A/N: Hey there! OK, so here's the deal. This little one-shot is actually related to a longer story that I've been working on and off for about 6 years. I wrote this particular piece in one of my creative writing classes three years ago and decided to fix it up a bit in an attempt to test the waters with readers. Yeah, this is gonna be sad and YES. Jack and Janet are a couple in the main story (at least in the beginning). Anyhoo, let me know what you think. I apologize in advance if it's boring. My writing is slightly rusty, but perhaps sharing this will be the motivation needed to FINALLY post my main story in its entirety and to stop being lazy with it. Blah...OK. Let me stop my nervous ramblings LOL Hope y'all enjoy this little "snapshot" from my story. :-)

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own Three's Company or any of its characters.

Early 1979

I can't believe this is happening to me right now. What have I gotten myself into?

Those were the thoughts that plagued Jack Tripper's mind as he slowly backed himself into a hospital hallway wall, still trying to grasp the events and news that had just been shared with him. Within an hour, he went from tightly cradling an unconscious Janet in his arms as he rushed into the emergency room to being swarmed by dozens of doctors and nurses, all of them informing him that he was not only a new father of a baby girl but that she was twelve weeks premature and in critical condition.

WHAT THE FUCK? I'm really somebody's father! How in the hell did I not know that Janet was pregnant? How could I have missed it? And most importantly, why didn't she tell me? I'm absolutely not ready or capable of being anyone's father! How the hell am I going to explain this to our families and friends?

It was obvious the unexpected news was sending Jack into a complete tailspin. He ran a shaky hand through his already disheveled hair and released a frustrated sigh, trying to recover from the shock still radiating throughout his body, but he wasn't having much success in calming himself down.

Janet is currently fighting for her life and here I am trying to figure out what to do with this new life that I'm now responsible for.

Even though extreme nervousness was settling into his bones, Jack decided to get himself together and walk into the NICU ward to visit his daughter for the very first time. Before he knew it he found himself staring into a large incubator witnessing his tiny baby daughter slightly squirming about. Hearing her barely audible cries squeaking through the tiny confines of her box killed Jack on the inside and it was at that moment he realized that he was terrified. Terrified about the future and what it meant for his girlfriend and their baby daughter.

Will my baby and Janet survive? How am I gonna provide and offer the best possible life for them? How can I be the best possible example for my daughter when she's older?

Jack drew in a shaky breath as he hesitantly placed a hand on the glass of the incubator.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, baby," Jack quietly started, his voice slightly wavering in the process. "You and your mommy don't deserve to be suffering like this at all."

Jack then began tenderly stroking the glass, but no matter what it didn't seem to soothe or calm his baby's cries. With the various wires sticking every which way in and out of her body, Jack could only imagine she was actually begging anyone to relieve her of the discomfort she was experiencing. It made him realize right then and there that he had to make things right. Not just for his baby, but for everyone in his life that was going to be affected by this tragedy. With the unexpected life changes he was experiencing tonight, he decided it was time for him to grow up because another life was now depending on him.

"No matter what, I promise I'm gonna spend the rest of my days making it up to you two and I won't stop until my last breath."

A/N: So yeah...kinda got stuck at the end, but thank you for reading! And if you didn't, thanks for stopping by anyway? LOL IDK but feel free to leave a comment! :-)