The Messinger Sisters

The next morning, Jay woke up with her head pillowed on Jack’s chest while he was running his fingers through her hair.

“Mm, morning Jackie.”

“Good morning Jay. Sleep good?”

You know I did. I always do,” Every time Jay slept in the same bed as Jack she always slept completely through the night.

“Can I see the sketch you did last night?” He asked.

Jay starred at him for a second, then sat up. “Sure. But I should tell you, it’s not done yet and I’m intending to make it a painting,” She reached for the sketch book and handed it to Jack. Jay sat on the edge of the bed, knowing what Jack was looking at.

She’d drawn all four Mercer brothers, Bobby and Jerry in the middle, Jack beside Jerry and Angel beside Bobby. Both of the younger two were slightly in front of Bobby and Jerry. (Think of the movie poster picture.) They were standing in a field against a blue sky with fluffy clouds. In the sky, was Evelyn’s face. She was smiling and looking down at her four boys.

“Jay, it’s beautiful,” Jack handed her back the sketchbook.

“Thank you. I’m going to paint it and give you guys the painting for a Christmas gift. Just don’t tell your brothers, okay?”

“You got it,” Jack slid up behind her and hugged her, resting his chin on her right shoulder.

“Jackie, Jay-bird? You two awake?” Andi knocked on the door.

“Yeah!” They called back.

“Good,” She and Angel walked in. “Do you need help down the stairs, Cracker Jack?” Angel asked.

“No,” Jack stated, grabbing his crutch and standing up. Jay followed his lead and the two of them made their way down the stairs, Angel in front of them, Andi behind them.

“Hi again, Sofi,” Jay smiled at the young woman who was downstairs in the living room.

“Jay, my wife Camille and daughters Daniela and Amelia,” Jerry introduced them.

“Uncle Jack!” Daniela and Amelia ran over to him.

“Careful girls,” Camille warned.

“It’s okay, Camille,” Jack assured her and bent down as both girls hugged him.

“Where’s Sammy?” Jay asked Jules.

“Right here, Aunt Jay!” The aforementioned five year old bounded into the room and straight to Jayden.

“Hey kid,” Jay smiled and bent down to hug him.

“Come on you two. There’s breakfast in the kitchen,” Jules smiled.

“Who made it?” Jay followed her siblings with caution.

“Charlie and Camille,” Bella answered.

“Oh good. It’s not poisonous then,” Jay hobbled into the kitchen far more comfortably now.

Jack laughed and followed her.

An hour later, the two of them were squeezing each other’s good hand as they rode, mostly in silence, to the Mercer home. The only noise was the music from Bella’s radio.

“Ready?” Bella made eye contact with Jay through the rearview mirror before they turned onto the right road.

“Yeah,” Jay answered in a small voice. Jerry and Jules both had their own families in their cars while Angel, Andi, and Sofi rode in Angel’s car. The same one he’d ‘borrowed’ from a friend.

Slowly, the Mercer home appeared on the road before them. Bella parked in the driveway and Jack got out and helped Jay out. The two of them stood and starred at the place where they’d been shot. Jay was glad it had snowed since they’d been shot, but still she could practically see the blood in the snow around the phone pole. Turning her eyes to the house, she could see the differences to the front of the house. It was a different shade of green now than it had been before for one thing.

Jack’s grip had become almost painful but Jay hardly noticed it, though in some part of her mind she was sure she was squeezing back just as hard.

“Are you two okay?” Jules came up behind them and spoke softly. Jay nodded her head and assumed Jack did the same as he didn’t speak.

Tugging gently, though still squeezing her hand tight, Jack pulled Jay into the house. They sat together on the couch and Jay once again curled into Jack’s side. He put his arm around her and rested his head against hers.

“Fairy,” Bobby stated. Jack just smiled, remembering what Jay had told everyone about Kaleb the day before and deciding not to dispute it right now.

The six of them spent a few hours at the house together before Jay and Jack decided they were ready to go back to the Messinger home. They climbed back into Bella’s car and this time conversation came easily to the two in the front seat. They ended up debating hockey for most of the ride, actually. Jay and Jack sat together in the back seat, silently listening to their older siblings.

“I’m going to go work on that painting I was telling you about,” Jayden informed Jack as soon as they hobbled through the front door.

“Okay, but I’m staying down here,” He smiled at her and Jay started climbing the stairs as best as she could with a crutch under one arm.

She set up all of her art supplies she would need and sat in front of the canvas, the sketch off to the side slightly. Jay began by painting the field and sky before actually starting on the four brothers. At some point, Jack brought her a glass of water and something to eat. Some time later, he came back up and fed the food to her as she continued to work on the painting. The last time Jack walked into the room was to go to bed. He lay down, facing the wall so the light didn’t disturb him and so he wouldn’t see the painting. He knew with Jay’s work that if he looked before it was finished, he’d feel he ruined it for himself.

Evelyn was the hardest for Jay as she had never met the woman. But she knew her own dad and figured they were pretty similar considering the children they’d taken in and raised. Jay did her very best to convey pride in Evelyn’s face as she looked down upon her four sons.

Finally, she put her brush down and glanced at the clock. The red numbers told her it was 5:30am. Sighing, she grabbed a cloth and set it over the painting, being careful with the way she laid it so that the paint didn’t smudge. She always did this; take an extremely long time to complete a painting. She was a perfectionist though, when it came to her art; Always had been, ever since she first started back in her biological parents’ home. She was glad Even had convinced her to keep going with it even though she often found herself disappointed in the work she’d done when she was younger.

She climbed into the bed beside Jack, who had turned over in his sleep, and curled up against him then. Entirely too soon for Jay, Bella was waking them up.

“Jay? How long have you been painting anyway?” Jerry asked that afternoon.

“Since I came here, really. I mean, I did a few drawings and stuff at my mother and father’s, but everything I was serious about I did here. Why?”

“Just wondering after you spent all day yesterday working on that painting. What is it anyway?”

“You’ll have to wait until tomorrow, like everyone else. It’s a Christmas gift,” She declared.

“Shit, already? I’d forgotten Christmas was tomorrow. Are we all going to have Christmas together then?” Jules asked.

“Sure. We could even have dinner together, if Camille and Charlie would be wonderful enough to cook it for us,” Bella turned pleading eyes to the two in question.

“Relax, Bella. You guys would poison yourselves if we didn’t,” Charlie rolled his eyes as Camille nodded her agreement.

“We’ll help as much as we can, okay? There’s a lot of people to feed,” Jack offered.

Jay and Jack’s friends from New York called again and reported that Cat’s scans (CAT scans! teehee! Sorry) were showing improvement.

“Why did Cat move to New York anyway? I mean you moved for your music, and Jay for her art,” Andi asked.

“To be a model; ‘Cept then she met Archie. I have never met a more controlling man in my life,” Jay stated.

“He controlled what she ate, when she ate, when she was able to hang out with the rest of us, the modeling jobs she tried for, when she slept, everything really,” Jack elaborated.

“But he didn’t start hitting her until a few months before we came back here. Cat, of course, believed she deserved it. Jackie and I were both working with her to get her to leave him and I think we were getting through to her,” Jay sighed. The others nodded; they all understood abuse and what it did to some people.

The next morning, Jay got up earlier than Jack and wrapped the painting in some of the brown packaging paper her dad always kept around the house.

After the kids opened their gifts that morning, Jay handed the painting to Bobby. “It’s the one I was working on the day before yesterday,” She informed him before turning to her sisters. “I think I might do one of us as well, but I’m not sure yet.”

Bobby tore the paper off and starred at what he saw. “Man, what is it?” Angel asked, standing and looking at the painting for himself. “Oh God,” He breathed.

Jerry’s eyes narrowed and he and Jack walked up to Bobby. Jerry sucked in a shocked breath when he saw it. Jack, though he knew what he would see, was still gobsmacked. None of them could believe the detail in each of them and in their mother’s face.

“Jayden, what did you paint?” Camille asked.

“It’s the four of them in a field, Jerry and Bobby in the middle. In the sky is Evelyn’s face, looking down at them,” Jay starred at the back of the canvas as she spoke.

“She looks so proud,” Angel muttered.

“What makes you think she’s not?” Camille countered. “She always was proud of the four of you, you know that.”

Bobby handed the painting to Jerry silently. Swiftly, he walked to Jay, snatched her out of her seat and pulled her into a fierce hug. “Thank you,” He whispered in her ear.

Jay wrapped her arms around him as tight as she was able. “You’re more than welcome,” She whispered back.

Author’s note: Okay, I know that bit with Bobby was slightly OOC, but for good reason. He cried in the movie for Evelyn and I know she was very dear to all of them, but Bobby was the oldest and it is my experience that the oldest always seems closer somehow to the parent(s), so I figured I would have him react a lot to a painting of her like that, ya know? Did that make sense at all? By the way, I’m sick right now so updates may take a bit for a little while. Lastly, much thanks to Aleta Rois for reviewing and JainaZekk621 for reviewing both stories! I appreciate it greatly guys!!