veiledndarkness | Four Brothers

Title: Another Life 2/?

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

For

littlewitch34 cause she's all kinds of awesome.

Chapter 1

XX

Bobby watched Billy eat with a sad tilt of his lips. He remembered the days of eating practically nothing, remembered the bitingly cold winters when his worn out clothes and boots were no match for the icy wind. He leaned back in his chair, running his thumb up and down the side of his coffee mug.

He'd taken Billy to the only place he could think of, a restaurant not far from home named Gilbert's. It was one of the few greasy spoon style diners left in his neighborhood, and truth be told, Bobby considered it to be the next best thing to Evelyn's cooking. Their main special was an all day breakfast platter. He figured that would be enough to fill the boy's stomach.

"You boys want anythin' else?" the waitress paused next to their table.

"I think we're ok," Bobby nodded to her. Billy was making his way through a plate of bacon, eggs, home fries and toast, though he ate very slowly, as if trying to make it last.

She smiled tiredly and kept going. "Holler if ya need me," she called over her shoulder.

Bobby turned his attention back to Billy, studying him. Billy darted a nervous glance up at him, his arm around the plate of food possessively. He hunched over it a bit, licking crumbs from his lip.

“Take it easy, kid,” Bobby lifted his mug and swallowed another mouthful of coffee. “I ain’t gonna steal from your plate.”

Billy eyed him warily. “Why’re ya doin’ this? Feedin’ me an’ shit?”

“You’re hungry, right? So eat.”

“But why?” he pressed, “Bones said nobody does nothin’ for no one without wantin’ somethin’ back.”

Bobby frowned. “Who’s this Bones guy?”

“M’ dad,” Billy ripped off a chunk of toast, chewing it thoughtfully. “He doesn’t like bein’ called Dad or shit like that. I call ‘im Bones like everyone else.”

“Bones Darley,” Bobby drummed his fingers on the old wooden table, “As in the Darley gang, yeah?”

Billy nodded vigorously. “Yep,” he sniffed and wiped at his nose with the back of his hand.

“Fuck...that’s nasty, Billy,” Bobby passed him a napkin. “Christ’s sake, use a tissue.”

Billy glared at him as he wiped his nose with the napkin. “What difference does it make?”

“A big difference,” Bobby muttered. “Finish eatin’, I gotta bring you to someone. Find some place to put you.”

“Oh…uh yeah,” Billy looked down at his plate; he was nearly finished as it was.

“What? I know a shelter; they’ll help ya get back on your feet. Give you a head start.”

Billy nodded, ripping off another chunk of toast. “Yeah…”

Bobby took in the sad set to Billy’s thin face, the way he seemed folded in on himself, despite the bravado he’d shown in the parking lot. He sighed, unable to believe the words that he spoke then.

“Actually, I’m gonna bring ya to meet someone. Real nice lady, she’ll be able to help you.”

Billy snorted under his breath. Bobby drained the last of his coffee. “Shut up an’ eat.”

XX

Billy chewed on his lip, fidgeting uncomfortably in the car. Bobby had turned up the heat for him as he drove them away from Gilbert’s. The streets flew by them, the wind whistling through the crack in the window.

Bobby lit a cigarette as he drove, steering with his knee. “Jesus, Billy, will you relax? I’m not a fuckin’ serial killer. If I was gonna off ya, I wouldn’t have put you in my car.”

“S-Sorry,” Billy jumped a bit. He leaned back in his seat. “Where am I goin?”

A long silent moment stretched out between them. Bobby flicked his cigarette near the ashtray, exhaling quietly. “Her name is Evelyn Mercer,” he said.

“Is she your Ma?”

“No,” Bobby said flatly. “Not my birth mom, no. She’s the best person alive. I call her Ma because she’s a better mom than you could ever hope for.”

“Oh…” Billy nodded. He curled up on the seat; the heat was making him drowsy.

“She took me offa the streets. I spent ten years in an’ outta foster homes before they finally let her have at me. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be alive right now, just another degenerate in the gutter, kid.”

“So…she runs a foster home?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Bobby inhaled on his cigarette. He exhaled again. “Not as much any more. Newest kid is Jack. He’s only been there six months, he’s doin’ good.”

Billy swallowed, pushing back on his reflexive jealousy. He could hear the affection in Bobby's voice that he held for the boy named Jack and it made his throat squeeze. Boys like him, in his immediate circle of people; they'd all fought constantly for attention, good or bad. He glared out the window, hating this 'Jack' person already on instinct.

"She'll help ya, but I'm warnin' you now, no shit with her, you hear me? Don't you dare pull any shit or I will drop kick you into the fucking river an' you can swim back to Boston, clear?" Bobby stubbed his cigarette out and slowed at the approaching intersection. He looked to Billy, his tone demanding an answer.

"Y-Yeah," Billy nodded. Bobby was bigger than him, stronger than him, and Billy was willing to bet that Bobby wouldn't forget about the attempted theft of his money any time soon.

"Good," he grunted. "She doesn't need that kinda stress this time of year."

Billy chewed on his thumbnail. "I won't do nothin'," he mumbled. Bobby nodded and switched the radio on, clearly indicating the end of the conversation. Billy hunched down more in his seat, and gradually drifted off to sleep in the warm car.

XX

Billy blinked, startled out of his sleep when Bobby touched his shoulder. He flinched back, his eyes wide and unnerved. Bobby looked at him, a hint of sympathy in his eyes.

"Easy, Billy," he murmured. "We're home now."

"Uh huh," Billy slipped off the seat and exited the car, mourning the loss of heat as soon as the wind nipped at his exposed skin. He crossed his arms over his chest, trembling. He looked up at the two story brick house, a modest house that looked similar to all the others that lined the street, a middle class house with no pretensions.

Bobby walked up the path to the house, carrying the bags in either hand. He nodded to Billy. "Keep quiet for a few minutes an' wait here," he said, opening the screen door to the veranda.

Billy stepped into the glass portion of the veranda, shivering. Bobby unlocked the main door, his keys jingling. Billy tilted his head with a frown. He could hear rapid footsteps approaching the door. When Bobby pulled the door open, a blur landed against him.

"Bobby! C'mere, you gotta see this!" a young boy hugged him, his skinny arms wrapped tightly around Bobby's middle.

"Whoa, slow down," Bobby patted the boy's shoulder. "Here, take this," he pushed one of the grocery bags into the boy's arms. "Go put that on the counter. Where's Angel's lazy ass?"

"He's upstairs with that girl," the boy wrinkled his nose. "She's making noises again."

A look of deep annoyance crossed Bobby's face. "Nasty," he muttered under his breath. "Alright, go take this to the kitchen."

The boy nodded obediently and disappeared back into the house. Bobby sighed. "And that was Jack," he said. He glanced at Billy, who was hanging back by the screen door. "C'mon, before you freeze to death."

Billy followed him into the house, a sound of relief passing his lips. The house wasn't as warm as the car, but he could feel the chill fading from his skin. Bobby walked down the hallway that led to the kitchen, leaving Billy standing by the front door.

He looked around, unsure of himself and his surroundings. The walls were lined with deep colors of red and brown, and he could see that the kitchen was painted a cheerful yellow from where he stood. He leaned forward, peering into the next room, the living room. The walls were covered with pictures, a long couch stood along another wall. He rubbed his elbows, staring at the television, intrigued by it.

"Hey."

Billy jumped an inch or so. "Shit....uh, sorry," he backed away from Bobby.

"What? You never seen a tv or somethin'?"

"We don't got one at home," Billy felt heat creep up his neck, a blush that crept up into his hairline.

Bobby nodded. "Yeah, well we don't have any fancy cable packages, just run of the mill channels, but we got lots of movies an' shit, so there ya go. Take your coat an' boots off and go sit down."

Billy glared at the floor as he shrugged his coat off. He hated being ordered around and Bobby was all too confident in his ability to boss him like that. He held onto his coat and toed his shabby boots off, leaving them by the door. He sat down on the couch, his eyes on the glowing television screen.

XX

Bobby pinched the bridge of his nose while he waited on hold, the phone receiver tucked up under his chin. Jack hovered nearby, proudly showing Bobby the test paper in his hand.

"See? Eighty-five, Mom said that's an 'A'," Jack held out the test.

Bobby gave the paper a cursory glance and nodded. "Yep, it sure is. Knew you were the smartest, eh, Jackie?" he ruffled Jack's perpetually messy brown hair.

Jack smiled happily when Bobby grabbed one of the many magnets to attach his test to the fridge door. "There, now Ma can see it when she gets home. Jack, c'mere, now listen close, ok?"

Jack looked up at him, nodding. "Uh huh..."

"You got any homework left to do?"

"Nah, not really," Jack shook his head. "Oh...but yeah, I should start on my diagram for science class."

Bobby nodded. "Good, go start that. There's a kid in the living room. His name's Billy. Don't mind him; you just do your school shit. If he gives you any lip, you come right back to me, got it?"

Jack bit his lip and nodded once more. "Is he...?"

"He's just as scared as you were when you got here. He...guys like him act tough cause they get scared too," Bobby hugged Jack quickly. "Go on. Remember what I said."

Jack walked back to the living room, his shoulders hunched. Billy gave him a look over, his eyes narrowed. Jack hunched up more and sat down at the coffee table by his schoolwork. He picked up his pencil and flipped a few pages in his binder, sneaking glances at the strange boy near him.

"What're ya starin' at?" the boy hissed at him.

Jack flinched. "I...nothing," he whispered, "I-I'm Jack."

"So?"

There was so much hostility in the boy's face, such anger in his eyes. Jack glanced back towards the kitchen. He knew Bobby wouldn't let Billy harm him, but Bobby wasn't always around. Jack dropped his eyes to his schoolwork, nervously biting at his lips. His pencil shook in one hand. He recognized the look in Billy's eyes, that predatory, dominant anger, one that warned him to stay low, stay under the radar and out of harm's way.

Billy stared the boy down. Jack...Yeah, he knew that type. The scared, mousy kind of kid that all the women tended to dote on, the ones that got the most affection from the other men, when his type, Billy's type had to fight tooth and nail to get even a meager shred of affection. He gritted his teeth, every inch of him wanted to push Jack down, smack him around, anything to show Bobby he was as tough as him, that he was worthy of attention too.

"Better watch y' self," Billy hissed in a soft, hate-filled voice. "Ya jus' better steer clear o' me."

Jack blinked rapidly, hot tears prickling under his eyelids. He gathered up his books and binder and fled from the room without a sound, running blindly to the safety of his room.

XX

Bobby paced the length of the kitchen, speaking in hushed tones. "I know...Ma, I know, but what was I supposed to do? Leave him in some shelter? You know they don't give a damn if he stays put. He didn't even have a winter coat on, for fucks sake!"

"Bobby," Evelyn's chiding voice came over the line.

He huffed impatiently. "Yeah...sorry, language, I know."

"He's from Boston apparently. Says he's one of the Darley's. Christ only knows why he's in Detroit. He ran away, that much I know for sure. He's got the usual signs about him."

"One of the Boston gangs," Evelyn mused. "He must've run away for a reason."

"I'd say that was a given, I mean, the kid flinches so badly when you touch him. I know that shit, I've been there. That's no spoiled brat that ran away cause his parents are too strict. I bet ya dollars to donuts, if you strip off those filthy clothes of his, you'd find bruises or scars."

Evelyn sighed. "Alright...I can't turn him away; you know I'd never turn away someone in need."

"I'm sorry; I know I shoulda talked it over with you ahead of time. I figured maybe you'd recommend someone to work with him, a placement or somethin'. This kid...he reminds me of...well, me, honestly. I don't wanna see him go down that way," Bobby peered into the living room. He frowned when all he saw was Billy on the couch with a smug smirk on his lips, no sign of Jack.

"It's ok, Bobby, you don't need to justify this," she said in her soothing way. "I'm not mad, I'm a little tired, and it's been a very long day."

Bobby stepped back into the kitchen. "You want me to start dinner?"

"Please do," she murmured. "The meat is defrosting in the fridge. Get Jack to help you peel the potatoes, and if Billy wants to, he can help as well."

"Sure, Ma," Bobby rubbed a hand over his head, tugging his knit hat off. "Drive safe."

"I will," she promised. "Love you, Bobby."

Bobby ducked his head to the side. "Love you too, Ma." He hung up and leaned against the counter, second guessing himself at a rapid rate.

XX