This is just something that goes along with my other fanfic, The Second Chance. If you haven't read that, then this fic will make zero sense to you.

I got to thinking last night, what was going through Jack's head when he came back after Evelyn's death? Why didn't he tell his brothers up front about Evy?

That's something that kinda bugged me about my fic, lol. But now, because I can, I'm going to explain it.

That, and the fact that it's going to be a real tear-jerker and I know that all my lovely readers lap up the misery I provide.

Disclaimer: I don't own this yadda-freaking-yadda.


This can't be happening, Jack thought miserably, shoving a few more shirts into his bag. How can Mom be dead?

Tears overwhelmed him again and he sank onto the bed with his face buried in his hands. It hurt so much to think of the world without her. Evelyn was the only mother he'd ever had, the only person who'd ever loved him, flaws and all.

Well, not quite the only one, now that he thought about it. Grace loved him completely and so did Evy.

Evy. Almost as if the little girl could sense that he'd been thinking about her, she came into the room. He looked at her, the green eyes that we just like his, the shock of dark blonde hair that grew in every direction. "Are you okay, Daddy?" she asked, coming over and sitting on the bed next to him. She took his hand, her little fingers twining easily with his.

"Yeah, baby," he lied, forcing a small smile. "Just a little sad."

She gazed up at him, her little face somber and sympathetic. "Want me to get a teddy bear for you?" she asked. "I always feel better when I have my teddy."

Jack laughed slightly. "I don't have a teddy, honey."

"No teddy?" she said, her eyes wide with shock. "No wonder you were crying!"

Jack laughed harder this time and swept his daughter up into his arms, burying his face in her hair. She'd never met Evelyn. They were going to go to Detroit for Christmas; Evelyn had been so excited at the prospect of meeting her granddaughter. It's cruel that you'll never get to meet each other, he thought, longing for his mother yet again.

"Daddy?" Evy said quietly.

"Yeah, baby?"

"When are you coming home?"

Jack sighed. If he knew Bobby, he might not be back for a month or more. The thought of being away from his beautiful little girl for that long made his sadness increase. "I really don't know, Evy," he answered. "But I shouldn't be gone too long."

"Oh good," she said happily. "We need to finish the Queen book and I can't read. You need to come home so that you can read it to me."

"I promise I'll come home quick so that I can finish it for you," he assured her, setting Evy down on her feet and standing up.

"Okay Daddy." She smiled and hugged his legs. "See ya later!"

He watched her run out of the room with a smile. She loved him so much that she couldn't even imagine a world where he wasn't perfect. Evy was perfect in his opinion. Beautiful, smart, lively. He could see why Grace loved the little girl so much and why she clung to her.

Jack finished packing, tears falling slowly down his face. If at all possible, he wanted to keep Evy safe from all the awful things in life. He never wanted anything to take away the beautiful innocence she had.

He walked out into the hallway and watched Evy as she lay on the floor in the living, coloring in the KISS coloring book he'd bought for her a few days ago. She looked so peaceful, the total opposite of what he felt inside. Even though he looked back at his fling with Grace as nothing more than two friends having a good time, he would never see it as a mistake and it was all because of that beautiful little girl before him.

I'll protect you baby, he thought. I swear to God I'll protect you better than my parents protected me.

- - - - - -

Jack checked his pockets one more time. Plane ticket, wallet, cigarettes, everything was there. He turned back to face Evy and Grace who were standing there, sadness on their faces. He forced a smile and hugged Grace. "Don't worry," he whispered in her ear. "I'll be back before you've had time to miss me."

"Too late," she whispered back, tears heavy in her voice.

He pulled away and picked Evy up. "When everything's safe again, I'll take you to meet the family," he said, breathing deep the smell of her hair. Setting her down, he ruffled her hair. "I love you."

"Love you too, Daddy," Evy said.

Grabbing his bag and his guitar, Jack opened the front door. "I'll be back soon, I promise," he told them, smiling again even though it was the last thing he felt like doing. "I'll be back before you've even had time to get used to the peace and quiet."

With a last smile he shut the down and hurried down to the waiting taxi. After he'd gotten to LAX and was sitting in the plane, he let himself think, something he'd been avoiding since the call had come about Evelyn.

Closing his eyes, Jack leaned back in his seat. Evelyn hadn't even been surprised to find out that he had a daughter. "I figured one of you boys would find out you had a child," she'd said, laughing. "You're all too handsome for your own good and to say that you spread the good cheer is an understatement."

Nor had she been surprised when he explained why he was staying with Grace. "I really don't love her, Mom," he'd told Evelyn. "But she loves me so much. She's not stupid, she knows the main reason I'm staying is because of Evy, but it doesn't seem to bother here. It's almost scary how much she loves me."

Even though he'd only been away from them for less than an hour, Jack was already having trouble remembering what Grace looked like. Evy, on the other hand, was sharp and clear in his mind, every little detail lovingly memorized. She was really the light of his life. It killed him that he'd missed the first years of his life. Firsts only happened once and he'd missed all of them. Her first steps, first haircut, first shot, first bruise, first smile, first word, first everything.

I should have been there, he thought yet again. But I'll make it up to her. I'll never leave Evy again after this trip. I'll never miss anything else.


Hehe, so I didn't actually plan on making this a long fic, but I'm thinking it might turn out that way. I know, I know, you all hate my writing and none of you want to read anymore.

So anyway, please review.