Chapter Text
Pittsburgh, 2016
Robby nods at Dana in greeting, storing his bag under the desk in central. He glances around briefly for Jack, knowing the man had been working that night. Technically, Robby wasn’t supposed to be working this morning, but Adamson was dealing with a burst pipe at his house and needed to be around for the plumber.
“Adamson beg you to come in?” Dana asks with a grin.
Robby grinned back, resting his arms on the counter. “I’ve been telling him for years that the sound those pipes were making wasn’t normal. He promised a steak dinner if I covered for him.” Dana smacks his arm, shaking her head and mumbling about never getting a steak dinner for doing her job. “Things seem under control, as much as this place can be, where’s Jack?”
Dana’s grin falls. “He got some phone call ‘bout an hour ago.” She leans forward, lowering her voice. “He didn’t look too good. He went pale and muttered something about needing some air, hasn’t shown up since. His residents have had things covered, but Robby, I’m worried. I’ve never seen him like that.”
Robby sighs, nodding his head and running a hand through his hair. “Don’t worry, I’ll go talk to him. Can you-”
“The next shift of residents have already arrived, and the current ones have agreed to stick around a little longer. Take as long as he needs.” Dana reaches over, grabbing his hand. “Make sure that boy of yours is okay.”
Robby squeezes her hand back, grateful for Dana. “I always do.”
Heart raising, Robby gives her one last appreciative look before turning and making his way to the elevators. “Needing some air” has become something of a shorthand between the two from back in their med school days. From losing their first patients, to when Robby got the news that his grandmother had passed, they would say those magic words and they knew to meet each other on the roof when the other had the time.
Robby doesn’t know what kind of call would make Jack abandon his shift and to shake Dana that badly, but it can’t be good.
Robby braces himself as he exits the elevator, turning to head up the last flight of stairs and out the door of the emergency exit. There’s a pile of cigarette butts from other staff members that sneak up here for secret smoke breaks, and the cold morning breeze makes him pull his green fleece jacket close as he shivers in place.
Looking around, he finds Jack leaning forward against the guard rail, his phone between his hands and resting against his forehead. He’s still in his scrubs, and for some reason the first thing that pops into Robby’s head is that he must be freezing without a jacket.
“Hey, brother, Dana said I could find you up here. Wanna talk about it?” Robby approaches slowly, trying to seem casual. He mirrors Jack’s position on the railing, looking out over the skyline.
Jack turns his head away, sniffing and subtly trying to wipe his eyes. “Fuck no, I’m fine.”
“Oh yeah? Can you try saying that to me and not the building over there?” Robby leans forward a little more, trying to catch Jack’s gaze. “Please?”
At the please, Jack lets out a rough sigh, stuffing his phone in his pocket so he can scrub his hands down his face. After a minute of Robby patiently waiting for Jack to compose himself, he finally turns to Robby with red rimmed eyes. “Do, uh… do you remember me mentioning my siblings out in California?” He asks in a rough voice.
Robby nods slowly. “Yeah, a brother and sister, right?”
Jack takes a breath, looking back out at the sunrise. “Twins. We always joked that I was the unofficial triplet since our crazy moms convinced the doctors to induce them at the same time.” Jack chuckles at the memory. “They, uh, they were best friends and when they had some crazy night with a guy and both got pregnant, they thought it was fate or some crazy shit.” Jack pauses again, turning back to Robby with wet eyes. “That was Pope. He said… he said that Julia’s dead, that… that she had OD’d, and that the funeral’s in a less than a week, but I can’t fucking fly, and-”
Jack’s voice is steadily rising, and once it reaches its tipping point, Robby grabs him and pulls him into his chest, holding him firmly in place. Jack starts sobbing, a heart-wrenching sound that Robby’s only heard in the ED when family members get the worst kind of news. Between sobs, Jack gasps for breath and starts gripping the back of Robby’s jacket, clinging to him as if he’s his only lifeline right now.
For his part, all Robby can do is hold him, running a hand up and down his back as the other one tangles in Jack’s curls. He rocks them in place, letting Jack process his grief. At one point, someone opened the fire escape door for a smoke, but freezes at the sight of the two of them. Robby glares over Jack’s shoulder, daring the man to say something. At his look, the man turns in place and leaves them alone without a word.
“Doing that’s only gonna make the rumors worse.” Jack croaks, head still buried in the crook of Robby’s neck.
“That, what? That I don’t conform to toxic beliefs of masculinity and that I wanted to comfort my best friend whose twin sister had just died?”
Jack lets out a wet chuckle, sniffling softly. “Not my twin.”
“You said it yourself, the three of you were brought up that way. Plus, you guys share a birthday, I think that makes her a little bit your twin too.”
Jack pulls back, wiping his face and leaning back against the railing. “ Fuck, I just- I haven’t seen her since I was thirteen, either of them. I would talk on the phone with them from time to time, but hadn’t been out to visit. I always meant to, especially when she had her baby, but- but fuckin’ life, man. Something was always going on here, and I always figured I’d have time, and-”
Robby gives him a little space, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Do you want to go to the funeral?” He interrupts Jack’s spiralling.
Jack blinks at him, momentarily thrown. “What sorta question is that? Of course I wanna fuckin’ go, but Oceanside couldn’t be further away from here and with my stupid inability to step foot on a fuckin’ plane- Hey, are you even listening?”
Robby doesn’t look up from his phone until he’s done. “It says here that it’s a thirty-six hour drive. When did you say the funeral was?”
“We are not driving all the way to Oceanside, Michael.”
“When is the funeral?” Robby presses.
Jack huffs, throwing a glare his way. Robby merely raises a brow challengingly. “In two days.” He begrudgingly admits.
“Okay then, was that so hard? I’m only covering Adamson for the first couple hours, so you have time to go home, shower, and get a bag packed. I have an extra set of clothes in my locker, and I’ll get the time off for us squared away with Adamson when he gets here to take over. With both of us driving, we should be able to get there with time to spare.”
Jack slouches in place, a weight lifted off of him. “I hate you.” He says with no bite.
“I love you too. I’m sorry about your sister.” Robby wraps an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a side hug. Jack takes a deep breath, resting his temple on Robby’s shoulder.
“I ruined your jacket with my tears and snot.”
With a twitch of his lips, Robby shrugs out of his jacket and wraps it around Jack, guiding his arms through the holes and zipping it up for him like he does when he’s dressing Jake up to go play in the snow. “Here. At least my scrub top was spared. Besides, you’re practically a popsicle, your goosebumps have goosebumps.”
Jack, surprisingly, lets Robby manhandle him, staring at Robby as he finishes. “Thank you.” It’s barely above a whisper, the words almost getting lost in the wind.
“Don’t worry, we’ll make it. Besides, I’ve always wanted to see California.”
-----------------------
When Robby calls Adamson to update him on everything that's going on, the man makes it his mission to get back to the ED in record time. He must have convinced his sister to come watch his house or something because he shows up to take over for Robby in less than an hour.
“Now, don't worry about your guys' shifts, I'll get some people together to cover them for the next week, call if you need longer.” Adamson goes over with him.
“I will. Thanks again for letting me go too, I know it can't be easy having two attendings being gone at once with no warning.” Robby rushes to finish off his paperwork, hunched over one of the computers. He had already changed out of his scrubs so he can dart out as soon as he finishes.
Adamson waves him off. “This place has run on a lot less. Family comes first, remember that. Now quit, I've got it from here. You two have a lot of miles to cover if you want to make it to California in two days. In fact, here,” He pulls out his wallet, counting out some bills.
Robby straightens out, shaking his head. “No, I couldn't possibly-”
Adamson doesn't back down, forcing the money into his hands. “Take it, I insist.”
Robby sighs, knowing this is a losing battle. “Thank you.” He pockets the cash, glancing at his watch. Knowing Jack, he’s probably showered, packed, and waiting by now.
“Give Abbot my condolences.” Adamson starts walking him out. “And let me or Dana know when you reach California.”
“I will. Thanks again-”
“ Go. Before I have security kick you out.”
Robby hightails it out of there before Adamson makes good on his threat, not surprised to find Jack already waiting outside his condo as he parks his car.
Jack rolls down his window, waving him over. “Get in, I used my spare key to head in and pack your bag already.”
They had already agreed to take Jack’s jeep since the pedals are reversed for him. Robby adjusted to using his car years ago, making Jack’s jeep a no brainer for this spontaneous road trip.
“I’ll drive first, you just got off a twelve hour shift.” Robby walks around after tossing his work bag in the back, standing in front of the driver’s door expectantly.
“Hell no, I’m fine. I’ve driven on less, now get in.”
Robby crosses his arms. “That doesn’t exactly inspire me with confidence. Look, either let me drive, or we can continue to waste time arguing in the parking lot, your choice.”
Jack huffs, gripping the wheel and glaring before flinging the door open. He gets out without a word and stomps over to the passenger side, slamming the door shut.
Great, well this will be an interesting next thirty-six hours.
---------------------
Jack doesn't sleep the whole time Robby's driving. He just stares out the window, doing his best impression of a statue.
“How old is your niece or nephew?” Robby breaks the silence of the jeep somewhere outside of Columbus. He flips the visor down as the sun angles down into his eyes.
“Nephew.” Jack's voice cracks slightly from not speaking all day. “And, uh… He should be about sixteen or seventeen by now. His name is Joshua, but he started going by J when he was around seven.”
“Shit, that's rough. Dad in the picture?” Robby can't help but think of his own history. He doesn't know if it's better or worse that he's sort of grateful that his own mom passed when he was four, letting him adjust to life with his grandma easier than if he were to be uprooted as a teenager.
Jack shakes his head, putting his sunglasses on. “Nah, single mother all the way. Lord knows who the father was anyway, probably some junkie she would get high with.” Jack pauses, biting his lip and turning his head to him for the first time. “Shit, man, I didn't even think about how this could affect you, what with her dying the same way as-”
Robby cuts him off, readjusting his grip on the wheel. “It's fine, I didn't even think of the connection until you pointed it out.” He lies, not wanting Jack to feel any worse than he already does.
“Michael.”
Robby tears his eyes off the road for a second, glancing Jack's way to see him fully turned towards him, sunglasses in his lap. Robby sighs, turning his attention back to the road. “Okay, yes, it crossed my mind, but honestly Jack, I'm fine. We deal with cases of moms who OD often enough, I've become desensitized from it.”
“That doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence.” Jack parrots his words back at him, causing Robby to snort and smack his shoulder.
“Jerk.”
Jack snorts himself, catching Robby's hand and gripping it. Robby lets him, knowing Jack does better when he has someone to cling to. Janey had thought it was strange at first, but soon came to accept that Robby and Jack were just like that sometimes. She would even jokingly refer to Jack as “the competition” while they were still dating.
“Hey, we need to get some gas. We can hit the bathrooms, stretch our legs, and get some food in you.”
Jack sticks his sunglasses back on with one hand. “Not hungry. I'll just get a coffee.”
Robby shakes his head with a chuckle. “No can do, my friend. Food is non-negotiable. Remember when my grandma passed and you threatened to stick a feeding tube down my throat if I didn't eat something? Well, it’s your turn now. Payback's a bitch.”
“You certainly are that last thing.” Jack grumbles, the squeezing of his hand betraying his words.
Jack's phone starts ringing at that moment, causing him to sigh when he glances at it. “It’s my brother, I should take this.”
He barely gets a word in before the person on the other line starts talking, loud enough that Robby can hear. “They sold my fuckin’ house, man!”
Jack glances at Robby, mouthing an apology. “Whoa, slow down, brother. Who sold your house?”
“Smurf and Baz, who else? And she gave away my room at the house to the kid, who we don't know from Adam-”
“Pope- Pope, stop for a minute and take a breath, alright?” Jack takes his hand back, running it through his hair. “Listen, that was pretty shitty of Smurf and Baz to do that without telling you, but I'm sure if they had known you were getting out early that they would have lined up a place for you.”
Pope replies something back, but it's too low for Robby to hear. It must be okay though, because Jack nods his head. “See? If they said they're getting you a place, then they're getting you a place. And about J, he's our nephew, for fucks sake. His mom just died and now he's living in that house for the first time, cut him a little slack.”
There's a rough sigh on the other line. “When are you gonna be here? I want you here.” He whines.
“Tomorrow evening, okay? We're an hour outside Columbus, Ohio now.”
“We? Who's we?”
“Just Robby. I've told you about him, yeah? He's helping me drive since I just got off a twelve hour shift.”
“Med school Robby?”
Jack glances at Robby, who pretends he isn't listening to his every word. Jack sighs, hanging his head. “Yes, med school Robby. Have you heard me talk about any other Robbys, jackass?”
“Seriously? You're bringing him here? Does Smurf know that?”
Jack scoffs. “Maybe if she had been the one that bothered to call me about Julia. Besides, did you miss the part about me just getting off a night shift? We may have insomnia, but even I'm not stupid enough to drive thirty-six hours straight.”
There's another mumble that Robby can't hear, but it seems to unsettle Jack as he glances over at Robby again. “No…” Jack replies slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Shit, seriously? When?” Another pause. “Fuck. Yeah, alright. Thanks for the heads up. Listen, I'll talk to you again soon, okay? We have to get some gas and hit the head. Remember what I said about J, give the kid a chance. He is Julia's kid after all. Bye.”
Jack hangs up, tossing his head back with a groan.
“Everything okay?” Robby asks cautiously.
“Honestly? No, not really. I'm assuming you heard most of that.”
“Most, yeah.” There's no point in Robby denying it. It's a small car and Jack's brother wasn't exactly quiet with his displeasure.
“Yeah, figured as much. Pope not-so-kindly reminded me that if you're gonna meet that side of my family, you should know a few things about them so you aren't caught off guard.”
-------------------
“So let me get this straight,” Robby flicks the gas to continue pumping, crossing his arms and leaning against the jeep. “You grew up in a literal den of thieves who regularly pull heists, your brother just finished a three year sentence for a bank robbery they all took part in, and now they are planning some job for around when we get there.”
Jack stares at the gage as the tank fills up, unnerved by how calmly Robby is taking all the news. “Yup, that about sums it up.”
“Huh.” Is all he says, causing Jack to whip his head around.
“Huh? I tell you all about the screwed up way I was raised for the first thirteen years of my life and all you have to say is huh?”
Robby shrugs. “Well, how else do you want me to react?”
Jack runs a hand through his hair, pushing off the jeep somewhere he can start pacing in the confined space. “I don't know, man, maybe something more than a one syllable response?
Robby sighs, putting the gas pump away as it clicks off. “Okay, uh, what was the worst crime you've committed?"
“By monetary value or by dickishness?”
Robby doesn't flinch at his bluntness. “Both?”
“Pope, Baz, and I robbed a corner store when we were twelve. When I was ten, our teacher called Pope retarded so I broke into his house and smashed the place.”
Robby snorts as they head into the gas station for snacks. “Sounds like that teacher had it coming.”
“Would you take this seriously?”
The jerk has the audacity to laugh at him, tossing a couple protein bars into their hand basket. Jack hits him on the arm. “What?” Robby asks, still chuckling lightly. “You were a kid with not so great role models. It's not like you do any of that shit now.”
Jack purses his lips, glancing around. He leans into Robby to mutter under his breath. “Two cameras inside, but they aren't working. One outside in the atm, but that's an easy one to dodge since the machine is around the corner. There's only one attendant working and he has a gun under the counter, but it's just an airsoft gun with the orange tip sharpyed black. Give me two minutes and I could hit this place in my sleep.”
Robby raises a brow at him, pausing as he peruses the chips. “Am I Butch or Sundance in this little thought experiment?”
“I'm showing you that that side has never gone away. I still case banks every time I walk in one purely on instinct.”
“Have you ever acted on it?”
“Fuck no.”
Robby shrugs, grabbing a bag of chips for himself and the kind that Jack likes. “Then who cares? We all have intrusive thoughts like that. Whenever I'm at the store and see a lady leave her purse in the cart, I always think about how easy it would be to snatch it.”
Jack scoffs, tossing in a few energy drinks for his drive tonight. “That one's not as easy as you'd think. A guy walking off with a purse stands out, so you want a woman with you to pass it off to. Now, you could always reach in and grab just the wallet, that was always my go-to, but that's only best when she leaves the purse open. Unzipping and digging around usually takes too much time.”
Robby nods as if Jack is talking about the weather. “Good to know. Want anything else?”
Jack sighs, giving up on trying to get through to Robby. “No. I'll meet you at the car, I'm gonna go take a piss.”
They split up, and once Jack finishes his business, he stands at the sink washing his hands. Glancing at himself in the dirty, cracked mirror, he's not surprised to find bags under his eyes. By his count, he's been up for over twenty-four hours by now. Twenty-four more hours than Julia's been alive.
He blames it on the lack of sleep that makes him reach under the sink, grabbing a wrench from the toolbox that was left there, and loosening a bolt until the pipe under the sink starts to steadily drip.
Standing with a grunt, he heads out of the bathroom and up to the counter where the bored attendant is flipping through a magazine.
“Hey, man, the sink in the men's room is leaking everywhere.”
The attendant, Jerry by the name tag, groans as he tosses his magazine down. “Shit, again? This place and it's shitty old plumbing. Thanks for the heads up.”
Jack gives him a polite smile, pretending to browse a shelf as the man goes into the bathroom, backtracking once the door closes to some cursing. Looking around, no one is in the store and Robby is out waiting in the jeep, messing around on his phone by the looks of it.
Hopping up onto the counter and spinning around in one swift movement, he opens the register and grabs all the money. He shuts the register, hops back down, and pockets the bills right as Jerry walks back out, grumbling under his breath.
“Have a good day, man. Hope you get those pipes fixed.”
“You and me both.”
With a wave, Jack heads out and gets into the passenger seat.
“Everything okay?” Robby asks, setting his phone in the cup holder.
“Just dandy.” Jack replies, putting his sunglasses on as Robby starts the car and pulls out. He rolls up his pant leg and releases the vacuum seal on his prosthetic, freeing the stump from that and his few layers. “I'm gonna try and nap for a couple hours.” He says as he leans back in his seat, crossing his arms.
There's a pause as Jack can feel Robby's stare. “Yeah, alright.” He finally says.
Jack shuts his eyes, concerned that the roughly three thousand dollars sitting in his pocket isn't weighing on him like it should.
-----------------
They make it to Oceanside at dusk, Jack having taken over the driving since Las Vegas, despite having driven all night and into the late morning. Even though he had his eyes closed during the day, Robby noticed he wasn't really sleeping aside for a couple minutes here and there where he would nod off for real.
Jack rolls down his window, reaching out to type in a code to open the gate.
“Pope texted me the code.” Jack explains without being asked as he rolls the window back up.
The first thing Robby notices as they pull in is that his family has a lot of toys. ATVs, a boat, and a handful of fancy cars greet them.
Jack shuts off the jeep, taking a deep breath as he stares at the house.
“All good?”
Jack nods jerkily, reaching out and giving Robby's hand a quick squeeze. “Peachy.” He drops his hand after that, flinging his door open and slamming it shut.
Robby takes his time getting out, a group of people already walking out from the garage. Leading the charge is who Robby can only assume is Pope. He's the spitting image of Jack, the only major difference being that Pope's hair is cut short while Jack likes to let his curls grow out more.
“It's about time.” The man speaks, the same voice as the one that Jack had been talking to on the phone.
Pope doesn't give Jack a chance to respond, collapsing into him with a tight hug. He rests his head on Jack's shoulder, the tight muscles in Jack's back finally loosening some since he got the news about his sister.
“I missed you.” Pope mumbles into the crook between Jack's neck and shoulder.
Jack rests his temple on the top of Pope's head, clinging back just as hard. “I missed you, too, buddy.”
They stay like that another few seconds, Robby making awkward eye contact with the others that had made their way over.
A guy with short, stylized hair standing behind Pope clears his throat. “So, this was your surprise, Pope?” He asks with a grin. “Give us a turn, man.”
Pope glances over his shoulder, still holding onto Jack. Jack sighs, patting Pope on the back. “C'mon, man, I wanna see the others.”
Pope reluctantly pulls away, taking a couple steps back with a huff.
The short haired guy claps hands with Jack, pulling him in for a short hug. “It's been too long, man.” He pats his back.
“You said it, brother.” Jack claps him back, both of them pulling away.
A long, dark haired man with a beard runs up next, nearly tackling Jack to the ground with his hug. “Jackie!”
“Shit, Craig! Someone's been eating his weaties.” Jack says with a laugh, grabbing Craig's shoulders to keep his balance.
Robby glances back at the three yet to make a move. One’s a teenager, probably J, he's not sure about the blond guy, probably another brother, and a short, blond woman, Smurf most likely.
Jack walks up to the woman, squaring his shoulders slightly. “Hi, Mama Smurf.” He says softly.
Smurf smiles warmly, but something about it makes the hairs on the back of Robby's neck stand on end. “Welcome home, baby.” She puts her hand on Jack's cheek, him leaning into the touch like he doesn't even realize he's doing it. “Look at you, my boy all grown up.” She runs a hand through his hair, pulling him into a hug.
Jack melts into it submissively, in a way that Robby's never seen from Jack before. But he has seen it in the ED, usually right before he steps out to get a social worker involved.
Smurf lets him go before Robby needs to step in, turning expectantly to the other two.
“Deran, say hi to your brother.” She says to the blond, hand on her hip and sounding more like an order.
The blond nods, not making a move. “Hey.”
Smurf gives a disapproving look, one that Robby recognizes from his grandma that meant she was going to speak to him later. “J, honey, come here and meet your Uncle Jack.” She waves over the teen instead, a smile plastered on her face again. She wraps an arm around his shoulders. “Jack here was your mom's brother, did she ever mention him?”
J nods, looking so much like Jack as he studies him that it nearly floors Robby. “Yeah. You're from Pittsburgh, right?”
Jack nods, a sad smile on his face. “Yup. I'm sorry about your mom, kid.”
“Thanks. Sorry about your sister.”
Smurf rubs J's back, turning back to Jack. “Why don’t you boys come in and I can reheat some plates for you, and you can introduce us to your friend.” She glances at Robby, shooting him a smile. “We would have held off on dinner if I had known you two were coming.” She adds pointedly in Pope's direction.
“Does no one understand what a surprise is anymore?” Pope grumbles.
--------------
Robby learns that the short haired man is Baz, the brother that's Jack and Pope's age. He's the only one not related by blood, having been adopted by Smurf when he was a little kid. Jack hadn’t filled him in on much more than that on the car ride here.
“So, you and Jack met in med school?” Baz asks, passing him a beer on his way by, all of them sitting around a sunken living room after they ate.
Robby thanks him, taking a sip as Jack laughs next to him. “Less met, and more fell into me. We were observing our first autopsy when he fainted and broke my leg.”
“Really?” Baz pauses taking a seat, raising a brow.
Robby rolls his eyes. “It happens more often than you think. We have students drop every year. I more than made up for it by having to carry his bag around as we waited for his new leg to come in.”
“New leg?” Deran speaks up for the first time this evening, smoking weed and flipping through a surf magazine.
Jack rolls up his pant leg, showing off his prosthetic as he unlatches it. “I got a deal on schooling, I only had to pay a leg and got to keep my arm.” He jokes as he rubs his stump. By Robby's count, he's had it on way too long.
“Shit, how'd that happen?” Pope smacks Deran, glaring at him. “What?!” Daren complains, rubbing his arm. “Sorry if I don’t know the proper etiquette on asking someone how they lost a limb.”
“It's fine,” Jack waves him off. “I've spent more of my life without it than with it. I joined the army right out of high school and became a field medic. I was twenty-one when we were evacing a critical soldier by helicopter when we got shot down.”
Smurf, sitting next to Jack and an arm wrapped around his shoulders, starts running a hand through his hair. “My poor baby. You should have called me instead of enlisting, you know I would have helped out, but you always were the most independent.”
“Holy fuck.” Craig mutters. “Uh, thank you for your service?”
Jack snorts, reaching across and stealing Deran's blunt. “Get outta here with that shit. I joined for purely selfish reasons. We were too poor to afford school and my grades were too shit for a scholarship. Besides, serving through Don't Ask, Don't Tell was hell.”
“Wait, you’re gay?” Deran asks, a weird look on his face.
“Bi, actually. Why, we gonna have a problem?” Jack leans forward, glaring at him.
Daren shakes his head, leaning back and lighting a new blunt. “No, man, relax. Jesus, you’re as bad as Pope.”
This leads to more squabbling between Pope and Deran, something that must be a common occurrence since no one bats an eye. Baz continues to ask Robby questions about their work, so far being the easiest of Jack’s family members to talk to. Smurf’s easy to talk to too, almost a little too easy if Robby’s being honest. Like she always has just the right thing to say at any given moment. He’s once again reminded of the human traffickers and pimps that occasionally pass through the ED. Someone that always has to have control of the situation.
After half an hour, everyone starts trickling out. J first, heading to his room. Then Deran and Craig, Craig encouraging Deran away from Pope when their argument starts to get a little more heated.
Baz gets a call, his wife wanting him home because their daughter refuses to go to bed until she sees him. Robby follows him out, letting Jack stay and catch up more with Smurf and Pope while he gets their bags and Jack’s spare crutches from the car. It has nothing to do with the fact that Smurf was beginning to make his skin itch.
“Hey, it was nice meeting you again, man.” Baz hesitates outside his own jeep. “Sorry if you got a little overwhelmed, we’ve been told we can be a little much when we’re all put in a room together.”
Robby waves him off, shaking his head. “If you think that’s bad, you should see the ED on Black Friday. You wouldn’t believe the shit I’ve seen people pull for a good deal on a flat screen.”
Baz chuckles, fiddling with his phone. “Yeah, I bet.” He pauses, looking up from his phone. “Listen, I’m not sure what Jack’s told you about us, about what we do-”
Robby hangs his head with a grin. He should have known that he wasn’t just looking for a friendly chat on the way out. “Yeah, he mentioned a thing or two about your family business.” He raises his hands. “Don’t worry, I’m a doctor, not a cop, so this whole sussing me out thing isn’t necessary. I just wanted to help my best friend get here on time to say goodbye to his sister.”
Robby waits as Baz studies him, finally nodding. “Yeah, alright. But I gotta ask,” He leans forward. “You two are really just friends?”
Robby snorts at the tone change, shaking his head. “I love the guy, but to quote Jack when a male patient hit on me once, I’m “Tragically heterosexual”.”
----------------
When Robby makes it back inside the house, Jack and Pope have moved out to sit by the pool and Smurf is alone in the kitchen doing the dishes. Despite not being Smurf’s biggest fan, she’s still someone that Jack cares about and Robby would feel guilty leaving all the work to her after she fed them and welcomed them into her home.
After dropping off their things in the living room, Robby heads over and picks up a dish towel, drying a pan.
“You don’t have to do that, dear. You’re a guest.” Smurf says sweetly, for a moment sounding genuine.
“My grandmother would be rolling in her grave if she knew that I had left all the dishes to the host.”
Smurf smiles at him. “Smart woman.” She hands over a plate after rinsing it off. The two work in silence for a few minutes until Smurf pauses to look out at the patio where Jack and Pope are out talking in the lounge chairs. “How’s he been? Has he been sleeping?”
Robby sets down the dish with a sigh. “He nodded off a couple times while I was driving, but no, not since he found out.”
Smurf sighs herself, tearing her vision away from the two and focusing on scrubbing at a particularly tough burnt piece of food that’s stuck to a baking dish. “Pope hasn’t either. Those two have always struggled with insomnia. When they were kids, I once had to sneak a sleeping pill into their food because they hadn’t slept in a week. God, you must think I’m terrible, but with four kids all under the age of ten and a fifth on the way, I was desperate to get those two to sleep.”
Robby finds himself shaking his head. “I’ve seen mothers do much worse, believe me.”
She blinks at him, and Robby gets the feeling that he’s passed some sort of test. “Thank you. You know, I really did try my best with all of them. Jack’s mother… She was struggling after he was born. They didn’t have a name for it back then, but it would be considered postpartum depression now. She would stay in bed days at a time. Jack in his crib for hours, screaming because he’d be hungry and have a dirty diaper… She needed help, so I found a facility where she could get it and took care of Jack in the meantime.”
“That was very generous of you. It couldn’t have been easy taking care of three infants.”
“It wasn’t easy, believe me, but it would all be worth it when I would see the three of them curl up together. Are you a parent, Robby?”
That’s a loaded question if Robby’s ever heard one. “Yes, and no.” He finally settles on. “My ex, her son was a toddler when we were dating a few years ago. When we broke up, we decided to stay friends for Jake’s sake. He was already pretty attached to me and it works out well when she gets pulled away for work or just needs a day to decompress.”
Smurf turns off the water, taking off her dish gloves and leaving them out to dry. “Jack's lucky to have you, sweetheart.” She squeezes his arm and he has to suppress the urge to flinch at the contact. “The spare room is down the hall and to the right. Have a good night's sleep, the funeral’s in the morning. I’m sure Jack will need his friend’s support.” She says before turning and walking away.
Once left alone, Robby sighs, running his hands down his face and gripping the back of his neck. He’s only been here a couple hours and he already understands why Jack is the way he is so much better.
----------------
“So, you and Robby .” Pope breaks the carefully built silence by the pool as they watch the last of the lights shut off in the house.
Jack sighs as he rolls another joint, Deran having given him a baggie earlier with some half-assed apology about his leg. Jack couldn't care less, but he's not about to turn down some free weed.
It's weird, the last time Jack saw him he was only a little kid, following Jack around everywhere he went. Hell, him and Pope basically delivered him in that gas station bathroom while Craig went to find a payphone to call an ambulance.
“I thought I was the chatty one and you were the brood in silence type.” Jack comments as he lights his joint, inhaling deeply. It feels good, the drugs doing their job of loosening his muscles and quieting down his mind. The last time he got high, he was still in med school, and him and Robby went to some party.
Pope eyes the joint, his position on drugs always being firmly in the no category. “And I thought doctors were against smoking, but here we are. Are you two fucking?”
Jack chokes at the pointed question, not used to Pope's bluntness. He coughs a few times, pounding on his chest. “Jesus, what the fuck, man?” Pope nearly raises a brow, waiting for an answer. “No! No, Robby and I are just friends.”
“Really? He drove across the country and is willingly staying here just for you, and you two aren't screwing?” Pope shakes his head, chuckling a little. “Brother, he is down bad for you.”
Jack just flips him off, leaning back in the lounge chair.
“I mean,” Pope continues, ignoring Jack's clear dismissal. “You've been in love with him for what? The past fifteen years or something? You should tell him.”
Jack rolls his head to the side, glaring at Pope. “Thank you for the relationship advice, Dear Abby. By the way, how's Catherine?”
Jack knows it was a dick move to bring up Catherine knowing full well that she's with Baz and even has a kid with him now, but by the glare now being directed at him, it seems to get his message across to drop the subject.
“How's J been? Eating, sleeping?”
Pope shrugs. “Don't know, I'm not the kid's babysitter. He's not even here most of the time. He's either at school or his girlfriend's.”
Jack sighs roughly, feeling like he's going to need more than just the joint and a half he's had tonight. “I told you, J is your nephew. He's Julia's son. You should be looking after him, or at the very least making sure Smurf isn't fucking him up like she did us.”
“I think him being raised by an addict and having her OD in front of him already fucked him up.” Pope pauses, staring at the pool. “You should take him back with you if you’re that worried.”
Jack scoffs. “Like Smurf would allow that.”
“He’s your nephew too.” Pope says mockingly.
“Since when has that stopped Smurf? Remember that shit she pulled trying to keep me here when my mom wanted to move? She took my mom’s history of depression and tried to get her deemed as unfit. She would have a field day with me.” Jack taps out the joint in the ash tray on the table next to the chairs, rubbing his hands down his face after. “Jesus, this whole situation is fucked.”
Pope stares at him, looking the same as Jack feels. Without a word, he gets up and walks over to Jack’s chair. He nudges Jack, barely giving him a chance to scoot over before climbing into the lounge chair with him. It’s a tight fit, these chairs not made for two grown adult men, but they make it work. They are half on top of each other, Jack with his arm around him and Pope on top of his chest. It could almost be mistaken for romantic if it weren’t for the fact that they used to do this all the time as kids.
“Did you ever find out what job the others are planning?” Jack asks, shifting slightly.
“Nope. Did you ever tell Robby what it is we do?”
“Yup.” Pope raises his head to give Jack a shocked look. Jack, for his part, merely smirks at him.
“And yet he still came?”
“Yup.”
Pope shakes his head before lowering it again back down on Jack’s chest. “And yet you want me to believe Robby isn’t in love with you?
The money still in Jack’s pocket suddenly feels heavier. “I gave him a watered down, cliff notes edition of everything. Maybe a little too watered down because-” Jack cuts himself off, not wanting to mention the small heist he pulled as if it was second nature. Saying it out loud would make it real, and making it real would be admitting that he missed the rush that comes with a successful heist. But maybe… “Do you remember when you, me, and Julia were kids, and we would tell each other our birthday wishes even though we weren’t supposed to, because when we told each other it was like keeping it a secret anyway?”
Pope, sensing this is serious, sits up slightly so he can see Jack clearly. He nods, letting Jack continue.
“I waited to tell him until we stopped for gas, figuring if he was mad or upset, he would be able to walk away for a bit to cool off. Well, he took the news a little too well, saying it wasn’t my fault because I was a young, impressionable kid at the time. When I pushed back, pointing out every flaw at this shitty gas station in the middle of bumfuck, Ohio, he just made some joke about Butch and Sundance.” Swallowing, he reaches a shaky hand into his pocket and pulls out the large wad of bills. “The attendant was a real fuckin’ idiot, going off to fix a pipe and leaving the register unattended while their two cameras are out.”
Pope looks between the money and Jack, face unreadable. “Any cameras on the pumps?”
“Nope. Just one from an ATM, but it was facing away from the front.”
“And how did lover boy react?”
Jack bites his lip, stuffing the money back into his pocket. “I didn’t tell him, he was already out waiting in the car when I made the distraction and jumped the counter. I can’t tell him, and you can’t either, because if he knows and asks me if I feel bad-” Jack cuts himself off again, throwing his head back.
Pope seems to understand, laying his head back down. He grips the front of Jack's shirt, his knuckles almost white with the tight grip.
----------------
Robby jerks awake to the sound of the door squeaking open. He feels like he barely slept, something about this house making it hard for him to fully relax.
Squinting up, he finds Jack standing there on his crutches. “What time is it?” He croaks out, sitting up slightly.
“Around three. Can I…” He trails off, fidgeting with the handle of his crutches.
Robby sighs in understanding, scooting back as far as he can on the twin bed and lifting the sheet in invitation. Jack sits on the edge, setting the crutches within reach for later and turning around to lay down. He buries himself in Robby’s chest, gripping the back of his shirt in a tight hug.
Robby moves on instinct, wrapping his arms around him and resting his chin on top of Jack’s head. The smell of weed assaults his senses. That explains why Jack is suddenly all cuddly, he’s always been the clingy type when high or drunk. “You reek.” He whispers, rubbing Jack’s back.
“I’ll shower in the morning.” His voice is muffled by Robby’s shirt.
“Did you remember a shower stool?” There’s been a few times where Jack forgot it and Robby had to help him. Jack told him once he’d rather be temporarily embarrassed with him than slip and fall, and end up in the ED.
Jack nods against his chest. “Yeah, I remembered. It’s that fold up travel one you got me a few years back.”
“Good.”
Jack’s breathing slows down to the point that Robby’s sure he fell asleep, which is why he’s surprised when Jack speaks up again. “Is it weird that I both hate this place, and yet I never want to leave?”
Yes. Robby thinks, but he doesn’t say. Jack’s been acting weird ever since they left Pittsburgh, he doesn’t want to make it worse by piling on. “Of course not. You had an… unorthodox upbringing, it’s completely within your right to feel different and conflicting ways about it.”
Jack snorts. “Okay then, Doctor Robinavich.”
Robby huffs a laugh. “Yeah, okay, that was a bit… psych ward rotation.”
Jack laughs weakly, his hands clenching and unclenching. The laugh fades off into sniffles, Robby continuing to rub his back. “I… I need to tell you something, but…”
Robby waits for him to finish, but after a minute of nothing he squeezes his neck assuringly. “Hey, tell me what?” He asks softly.
Jack shakes his head, burying himself in Robby's chest further. “You'll hate me.”
“No, of course I won't hate you. Nothing you can do would make me hate you, ever. Okay?”
“I… I lied. I… I didn't join the army to pay for school, I did it because it was either that or go to prison for stealing a car when I was seventeen. I was going to be eighteen in a few weeks and the car was a teacher's. The guy was a dick, but he ran the ROTC program at my school and thought I just needed some more discipline and structure in my life. He told me if I joined up that he would drop the charges.”
Robby sighs. “So you did. But why would you steal his car in the first place?”
Jack shrugs. “Told you, he was a dick.”
“Jack, I'm gonna need a little more than that.” He feels Jack stiffen, making Robby mentally curse at himself. “I don’t hate you, I'm just curious.”
Jack sighs roughly. “He would play favorites in class. I was not one of them. Everyone knew he babied his mustang, so I broke in and hotwired it.”
Robby still feels like there’s more to the story, but it was already like pulling teeth to get Jack to tell him that much. He can try bringing it up some other time, when Jack is sober and not in the middle of grieving the loss of his sister. “Thank you for telling me. Why don’t you try and get some sleep, okay? Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day.”
Jack nods against his chest, his breathing evening out until Robby can tell he fell asleep for real.
----------------
Robby blinks awake, finding himself alone in the bed. He hears a shower running in the attached bathroom, and Jack’s crutches are missing. He glances at his watch, finding it to be about seven in the morning. Hopefully Jack managed to get at least a few hours of sleep last night.
Throwing on a pair of sweats for the time being, he heads out to the kitchen, shocked to find Jack’s nephew already up and in the middle of scrambling eggs with some veggies like it were any other morning. He’s seen this before with family members after he’s had to give the news of a loved one’s passing. It sometimes takes the mind a moment to catch up, with all the more devastating crash the longer it takes to process.
“Morning. Something smells good.” Robby leans forward against the island, making sure he entered with enough noise so that J would know he’s there. Everyone else is nowhere to be seen, probably still in bed, and Pope is out by the pool with his back to them. Maybe now he can get a chance to talk to the kid without Smurf hovering.
The kid still flinches slightly, but Robby pretends not to notice as he comes around the counter to pour himself a cup of coffee. “Oh, uh, thanks.” J stutters, glancing over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the eggs on the stove. “I don’t know how to cook much, but I have a couple easy things that I can throw together.”
“You’d be surprised, eggs are deceptively deceiving.”
J gives him a sidelong look, as if Robby’s patronizing him. “Sure they are.”
Robby chuckles, shaking his head. “No, I’m serious. Before I was a doctor, I worked in a lot of kitchens. It didn’t matter what your qualifications were or how the interview went, if your eggs weren’t perfect, they would cut you right there and then.”
J raises a brow at him, pausing in his stirring. “Wow, that’s kinda fucked up.”
Robby shrugs, taking a sip of his coffee. “Them’s the breaks. On the bright side, I got really good at making eggs.”
J chuckles at that, a silence falling over the room as he finishes cooking. As he tips his eggs on a plate, the pan is still half full of eggs. “Do you want some? I uh, I was used to making enough for two.”
Robby nods, sending J a small smile as he grabs a plate for himself. “Thank you.” He waits until the kid finishes and takes a seat at the island bar. “So, how are you feeling?” He asks as he leans his forearms down on the counter so he’s more eye level.
J shrugs a shoulder as he takes a large bite. “I don’t know, weird?” He answers after his swallows.
Robby nods, understanding what he means. He sets his fork down and holds out his right hand palm up where he has a small burn. “I got this scar when I was four. I was hungry and my parents had passed out so I tried to use the stove myself.”
J blinks at him, once again reminding him of Jack. If Robby didn't know better, he would think he was Jack's son. “I sliced my hand open on a can opener when I was five.” He finally says. “What were they hooked on?”
“Heroin mostly. They both OD'd a week later. My mom didn't make it and my dad went to the hospital then prison.”
J nods, a look of understanding. “That's what my mom died of too.”
Robby’s glad he got him to open up more, even if it means having to dredge up old memories for himself. “What about your grandma? She been treating you alright?” He moves on, remembering how hard it had been for him to be living with strangers. He’s also curious how Smurf acts when she’s not putting on a show for company.
J hesitates before shrugging a shoulder again. “She’s alright. At least there's always food in the house.”
Robby quirks a smile at that. “I was the same way. My grandma took me in too, but she was from out of state. I had to go to a foster home while she moved and the family would get so frustrated because I would hide food all over the house. My grandma was nicer about it. She would purposely leave nonperishable food out for me to grab whenever and taught me how to cook when I got older.”
“That's pretty cool.”
“Yeah, it was.”
“I should go get ready for today.” J gets up to put his plate in the sink, hesitating. He wraps his arms around himself. “Thanks, for the chat and stuff. My uncles, they've lived with Smurf their whole lives so they don't really… get it.”
Robby takes a deep breath, nodding his head and tapping his hands on the counter. “Watching your mom die, it's a tough club to be a member of.” Grabbing a scrap piece of paper left out, Robby jots down his number. “Here, this is my cell. Feel free to use it if you ever want to chat about anything. I've been told I'm a pretty good listener.”
J takes the paper with a polite smile, stuffing it in his pocket. Robby watches him leave, both hoping he'll use it and that he'll never have to.
-------------
Without any notice, the only formal wear Robby and Jack had were the suits that they wear when they have to do the odd presentation they've had to give at conferences. They fit, and because of the infrequent use, they aren't worn, but they were bought on the cheaper end of the spectrum.
Despite that, him and Jack are still more dressed up than any of his brothers. Even J doesn't have a suit jacket over his borrowed dress shirt from one of his uncles.
They all drive separately, Robby getting Jack to hand him the keys to his jeep without much of a fight. Jack's been quiet all morning, only saying a few words here and there. He wasn't going to eat, but Robby got him to eat a couple bites of toast.
The funeral is small, reminding Robby of his own mother’s funeral. Jack's family stay huddled together while a scattered group stand on the other side of the casket. Jack himself stays silent, looking to be dissociating as he stares at the casket, not absorbing a word that the priest says. He doesn’t say a word when Smurf asks if anyone has anything to say and doesn’t react when there is an argument with one of the people from Julia’s building. The only sign Robby has that he’s not completely gone is when Jack grips Robby’s hand near the beginning of the funeral, and only tightens his grip as the funeral progresses.
When everyone goes to disperse, Jack slips his hand from Robby’s and runs to catch up with Baz and Pope without a word.
“You get used to it.” He hears behind him, causing him to jump slightly and spin around. It’s Cathrine, Baz’s girlfriend that he met only briefly before the service started.
“Sorry?”
“Baz, Pope, and Jack. They were like that when we were kids too. Those three are so intertwined with each other that it’s always them first and everyone outside their circle second. You’ll probably get a text any second with some sort of apology and that they’ll meet up with us later.”
As if on cue, Robby’s phone vibrates with a message and when he checks it’s with a text from Jack saying essentially what Cathrine just told him. He glances up from his phone with a raised brow. “Okay, that was a little spooky.”
She chuckles dryly with a shake of her head. “Like I said, you get used to it.”
Putting his phone back in his pocket, Robby shifts in place as he looks around the near empty graveyard. “Well then, it looks like I just lost my tour guide for the day. Got any recommendations for someone that’s never been this far west before?”
“Do you have a car?”
Robby pulls the jeep’s keys out from his pocket, dangling them from a finger.
Catherine grins. “Then we can go pick up the best tour guide this town has to offer.”
---------------
As soon as the funeral finishes, Jack notices Baz take off and Pope following him close behind. Feeling like a kid, he goes after them until they reach the street, stopping to talk. Pope is trying to get more information out of Baz about the job, but Baz is remaining firm on not saying a word.
It’s been bothering Jack too, his mind occupied with trying to figure out what they’re up to so he doesn’t have to think about everything else going on. It was embarrassing enough last night with high Jack blabbing all his insecurities to Robby while cuddling up with him in that tiny bed, he overheard Robby’s little chat with J this morning. He knew Robby remembered more about his mom passing then he let on.
Mind made up, Jack sends Robby a quick text before stepping forward. “Pope said you’ve made it clear it’s not a bank, so jewelry or electronics store?” He makes himself known, coming up beside Pope. “Although, electronics are bulky and the take from those types of stores make their weight to value ratio not worth it. But jewelry on the other hand…”
Baz looks like he’s fighting a grin as he shakes his head. “For my sake, I can neither confirm nor deny.” In other words, Smurf was serious about Baz not saying anything. “And before you ask, no. If Smurf says Pope’s not in, then you definitely are not in, man.”
“Why not? I’m not the one on parole, and the cops have no idea who I am.”
Baz scoffs. “Not know who you are? You two are basically twins. They’ll take one look at you and know exactly who you’re related to. And no offense, but you haven’t done a job since you were thirteen, man. It’s not a dig against you, but the fact remains that you’re rusty.”
Jack clenches his fist, and all of a sudden he feels like he’s back at that gas station with Robby making light of his past. “Rusty? If I was rusty, would I be able to get this from a gas station without anyone knowing, including the attendant and Robby?” He takes out the wad of bills, shoving them into Baz’s chest.
Baz is shocked as he flips through the bills, eyes flicking between Jack and the money. “Dude, how-”
Pope smirks, stepping into Baz’s face. “Guess he’s not as rusty as you thought.”
Jack feels like he’s thirteen again, snatching his money back and smirking at Baz. “But if Smurf says we’re out, then we’ll go find our own shit to do. Let’s go, Pope.”
Baz lets out a rough sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fine, get in and I’ll explain, but Smurf can’t know I said a word, got it?”
Jack nods, sharing a fist bump with Pope. “Shotgun.”
---------------
Catherine is the first person Robby’s met this whole trip that didn’t make his skin crawl. It was like a breath of fresh air speaking to her as they drove to pick up her daughter from school. Lena’s only a year or two younger than Jake, twice as sweet, and all Robby wants to do is scream at them to get the hell away from this family.
He follows Catherine’s directions to her place, a small house right on the beach.
“Alright, Lena, go play in your room for a little bit and maybe later we can show Uncle Robby your favorite place to play on the beach.” Catherine leads Lena into a room off of the living room. It looks like it was a den that was made into an extra bedroom.
Robby gives Lena a smile and small wave, face a little red at the honorary uncle title. “That’s pretty neat, having the beach as your backyard.” He comments after Lena’s door closes, glancing out the slider.
“It never gets old.” Catherine starts picking up some of Lena’s toys. “Thanks again for the ride. I just need to finish cleaning this up, then we can head out.”
Robby waves her off, noticing a basket of Lena’s clothes on the coffee table. “I don’t mind, take your time. These clean and need folding?”
Catherine looks up. “Uh, yeah, but-”
Robby grabs the basket, taking a seat on the couch to start folding them.
“Really, you don't need to do that.”
Robby shrugs, folding a pajama shirt and moving on to a matching pair of pants. “Laundry’s always been a way for me to relax.”
Catherine studies him for a second, dropping off some toys in a bin and taking a seat next to him. “It’s hard, being on the outside of that family. I’ve been with Baz for over a decade and have a kid with him, and yet Smurf has this way of making them pick her every time.”
Robby nods, pausing mid fold. “I’m worried. I’ve known Jack for a long time now, longer than anyone else, and I’ve never seen him act the way he does when he’s around Smurf. He becomes so… subdued. He doesn’t act like that when we visit his mom.”
“That’s Smurf for you. She’s always had her claws in all her boys.” Catherine half jokes, starting to fold the clothes as well.
Robby forces a smile, returning to folding. “I take it you’re not a fan?”
Catherine sighs. “It’s complicated. Baz and Lena love her, I just want them to be happy.”
Robby doesn’t like this. He thought talking with Catherine would ease his worries, but now he’s more worried than ever. Jack would have told him if Smurf was abusive, right?
“Anyway, enough about Smurf. How long have you and Jack been together?”
Robby chokes on nothing, coughing to clear his throat. He can feel his face heating up and he shakes his head. Before he gets a chance to recover and correct her though, Lena comes running out of her room with a piece of paper.
“Uncle Robby, I made this for you.” She holds out the paper, where there are lots of crayon scribbles in what he’s guessing is supposed to be a picture of either a cow or a horse. Or maybe a cat?
“Wow, look at that! It looks so good, thank you.” He takes the paper, holding it to his chest. “I’ll cherish this forever. You know what it’s missing though? The artist’s signature. May I get your autograph?”
She grins and takes the paper back. “One otgraph comin’ right up!” She runs back to her room.
“When you’re done with that, get your shoes on and we can go to the beach before we meet up with Daddy and the others for dinner.” Catherine calls out after her. When he turns back, Catherine is grinning at him. “You’re really good with her.”
Robby shrugs dismissively, rubbing the back of his neck. “My ex has a son, I take care of him from time to time.”
“How old?”
“He just turned eight, and already mad that we won’t let him get a phone.”
Catherine nods in agreement. “Half of Lena’s class have phones. I’m like, they’re six, what do they need phones for?”
Lena comes running back out of her room, her shoes slapping on the floor. “All done!”
“Ho, ho, a Lena original. This is going straight on my fridge as soon as I get home.” He folds it up, sticking it in his wallet for safe keeping.
As soon as he finishes, Lena takes his hand and pulls him along. “C’mon, Uncle Robby, I wanna show you how high I can swing. I can almost make it all the way around.”
He glances back at Catherine. Most of the laundry is done, but there are still a couple more pieces. “Go on ahead, I’ll catch up. Lena, be good for Uncle Robby and stay at the playground, okay? If you behave, we can get ice cream after dinner.”
“Yes, Mommy.” She nods, renewing her pull on Robby’s hand. “After the swing, I’ll show you how fast I can go down the slide.”
Robby sends Catherine a quick wave, turning his attention back to Lena as she moves on to tell him about the monkey bars. It isn’t until he’s at the park that he realizes he never got the chance to correct Catherine about him and Jack. That’s the second time now, and he’s really starting to wonder why Jack’s family keep assuming they’re together. Sure, he drove with Jack across the country at a moment's notice, and they shared a bed last night, and held hands at the funeral…
…Yeah, he’s starting to see how they might get mistaken for a couple, but Jack’s his best friend. When Robby came back from his residency in New Orleans, and him and Jack both took on attending roles in the ED, the nursing staff loved to spread rumors that they were “secretly hooking up” on the roof. It got to the point where Adamson called them both into his office, starting with saying how happy he was for the both of them, but then switched to a lecture about professionalism in the workplace.
That was the most awkward fifteen minutes of his life as they both tried to explain to Adamson that they are just friends until he finally relented and sent them on their way with an apology.
After their shift, where Robby spent the whole time unable to look Adamson in the eye, he went out for drinks with Jack. Jack had laughed so hard about what happened that he nearly threw up, wrapping his arm around Robby and saying, “Are we even best friending correctly if there aren’t rumors about us boning?”.
----------------
Jack nods from the front seat of Baz's mustang, nibbling on some fries from In-n-Out as he takes in their plan.
“Having the druggies stew in the SUV is a nice touch. It'll be a DNA goldmine in there.” He muses.
Baz rolls his eyes with a grin. “So glad it meets your standards.”
“I didn't say that, I just said it was a nice touch.”
Baz scoffs, shaking his head. “Alright, smart guy, what would you change?”
Jack lets out a laugh, wiping his hands on a napkin. “What’s in it for me?”
“In it for you?” Baz repeats, amusement in his voice. “How do I know if your idea's even any good?”
Jack shrugs. “You don't.”
Baz stares at him, and Jack can see the moment he gives in. “Fine, a hundred bucks.”
“Now that’s just insulting.”
“A thousand.” Baz counters.
“I may be down a leg, but I could still kick your ass.”
“Five percent.” Pope speaks up from the back.
Baz raises his brows as he looks at Pope through the rearview mirror. “That’s how much Gia’s getting, and she’s fencing the whole lot. Hell, you two aren’t even supposed to know about the plan.”
“Then give him half of my cut. Jesus, Baz, he’s our brother for fuck’s sake.”
Jack watches as there is a stare down between Pope and Baz, Baz being the one to flinch first. “Five percent. If his plan is integrated.”
Jack smothers down a smirk, Baz always was bad at sharing. “Slip a few pieces from the robbery on the druggies.”
Baz rolls his eyes again. “And why the hell would we do that?”
“The DNA from the SUV will lead the cops to the druggies, but if they don’t have any of the jewelry on them and Gia fences them too well so they don’t ever surface, then it will smell like a setup from a mile away and the cops will continue to investigate before eventually showing up on your doorstep.” Baz still looks unconvinced so Jack continues. “We deal with druggies in the ED all the time, they aren’t exactly the brightest crayons in the box. There’s no way they would be stupid enough to leave all their DNA in the car, but smart enough to move everything without it ever surfacing. If you make sure they have some jewelry that can link them to the robbery, then it will be an open and shut case. This will look so sloppy, your guys' names won’t even cross the detectives’ minds.”
Pope cackles behind him, reaching forward and patting Jack on the chest. “I think he just earned his five percent, don’t you think, Baz?” He gloats, keeping his arm around Jack.
Baz cracks a grin. “Yeah, alright, I admit, that’s pretty clever.”
Jack does a mini bow in his seat. Pope rests his chin on his shoulder, giving him a quick hug. “Admit it, you miss this. If we add an extra one percent, think you could stay?”
Jack won’t lie, it is tempting. He never even realized how smothered and masked he felt in Pittsburgh, having to bury this part of himself. Ever since his small heist back in Ohio, it's felt like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders and he can fully breathe again. “I can’t.” He forces himself to say. His mom pulled him away from here for a reason, he can’t just throw away the chance at a normal life that she gave him. “I have work.”
“C’mon, man, Pope’s right.” Baz taps his hand on Jack’s thigh. “California’s got hospitals too.”
“Is it work, or the person at work that’s holding you back?” Pope asks suddenly, his questions like a scalpel, digging right into the heart of the problem.
Jack groans as Baz makes an amused noise. “Ah, Jackie’s got a crush.”
Pope finally lets him go, shifting over so he is more in the middle between their seats. “Oh, it’s much more than a crush now. I’ve had to hear him hopelessly pine for the past fifteen years-”
Jack flings an arm back, Pope dodging at the last minute. “Would you shut up!”
“Wait,” Baz pauses, Jack able to see him putting the pieces together in his head. “Is it Robby?”
Pope nods, dodging another swing from Jack with a grin.
“You guys are both assholes, you know that?” Jack fights down a grin as the two continue to tease him. Damn it, he really has missed these assholes. Baz has a point, California does have a lot of hospitals, and he’s heard that LA specifically has some good trauma centers.