Station 19's latest episode "The Road You Didn't Take" (5x17) got me thinking again. And this second conversation over Whiskey and Beer wanted to be written.


Jack was more than glad that Marsha was on a trip tonight. Andy had helped him up the stairs and he had waved her off. He needed some time to process this new information alone. And certainly, run that all by his buddy.

He scoffs remembering their conversations back in the day. How they both had dreamed about a happy family. Happy had been their only wish. Perfect was never a word they had dared to use. Especially not after Street had shared how he landed in foster care.

And now hearing that his parents had had 3 other kids after him. That they raised them and loved them and never even mentioned him until that damn DNA match.

He feels like throwing things across the room. Shattering everything in sight. But this is Marsha's place and he is still just a guest.

Marsha still had a ban on hard liquor in her apartment but Jack knew he needed something to drink and someone to talk to. Someone who could understand, or at least had a better chance than Andy.

Jack shakes his head. Andy possibly had an idea too but she has other things she needs to focus on right now. Something he should support her in, but what did he do? He dragged her with him for support and now… He reaches into the fridge and pulls out a bottle of beer.

He grabs his phone and checks the time. A little past 11 pm. With a little luck, his friend was not on shift and was still awake.

Jack twists open the beer and dials Street's number before walking over to the open balcony door and plopping down into a chair.

A light breeze cools his face when the line picks up. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Why does something have to be wrong when I call you?" he feigns hurt but secretly is glad that his brother can read him that well.

"You're calling me in the middle of the night after going to see your real brother today. I take it, things didn't go over well?" Street explains and it sounds like he is sipping something himself.

Jack scratches the back of his neck and coughs lightly. "You could say that," he takes a sip from his bottle. "Are you sitting down?"

Jack can just imagine Street's look right now. Confused and worried. "Yes. Why?" Two words were enough to make that much clear.

"I have a brother and two sisters. They grew up with my parents," Jack chokes admitting that. He has to swallow hard not to scream out his anger.

"Did you meet them?" Street asks sitting up straight on the sofa, the game on screen completely forgotten. He can hear it in Jack's voice, that his friend is distraught and just needs a friend right now.

"No, God, No," Jack mumbles. "I don't think that would've been a good idea. They didn't want me enough. Gave me away and made a better version…"

"So you did meet your parents, and they said that?" now Street starts sounding angry.

"NO," Jack shouts into the phone. "I just sat down with Josh, and he told me. He said they want to meet me. All of them."

He gets very quiet at the end. His voice is barely audible, but he is sure Street understood every word.

"Isn't that what you always dreamed of? Finding your family. Meeting them and being a part of that?" his friend reminds him of just how long and how well they know each other.

"I wanted to have a family that I belong to. That loves me. Not find the parents that gave me away because they weren't ready just to have three more kids and forget about me." Jack presses out.

Tears start threatening to fall again.

"How do you know they forgot about you?" Street asks cautiously. "They never mentioned me until Josh asked about the DNA match, nor did they ever try to find me! They just pretended I didn't exist and…" he trails off remembering one of Josh's comments.

Jack takes a swig from his beer. "They pretended I was happy and might not even know I was adopted!" he scoffs, and he can clearly see Street shutting his eyes while he sighs.

"Jack, I am sorry. What can I do?" Street sounds even more concerned now. "Where are you? Is someone with you?"

Yep, definitely worried.

"Calm down. Andy dropped me off at home. I hurt my knee while trying to change a blown tire, so I am not going anywhere until Marsha is back or someone picks me up," he tells his friend.

"So, what do I do now?" Jack brings their conversation back to his dilemma.

"What do you wanna do?" Street is being less than helpful if you'd ask Jack right now.

"I don't know. I, God, I was so excited and nervous about meeting Josh and having someone to share stories with and I hoped he had had better luck in life but this…" he trails off and kills his bottle of beer in one long drag. "I don't know how I feel about this."

"Then tell them that," Street simply says.

"Maybe. But I need time to think and then think some more," Jack mumbles falling back against the back of the chair sighing.

Their conversation soon ends with Street calling it a night and reminding his friend that he is always just a phone call away.

Now it's up to Jack to really figure out what he wants, but he can't deny he wishes he could show his parents what they missed out on. Because just like Andy said, and coincidentally Maya and Carina: He is a good guy. And he is going to be an amazing father, uncle, to that baby.