The Fighter

Chapter Nineteen

"This isn't a good idea," Damien says on the other end of the line and I let out a long sigh.  "Just be careful, I just got you back... again."

I let out a small laugh and slowly make it into the house that I left behind when I moved in with Derek.  Unlocking the front door, I step in to find a certain smell that is almost foreign to me but brings back the memories of everything that was before.  Walking into the kitchen I see a tall figure with dark hair dressed in a simple black t-shirt with blue jeans and a pair of biker boots.  Picking up the nearest thing to me, I start to throw the apple at the figure when he speaks up.

"Do you remember the story of the raven and the June bug that I used to tell you when you were younger?"  I hold the apple tighter and wait for him to continue, he turns from the stove and looks right at me with two grilled cheeses in his hands.  "You always loved when I told you about those two.  You felt so bad for the Raven but loved the little June bug for what she did."  He places one of the grilled cheeses on the counter in front of me before walking around the bar and sitting down.  "I wonder if you would help your raven."

"Why would the Junebug help the Raven that she thought was dead?"  My brother looks up from the sandwich with a confused look on his face.  "Don't look so confused! You're dead, you have been for years."

"I know but I need to tell you why--"

"Jer showed me the video that you sent him not that long ago.  You told him, and me in the note that you left, that it was a trap and that you knew that you were going to die. So what the fuck do you have to tell me?!"

"They were going to kill you!"

"Okay?! And?!" My brother slams his fist down on the counter and stands up quickly.

"Don't you fucking say that!"

"Say what?! That I want to die?! That I wished I died in that fucking crash with you like everyone thought I did?! You fucking left me here!"

"I thought you were safe!"

"Well, I wasn't!" Taking a deep breath, my voice lowers into a whisper. "I wasn't..."

"What did he do?" I stare at him blankly. "What did he do, June bug?"

"You don't get to call me that anymore.  Does Jer know that you're alive?"  My brother pauses.  "Let him in, Damien." His head jolts up as the front door opens and a gunshot rings out before he falls to the ground, holding his shoulder in pain.

"You slimy, two-faced, backstabbing, piece of no-good, self-righteous shit! I thought you were dead!" Jackson rolls over to stand up before looking at Jeremy with a small smile.  "No! You don't get to look at me like that! That look is for my husband and only my husband. My husband that I thought was dead!" Jeremy walks slowly over to Jackson who wears a small, apologetic smile. "A husband that I just shot in the shoulder."

"I deserved it."

"Yes you do," Jeremy and I both respond as the front door rams in followed by the pounding footfalls of three men. Jackson pulls Jeremy behind him and raises his gun with the unharmed arm before I am grabbed by the waist and hauled behind the three large men, with Derek directly in front of me. I pat Derek on the shoulder and move forward to Damien who has a gun pointed at my brother's head with Jeremy screaming at him to put it down.

"Damien, sweetheart," I say to him while wrapping my arms around his waist, "if you haven't noticed, my brother is the one that was shot and by his husband's hand at that."  Damien's breath temporarily stops as his eyes look from Jeremy and Jackson down to me. "A shot, might  I add, that was very well deserved and that I wish I took myself."