This is Gonna Require a Little Finesse

[[A/N: I'm sorry the updating is so random - but this is an old story of mine and I'm just copying it here randomly... btw this is one of my favorite chapters! hahaha]]

Jack just raised his arms in confusion and commented, "Why would anybody wanna kill the sweetest woman in the goddamn world?"
"I don't know, Jackie." Bobby looked at me even as he spoke, "I don't know."
I could tell I'd hit home with my icey comment about him leaving and now felt horrible about saying that. "I didn't mean it, Bobby. I just wish you had stuck around longer, you know?"
"Yeah, I know, Legs." he said and gave me a hug as a small apology.
Waking up, I ran my fingers through my hair to make it appear less messy. Dragging my feet to the dresser I pulled out a pair of baggy black pants, a black tank-top and a dark red long sleeve shirt. The tank-top stopped a few inches above my belly button; I was too hungry to waste the extra 5 seconds in my room to pull the red shirt over it, so I pulled it on over my head as I walked towards the stairs, giving Jack a pretty good look at my toned body and belly-button ring. He let out a small coughing sound and blushed. "Hey, watch your eyes Cracker Jack." I warned, but I couldn't stop the smile from gracing my lips.
"What!?" he cried innocently with a smirk of his own. "I didn't do anything."
I just shook my head and continued to smile.
Jack broke the minutes of uncomfortable silence in the kitchen, "Did you mean what you said yesterday?"
"That depends," I said, looking up from my cereal, "what did I say yesterday?"
"That you'd stay here, get a job from Jer." he said, I could hear the hope in his voice.
I sighed, his face already fell. "...Look, Jack...I" I tried to explain that I had to go back to Chicago. My roommate, Amanda, expected me back for rent and -if it still existed- I had a good paying job.
"No... I get it." he growled in defeat and got up from the table to walk out of the room. I grabbed his arm and pressed my face into his elbow and breathed him in.
"This is why I didn't want to come back. I didn't want to hurt anyone, any more..." I clarified, my voice fading away. I couldn't look at him, I didn't want to see him upset, especially because of me.
Now it was his turn to sigh, "...I thought maybe: three years... you'd have stopped hating me...guess I was wrong."
DO NOT CRY KARI MOLLOY GET A GRIP! "Jack...!" I exclaimed, my voice barley audible.
But I never got to finish because we both heard Bobby traveling downstairs arguing with Sofi and Angel again.
"All right, I'm here. What?" Jerry asked, annoyed as we all gathered around Bobby's car.
"Last night we found out it wasn't random." Angel told him
"The witness was paid," Bobby continued, "and the whole gang story was just some bullshit."
"Are your serious, man?" Jerry asked, stunned.
"Yeah." I whispered before blowing on my fingers to keep them warm.
Jack turned his head and we all looked to see what he was watching, the store owner was opening shop, where Evie had been shot. "Can I help you?" he asked, uneasy.
"Yeah," Jack spoke up, "if we can just have a moment of your time, sir. Evelyn Mercer was our mother."
He seemed to waken at the sound of her name, "She was a good lady." He said in his thick accent, "I liked her very much. Please, let's come inside."
Crowded around a small black-and-white television set, we all watched the security tape of that night. The two masked gunman ran in and demanded the money. Evie must have made a noise because she hurriedly covered her mouth. "This doesn't add up. He's already got the money." Bobby commented out-loud. He had tears in his eyes, as did the rest of us. I ripped my sights from the screen as they held her mercilessly at gunpoint, unable to watch, knowing what was going to happen. I knew it was over when Jack muffled a sob and turned away to walk aimlessly throughout the corner-store.
"Supposedly, a witness told police this was a gang shooting." Bobby mentioned, "You know anything about that?"
The owner pondered for a moment, then, "The police talked for a long time with one man. One man more than the others."
"Would you remember what he looks like if you see him?" I inquired.
"He comes in for Gatorade after the games. Uhh... big guy. Always wears sweats, never a jacket. Even with snow or r-rain. He has a dog and a...a..." he made a sort of sweeping gesture over his own balding head. "You know a..."
"A fro...?" Angel said. "Like a Afro? Like Ben Wallace, the basketball player?"
"Pistons. Yes, yes, Ben Wallace."
"Is he on the courts a lot?" Bobby asked, taking the reins again.
"On the courts...or at the gym." he helped, pointing across the street to the recreational indoor courts.
Bolting after the four of them I vanished outside with a depressed smile and a soft, "Thank you."
"That wasn't no gang shooting, that was an execution." Bobby growled, rolling his hands into fists. "They set Mom up. They set her up!" we all broke into a run across the street and were assaulted by the cheering going on for the game taking place.
"You guys ready?" Bobby asked.
"What's the plan, Bobby?"
"We're wingin' it Jerry." he told his little brother.
"We always wing it." Jerry disapproved, shaking his head.
Jack just looked around and threw in, "We're gonna get killed."
Angel looked him up and down, then, with a deadly serious face, "What d'you mean 'we', white boy?"
I laughed bitterly, "If I were sane, I'd walk out of here right now."
"But you're not, so..." Jack just let his voice trail off suggestively. I punched him in the side. Apparently Jack didn't want what was bothering him--me "hating" him--to show while we were all out looking for the scum that killed Evie. Sure, I can play that game, J.
"You ready?" Bobby asked no one in particular, as he strode out into the middle of the court.
"Here we go." Jack said crossing his arms and looking around expectantly.
It was hard to hear what was going on because the stands were filled with '"boo"'s at Bobby's presence. There was a disturbance amongst Bobby and one of the refs. Then Bobby broke apart from the group with the basketball, "Yeah! I got the rock now! I got this motherfucker now!" One of the players was dumb enough to get in his face about it, so Bobby bashed him in the face with the ball.
Just about everyone on the floor folded in on Bobby, before I saw the shimmer of something shiny in his hands -a gun. "No need to grab me! This'll only take a second." He hollered waving the gun as people scrambled to get the hell away from him. "Now shut up and listen!"
"My name is Bobby Mercer. And some of you probably knew my mother. And some of you probably know she was shot about a week ago across the street. Sixty-two years old, murdered in cold blood!"
By this time Jerry had run up to his brother at the center and tried to talk him down, "Think about it, Bobby, think. Think!"
Bobby wasn't done, not by a long shot, "I'm looking for the witness. Ballplayer. Big guy. Supposedly never wears a coat."
Jack suddenly perked up and nudged me with his arm, pointing his chin toward a spot in the stands, I too saw the young kid making a move to leave.
..."Dog lover. Ring any bells?"
Jack started to head after the kid as his disappeared through a side door, Angel and I had headed back outside to head him off.
..."You tell me where I can find the guy and you can finish your game. All we wanna do is talk to the guy. You can end this real quickly."
Angel banged in the door, as it started to swing open, knocking the runaway into Jack, who grabbed the kid in a vice grip. Angel and I stepped into the hallway a moment later.
"Why you runnin'?" Jack asked the kid.
"Get off me, man!" he yelled before looking at Angel. "Man, I don't know nothing."
"Why don't you shut up?" Jack grimaced.
"You got something to tell me youngster?" Angel said, stepping into the kids face. I gave a small giggle as adrenaline surged through my body and fled toward the door to the gym.
Bobby was still on his little rampage, "I'm looking for who killed my mother. You tell me where I can find this guy and you can finish your game."
I watched him and Jerry intently, waiting for one of them to look in my direction so I could grab their attention to the kid. Finally, Jerry saw me and pointed me out to Bobby. I jerked your thumb over my shoulder out in the direction of the hall.
"I appreciate your help very much. You've all been upstanding citizens." Bobby covered, throwing the ball over his shoulder. "Enjoy the rest of your game. Hasta la maleco."
Jerry shook his head, "You crazy as hell."
I wasn't paying much attention to what the guys were saying to the kid, Keenon, was his name. I twiddled my thumbs and counted the worn tiles covering the floor. I focused back in, however, when the tight circle started to break apart, "These are nice grades. Better stay in school." Jack mentioned, looking at a piece of paper which I assumed came out of Keenon's backpack.
Looking at Keenons' chain Jerry laughed, "What is that? Aluminum?"
I let out a little laugh of your own, "Doesn't even spin."
"I just don't get it." I whispered looking past Jack out the frost covered window. "Why would somebody hire a goddamn killer to shoot Evie?"
Bobby chuckled sadistically, "Here's an idea: We'll wait for the shithead to get back and we'll ask him."
"Well you don't have to be such a bitch about it, Bobby. Damn." I scowled.
"Well, y'all do what y'all gotta do. I got gymnastics." Jerry argued, tapping Bobby's seat to let him out. "Come on, let me out."
We all looked at each other and laughed at how Jer's comment had sounded. "You got your leotard on, Jerry?" Bobby laughed.
"Go to hell." He told the four of us, "Y'all know what I'm talking about. I got a schedule to keep. Girls got gymnastics, I gotta take 'em. Come on, let me out, man."
Bobby finally gave in a slid the seat forward, "You wanna take Cracker Jack with you? He's very flexible."
"Bobby, you're the one who took ballet." Jackie shot back.
"Kari, go with Jer." Bobby told me...he wasn't joking.
"But, Bobby--" I whined.
"Don't make me get out of the car." He warned. Even though I knew it was a hollow threat I obeyed, giving them all a piercing glare and flipped them off.
Un-fucking-believable...
I don't mind if it rains or freezes; Long as I got my plastic Jesus; Riding on the dashboard; Comes in colors pink and pleasant; Glows in the dark...
It was late, very late by the time the three of them got home. They looked exhausted as they shook themselves off and put their coats on the hanger.
Wait-shook themselves off? They couldn't have that much snow on them if they just walked from the car to the front door.
...unless they don't have the car anymore...
"Bobby, what's on your hands?" I asked, sounding angry, but I didn't know why.
"Nothing." he said pulling his hands away from my view and disappeared into the kitchen. I got a good look at it before he vanished; it was blood. His left hand was pretty badly hurt, the other had blood on the knuckles...some one else's blood.
I turned back into the living room, Jack looked real shook up as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Jack, what happened? Where were you guys? Why is there blood on Bobby's hands?"
He mumbled something that I couldn't understand. "Ja--"
"Nothing; no where; and Bobby's fine. Leave it alone, okay!"
Not satisfied at all, I pressed on. "You're a bad liar, Jack. Now, what the fuck is going on?"
"You don't wanna know, K." he tried to tell me.
By now I truly was angry. I stepped closer to him, trying to be intimidating even though he stood at about 6'2"-a full four inches taller than me- "Fine. What happened to Bobbys' car? Where is it!?"
"I won't tell you! It's better if you don't know!" he was now becoming angry too.
"I'm already in this anyway!"
"No."
"Damn it, Jack!"
He just glared at me. I wondered if, when I gave people my death glare, it even looked half as threatening as his did.
"Come on, I can take care of myself. What the hell is going on!" by now I was screaming in his face, gripping his arm.
He snapped, "No!"
Then, he shoved me.
I hadn't expected it at all. Sure, the guys rough me up, small punches in the arm and shit, but never a full forced push. Never from Jack.
He wasn't as strong as some of the other Mercer brothers, but he was still stronger than I was. Stumbling back, my legs hit the small coffee table and I fell backward. Tears stung my eyes as my shoulder blades came in contact with the wood of the couch that was covered by thin the woolen fabric...wood hurts-a lot.
I sat there stunned at the piercing sensation in my back, gasping like a fish out of water.
"Fuck. Kari, I-I didn't mea--" he stuttered, stepping forward with his hand outstreched to help me.
"Stay the hell away from me!" I screamed. I wasn't at the Mercers' house anymore, and I was no longer 21. I was 13 again, blood dripping down my arm, curled up in a pitch dark closet.
"Hey! What's going on in here!?" Bobby yelled walking in through the door from the dining room.
"Kari, please, I'm sorry. I don't know what..." Jack had fearful tears in his eyes and his hands were shaking as he held them out to help me up. I flinched, even this passive gesture toward me sent petrified adreniline through my veins.
Unable to think of anything to do, I did the only thing that came to mind; I ran.
I jumped up and slammed the front door behind me, leaving my coat and sprinted through the streets, through the snow, to where ever my feet took me. Five blocks from the house I slid on some black ice; throwing my hand out to catch myself I gripped a piece of wire on a fence that stuck out at an obscure angle. It cut into the palm of my hand, and warm blood flowed as I cradled it to my chest. It didn't hurt too badly right now, but that was because my body was on the defense and it responded by numbing itself. I finally stopped after three more blocks, at the park I used to hang at, and collapsed into a swing.
My lungs hurt from running, sobbing, and lack of oxygen. I tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't. I'm having a panic attack. I realized. Tears started to pour down my face harder as this thought came. Then I went stiff as a large hand touched my shoulder.
"Shhh... Legs. It's just me. It's okay." Bobby cooed. What ever was constricting my chest finally let go and I could breath. I continued to sob into Bobbys' shirt as he held me to him protectively. "I couldn't get a word out of him, Kari. He just kept saying he was sorry. What happened?" he asked wrapping his coat around my shoulders.
I managed to compose myself enough so my tears didn't disfigure my speech.
"Son of a..." Bobby squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists after I told him. "And that cut on, your hand? If that's because of him; I swear to God if it is...!"
"N-no, I f-f-fell on some ice, cut m-my hand on a fence." I sniffed.
Bobby huffed and after a few minutes of silence began to tell me about where they had been::
About Damians' attack dogs, then dropping Damian from the window and threatening to leave him there with his knee hanging out. Finding the fuckers that shot his mom, chasing them in his car and beating the shit out of them before blowing them away.
"Come on, your keys were in your jacket. I've got your car. Let's head home, okay? The fairy won't stop cryin'; I swear, he's worse than you." He jested, trying to coax a smile from me.
"I doubt that." I whimpered. Shakily getting to my feet. "Could I walk home? I just...wanna think a bit."
He looked at me for a few seconds and nodded, "You want me to wait up for you, keep him away?" I just shook my head 'no'. He kissed my forehead and hugged me again before walking to my car and driving off.
I opened the door as silently as I could and crept through the house and into the kitchen. I turned the faucet on and pulled out a bit of gauze from the first-aid kit above the fridge. Walking back to the faucet I ran my wounded hand under the luke-warm water. Using my okay hand I splashed water on my face and wiped it off in the arm of my shirt. I flopped down into a chair at the table and tried to wrap up my cut one-handed.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see some one enter the room and walk over to me. He reached out to touch my shoulder but I flinched away. Jack collapsed into the seat next to me; I dared to glance at him and could see his eyes were a bit bloodshot and tears still stained his face.
He reached out to touch my face, "Kari, I'm so..."
I wanted to stay still, to feel his soft touch; but my body was still defensive and I jerked away from him, staring blankly at my bloody hand.
"...sorry." he finished, dropping his fist to the table.
He stalked out of the room and I heard him fall into the couch.
After a few futile attempts to cover my flesh wound on my own, I got up and trekked into the living room as well. The table and its contents were still strewn across the floor. I sat on the couch next to Jack and held out my hand and the gauze wordlessly. He looked at me, and I some-how managed to hold his gaze.
His eyes were soft now and so apologetic and so broken. He lifted his trembling hands and carefully wrapped my hand, hesitating only when I let out a small wince as he pulled it tighter to tie it. When he finished he held my hand, looking at the sight.
I lifted it from his touch and could see his eyes clench shut as more tears came, thinking I didn't want him touching me or to be anywhere near him if I didn't have to be.
But I placed my hand against his cheek and turned his face toward me leaning my forehead against his. He opened his eyes, not trying to hide his surprise. "I'm sorry." I told him. "Bobby told me you were just trying to protect me. I shouldn't have tried to make you angry."
"No." He whispered horsely, "There's no reason for me to have done that. I can't believe I did that. No matter how angry I was, Kari, I shouldn't have done that."
I could sense he wasn't going to stop so I gently slid my thumb over his lips. "I'm not done yet." I told him with a small childish laugh. "And I'm sorry about not calling since I left. I'm sorry for leaving. And pushing you away. I don't hate you Jack... I don't hate you at all. I never have--I can't." I smiled and added as a quick after-thought, "And, yeah... I've tried, too."
I removed my thumb from his lips to let him have a say. Except he didn't say anything, he just looked at me and I lost myself in those green eyes. I'd never been this close to Jack, I liked it, he made me block out everything bad that was going on outside -and inside- of my life, if just for the moment.
Then, his lips crashed into mine, longingly.
He pulled away, leaving my lips colder and alone, "I shouldn't have done that." he whispered, cheeks turning pink. I'd been so caught off guard I hadn't kissed him back.
I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling his lips back to mine, he responded by wrapping his arms around my small waist.
Jacks' kisses weren't like anyone elses. They were gentle and lazy, as if he had all the time in the world to just sit there and kiss me.
God, why did I leave? Why did I wait so long to do this with Jack, was I really that stupid?
The two of us broke apart, and I bit my lip longingly to continue kissing him. He smiled softly at me and brushed some hair behind my ear, I shivered at his touch, in a very good way.
Told you, you liked him.
I don't care what you have to say. I'm happy to admit that you were right. Now, go find some matches to play with.
"Well, I guess the two of you are okay, then?" Sofi's voiced echoed from the base of the stairs.
I hunched my shoulders like a little kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Sofi!" I hissed.
She smiled, "Relax. I'm not going to tell. Do you really think I'm that mean? I'm hurt." she said pouting and putting her hand over her heart. Such a Bobby thing. She must have had the same though, because she pulled her hands away from her chest as if on fire and looked at them in disgust with a shake of her head.
I looked back to Jack, "I think maybe we shouldn't jump to telling Bobby, or he'll go ballistic. He's still really pissed at you, for what you did earlier."
He laughed, "You're definetally right, I like waking up alive in the morning. We're okay now, right.?"
"No, Jack." I said rolling my eyes. "I kissed you because I'm furious at you. Yes, we're better that okay."
"You've done weirder things." He teased and pecked me on the lips, "You going to bed now?"
"I'm kinda hungry, I'll see you in the morning."
He whispered, "I'm really sorry, Kari." Before kissing me on the cheek and heading upstairs. As soon as I heard his door close Sofi came bursting into the living room with a bag of Oreos. "Spill, chica." she demanded with a friendly smile. I grabbed the bag and sighed.