Chapter 1: Reflection

A/N: This is my first fanfic. I really hope you guys like this story. I was crossing my fingers when I posted it. This chapter is just a prologue to understand the plot and April.

Disclaimer: No I don't own for Four Brothers but I do own April and other characters that you've never seen before in the movie. But dam, what I would do for a piece of Garrett Hedlund! Anyways…ON TO THE STORY!

Beautiful Stranger.

That's what most of them call me.

Or at least the ones that have a chance to say something before I pull the trigger.

Three years and it's the same routine. Go in, and don't come out till your carrying a corpse………..or corpses.

Being an assassin doesn't mean I don't have feelings. I do, or so everyone thinks. But it's all a facade, because inside there's nothing.

A dark hole that consumes me more and more each day. You don't know how many nights I've laid on my bed pleading for death to come and sweep me away.

Where?

Anywhere. But here. My life is crashing and burning and no one knows it. It's just me. It's always been me. Alone. I could be in a crowded room and still feel all alone.

Can't tell you all the dreams I've had of me dying. Each night a different way. Whether one day it was an overdose, a bullet or just me taking the plunge. And each night I would wake up and cry. Cry not for the dream itself but for the way I could never do that. Actually stop the pain.

Why?

Because I was and still am a coward.

And I hated myself for it. Still do, sometimes.

But I wasn't always like this, no. I can remember, barely, a time when I felt truly happy.

It was my birthday. I was turning seven, no eight, and mother had bought me a cake. It was just us, always had been, always will. My father, the fuck he was, was convicted for armed robbery and sent to a prison confinement for six years.

Dana, my mother spoiled me rotten with the little that we had. Mom worked as a waitress at the local diner. We were always on a fixed income. But she always made sure that I never shed a tear, giving me everything at my will. She use to teach me lessons about the world itself every chance she got. Not scientifically but morally. Showing me the reason why people did this or that and the meaning between right or wrong. Each year all mom could afford was maybe an old doll or a small diary. But this year was different. It was painted on her smile.

The candles were blown and the cake was cut. I thought that what was a good birthday had ended but I was wrong.

My mother came out carrying a small bow wrapped neatly accompanied with a bow on top. As I opened the box my heart got caught in my throat. Inside was a silver locket in the shape of a heart. Engraved on the front was the word "Forever". As I opened it inside was a picture of me and my mother on Easter, both of us matching in our white sun dresses.

On the inside left hand corner my mother had engraved the phrase she would always say to me when I felt lonely, upset, or unwanted.

"Forever I shall love you till the last of my dying days."

That was the last time where I could recall myself not wanting to rip my heart out, because what happened next sent my life on the road to a living breathing hell.

Thursday, December 3rd, a day that might seem ordinary to anybody but for me was the turning point to the person I am today. I was coming home from school when I soon saw police cars and ambulances in front of my house. I figured the worst and started running, until I saw a couple of paramedics carrying out a body bag.

Tears streamed down my face as I pushed my way through the crowd of police officers and neighbors. Trying to get inside the house. For what? I didn't know, didn't care……..not then at least.

At last, I saw a friendly face amongst the crowd. My best friend in the world and practically my sister, Andrea came toward me alongside her mother. Both faces filled with tears streaming down their cheeks.

"Wha……wha……happened!" I choked.

"Oh my god, April. I don't know how to tell you this, but your mother………….she's dead sweetie."

I froze. WHAT? My mother! What did she ever do to somebody to get her life taken away in return? All my sadness was soon replaced with anger……..revenge.

"Who?" I said firmly as I furiously wiped the tears away from my face.

"The police still haven't figured it out. No fingerprints, no force entering the house, nothing. It was like God just came down and…….and." Mrs. Higgins broke into massive sobs, shaking uncontrollably.

"God." It struck me. Why did he do this to me…………….to her. Mom always went to mass on Sundays. Always saying that God is a Shepard always taking care of his sheep………..meaning us.

Is that so? Taking care? If that were true my mom wouldn't be on the midnight express, last stop six feet under ground.

I hated him. God. My veins filled with such hatred that I took off my necklace of God on the cross off and threw it on the ground. For me, there was no God…………not anymore.

After mom's death I had no place to go. Mrs.Higgins allowed me to stay with her. But that didnt last long. Seven years. Not long at all.

I was 15 and I felt lonelier than ever. Andrea usually cheered me up time to time, but it wasn't of any comparison as to seeing my moms smile beaming down at me again. At least, for one more time.

Days passed as my soul grew darker and darker each dying day. Nothing was out of the ordinary, until "he" showed up again. To be honest, I had forgotten about him. Barely remembered how he'd looked like, but his eyes made the memories all flood back to me.

Mom always said me and dad had the same colored eyes. Wide, green eyes always on the alert.

Frank, my father was soon released from prison and started going on his new life. I guess months passed and he started wondering what ever happened to me and mom.

So you know what happens next. When I think about it, it's all a blur. I can't remember much about it. But I do remember my dad and Mrs. Higgins yelling, father crying for what happened to mom, me screaming because I didn't want to leave. My head starts to hurt when I even think about it. So I tend not to. The only thing that mattered that day was that I was taken away from the place where I could actually be myself………whatever that meant.

Prison life didn't go well on Dad. By the way he acted, didn't learn anything from it. Always angry, always drunk. I'm not going to go into detail about what happened. Not now. Not up for it. Let's just say dear ol' dad use to play little games with me. That bastard. Hope he's rotting in hell. And I took up the guts and pulled the plug on him. He was arrested and his little games were put to a stop. Anyways………

After Dad's arrest I was stuck at the local orphanage for months. I had gone through about a dozen social workers none of them able to find me a new foster home. But it changed when I met Evelyn. She was an angel sent straight from the heavens. It was her that never gave up trying to find me a new home.

Unfortunately the search wasn't successful. Evelyn felt so helpless that she couldn't find me a home so she suggested that I should live with her. She told me she had four sons that would love me to come live with them. Yeah right! I declined her offer and moved back with Andrea after Mrs. Higgins received a license to be my foster mom.

But even then me and Evelyn always kept in touch. Having secret lunches every three to four times a month. She showed me love, like nobody besides mom ever did. She was and still is my…………

"Abe." Said Andrea pulling me out of my reverie.

"Yeah." I replied gazing out the car window.

"Is it ever going to stop?"

"What you mean?"

"I'm talking about his April. About you killing people for a living."

I rolled my eyes. "Andrea don't start, not now. If it wasn't for this you and I would be living in the streets right now."

Andrea pulled the car to a stop. "Well to be honest I would rather live in the streets than helping you time after time dragging dead bodies and dumping them into the river!"

"I always told you not to get involved." I whispered. I hated when she pulled the guilt card on me.

Andrea started the car again. "Yeah but it seems like I don't have a choice."

I looked at her knowing that she was right, but didn't want to go into that topic again. Knowing that I had to focus on the upcoming job I had to finish.

"So, April where are we going to strike tonight"

"Ha. Ha. Funny Andrea. Didnt know you had a sense of humor. Guess you finally decided to let that stick up your ass have a peak at the outside world. Just turn here and stop on the house next to the local grocery."

As we got out two men dressed in black from head to toe carrying guns came out and whizzed passed us not even noticing that we existed. I grew suspicious, wondering why they were in such a hurry. I looked at Andrea and told her to call 911 just in case while I decided to go in and check out the damage.

I gasped as I saw the cashier sprawled on the floor behind the counter. Blood was flowing down his body like the Nile River. I looked around hoping there weren't any other victims, but soon saw a puddle of blood in the back of the store near thepoultry section. I walked closer to the back of the store nearly tip-toeing the whole way.

My mind went whirring hoping it wasn't a child or a woman, hoping that the puddle was just in my imagination. Heart thundering, heart pounding I soon saw the body whose blood was pouring down the aisle.

Nothing but screams came from my mouth as I saw the face of the innocent being whose life was taken away.

Evelyn.

A/N: And there's chapter one! Oooo I hope you guys like it! I was crossing my fingers as I posted this up. I live for reviews! So make my day and press that little gray button! What do you say! I'll give you some free pixie sticks!