Chapter Text
Disclaimers: I don't own Simon and Simon. I am just borrowing them for a while and will return them.
Notes: Simon and Simon was one of the first TV shows that I bought fanzines of. I was cleaning my closet out and ran across a box full of fanzines and they put me in the mood to write a story. I have had a story rattling around in my brain for years about Rick and AJ but never put it to paper as I initially started writing only slash and didn't think I could write a general story. This is my attempt to do that in a fandom other than my Mag 7 stories. I hope you enjoy it.
Feedback: Wgang16@aol.com
Title: Brothers, War and Peace
AJ Simon was at his wits end. For months he had been trying to reach out to his big brother Rick Simon, but Rick had no use for him. The only people that Rick seemed to believe in or care about were three Army buddies. In fact Rick had sold his boat and was now living in an old house on the other side of town. The three buddies might as well have moved in they seemed to be over there all the time even though two of them had wives at home.
Rick had started having flashbacks of his experiences in Vietnam but AJ thought he had been getting better, and then Mom had re-married and moved to Ireland where Ian lived. That seemed to put his brother in a black mood as though Mom had somehow betrayed their father's memory. When AJ had taken his brother to task over his attitude Rick had blown up, told AJ to fuck off and stormed out of the house. The next thing AJ knew Rick was hauling the boat out of his yard and putting it in the water at the marina. While over the years AJ had wanted to see the boat gone a part of him wanted his brother back, but it wasn't meant to be.
The situation just went downhill from there. Rick quit coming into the office, AJ had to take only those jobs that needed one person. AJ finally asked Carlos, his brother's friend to talk to him. Carlos tried but Rick told him to mind his own business and told him that he didn't want to see him again. Carlos then warned AJ that he thought that Rick was not only drinking heavily but also smoking pot on top of it. Carlos also saw prescription bottles setting around the living room.
Four months after Mom had moved AJ sold his house and moved into their childhood home. It was too expensive for him to keep two houses and he didn't want to sell his childhood home. When he went over to tell Rick that he was moving Rick had met him at the door, no shirt on, a bottle of beer in his hand and the smell of pot heavy in the air. There was loud music coming from the house and one of Rick's friends stood beside him.
Before AJ could even say anything Rick started in on him. Telling him to get the hell off his property, that they didn't need a war protester around, that AJ was just a coward. The only ones he wanted he around were people he could depend on and trust like his buddies, Phil, Stan and Macy. In fact Rick said his lip curling up in disgust AJ could go take a flying leap, he was tired of baby sitting a kid brother who was always in his way and looking down on him and his friends. Rick then made a comment that AJ never thought his brother would say to him. Rick told his kid brother that he wished he had never been born, that he had always wanted to be an only child but AJ fucked that up just like he did everything else.
Rick friend Phil had then laughed yelling at AJ that if he really wanted to make Rick happy then put a gun to his head and pull the trigger. The door had then been slammed in AJ's face. That had been two months ago, AJ had not been back to see his brother. AJ did come away from the house with one thing, Marlowe, Rick's dog. The dog had been chained up in the yard, something Rick had always said he would not do. AJ had calmly unchained the dog and taken him home, since he had not heard a word from his brother he figured he hadn't even noticed the dog was gone or just didn't give a shit.
Carlos and Town had rallied around their young friend. Both men would have liked to take Rick Simon and beat his head in, but with his hard head it probably wouldn't have done any good.
AJ then set into motion the paperwork to sell the business. Mom wanted him to move to Ireland but he didn't want to do that at least not yet, but he needed to get out of San Diego, get away from all the memories. The good memories made him want to curl up and cry for all that he had lost, his mother overseas, Janet now married with kids and all his other friends who had gone on with their lives. But most of all the memories of growing up with a big brother who was the main focus in his life, a big brother he could count on, a brothers love that was always there. The bad memories though were taking over and he didn't want that to happen so he had to leave.
When the paperwork came through the business sold for a hefty sum of money, of course both Simon brothers inherited quite a bit of money from their father and their Uncle Ray. Rick was living off his inheritance and by AJ's calculations would run through everything in a couple of years. So he wanted to make sure that Rick would have something to fall back on. Town and Carlos told him to take all the money but he couldn't do that, it wouldn't be fair and Andrew Jackson Simon was always fair.
So late on a Friday night AJ got into his car and drove over to Rick's place. The house was even more rundown than the last time he had been there. There were cans and trash in the yard, but the house was quiet and there were lights on inside. AJ felt a brief spurt of hope, maybe Rick was alone and they could talk.
Rick wasn't alone, as AJ found out when he knocked on the door. Rick came to the door with a woman hanging around his neck. From her clothing, reeking perfume, overdone makeup he figured she was a hooker, he must have let some of what he was thinking show on his face.
"Well if it isn't the perfect little brother. My friends not up to your standards? To fucking bad, Claire here knows how to please a man and her legs spread so fucking wide...damn you just got to see it to believe it," Rick said deliberately being rude and crude knowing how AJ hated that.
"I never said a word about your friend, Rick. I just wanted to talk for a minute," AJ said trying to keep his voice even.
"Your face says it all," Rick replied.
Claire then patted Rick on the face and said, "Oh let the pretty boy in, Ricky. He won't be long and then we can party."
Rick reluctantly opened the door and AJ slipped inside nearly gagging at the smell that hit him.
It was obvious that Rick had not cleaned house for some time, dirty dishes were piled in the sink, food sitting out with flies everywhere, dirty clothes tossed on the floor or over the backs of the ratty furniture sitting around.
Rick flopped down on a kitchen chair and glared at his brother, Claire wandered over and sat down straddling Rick's lap but facing AJ. The hooker knew just what she was doing as her legs were spread wide giving AJ an unfettered view up her short skirt. She was not wearing any underwear and giggled as Rick ran his big hands up and down her thighs, they were both watching AJ to catch his reaction.
Rick even in his drunk and stoned state was waiting for the lecture to start, God AJ was like their father...lecture...lecture...lecture listing off all his failures and why he would never be good enough.
Well fuck them all, he was perfectly happy the way he was.
AJ raised his chin; he would not allow his brother to pull him down in the gutter where he now lived. If Rick wanted to live in squalor and filth with the dregs if society let him, he was tired of trying to get Rick help. Any thought of trying to reason with Rick flew out the window, AJ was just to fucking tired to fight for his brother especially when that brother didn't want to be helped.
"I just wanted to hand you this, make sure you got it," AJ said as he handed over the papers.
"What the fuck is it?" Rick inquired not really giving a shit.
"It is a CD in your name. I sold the business and that is your share minus any revenue I made in the last few months when I worked alone. It matures in a year. I hope by that time you have pulled yourself out of the gutter and will spend it wisely," AJ commented as he turned to leave.
Rick tossed the CD on the table and surged to his feet dumping Claire to the floor ignoring her squeal of irritation.
Rick grabbed AJ's shoulder and whirled him around, fisting AJ's shirt he yanked his brother close as he snarled, "You listen to me, you little piece of sanctimonious shit. I live the way I want to live; you don't like it doesn't come around again. As far as I'm concerned you can take the fucking CD and shove it up your prim and proper little ass. Now get the hell out of my sight."
Rick gave his brother a shove that staggered the smaller man.
AJ had a temper, he seldom lost it, but when he did look out.
AJ shoved Rick back and hissed, "I'll be happy to get out of your sight. The CD is yours. Do whatever you want with it. Turn it over to the whore or give it to your so-called buddies. I don't care. You want to live like a pig...fine. I wash my hands of you, you want to be an only child then from this point on you are. You will never see me again. You have turned into a pathetic excuse for a man, Dad is turning over in his grave knowing what you have become."
Rick saw red, his relationship with his late father had always been tumultuous, and then he had died before they could become closer. AJ had always been the golden boy, the child who never got into trouble, made great grades, walked the straight and narrow. Rick was the troublemaker, the one who hated school, the kid pushing the limits. But until Rick turned to drugs and booze the brothers had been closer than any brothers around.
AJ had accepted Rick for who he was; no matter what his big brother had done AJ had worshiped the ground he walked on. While Rick knew that AJ loved him, he in turn adored his baby brother. No matter how old AJ got Rick always thought of him as his baby brother. Now Rick wasn't stupid he didn't let AJ know that was how he thought of him.
Rick had always made sure if there was one thing he did right in his life it was to keep an eye on AJ. That was why he went to Nam for a second tour; to make sure AJ would never have to go. When AJ was hurt he fretted over his brother, couldn't be budged from the younger mans side of course AJ did the same thing when he was hurt.
But all that went out the window, the drugs, and the booze was king now in Rick Simon's life. They helped him to forget the past, forget the horror of a war that had been over for decades, forget the fact that he was a disappointment to his family, forget the fact that he had let down the one person he loved above all others...his baby brother.
That brother had now become the enemy and Rick responded accordingly.
Rick yelled, "You mother fucking bastard, I wish you were dead."
Then Rick pulled back his fist ready to pummel his brother...anything to shut the blond up.
AJ jerked back away from his brother, he started to put up his arms to protect his face; Claire screamed and cowered under the table.
At the last possible second Rick realized that he was going to do the one thing he had never in his life had done. He had never hit AJ not even playing around he was five years older and far stronger than his younger brother; it had been a matter of pride that he had always protected AJ.
But fury was also fueling the man Rick pulled his punch so that his full power wasn't behind the fist that hit AJ on the cheek splitting it open.
AJ was slammed backwards and fell into the doorjamb hitting the back of his head. AJ slowly began to slide towards the floor, darkness threatened to take over his vision, he raised his hand to the back of his head and felt wetness.
Suddenly Rick was in his face and pulled him to his feet. Rick yelled at Claire to open the door, which the scared woman did.
Rick then threw AJ out the door to land with a thud on the ground.
"Get the fuck out of my life, you come back and I won't be responsible for what I do."
Rick then slammed the door shut.
AJ sat there for a few minutes then slowly pulled himself to his feet, he looked at his hand and saw the blood. He was in shock not so much at the blood that he could feel trickling down his neck and on his cheek but for the fact that Rick had actually hit him. Sure he knew that Rick had pulled his punch but still Rick had fucking HIT him.
That one event alone was enough put the end to the brothers Simon.
AJ felt tears prick his eyes; he gazed one last time at the rundown house and then trudged slowly to his car.
Lost in his thoughts and the pounding in his head AJ never saw the three men coming around the side of the house. They had heard the argument, and through the windows had seen Rick strike his brother. They couldn't believe the little prick had the guts to come back, why couldn't he leave Rick alone, after all Rick Simon was their money cow, he had plenty of money to keep them in booze, drugs and whores.
AJ Simon was not going to ruin that for them, besides it wasn't like Rick cared what happened to his brother anymore.
AJ was tackled to the ground, his head bounced off the ground dazing him even further, he tried to fight back but he was outnumbered and they were all bigger than him, besides he was already injured.
Fists, and feet did their damage on the helpless young man until AJ was covered in his own blood.
Phil roughly threw AJ into the trunk of the young mans own car, Stan had not used his fist on AJ just his feet so he went into Rick's house to make sure the man didn't suspect anything.
While they believed Rick hated his kid brother they weren't taking any chances.
Macy followed Phil who drove AJ's car to a pier across town; it was at an abandoned marina.
Macy didn't like this at all. Beating up the troublesome man was one thing, flat out murder he didn't like.
Once at the pier they hauled AJ out of the trunk prepared to put him in the drivers seat and then roll it into the water. The water would help get rid of the evidence. Just then they heard a car coming. Phil left Macy ordering him to get Simon into the car he would get rid of whoever it was.
Macy started to put AJ into the car but paused, he just couldn't do it. He remembered Rick talking during their stint in Nam together all about his baby brother and how proud he was of him. That part of his mind that was still thinking clearly made him pause, who knew what would happen down the road and he owed Rick for saving his life. Even if Rick hated his brother now that might not be the case in a few years, Macy had lost his brother to a car accident and he knew how he felt not able to fix things with his dead brother.
So Macy picked AJ up and put him on a bench by the pier, then he shoved the car until it rolled down the ramp and into the murky water. He heard Phil still talking and hurried over to dial the police and report an injured man found on the pier.
Macy then met Phil coming back and he assured the man that the job was done. The two men left never looking back and went back to Rick's.
Macy knew that Phil and Stan would kill him when they found out that he had not killed Simon so he made his excuses and went home. Packing his few belongings he jumped into his car and headed east, this whole thing had been a very sobering experience. It was time for him to clean up his act and settle down, it was what his brother would want him to do.
As Macy drove out of town he hoped that Rick wised up soon and he prayed that AJ Simon survived his injuries.
TBC