' ain't mad at him though, are ya?"
"Don't you be smirkin' at me," Bobby opened the bag up and took several items out, setting them along the movable table. "An' yeah, I'm kinda proud. He saved you, didn't he? He found you even before I did."
Bobby unscrewed the lid of a large thermos. "Here," he said, pouring some of the piping hot soup into the top container lid. "Ma's cookin' is better for you than any shit the hospital gives you."
Billy sniffed the air, his stomach rumbling loudly. "Fuck that does smell good."
"Yeah, I figured." Bobby moved the table closer to Billy. "Eat."
Billy grabbed the spoon by the thermos and leaned in eagerly, gulping down mouthfuls of the hot, flavored soup. "S' he been taken 'ome yet?" he mumbled between swallows.
"He's gonna be discharged this afternoon actually. They were only keepin' him to be sure he was ok, an' cause of the mild hypothermia," Bobby sat down next to the bed, stretching out.
"What 'bout me?"
Bobby watched him wolf the food down, a sad twist to his lips. "Slow down, Billy, there's plenty more."
Billy blushed faintly and licked his lips. "Sorry...force a' habit. So, they gonna let me go too?"
"Soon."
Billy looked away from him, his spoon drooping in one hand. "She's makin' me leave, ain't she?"
"No," Bobby frowned. "Why?"
"Cause a' Bones, cause I fucked up an' they hurt her, an'...an' he's gonna come lookin' for me again..." Billy trailed off, his chest hitching. Tears gleamed in his eyes, the blue of them shadowed by the fear he was trying to hold back.
"No, he ain't comin' back for ya, he ain't never coming back, Billy," Bobby dropped his voice to a low whisper. "I made sure."
Billy shivered then, his skin prickling. "Did ya..." He couldn't say it, couldn't even hope.
"Oh yeah, I showed him the best spot in all of Detroit," Bobby smiled, no warmth in his face, "The river."
Billy exhaled and looked to Bobby, pleading silently, "A-An' Eddie?" he asked.
"I sent him packin'. He's goin' back to Boston."
Billy dropped the spoon and turned away as best he could, his lip trembling.
"Hey...hey, c'mon," Bobby sat on the edge of the bed, his rough fingers catching Billy's chin. He turned his head gently to face him, "Nothin' to be upset over. I didn't take Eddie out, I swear."
Billy made a tiny sound in his throat, a strangled whimper. "P-promise…?"
"I swear."
"He never hurt me, never did nothin' t' me like the others," Billy whispered. He buried his face in Bobby's neck, the tears clogging his throat. "He was good an', an' I told 'im I hated 'im for not helpin' me. He never...n-never did nothin' bad...and he thinks I hate him..."
"Shh, he's not mad at you, Billy," Bobby hugged the thin body, feeling him tremble. He looked down over Billy's shoulder, a snarl forming at the sight of the colorful bruises that lined Billy's pale back. "He ain't mad. He's jus' as upset as you."
Billy gripped fistfuls of Bobby's coat, the tears escaping then. He cried nearly silently, his shoulders shaking. "N-Never t-thought I'd get aw-away from B-Bones," he wept. "An' now..."
"Now he's gone, he ain't gonna hurt you ever again, I fucking promise that," Bobby whispered. "Eddie has to go back, you know that."
"I...I know," Billy choked out. He closed his eyes and rested against Bobby, letting his tears and grief and rage flow in the torrent of tears.
Finally, when the tears tapered off, Billy sniffled and wiped at his blotchy face. "Sorry..."
"Shh, nothin' to be sorry over," Bobby grabbed some tissues from the bedside table and wiped them over Billy's face, smoothing the wetness away. "You're gonna be ok, Billy. You got a whole new life with us, an' we ain't lettin' you go."
"Swear it?"
Bobby nodded and brushed a chaste kiss over Billy's damp forehead. "I swear it. Now finish eatin' huh? Ma'll bust my ass if you don't eat everything."
"She will not," Billy protested, a smile forming despite himself.
"Oh she will, cause she's one tough broad."
x
One year later
X
Billy sat at the kitchen table, his long legs swinging aimlessly while he watched Evelyn instructing Jack beside the oven. He rested his head to one hand, a smile curving his lips.
"Remember, you don't want to burn the pineapple rings, just lightly brown them," she said, handing Jack the pan.
He nodded once and jotted the instructions down in the little notebook by his side. He slipped the pan into the oven and closed the door, double checking the heat dial.
Evelyn patted his shoulder, "Very good. Soon I won't even need to stand with you, Jackie. You're doing so well."
"Thanks Ma," Jack grinned. He rinsed his hands off and dried them on the dishtowel. "I got some recipes an' stuff from the teacher. She said she'd loan 'em to me till I get them copied out to try."
"Jack's got the highest grade an' the teacher jus' loves him," Billy snickered.
"I'm sure she's not proud of the fights though," Evelyn took her cup of tea with her to the table and sat across from Billy. "The pair of you...I swear, and I thought Bobby was a troublemaker in school."
"Hey, Jackie didn't start shit! Them guys had it comin'!"
Evelyn frowned and pursed her lips in disapproval. "Billy, language, please…"
Jack tugged his apron off. "It's true, Mom. I was sittin' there, doing the write-ups and they started it! Billy was tryin' to help me out."
"Yes, but another week of detentions?" she arched an eyebrow at Billy.
Billy sat up straighter, his eyes dark. "Damn right. They won't be comin' near Jack any time soon," he whispered, fiercely proud that he'd protected Jack from the bullies.
Jack slipped into the chair near Billy and grabbed his pen, his books and binders spread out in front of him. "I don't care about all them, but they never leave me alone. Billy was only tryin' to get them to back off."
Evelyn shook her head and sipped her tea. "Less violence, hm? I want you both to finish junior high on time."
"Uh huh, we will," Billy dropped his gaze to the page of equations. He made a face. He still hated doing homework.
In the course of the past year, Billy had relentlessly pushed himself to finish the remedial courses in order to be transferred into a regular program. He scribbled on the paper, working out the answer slowly.
Jack had been officially skipped up a grade that past fall, and now, the two had classes together, though the sight of them still caused the teachers to be wary. The Mercer name was far too well known in their school.
"When's Bobby gonna get here?" Billy asked hopefully, his thumbnail straying near his mouth out of habit.
"Soon, I imagine," Evelyn glanced at the clock. "He promised to make it back for your birthday dinner."
"Don't like it when he's gone s' damn long," Billy muttered.
"Me either," Jack nodded. "But he promised an' he won't miss your birthday. I know he won't."
x
Evelyn waited until the gifts had been unwrapped and the slices of carefully prepared cake had been eaten before sitting next to Billy, two envelopes in her hands.
Billy rubbed his thumb along his chin, wrapped comfortably in Bobby's old sweater, the one that Jack had given him. He yawned a little, worn out from celebrating with all of them and glanced at her curiously.
She smiled. "I have another gift for you, Billy."
"What? But...Mo-Uh...Evelyn, y' already got me stuff..." Billy looked down at the gifts on the chair nearby. "S' too much..."
"There's no quota on gift giving," she laughed a little, the sound warm and comforting. "First, this one," she pressed an envelope to his hands.
Billy stared at the wrinkled envelope, his heart skipping a beat. He read the scribbly writing and then ripped open the top flap. "Eddie...He wrote to me?"
"Mhm," she nodded. "I've been sending him updates. I know you were close to him and I wanted him to be able to see that you're ok with us."
Billy blinked rapidly, his chest hitching. He scanned the letter, reading the messy words. "God...I gotta write 'im, that's ok, right?" he looked to her, his eyes wide and beseeching.
"Of course," she said, patting his arm. "That's very fine. And Billy, there's something more. I wanted to tell you sooner but I wanted everything finalized first."
"W-What?" Billy dropped the letter, his body tensed. "Tell me what?"
"I took the steps to have you legally adopted," Evelyn murmured as she handed him the larger envelope. "You're officially Billy Mercer, now."
He took the envelope, his fingers numb. Billy stared at her, tears prickling his eyes. "I..."
"You're one of my boys, as much as Bobby or Angel or Jack or Jerry is, all of you, my boys."
He swallowed over the lump in his throat. "Are...Are ya sure..."
Evelyn smiled. "Absolutely,” She leaned in and hugged him, the light scent of lilacs washing over him. Billy let out a small sound and hugged her back, his hands shaking.
"Thank you...Mom..."
x
Billy sat on the rooftop partition, a smuggled cigarette behind his ear. He stretched out on the roofing, relaxing in the warm, early summer's night. He closed his eyes for a moment. A real birthday, they'd celebrated and bought him things and treated him like he was a family member. Billy smiled. God, he loved that feeling.
He slipped the lighter from his pocket and shook it, cursing quietly when the flame only sparked. "Damn it..."
"Sneaky boy," the window behind him slid up higher, Bobby's head appearing in the darkness. "Out here smokin', that's bad for your health you know."
Billy snorted. "Pfft, this ain't even half of what I done t' myself in the past. Y' got a light?"
Bobby sat down next to him and fished his lighter out of his pocket. "Always got one,” he said. “Sorry I got here so damned late. Traffic was all fucked up halfway home."
Billy lit the cigarette and shrugged. "Yeah, but y' got here in time for cake," he grinned at Bobby. "An' I got a gift, so I ain't complainin'."
"C'mere, birthday boy," Bobby tugged him closer. He stole Billy's cigarette, ignoring his squawk of protest, and took a puff of it before handing it back. "Was it a good birthday?"
"Uh huh, best I ever had," Billy murmured. He leaned against Bobby, relaxing. "She...she went an' did it, Bobby. She made me one of you."
"I know," Bobby hugged him. "Yeah, I knew she would. Didn't Jackie tell ya that you was one of us?"
"Hearin' it an' feelin' it ain't the same." Billy flicked the cigarette idly.
"You feel like you belong yet?" Bobby whispered.
Billy closed his eyes again, a year and a bit's worth of memories and fear and love and learning flooding him all at once. He smiled a pure, beatific smile and nodded.
"Yeah...Yeah, I belong here."
XX
