Okay, so a reviewer threatened to track me down if I didn't update quickly, so here it is. My family isn't huge on the writing thing and I don't think they're quite prepared for rabid fans to track me down. I thought about posting it tomorrow, but I have a friend coming into town, so I might have forgotten.

BTW: I have decided that the best song to listen to during the last chapter of The Second Chance is "You" by Evanescence. Swear to God, I cried my eyes out. If you really love those tear-jerkers, that's the perfect song. Why I'm telling you that, I have not the slightest clue, but I felt like sharing it with someone other than my siblings because I know that their intelligent replies would be, "Okay, whatever."

Oops, did I forget to do a disclaimer for the last chapter? I do believe I did. Guess I have to make up for it.

Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures is a money grubbing studio who doesn't give a damn about how people enjoy making little music videos and fanfics about their favorite characters because they can't make any money off of us . . . but I am a depressingly poor 19-year old who's only talent is writing and directing and who plans on forcing studios to sign contracts saying that everyone can use parts of my movies for whatever they want on YouTube or whatever so long as they aren't making money off them. Thus, I could not possibly own Four Brothers.

And yes, it is quite possible that a shrink and happy pills could do wonders for my rather twisted disposition.

Enjoy!

Jack opened his door quietly, listening hard. Moans and grunts from Angel's room, loud snores from Bobby's, no one was going to bug him. Closing the door, he hurried across the room and crawled out onto the porch roof with his cell phone. As he sat on the place he'd cleared of snow, he let his mind wander back to the years he'd spent living in this house, sitting on this same place smoking, singing, or just thinking. He'd always felt more at peace up somewhere high. Evy was like that. There was nothing she loved more than the times he'd take her up to the roof of their apartment building and hold her while she stood on the low wall that surrounded the edge, her arms spread as if she might take flight at any minute.

"Like dragons!" she cried once, calling out loudly so that he could hear her over the wind the rushed against them, flinging their hair back from their faces.

Smiling at the thought of his daughter, Jack checked the time on his phone. Nearly 11:00 here, so it would be about 9:00 in LA. He would catch Evy right before bed. He pressed the speed dial button for home and listened as the phone started to ring.

He could imagine how it would be. Grace would be chasing Evy through the apartment, finally ending up in the bedroom and tossing the little girl onto the bed, tickling her to hysterics. The phone would ring in the hall and Grace would hurry out and-

"Hello Jack," Grace's voice said over the line.

"How can you always do that?" he asked, grinning despite himself.

He could imagine her shrugging as she said, "It's a knack."

He laughed quietly. "How's everything?" he asked.

Grace sighed. "We miss you Jack," she said dully. "Evy seems a little lost right now. She was just sitting on the couch all day, staring out the window, hugging that coloring book you got her."

Jack ran a hand over his face, sucking in his breath in worry. He hated not being there, hated having to leave them behind. "Want me to talk to her and see if it helps?" he asked, knowing how tired his voice sounded.

"In a minute." After a moment, Grace spoke, her voice soft and comforting. "How're you holding up, baby?"

"It's so hard, Gracie," he whispered. "I feel like she's still here and it just kills me." He flinched as he glanced over his shoulder into the room that Evelyn had left just as he had kept it. "I had to be high to keep from flipping out completely."

"Oh, Jackie," Grace said sympathetically. "Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry."

He fought back tears. "We were all supposed to be here at Christmas," he choked. "Mom and my brothers and Jerry's family and you guys. We were supposed to have all the time in the world." A sob ripped up his throat and before he knew it, Jack was crying into the phone while Grace whispered soothingly to him.

"Daddy?" Evy's quiet voice shocked him out of his tears.

"Evy," Grace said sternly. "What have I told you about picking up the phone when someone else is on it?"

"But Mommy," Evy said, her little voice worried. "Daddy's crying! He doesn't have a teddy and he's crying. I have to make sure he's going to be okay, Mommy."

Jack laughed quietly, love surging through him for the stubborn little girl. She had to be on the phone in the kitchen, though how she slipped past Grace was a mystery.

Grace sighed. "I think I've been overruled. I'll talk to you later, baby. Evy, I'll be in my room when you're ready for bed."

"'Kay Mommy," Evy said softly. There was a click and Jack knew that it was just him and Evy.

"Daddy, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice aching with the need to help.

"I'm just a little sad, honey," he said soothingly. "It's hard being back in Gramma's house after all these years."

"It's happy-sad though, right Daddy?" she said.

Jack frowned slightly. "Happy-sad?"

"That's what Mommy said it felt like when she would think about you before you came back."

Jack felt like he'd been shot in the heart. He couldn't believe how much he'd missed. Why hadn't he made sure that Grace wasn't pregnant? They hadn't used protection, he should have checked back. He shouldn't have missed his daughters first two years of life.

"Yeah baby," he said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "It's happy-sad."

Evy was quiet for a moment and Jack pictured her sitting on the kitchen table, her feet up on one of the chairs, cradling the big phone next to her tiny face. She'd probably be wearing the blue pajamas with the silver music notes that he'd gotten her. Evy's sandy hair would be tousled and her eyes would have the limitless understanding that always stole his breath away.

"I miss you Daddy," she said softly. "Everything feels wrong without you here."

"I know baby," Jack said softly. "I miss you too. Everything feels empty without you running around making a bloody ruckus."

She giggled, just like she always did when he used that particular phrase. "I'll be home soon, Evy, I promise."

She sighed and he could imagine her twirling a lock of her hair around a little finger, one hand clutching the phone a little tighter. "I guess it doesn't really matter when you get back," she said after a moment. "Just so long as you do come back."

Jack grinned. "Even one of your wild temper tantrums couldn't keep me away, kiddo."

There was a click and Jack knew Grace was back on the phone. "Time for bed, Evy-bunny," she said. "Your daddy is tired and we can't keep him up any later or he'll be too tired tomorrow."

"Okay," Evy said, her voice filling with sadness that cut Jack to the bone. "Night Daddy, love you."

"Night Evy-bunny," he said, barely able to keep tears out of his voice. "Love you."

There was a click and Grace sighed into the phone. "Go to sleep Jack," she said softly. "You're going to need it."

Jack rubbed his tired eyes. "You're right," he said. "I'll have a cigarette and go to bed."

"Good." Grace was quiet for a moment and when she spoke, her voice was hesitant. "Jack, I know that you aren't in love with me, that you never were," she said carefully. "But I really need to tell you that I don't mind that at all because my baby is happy. You love her so much, more than you could ever love me, but that's okay. I just- I just needed you to know that."
Jack felt warmth spread through his body. He leaned back against the window and smiled slightly up at the stars. Thank God for this woman who was so wonderful that she'd never force him to marry her, to pretend that he loved her more than he really did. Grace always knew the right thing to say. He needed some worry lifted and she'd just lifted the brute of it.

"I do love you very much, Gracie," he said quietly. "I only wish that I was in love with you so that you wouldn't feel so let down."

Grace laughed, the sound sweet music to Jack's ears. "Baby, the only let down I would ever have from you is if you abandoned Evy. She's my life and I'd have to kill you if you hurt her."

Jack chuckled. "Babe, you'd have to get in line because I'd kill myself if I ever hurt her."

Please God, he thought as he crawled back in the window a little while later. Don't ever let me hurt Evy.

Aww, such a sweetie. I think Jack would have been a great dad; he was so cute with his nieces in the movie. Does anyone else think that I have a problem making sappy endings? I think it's a serious flaw, but I suppose it's really up to the readers. Lemme know.

Anyway, just wanted to give a bit of an intimate family moment. Next chapter should be up tomorrow sometime if I get the chance to finish it, but I'll have a friend here until Friday, so the writing shall be put on hold because horror movies and serious discussions on everything from poetry to zombies will be filling my time. Don't worry, I swear on a Stonehenge that I'll get you another chapter by Saturday. If for some reason I don't, please don't approach me with fire. Being a Pagan, I might get a little crazy, especially if there's a stake nearby.

Please review. I'm giving away invisible camels, be the first of your friends to own one and start a new trend! (Hey, if Paris Hilton can start a trend by stuffing her dog in a purse, I can start a trend with invisible camels. So, nah.)