Author's Note-I know it may sound weird that Jackson almost raped his daughter, even though he knew she was his, but please don't peg me as an incest-lovin' kinda gal. I had it that way because I really could see Jackson doing anything in his power to keep Kat under control. He never would have done anything, but he just wanted to scare the almighty hell out of her, like he did with Lisa. Unfortunately for him, Kat shares his genes and isn't too easily intimidated.

"I couldn't," Jackson was saying. "It was part of the job."

"You never..." she choked. "You never had to do this."

"I did."

"No."

Jackson paused thoughtfully, and a second later descended on her, kissing her on the lips so suddenly and powerfully she stepped back but didn't pull away. His hands moved to her hair and hers to his but she still didn't break the embrace. Finally after several minutes she pulled away.

"Why'd you do that?" Lisa asked, almost inaudibly. He looked at her hands.

"Because it may seem weird and sure, uncalled for, but..." he trailed off and brought his eyes back to hers. "I love you."

She gasped without knowing it and drew back, shaking. He took her shoulders.

"And call me crazy, but I think you love me too. I think the real reason you gave into me in the bathroom wasn't to save your dad and the Keefes. I know you well enough to judge that you wouldn't do that no matter how desperate you were. You did it because deep inside...you know you loved me."

"How could I love a terrorist?" she whispered, but it wasn't as if it were a question.

"I don't know," Jackson replied simply. Then his hand grazed her cheek. "But stop trying to fight it."

"Luke doesn't deserve that."

"Luke doesn't deserve anything, Leese. And if you knew the lies-" he cut off, shaking his head. But the damage had been done.

"What did you say?"

"I said that he's been lying to you, Lisa, ever since the marriage. Did you know he used to work with me?"

"As an assassin...no," Lisa squeezed her eyes shut. "No, no, he wasn't. He's a lawyer."

"He is now," Jackson nodded. "To save his ass from my employees. He's a coward, a liar...and no better than me."

Lisa accepted that. "But Kat. She needs a settled life, a father figure..."

"I can give her that, Leese," a smile broke out on his face. "She's so much like me, its not even funny. Her hair, her violent tendencies, her temper..."

"You're not doing too well in persuading me to stay with you, you know," Lisa said slyly. He grinned.

"So what do you say? Ready to take the plunge and just for once do what your heart is telling you to, instead of your mind?"

"I think we need to talk to Katie."

As if by magic their daughter and Adella appeared at their elbows.

"Were you listening in the other room?" Lisa asked. Kat nodded.

"Sneak," Jackson teased. Kat rolled her eyes.

"I just have one question," Kat asked her mother. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Luke didn't want me to," Lisa sighed. "He said you shouldn't grow up knowing your daddy was in jail for almost killing me. I wanted to, even though I was ashamed of myself. But I didn't, for him." Kat nodded and turned to her father.

"How do I know you're not feeding me this crap about caring about me just to get Mom back?" Jackson motioned for her to wait and moved to his briefcase, setting it on the table and snapping it open. He brought the stack of papers over to the three girls and held them out.

Kat sifted through the things. Photocopies of her report cards, photos of her and her friends, and then Jackson handed her another slip of paper and his wallet.

The wallet had her picture and scrawled on the back in Jackson's hasty handwriting,

My baby girl, Katie Marie Reisert Rippner. July 14 2001.

Kat swallowed and took the paper. It was her birth certificate. Her name she thought she'd always had, Katherine Marie Reisert Michaels, was there, but instead of the Michaels was Rippner. Her mom had given her Jackson's surname. Not Luke's. Kat brought her eyes to meet her father's. He looked almost teary, and she slowly hugged him. He held her tightly, and together, father and daughter cried.

Author's Note-I hope that cool font shows up. Because it so looks like Jack writing! Anyway, I love the father/ daughter chemistry here. If only he weren't such a freak...