Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing!

Lotte- I wrote more for you! I can't believe you corrupted me into writing so small like you usually do, but I guess it helps when you don't want anyone reading over your shoulder. Thanks for being my best friend, and I do hope your day gets better, remember I love you.

Chapter 4

Kate had just finished putting Kerri to bed when she heard Bobby's car pull into the driveway. The Brother's voices shattered the silence of the night. Shutting the door behind her, she walked down the stairs to greet them, laughing to herself as jack struggled to walk with Bobby and Angel.

"You just couldn't resist getting drunk, could you?" She scolded bobby, knowing he was the ring leader, his brothers would follow him anywhere.

"We drank to mom." He defended, pushing Jack off of him to let the youngest Mercer brother stand alone. "You know you're fairy here can't hold his liquor, why don't you take him into the kitchen and make him one of those sobering meals you used to make me?" Bobby ginned as he spoke. He knew Jack wasn't as drunk as he looked, but with a little alcohol he hoped the two would be able to talk.

"Fine, come on Jack." Kate sighed, taking Jack's arm and lead him to the kitchen, sitting him down on a stool. She meddled around in the cabinets, pulling out a tea kettle and a frying pan. Jack watched her with curiosity as she worked, her back against him. His curiosity in what she was making was lost as he gazed at her figure, mesmerized by the way she stood as she worked, her head held high and regally, her posture not showing a single flaw or weakness.

"They didn't believe me." He spoke to her, causing her attention to be stolen away from the omelet she was preparing. "When I got this." He motioned to that tattoo on his right forearm. Kate hadn't noticed the new image on his arm, a rock star style tattoo, naturally, a red heart surrounded by orange leaping flames, a painfully familiar name written underneath it in a waving ribbon.

"What didn't they believe?" She asked, her voice cracked as she gazed at her own name upon his skin.

"How beautiful you are." His words did not belong to a drunk man, but were spoken in complete sobriety, the alcohol only helping aid the truth to roll from his lips.

"Jack, you don't have to lie. I wouldn't blame them if they didn't believe such bullshit." Jack shook his head as she spoke, unable to believe the words coming from her lips.

"You honestly don't know how beautiful you are." He paused for a moment, as if contemplating if he should continue. " You know I lied to Bobby."

"About what?"

"About sleeping with so many girls. It isn't true, I just didn't want to hear him make fun of me anymore." Kate listened intently, returning to her work to keep her heart from fluttering. Her hands shook as in fear, and anticipation of what he was going to say.

"You did?" She forced herself to say, although her throat seemed to close up, making her breath more forced, her chest in pain.

"I've only been with one girl actually," He admitted, staring at Kate. "Which is more than you can say however." The last bit he spoke quietly.

"What makes you say that?" Kate snapped, pouring Coffee into a mug for him. The ceramic chattered as she slammed it down on the counter for him, some of the burning liquid jump out to land on his hand, but he didn't notice.

"Well, With Kerri... There must have been another guy." He spat, upset that his girl did not wait for him to return.

"Why should you care what I did after you left? You were the one who abandoned us!" She fumed, "And if it matters I haven't slept with anyone after you!" Jack's mind raced over what he had said.

"What?" He couldn't form words.

"Never mind." Kate attempted to leave, but Jack caught her by the arm.

"What did you say?"

"He's your Fucking son! Jack you fucking left before I could tell you!" She screamed at him, riping her arm from his grasp. "Son of a bitch."

Jack stood at the doorway of Kate's room, looking she asleep on her bed, Kerri curled up next to her. The first few rays of sunlight were slipping into the room from the window, illuminating it with a warm glow that danced over her skin. He laid his head against the wooden from of the door, his mind replaying her words last night.

"My son?" He whispered to himself, unable to tear his gaze from the sleeping boy. Never in his life had he even considered the possibility of having a kid, and now here he was, looking at a little boy. "How can this be?" He knew the math added up, he saw a new born picture of Kerri hanging up on the wall across from them, the date located in the lower corner, Kerri was born less that nine months from when he left, but he still didn't see how it could be possible, how he didn't know. He wrote to her, when he could, but she never wrote back to him, not one letter.

He didn't realize how much time truly passed, how long he was away, but he always thought Kate would wait for him, she would always be there once he reached his dream.

"I guess you lose a few things, chasing a dream." He spoke to himself sadly, hitting his head against the wood, silently cursing himself for leaving.

"You alright fairy?" Bobby came up behind him, looking over his shoulder at Kate.

"He's mine."

"I know." Bobby spoke quietly, causing Jack to turn and face his brother.

"How?" Bobby chuckled slightly, running his hand through his untidy hair.

"Who's else would he be? I came back often to watch over her for you, over them." He placed his hand on Jack's shoulder, pretending as if he didn't see the tear streaming down his little brother's face.

"You knew? And you never told me? No one ever told me. I would have come back, I would have-"

"She didn't want any one to tell you."

"Why?" His voice cracked as he spoke, the weight of it all crushing down on him.

"Because she didn't want you to come back for Kerri." Bobby sighed, locking his gaze with Jack. "She wanted you to come back for her. She has always loved you Jack."

"I know," Jack sighed, his gaze returning to her figure, her chest slowly rising and falling with her gentle breath. "But she must hate me now."

"She could never hate you, she's just scared, she doesn't want you to break her heart again."