Hey. So I was thinking... I think I'm going to end this story here, and write a sequel. I have some ideas for Bobby, and Jack of course, and I kind of want to turn the page you know? A lot has happened in this story and now it's time to deal with it all, and other things of course. I think I'll continue to write flashbacks since I really enjoy that. If anyone has any objections or suggestions don't be shy lol. So yeah, this is the last chapter then, hope you like it, and I hope you'll follow me to the sequel for more fun, anger, grief and most of all love. As usual I don't own four brothers.

They say that good things come to those who wait. Jack really hoped there was some truth in that, cause he did wait. They all did. Time, weird concept that it is, seemed to creep by slowly. The clock ticked on, Bobby's chest rose and fell, and the world continued to turn.

It seemed so wrong that the world continued on as if his hadn't come to a stop.

But continue it did. He lost track of the days but he noticed when there were shift changes, the old nurse went home and a new took her place. Most of the time he was quiet, he didn't talk to anyone except for Angel and Jerry, and the hospital staff. And Bobby. In that way things were still the same.

One day he noticed that the old man in the room next to Bobby's was gone.

He knew they talked about them. It's funny how people after awhile assume that you don't hear, if you don't speak much. He saw the way they shook their heads, the sad frown on their face, and he heard the sigh the doctor gave off after his visits. It didn't matter though. They could think what they wanted, they could think that Bobby would never wake up, because Jack knew he would.

At night the doubts came.

Sitting by Bobby's bedside he wondered if he would ever open his eyes again.

At night, he cried.

He sat for hours wondering what he could have done different, how he could have changed what happened, and in his mind he replayed the events that led them here. He saw himself open the door, running after the one who had insulted the only woman who had ever cared about him, but in his mind he didn't run after him, they still came for them but this time they won, they won and it didn't have a cost to it. They didn't have to lose anything.

Other nights he begged and bargained. He pleaded to any higher being that would listen to take him instead, if only his brother would open his eyes again.

Some nights he talked until he could see the sun rise. He talked about growing up, his past, and the future he never thought he would have. How becoming a Mercer saved him. How proud he was to have his brothers.

Sometimes he cursed him. He asked how he could have been so stupid, how he dared to leave him here in this cold place. He told him he would never forgive him if he left for good. These rants were always followed by tears and pleads for forgiveness.

Angel thought he knew pain. He just never knew it could feel like this. Day after day he watched his oldest brother lay still in the hospital bed, not moving. Day after day he watched his youngest brother retreat more and more into himself. He tried to talk to him, but it didn't work. Now, most days he barely answered, usually he just stared as if he had spoken in some language he didn't understand. Sofi came by, claiming that her presence alone would wake Bobby, just so he could demand that she be removed from his room. It didn't work.

He had just wanted a better life. Had that been to much to ask? Was it really that wrong of him? Maybe it had been, and this was his punishment. The guilt was almost more than he could take, it plagued him day and night. He tried to explain it to his wife, to make her understand, but he knew she didn't. She couldn't, not really. Camille was an only child, and try as she might, she could never understand.

The doctor said that Bobby's body was healing, but that he wasn't strong enough yet to come back to them, that he might never be able too. Jack had never heard anything more ridiculous in his life. The thought that Bobby wasn't strong enough was stupid, and he told him so.

They had fallen into a routine strange as it was. The days went by much the same and they barely noticed or cared. But one day something happened, something that changed the void they had fallen into.

That was the day Bobby's heart stopped beating.

Jack had been talked into getting something to eat by the doctor, or rather he had been kicked out of Bobby's room while they were checking his vitals, and the doctor had strongly suggested that he get some food since he couldn't be in the room anyway. Jack knew it was bullshit but the doctor didn't budge. He was filling a glass with milk when he felt it. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and it felt like a cold hand was squeezing his heart. For a moment he was to shocked to move, the glass slipped from his hand and landed on the floor. Then he knew.

He didn't wait for the elevator. He rushed up the stairs, the horrible feeling only growing stronger the closer he got to Bobby's room. Running down the hallway he ignored the calls from the staff asking him to stop. He saw Angel and Jerry coming from the other direction and he met their eyes, the panic visible in his own.

"Jack! What...?"

He didn't stop or answer. He hit his shoulder in the doorframe when he rushed in but he didn't feel it. He came to a stop just inside the door, and felt what was left of his heart break.

Bobby's doctor looked up and met his eyes for a second, the compassion clearly visible, before he turned back to watch the heart monitor as he tried to get Bobby's heart to start beating. Jack heard Angel and Jerry gasp beside him, then he couldn't hear anything but the sound from the monitor, signaling no heartbeat.

"Bobby!" He rushed forward but was stopped by an orderly.

"You can't be here, you have to wait outside"

"That's our brother!" Jerry shouted.

They were more or less pushed out, Angel and Jerry holding Jack back from rushing back in. Long after the doors closed Jack heard that sound in his head.

It took one hour. One hour before they knew. One hour before the doors opened. One hour before they knew if their brother was still alive. One hour that changed them forever.

When the doctor told them that they didn't know yet why Bobby's heart had stopped Jack felt the walls close in on him. They were trying to find out why, but wanted to let them know that he was stable now, and that they could see him.

Jack thought he looked even paler now if that was possible. He reached for his hand but hesitated, he looked so fragile, he didn't want to hurt him. Jerry stopped beside him and motioned for him to go ahead. His hand was rough, just like it always been, Jack swallowed hard.

They sat in silence, gathered around Bobby's bed, all of them to afraid to leave, afraid that if they did, his heart would stop again. It felt like maybe they could prevent it by being there, as if they could somehow keep him here with their presence.

From that day Jack never left Bobby's room.

He seldom slept, tried to avoid it as much as possible. When he did the nightmares tormented him. Instead he watched hockey on the small tv in Bobby's room. He followed the red wings like they had always done and commented to Bobby about the players, told him the score and if they won. Usually Angel and Jerry was there too, but sometimes they left, he didn't know where but he knew why. They knew it was his one chance to talk, since he didn't talk to them. At least not about the shooting, and not about Victor Sweet.

He thought about Evelyn and he wondered if she was dissapointed in him, but most of all he wondered if Bobby would be. He had changed. He looked the same, but he felt different. For so long he had been the one his brothers protected from everything they could, the one who was different, the one who would never know how it felt to take someones life. That had changed. He had changed. Would Bobby still see the same Jack when he looked at him?

Ignoring the voice in his head whispering that Bobby might never even look at him again, he leaned his head down against Bobby's and closed his tired eyes. His deepest fear was that Bobby would never wake up, but as he confessed that night, his second was that he would never look at him the same way again.

When Bobby finally woke from his coma it wasn't at all like those dramatic scenes you sometimes see in the movies. It was in the evening exactly three weeks after Jack had killed Sweet and everything was quiet. Angel and Jerry was down in the cafeteria getting some coffee and Jack was sitting in his usual chair next to Bobby's bed. Christmas was around the corner and the hospital was full of decorations. Jack hadn't noticed.

"Jack?"

He had been staring at the wall since his brothers left but when he heard his name from his oldest brothers mouth his head snapped around to look at Bobby.

They stared into each others eyes, confusion in one of them and tears in the others. A few seconds passed and then Jack leaned over and pressed his head against Bobby. He felt Bobby's hand stroke his hair slowly, and he cried.

Yay Bobby's awake and, well not, well, but awake at least. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and this story, and like I said I really hope you'll follow me to the sequel, that now has a name, it's called "Will you still love me tomorrow?" . First chapter should be up shortly. Lucy, I'm counting on you to be there!

For those who at times thought my logic was lacking or at all missing...

I didn't want Jack to kill Fowler even though he was prepared to. I wanted Sweet to be the one who Jack crossed that line with. Also I wanted Jerry to get his hands dirty too, they're in this together, and I wanted to show that if need be he'll be there, right along with his brothers.

Sweet is obviously not the first man Jack killed, as he killed some of the men in the shooting, and Tommy. In a way I wanted Sweet to be the only one Jack killed, but it didn't work with the story. I also think it shows how much he has to deal with now. But when he killed those people it was in self defence, and the other time to protect Jerry, while he killed Sweet while he was unarmed, and not a threat a that moment (at least no more than usual), and I wanted it to be that way. I thought about that scene a lot, how it would happen, what weapon he would use and so on, since it was such an important part of the story. In the end I didn't want it to be while Sweet was threatening someone else, or him, I wanted Jack to make the descision based on his feelings. It wasn't something that just happened, he chose to kill him. He had a choice, and he picked that one.