veiledndarkness | Four Brothers

Title: Gone 6/?

Author: veiledndarkness

Pairing: Future Bobby/Jack

Rating: R for violence, swearing

Disclaimer: Characters not mine, no harm intended.

Summary: AU. Jack's been taken, a pawn of Victor Sweet's game.

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*

Bobby moved his thumb over the small gun he held in his hand, the weight and feel of the metal a comforting reminder. He flicked the safety on and pushed the gun into the waistband of his jeans before getting into his car. His forehead furrowed, he watched Jerry come out of house, Camille and the kids following behind him.

"I know what you're thinkin'," Angel said lowly.

"We don't got that much time for all this shit," Bobby grumbled.

Angel shook his head. "Man, shut up," he said without any real malice. "If that was you an' Jack, you’d be all over him, worryin' and freaking."

Bobby bit the inside of his cheek, a faint pinkness rising on his cheeks. "Fuck you," he replied automatically.

Angel snorted and looked out the window. "I'm goin'," he said, glancing back at Bobby.

Bobby sighed softly, nodding, the words caught in his throat. Angel gave him a lopsided smile. "Hey...It's gonna work, right?" he said. Bobby blinked, his chest hitching with a breath.

"Do me proud, huh?" he managed to say, blinking until the stinging in his eyes faded.

Angel gripped Bobby's shoulder and squeezed. "Yeah," he said. "Go on, go get Jackie."

Bobby swallowed and nodded, getting out of the car when Angel did. Angel nudged Jerry as he left, winking back at his brothers as he walked down the street.

Camille ushered the girls into the waiting car. Bobby stood next to his car, his breath puffing in front of him. He watched as Jerry kissed his daughters' foreheads, a pang of guilt flaring up inside him.

Jerry hugged Camille tightly, their voices echoing in quiet whispers. Jerry stepped back from her reluctantly and got in Bobby's waiting car. Camille opened the door to her car and then paused, her eyes flitting back to Bobby.

"Look, I know I don't know you that well, but don't you let him get hurt. You bring him back to me," she said, a plea in her eyes that made Bobby's throat ache.

Bobby nodded slowly. "I will, Camille," he said, his voice rough. "Swear it."

She offered him a small smile and got into the car, Daniela and Amelia waving, a chorus of goodbyes from them as Camille drove away from the house. Jerry rubbed his forehead, a muted sound passing his lips.
"It's gonna be ok," Bobby muttered as he slid back into the car and started the engine.

"I told her to leave, spend the day at her sister's," Jerry said absently. "Just in case, Sweet..." he trailed off, shaking his head.

Bobby pulled out a cigarette and lit it quickly. "You got your phone?" he asked, switching the subject. Jerry held it up silently. Bobby grunted and pulled out of the driveway, his stomach flopping uneasily.

*

Jack awoke in a coughing fit, his cheeks heavily flushed as he struggled to pull in a breath. He rolled onto his side, tears rolling down his cheeks. His stomach lurched and he heaved himself upwards to keep from choking. He dimly heard the footsteps above him, raised voices and the slamming of a door.

He reached for the bucket closest to him and lifted it with shaking arms. He took a tiny sip of the water, his thick coughing ebbing when the water trickled down his throat. Jack put the bucket back down, snuffling and rubbing at his nose with his hand.

He curled back up, his teeth clicking together. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so sick, the last time he'd been sick without someone taking care of him. Jack rasped out a wet laugh, his finger running over his split lip as he recalled the time that he'd come down with the flu while Evelyn had been working at the hospital. Bobby had taken care of him, despite his mild bitching over having to give up a hockey game to do so.

"Bobby..." Jack murmured, his eyes closing. Bobby had taken care of him, as always, the complaining a mere façade. Jack coughed again, his breathing ragged in his own ears.

The door opened at the top of the stairs, a slow thump as the person came down. Jack peered over the edge of his blanket, his eyes wary until he saw the man with the ski mask approaching him.

"Hey," Jack whispered. The man put the container of food down hurriedly, his dark eyes flicking over Jack's face, his mouth in a tight frown.

"What?" Jack asked, attempting to sit up. He coughed louder, one hand to his bare chest, tears shining in his eyes from the force of his cough. "What is it?"

"Sweet's transferring you," the masked man said. Jack sighed and reached for the container. "Would it be too much to hope for clothes?" he asked, eating the slim slices of chicken strips.

The masked man paced, not answering him. Jack watched him while he ate, unable to taste the food, but hungry nonetheless. "Somethin's happening, isn't it?"

The man stopped and nodded. "Victor's movin' you" he said. Jack tilted his head, a sense of dread creeping down his back. He put the container down, his scant appetite gone.

"And..." Jack whispered.

The man breathed out slowly. "He's takin' you with him to the meeting," he said.

Jack pulled the blanket around him. "Meeting....A meeting with Bobby?" he said, Victor's horrible threat echoing in his ears.

"Yeah," the man said. "Hurry up an' eat. I managed to get you a few minutes t' eat before he comes to get you."

"You...Is he gonna kill Bobby?" Jack asked, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice.

"I don't know! Ok? I don't fuckin' know," the man yelled. Jack flinched, sniffling quietly.

Jack bowed his head, new tears prickling under his eyelids. "O-Ok," he mumbled, standing up then, his body shaking from the effort, the blanket pooling on the ground. The masked man looked him over, his throat working as he swallowed.

"I gotta cuff you," he said, pulling a pair of cuffs out of his pocket.

Jack stared at him, pleading silently. "I won't fight," he promised. "I'll...I'll go."

The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, kid, I gotta do it," he said, stepping closer to Jack. "You ain't the only one who's caught y'know? My girl...I can't let anythin' happen to her."

Jack closed his eyes. He moved his arms behind his back and held them there, stifling a sob when he felt the cold metal bracelets snap around his wrists.

"Kid..." the man started to say. Jack pulled away from him abruptly. "It's Jack," he said.

"What?" the man blinked. "My name is Jack," he repeated. "Not kid."

The man looked into Jack's eyes for a long moment, understanding him. "Right," he said. "Jack...I...I'm real sorry, Jack. I wish...Fuck, if I could open the door and see nothin', I would."

Jack nodded, sniffing hard. "He's...He's not gonna give me up, is he?" he asked.

The man bit his lip. "I don't know, Jack. Victor don't like to lose or give in."

"I...I just wish I could see Bobby again," Jack whispered. "Just once more...I'd tell him, tell him everythin'. I...I..." he trailed off, a tear running down his cheek.

The man sighed. "C'mon," he said, resting a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack sniffed and walked unsteadily towards the stairs. "Tell Glenn thanks," he murmured.

"Huh?" the man said, frowning. Jack coughed weakly. "Glenn, he...he rocked me, kept me warm sometimes...Cut me, but kept me warm," he said, a tiny laugh escaping him.

"You're delirious," the man scoffed, rolling his eyes. "He really liked you though."

Jack grinned crookedly, allowing himself that brief moment to ignore the fact that he was being led upstairs, away from the basement that he'd been kept in since he was taken, and thrust into the bitterly cold winter air outside.

Bobby...

*

Jerry watched Bobby stub out his third cigarette in thirty minutes. Bobby blew out a short breath. "What the fuck is takin' him so long?" he growled.

"He'll call," Jerry said, his knee bouncing in impatience.

Bobby stared out the window, his hand rubbing at Jack's rosary around his neck. "You told Angel 'bout me an' Jack," he said.

Jerry nodded. "Yeah, I did," he said. "Angel was askin' questions, and it ain't right to hide all this. Y'all know I hate lies an' secrets." Jerry held his phone, willing it to ring.

"Y'ever tell a lie so big, you're afraid to try an' fix it?" Bobby asked then, his voice dropping to a low whisper.

Jerry glanced at Bobby. "There's nothin' that can't be fixed if you want it bad enough," he said.

Bobby lifted his head to look at Jerry. "I lied to him," he said, his eyes dark. "I lied to Jack, that's why I left."

"You lied to protect from what you're 'fraid of?" Jerry asked. Bobby nodded.

"He...He asked me if I loved him the way he loved me," he said in an anguished whisper. "I lied to him...Told him no, and left that night. His face...the look on his face..."

"It's not too late, Bobby," Jerry said. Bobby swallowed over the lump in his throat.

"I..." his words faded when Jerry's cell phone chirped. Jerry flipped the phone open and held it to his ear. "Angel?" he said.

"Hey, I got him," Angel's voice came through the phone, muffled curses in the background.

Bobby's face darkened as he started the engine.

Jerry inhaled quickly. "Is he out of the way?"

"What, you wanna ask him?" Angel shot back.

"Let me hear his voice," Jerry said with cold anger in his eyes.

"Hold on, let me put him on, hold on," Angel muttered. "Hey man, say hi to my brother."

Bobby yanked the phone away from Jerry, the tinny swears coming through the phone amusing him. "We got you now, bitch," he spat. He shoved the phone back at Jerry and pulled away from the curb, the engine breaking the silence outside.

*