A/N: Not quite what I had expected to write when I wrote the plan for my story but still okay. Hope you like it!

He had asked to come alone this time. She hadn't wanted but after an hour of arguing, she had finally agreed to let him be alone with his son for a couple of minutes. She had drove him to the hospital, her silence telling him how she felt about the whole deal. He had kissed her just before getting out of the car and had told her they would be fine. She had answered that she would be waiting for him in the car.

He felt as though his heart was going to beat out of his chest as he walked down the corridor to his son's room. Each footstep seemed to reverbrate loudly off the walls, making his eardrums pound in his ears.

He was oblivious to the nurses' stares, oblivious to his whole surroundings. Mentally, he went over what he would say to his son. There were so many things he needed to get off his chest, so many things he wanted his son to hear and it didn't matter to him that Kyle wouldn't be able to hear him or even understand him. It was just something he had to do.

He opened the door to his son's room for the second time this weekend. The heart monitor beeped steadily and somehow Jack immediately felt appeased by the sound. Closing the door, he walked up to his son. He found him in the same position as the previous day. Pulling a chair up to the incubator, Jack sat down.

"Hey Buddy." He said, as he snaked his hands into both latex gloves and ran a finger up and down his son's left arm. "How are you doing?"

Like he can answer me. Jack thought.

Glancing briefly at the door to make sure no one was staring at him, he looked back at his son.

"You really gave us quite a scare, do you know that?"

Jack paused, suddenly at loss of words. What had made sense in his head all night and this morning suddenly didn't anymore. The feeling of being near his son seemed to make him forget everything he had rehearsed. So he gazed at his son.

"You know, your mommy and I used to be together. And we had another baby that we didn't get a chance to get to know because he was born prematurely too. Your mom was only two months pregnant when she lost it."

Jack sniffed and wiped a tear that managed to escape his eyes.

"It was really tough on both of us. It really changed us forever. But then your mommy got pregnant with you and I got scared. I was scared I was going to lose you too and I couldn't bare that thought. So, I left your mother."

He paused for a split second.

"It was the biggest mistake of my life. They say that babies can feel everything their mother is feeling while in their stomach. I just hope we didn't traumatize you for life. Knowing your mother, she must have been really sad. She's a real softie. You're lucky to have such a caring woman for a mother, Kyle. Remember that when you hit thirteen."

The monitor beeped a bit quicker.

"In a couple of days, I'll have to leave again. Not for long, but I still have work to do down in Peru. I'll come back, I promise you, but only if you promise me one thing. Promise me that whatever happens you'll keep fighting. Promise me that your mom and I will have the chance to bring you home, to raise you and to love you just like you deserve."

A few more tears slid down Jack's face. He didn't wipe them.

"Eh?" Jack added, softly, running his finger on his son's arm. "Do we have a deal?"

Kyle twitched at the thought of the cold latex and slowly turned his head towards his father. Jack smiled through his tears as Kyle opened his eyes slowly and stared unfocusely at his father.

"Looks like we have ourselves a deal." Jack said as his son closed his eyes once more.

Staring at few more minutes at his baby boy, Jack then got up and walked out of the room.

"Man, this place is still opened?"

Booth looked up and didn't bother masking his surprise at seeing his former colleague standing right beside his table.

"New management." Booth replied. "But same old good food. Wanna sit down?"

Jack nodded.

"You look like crap, man."

"I just came back from the hospital."

Booth nodded.

"How is he?"

"Okay. The nurse said his situation was weak but stable. How are your kids?"

"Pretty good. Riley is bummed out because her friend died recently but she's holding on pretty well for a nine-year-old. I think she just doesn't understand what dying means yet."

"Lukas probably understands."

"He does. When my father died, he understood it meant his grandfather wouldn't come back. Rye didn't. She would stay up at night, hoping to see her grandfather come around the corner."

Jack smiled, sympathetically.

"Why are you here? You certainly didn't drop by to talk about my kids."

"I needed to ask you a question."

"Shoot." Booth replied as he took a bite of his steak.

"How was Angela while I was gone?"

Booth looked up at his friend, wiped his mouth with his napkin, leaned back in the bench and sighed.

"Miserable."

"You don't have to be so blunt about it." Jack replied, immediately feeling guilty for leaving his ex-girlfriend.

"You asked a question, I gave you an answer."

Jack sighed.

"I guess you're right."

"Why did you leave? She spent months wondering why."

"I just... It's... I couldn't face it."

Booth frowned.

"Face what?"

"Her pregnancy. I couldn't face her pregnancy. I knew she wouldn't be able to carry the baby to full term and I wasn't ready to see another one of my children go before I even had a chance to know it."

"What do you mean you knew?"

"I had a feeling."

"You had a feeling?"

"Yes." Jack replied, frustratedly. "I had a feeling. Something just didn't feel right. And I was right. According to her doctor, she can't carry babies to full term. It's a miracle she was able to keep Kyle for six and a half months."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh. See why I left now?"

"No." Booth replied, shaking his head. "Because you didn't know for sure back then that she couldn't carry babies. You left because you were scared of the unknown, scared of getting hurt again. You did just like what my wife would have done years ago, what you used to judge her for. You took off and left loved ones behind you. That's what I see."

Jack leaned back in his seat.

"Are you back for good?"

"No. I'm leaving Wednesday. But I'll come back. Now that I've seen my son, I can't stay away from him."

Booth nodded.

"I completely understand you on that one."

"It's amazing how something so small can have such a huge impact on your life. When he opened his eyes earlier today and looked at me, I felt so much love for this little guy that I thought my heart was going to explode."

"I know the feeling."

"He's so tiny. He could probably fit inside my hand."

"I remember when I saw Riley for the first time. She was small and fragile. She weighed only two pounds. I was almost afraid to hold her. I was scared I was going to break her."

Jack chuckled.

"You laugh now but wait until you hold your son for the first time. You won't want to do it. You'll be afraid too. You'll look at Angela, see how perfect she is with him and immediately feel inferior."

"Is that how you felt?"

"Not with the twins but with Parker. The first time I held him in the hospital, I felt like all eyes were on me. I was so nervous. I only held him for ten seconds before I gave him back to Rebecca. I couldn't do it."

Jack smiled.

"Thanks, man. I needed a talk like this."

Booth nodded.

The door to the diner opened, making Jack look up.

"Booth, I think we have some visitors."

"Daddy!"

Booth got up just in time to catch his daughter and lifted her up in the air.

"Booth, she just ate." Temperance immediately scolded.

"Who cares? If she throws up, we'll clean it up."

Brina giggled and Booth set her back down on the ground. The little girl looked up at Jack. Jack smiled at her. Brina looked up at her father.

"Who that?" The two-year-old asked, pointing at the stranger.

"That's Jack. He's Aunt Angela's boyfriend."

Jack looked up at Angela who was standing beside her best friend and smiled. Angela smiled back.