Big brother

Indeed, Jackson had to call on his brother Emmett who didn't mind too much if someone interrupted his midday sleep, the poor guy was on duty all night.

"Hi Emmett," Jackson calls out after a grunt answers his call.

"You must have a good reason for bothering me Jack."

On the other end of the son, the oldest of the Smith siblings was hoping that his little brother had a very good reason for waking him up. It was 1 a.m. and his first sleep, in his bed, in two days. He only opened his eyes to see who might be calling him, when he saw the name Jackson, he reluctantly resigned himself to answering. His family comes first, even before his fatigue. Fortunately they don't abuse him, except for his father when he is taken by a burst of love and melancholy.

"Yes, of course I have a good reason." The little brother runs a hand over his face. Emmett can hear Elena in the background, asking him something. "Well?" The man sits down on his bed and runs a hand through his hair. "You're going to talk right?" After a few minutes of silence, Jackson swallows his saliva and breaks the news in one breath to his brother, explaining the whole story. If Emmett was thinking of going to sleep after the call, it is not the case anymore, the sleep deserted his eyelids has a speed which he would regret afterwards.

Knowing his older brother, Jackson pulled the phone away from his ear and put it on speaker, but nothing came out. He was afraid he had closed in on his brother. But no, the seconds ticked by on his screen, under Emmett's name. "Hello. Emmett?" Still nothing. Elena approaches her boyfriend, questioning him with her eyes. This last shrugs the shoulders and fixes his screen.

"Emmett?" Elena tries. The couple looked at each other and asked the same question, was it a good idea to let Emmett know? Doubt painted itself on their faces. But deep down, they were relieved that he wasn't in the same country as them. "Don't call Colleen, she doesn't know yet. At least, I don't think so." Said Jackson quickly. He didn't want Emmett, of all people on earth, to be the one to tell him this news.

On his bed, Emmett at first couldn't believe his ears. Aidan? The man he never trusted turns out to be the worst kind of man. He cheats on his sister, and on top of that, is engaged behind her back? He must be dreaming. It's only when Jackson tells him not to tell Colleen that he comes back to earth; he's already thinking about the multiple "accidents" that could have happened to Aidan on his way to work or back home.

"Are you sure Jack?" He finally asks. He still didn't want to kill an innocent man because his little brother had seen him wrong. It is Elena who answers him by telling him that she found the future bride on Facebook.

"How did you do it?" Emmett's curiosity was perhaps the closest thing he had to the rest of

his family members. All Smiths are curious, perhaps a little too much so when it comes to immediate family.

"I scanned Aidan's friends. He used his real name, I don't know how long he was going to keep up the ruse but for now it says he's free as a bird," Elena replies, "then Jack told me his fiancée's name is Sarah Thompson. And there are two Sarah Thompsons on his friend list, one Sarah-Jane Thompson who looked to be in her 60s and another Sarah Thompson who is more his age. The latter posted a picture recently of a beautiful fucking ring! Here's how I found Aidan's new wife."

Both men were amazed at the young woman's detective work.

"So he's been screwing my sister all this time and plans to marry this Sarah girl without saying anything?"

A silence answered from the other side, indicating that the other two were thinking of a convincing answer. Nothing came. They were telling themselves that they had to calm Emmett down at all costs so that he wouldn't show up at Aidan's door in three days and beat him to death. Taking the bull by the horns, Elena blurts out, "Look Emmett, we've got this under control. Colleen has always had our support and we're here for her. Her friends, her parents, Jack and I are all here. Just make sure you forget about this until things change. Don't get a ticket to wind her up."

It's as if they're playing who can go the longest without saying anything on the phone; Emmett doesn't answer right away and analyzes Elena's answer, sighs, and finally replies, "Anyway, I was supposed to be home in two months." Jack and Elena look at each other and surprise overcomes any other emotion. "Why are you going home in two months, Emmett? Ellie told you that..." The older brother grunts and shakes his head.

"My residency is coming to an end in two silly months. I took the job St. Helen's offered me. I'm going home to work in two months. I'll take the opportunity to have a word or two with this Aidan."

Jack was relieved, but not for long. Touching Aidan with two or three words sounded too much like a death sentence to him. What would happen to him? Oh, maybe his body will finally be cut up by his brother's surgical skills and no one will be able to figure out who he is. Or maybe he'll shoot him in the forehead and be done with it.

"Jackson." Emmett knew his brother was imagining the worst ways he could have killed Aidan, and on the one hand, it was kind of disappointing to know that his own brother saw him as a lawless animal.

"I really plan to..." and he pressed the "really" "...talk to him. Don't kill him."

"Very reassuring," the youngest replied, scratching the back of his neck.

The rest of the call was very quiet and family-oriented. Emmett didn't mention Aidan or Colleen again, and Jackson was glad to be out of that situation. Elena, as usual, was comforting her boyfriend with cookies she'd bought the night before and was getting on Emmett's poor nerves.

"Since I'm telling you I don't have a girlfriend Ellie, I..."

"Yeah yeah, you're way too busy taking care of your kids at the hospital, we know that. But that didn't stop you from hitting on the cousin the last time you were here!"

"He did more than just hit on her." Jackson replies softly with a smile.

"Jack!" Emmett yells into the phone. "You promised me you wouldn't say anything to Elena."

"I already knew, Ami told me. The next morning at that!"

A silence answers her. "Rohh but don't worry. She's moved on, poor thing. You didn't come back for six long months. She's had time to cry dozens of times on the phone. Jackson endured killer looks every time he came to the house."

Emmett runs a sweaty hand over her forehead. So she moved on. It's true, he never called her, never even texted her after he left. They slept together three or four times and then he left. She asked him to stay, he replied with a laugh that he had better reasons to leave than to stay. If Elena knew that, she wouldn't be so happy to talk to him today.

He and love responsibilities are not meant to be married. His last relationship ended with her leaving him. He was not caring enough, not present enough, too focused on his work. He always told them that his work would come before them, at first they all thought it was a joke, but then the reality of the situation set in with missing dinners, unanswered messages and soon nights alone in bed. Emmett didn't allow himself to have too much fun. He was building his career and frankly, a wife who lived at his expense was the last thing he wanted. Unfortunately, that's what betrayed them all. In addition to his own responsibilities, he had to take care of them somehow.

Shaking his head, he hears Jack and Ellie bickering on the other end of the line, which makes him smile. At least one of them has found his other half. He couldn't tell if he loves Elena because she makes his brother happy or if he loves Elena for who she is without Jack. From the beginning, she has made a good impression on him. Probably because she shares Emmett's impatient, loud temperament, as Colleen pointed out at a dinner party a few years ago. He couldn't really point to why he considered Elena his second little sister. But as with Colleen, he would always protect her, even if she and Jack were to break up.

"It's not that I don't like you young people but I have to go to sleep. It's almost two in the morning." He rubs his eyes and yawns silently.

"Oh right, shit." Ellie swears.

"We'll let you sleep, see you later!" His brother replies.

"Yeah."

Emmett puts his phone down on the bedside table and gets under his sheets. He came back to a crying sister and a body wrapped in a white sheet in the dirtiest sewers in Seattle.

On his side, swallowing an intense guilt, Jack decides to go to lunch trying not to think about his sister and her stupid boyfriend. He decides to send a message to his sister anyway, to make sure everything is okay. He can't believe Aidan is already out of dinner with Sarah.

Jackson: Hey Colleen, are you okay?

He didn't expect a quick answer, but it came before he could pick up his fork.

Colleen: Marco Polo is dead. :(

Jackson: Marco Polo? The fish?

Colleen: Yes.

Jackson: Didn't you feed him?

Colleen: That's the thing, I was gone for two days for a convention and left MP with Aidan. He was fine yesterday. But I came home early. He's dead. Check it out. *Photo*

At the mention of Aidan, Jackson's heart sinks but claims he has nothing. Elena could take the phone away from him. Indeed, the fish was on its back, on the surface of the water.

Jackson: Did you call Aidan to find out what happened?

Colleen: He's in a meeting. I texted him a few hours ago but he hasn't responded yet.

"Because he's in a restaurant with his fiancée." He felt like answering her. But knowing his sister and how much she trusted Aidan, the new Colleen would be able to block him out to protect her man's integrity.

Colleen: Could you come with Elena to Marco Polo's funeral later? I don't know if Aidan will be able to make it.

Jackson smiles in spite of himself, but he remembers the love Colleen always had for animals when they were children. If one died, the whole family attended the funeral. Eulogies were obviously given and, of course, Dad and Jackson always found a way to cry somewhere during the funeral. Mom would take it a step further and bake cookies and snacks for the wake. Emmett would comfort his little brother any way he could while stuffing his face with small parts. The only thing everyone wasn't following was the week of mourning that followed. Colleen never resented them. Wearing black was her move.

Jackson: Sure. When will that be?

Colleen: Tomorrow night. By the lake.

Jackson: Okay. Newbie. See you tomorrow.

Colleen: See you tomorrow.