Hey! New chapter! Read and review, and enjoy!

Over the next two weeks, Natara noticed the changes quickly developing in her partner, both emotionally and physically. He started to grow distant, as if he had slipped into his own world. He was losing weight to the chemotherapy and his lack of appetite, and his skin had paled.

When she returned from the store one day, she found him sitting on the couch with a photo album in his lap. "Hey," she said, sitting down beside him. Mal didn't speak, but nodded slightly as he gazed at one of the photos.

His mother has taken it on his sixth birthday. In the picture, he held a BB gun that was nearly his size. His father crouched behind him, one arm around his shoulders. Mal was grinning ear to ear, proud of the present that his father had given him.

"I thought Mom was going to take that from me and shoot Dad for letting me have it," he said with a slight chuckle.

Natara smiled. "A six year old Mal with a gun does sound pretty bad."

"Heh. Well, Dad convinced her to let me keep it. I loved that BB gun." Mal leaned back, the photograph still in his hand. "I haven't told him, you know." Aside from their coworkers, Mal hadn't told anyone else about his illness. Not even his father. "I guess I'll have to get to that."

"I guess so. But it's your decision."

Mal set the album aside. "I'll do that later. He deserves to know. I mean, he was a lousy cop and may never get out of jail, but he was a decent dad."

As a child, he had idolized Jacob. He would tell himself that when he grew up, he wanted to be just like his dad. But when he found out about Jacob's schemes, he spent years being angry. Nothing could erase the betrayal he felt, but deep down Mal still loved his father. And he had to tell him.

CoD-CoD-CoD

When he walked into the San Quentin Maximum Security Prison that evening, Mal made his way down the corridor until he arrived in the visiting center. He sat at one side of the glass and picked up the phone.

Jacob Fallon looked up, surprised as he took in his son's appearance. "There's this great habit, son. It's called sleeping. You look like you could use it."

Mal scowled slightly. "Says the guy who told me monsters would hide under my bed if I didn't eat my veggies. That kinda interfered with sleeping when I was little." Jacob smirked. Mal leaned in closer to the glass. "I have to tell you something," he said softly, dropping his voice to nearly a whisper.

Jacob arched an eyebrow. "What?"

Mal closed his eyes for a long moment and sighed. "Dad... I have brain cancer. And it's not looking too good. I found out a couple weeks ago."

An eery silence fell between them. Jacob's expression was unreadable as he stared at Mal in shock. He prayed that he had heard wrong. Surely his son didn't have cancer.

Mal absently twisted the hem of his shirt, waiting for the silence to pass. After a long moment, he spoke again. "I guess sometime I can see what Mom's up to, huh?"

Jacob finally responded. "Mal... you're sure?" For once, Jacob Fallon had no idea what to say. He could tell by Mal's expression that this was real. Too real.

"Yeah," Mal said simply. "I'm sure." He stood up. "I'll try to come back soon." He started to leave, but turned around. "Love you, Dad."

"I love you too, son." Jacob watched as his son left. This was one of those moments when he regretted everything he had done. He hadn't been there when his wife died, and now he couldn't be there for his son. He glanced downwards to see something under the glass. He picked it up to look at it. Immediately the memory was fresh in his mind.

It was the photograph. It seemed like only yesterday he had watched as Mal triumphantly opened the BB gun he had wanted so badly.

And in that moment, he would have given anything to save his son.

Aww... review? Anyway... tomorrow is my BIRTHDAY! Reviews make AWESOME presents!