Ok, I THINK this is #6...back by persistant demand of one lurker.
Go and look up the other What If's, for the way this series goes. Its a kind of "What if Jack had stayed in Chicago, and gone over to the dark side of the law and become a crook?"
Jack McCoy loosened his tie, and sighed, as he left the property of St Ignatius Preparatory School for Boys. As he walked past the adjoining church, he saw a hearse parked in front of the main door.
His father had said something about it. Mike Shaugnessy had been killed, in Cicero, robbing some Mom and Pop store. Pop had had a 12 guage, that beat Mike's empty pistol.
His father had said he'd seen the body. Mike hadn't had much of a head left. He'd been well on the way to a drunk, even at the dinner table, and had spent the entire meal, describing Mike's remains, in detail.
Jack had seen his sister going pale, and stop eating. His father had seen too, and ordered her to eat. As soon as she'd had a mouthful of mashed potatoes, he'd started again, going on about Mike's body.
Mary had gotten sick, right then and there, all over her lap, the floor. Their father had made her clean it up, and fill her plate up again. And, sit at the table, til she ate it all.
That was two nights ago. Since then, Mary had been visibly shaking at the sight of their father. Thankfully, he hadn't been around much. His cousin's bar, Connor's, had seemed a much better attraction for the old man, than his house.
Which suited his family fine.
"Jack!"
Jack turned, as he heard someone running after him. Danny McConnell caught up to him, and Jack held out his hand. Danny pulled out a pack of Camel's, and handed Jack one, then pulled out a pack of matches.
Jack pulled a deep breath from the cigarette, and watched Danny light one up too. Another boy passed them, and eyed them.
"I'm telling Father-"
Jack swung his book bag, so it hit the third boy in the middle of the back. The boy went flying into the strip of grass that ran between the sidewalk and street.
"Yeah? Now you got more to tell Father Sit-on-my-lap." Jack heard Danny giggle, and walked off. He half hoped the other boy would come after him.
Henry Jenkins picked himself up, and wisely crossed the street, his face bright red at the taunts of the other boys who'd seen Jack knock him down, and heard Jack's remark.
Father Seaton, who pronounced his name, "Sitton," was said to be overly fond of certain boys.
Danny looked up at the sky. "So, we still on for tonight?"
"Haven't heard otherwise. Course, could be, we might be the only ones to show up." Jack laughed. "Last time, the dagos never showed. I bet-"
He broke off, as he saw three boys, watching a fourth, and a girl, who was pressed against a playground fence. A book bag was on the ground, and it looked as if it'd split open, and sprayed its contents around the girl's feet.
The boy facing her, was older, 15. He was tall, and muscular, and as Jack saw who it was, Johnny O'Rielley grabbed the girl's arm.
The girl didn't scream. She didn't cower. Instead, she swung her left arm around, her fingers outstretched. Her nails caught Johnny in the hair, and clung.
Now, she had her attacker by the hair, and she hung on. Reflexively, the older boy let go of her, freeing her right hand. With that, she swung a fist at him, again and again.
Jack laughed. "Who's that?"
Danny looked. "Mary Sullivan. Bob's sister. I think she's youngest. Must be about 12."
Jack laughed harder, as Mary gave up on hitting Johnny, who must have outweighed her by 60 pounds, and was at least a foot taller. She launched herself at him, and somehow, Johnny went flying.
Mary stayed on her feet, although she wobbled for a moment, and she had to let go of Johnny's hair.
""Leave me alone!"
Johnny got to his feet, and started for the girl again. She dodged, but the other boys blocked her way. With the fence at her back, she was trapped.
"You little c**t!" Johnny lunged for her again. "Hand it over!"
"F**K YOU!" Mary yelled.
"Why, you little-Wait til I get you-I'll do more than take-"
Mary launched herself at him again, again taking the older boy by surprise. This time, she went down too, but she was fast, and got to her feet.
She ran, leaving her books behind. Jack caught her arm, and she swung on him.
"Hang on, girlie! You forgot something." Jack shoved her into Danny's arms, and walked to where Johnny and his freinds were standing, angry and embarrassed.
He bent, and picked up the books, and the ruined bag. "You owe her a new bag."
Johnny swore at him. "As if!"
Jack laid him out, with one punch. Johnny stayed on the ground, and his buddies backed off. "I said, you owe her. You don't replace it, by tomorrow...well, she's got 4 brothers." Jack grinned. "Think of what they'll do to ya, if she can lay you out." He walked back to the sidewalk.
Danny's face told him. Jack whirled around, a switchblade in one hand. Johnny stopped short.
"Think you can do as well against a bunch of dagos tonight?" Jack smiled. "Or, should we send you home, and let Mary Sullivan fight in your place?" He turned, and gestured to Danny and Mary. He kept hold of the books, as they walked away.
Mary eyed him. "I want my books."
Jack didn't look at her. He took another drag on his cigarette. "I'll carry them."
"I want them." Mary waited, then punched Jack in the side. "Give 'em to me!"
Jack feigned more pain than he felt. "Christ Jesus, girl! Break a couple ribs, won't ya! I said I'll carry 'em!"
"I got arms. Hand 'em over." Mary looked up at him. "Now!"
Danny grabbed the books from Jack. "Take 'em. And git outta here." He watched her run off. "That's gratitude for ya."
Jack laughed, as he watched the girl run off. At the cornor, she stopped, and looked back. He grinned, and waved to her.
She raised one hand, all fingers but one folded down, then continued running.
"Dammo," he muttered. "She sure can run."
Danny laughed at him. "She's all of 12, for God's sake, Jack. You like little girls, now?"
"JUst thinkin'. She's gonna be a looker in a few years. Might have to keep an eye on that one."
"Yeah. So you can see her fist comin' at ya. Hey...you got a sister named Mary, and how many cousins named Mary? It'd be an easy name to remember!" Danny laughed. "8 tonight?"
"Yeah."
"Til then." Danny ran through a yard. "See ya!"
Go and look up the other What If's, for the way this series goes. Its a kind of "What if Jack had stayed in Chicago, and gone over to the dark side of the law and become a crook?"Jack McCoy loosened his tie, and sighed, as he left the property of St Ignatius Preparatory School for Boys. As he walked past the adjoining church, he saw a hearse parked in front of the main door.
His father had said something about it. Mike Shaugnessy had been killed, in Cicero, robbing some Mom and Pop store. Pop had had a 12 guage, that beat Mike's empty pistol.
His father had said he'd seen the body. Mike hadn't had much of a head left. He'd been well on the way to a drunk, even at the dinner table, and had spent the entire meal, describing Mike's remains, in detail.
Jack had seen his sister going pale, and stop eating. His father had seen too, and ordered her to eat. As soon as she'd had a mouthful of mashed potatoes, he'd started again, going on about Mike's body.
Mary had gotten sick, right then and there, all over her lap, the floor. Their father had made her clean it up, and fill her plate up again. And, sit at the table, til she ate it all.
That was two nights ago. Since then, Mary had been visibly shaking at the sight of their father. Thankfully, he hadn't been around much. His cousin's bar, Connor's, had seemed a much better attraction for the old man, than his house.
Which suited his family fine.
"Jack!"
Jack turned, as he heard someone running after him. Danny McConnell caught up to him, and Jack held out his hand. Danny pulled out a pack of Camel's, and handed Jack one, then pulled out a pack of matches.
Jack pulled a deep breath from the cigarette, and watched Danny light one up too. Another boy passed them, and eyed them.
"I'm telling Father-"
Jack swung his book bag, so it hit the third boy in the middle of the back. The boy went flying into the strip of grass that ran between the sidewalk and street.
"Yeah? Now you got more to tell Father Sit-on-my-lap." Jack heard Danny giggle, and walked off. He half hoped the other boy would come after him.
Henry Jenkins picked himself up, and wisely crossed the street, his face bright red at the taunts of the other boys who'd seen Jack knock him down, and heard Jack's remark.
Father Seaton, who pronounced his name, "Sitton," was said to be overly fond of certain boys.
Danny looked up at the sky. "So, we still on for tonight?"
"Haven't heard otherwise. Course, could be, we might be the only ones to show up." Jack laughed. "Last time, the dagos never showed. I bet-"
He broke off, as he saw three boys, watching a fourth, and a girl, who was pressed against a playground fence. A book bag was on the ground, and it looked as if it'd split open, and sprayed its contents around the girl's feet.
The boy facing her, was older, 15. He was tall, and muscular, and as Jack saw who it was, Johnny O'Rielley grabbed the girl's arm.
The girl didn't scream. She didn't cower. Instead, she swung her left arm around, her fingers outstretched. Her nails caught Johnny in the hair, and clung.
Now, she had her attacker by the hair, and she hung on. Reflexively, the older boy let go of her, freeing her right hand. With that, she swung a fist at him, again and again.
Jack laughed. "Who's that?"
Danny looked. "Mary Sullivan. Bob's sister. I think she's youngest. Must be about 12."
Jack laughed harder, as Mary gave up on hitting Johnny, who must have outweighed her by 60 pounds, and was at least a foot taller. She launched herself at him, and somehow, Johnny went flying.
Mary stayed on her feet, although she wobbled for a moment, and she had to let go of Johnny's hair.
""Leave me alone!"
Johnny got to his feet, and started for the girl again. She dodged, but the other boys blocked her way. With the fence at her back, she was trapped.
"You little c**t!" Johnny lunged for her again. "Hand it over!"
"F**K YOU!" Mary yelled.
"Why, you little-Wait til I get you-I'll do more than take-"
Mary launched herself at him again, again taking the older boy by surprise. This time, she went down too, but she was fast, and got to her feet.
She ran, leaving her books behind. Jack caught her arm, and she swung on him.
"Hang on, girlie! You forgot something." Jack shoved her into Danny's arms, and walked to where Johnny and his freinds were standing, angry and embarrassed.
He bent, and picked up the books, and the ruined bag. "You owe her a new bag."
Johnny swore at him. "As if!"
Jack laid him out, with one punch. Johnny stayed on the ground, and his buddies backed off. "I said, you owe her. You don't replace it, by tomorrow...well, she's got 4 brothers." Jack grinned. "Think of what they'll do to ya, if she can lay you out." He walked back to the sidewalk.
Danny's face told him. Jack whirled around, a switchblade in one hand. Johnny stopped short.
"Think you can do as well against a bunch of dagos tonight?" Jack smiled. "Or, should we send you home, and let Mary Sullivan fight in your place?" He turned, and gestured to Danny and Mary. He kept hold of the books, as they walked away.
Mary eyed him. "I want my books."
Jack didn't look at her. He took another drag on his cigarette. "I'll carry them."
"I want them." Mary waited, then punched Jack in the side. "Give 'em to me!"
Jack feigned more pain than he felt. "Christ Jesus, girl! Break a couple ribs, won't ya! I said I'll carry 'em!"
"I got arms. Hand 'em over." Mary looked up at him. "Now!"
Danny grabbed the books from Jack. "Take 'em. And git outta here." He watched her run off. "That's gratitude for ya."
Jack laughed, as he watched the girl run off. At the cornor, she stopped, and looked back. He grinned, and waved to her.
She raised one hand, all fingers but one folded down, then continued running.
"Dammo," he muttered. "She sure can run."
Danny laughed at him. "She's all of 12, for God's sake, Jack. You like little girls, now?"
"JUst thinkin'. She's gonna be a looker in a few years. Might have to keep an eye on that one."
"Yeah. So you can see her fist comin' at ya. Hey...you got a sister named Mary, and how many cousins named Mary? It'd be an easy name to remember!" Danny laughed. "8 tonight?"
"Yeah."
"Til then." Danny ran through a yard. "See ya!"
